| This dissertation studies the present day province of Misiones, Argentina, tracing it from the moment it was recognized as a National Territory (1881) until the point that it was officially incorporated into the nation as Province (1954).;During this period, the territory underwent a series of alterations in its representation within the national imaginary; a change that is reflected in the narratives of travelers, government officials, and writers who visited and documented the region.;At the end of the nineteenth century, these documents include the letters written by Alejo Peyret and Rafael Hernandez, as well as the speech given by Guillermo Godio. Each of these texts is discussed in the first chapter "Sites for Construction: The Ressurection of the Forgotten Territory of Misiones". The second chapter, "Blueprints for a Community: Horacio Quiroga and Los desterrados", discusses the manner in which this author inadvertedly conceptualized a community within the territory with his collection of short stories.;Chapters three and four, "Framing the Region: The Fruits of Misiones in the work of Alfredo Varela" and "Constructing a Model: From Territory to Province, Misiones in the films La jangada (Horacio Quiroga), Prisioneros de la tierra (Mario Soffici), and Las aguas bajan turbias (Hugo del Carril)," study the period in which the project of representation was largely dominated by themes of social justice, within newspaper articles, novel, and film.;This dissertation begins with a discussion of the construction of space and place within the Misiones jungle framework. Each chapter then moves chronologically through the period of transformation, the texts building upon one another, and culminating in those films which facilitated the recognition of the territory as Province.;The conclusion discusses the underlying themes present throughout the period of transformation and presents a discussion regarding the effectiveness of this project with respect to national integration. |
