| This dissertation represents a study of the theatrical treatment of the theme of family as metaphor of the socio-political order. The symbolic and the political link between the family and the vast social institutional system considering the diverse aspects of the daily life as a web of social interaction, is accentuated.; This dissertation seeks to establish the interconnections between the theatre and the political, social, and economic sphere through a careful analysis of selected plays produced in Argentina in the second half of the 20 th century. Through an examination of these works, I will demonstrate how the bourgeois ideal of the united and ideal family where the father is central and the moral exigencies of society are observed, as fostered by official discourse has consistently been questioned by theatrical discourse. While referencing the construction of the utopian family, theatrical discourse shows disintegrated worlds that reflect the state of a sick country where the authority of the father-state has lost credibility. Moreover, the sons-citizens, because of absolute subjection, relegation to confinement or a situation of abandonment are unable to project toward a promising horizon.; It is my contention that the different modes of production, transmission, and reception of the theatrical discourses are related to the country's historical, social, political, and economical transformations and that the diverse forms of presenting the family unit are representations of the ideological changes and divergences that coexist with the official representation of family relations. This crisis is seen from a dual perspective: (1) From the public sphere, as a consequence of the damaging influences that originate in the societal macrocosm and act upon the family, or inversely; (2) From the private, familial microcosm and irradiating out onto the society. In the majority of the cases, both forces appear simultaneously, interacting and accelerating the destructive process. Therefore, we can conclude that the decadence of the paternal image is a consequence of a socio-political and economic crisis to which are compounded psychological problems arising from a well-founded fear of the uncertain future.; The analysis as set forth in this dissertation proceeds from the notion that all texts are cultural products ensconced in a specific time and space. Therefore, the dissertation concerns itself both with theatrical texts and socio-political context in a tight, enmeshed relationship. Among the specific concerns that this paired and interpenetrating form of analysis brings up, are the limits placed on creative activity by cultural and historic conditions, the ideologies of producers, the composition of potential publics, and the content of legitimated aesthetic and theatrical codes as they shape and inform the imaginary of the texts. |
