Publication Date
Spring 5-1-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in English (MA)
Department
English
Committee Chair
Dr. Zachary Hernandez
Committee Member
Dr. Jonathan Murphy
Committee Member
Dr. Nathaniel Racine
Committee Member
Dr. Zachary Hernandez
Committee Member
Dr. Irma Cantu
Abstract
This thesis explores the representation of gender, identity, and land in the novels Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko and Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. To understand the role of gender in the novels, women are analyzed as sources of salvation and refuge for men. The male protagonists seek a “cure” or an understanding of themselves, and they are only able to achieve this through the nurturing of the women in their lives. This thesis also examines how the male protagonists develop their masculinity through the formation of a bond with the Earth, their homeland, and nature. In Ceremony and Bless Me, Ultima, the relationship between gender, identity, and land illustrates how a feminine approach to healing allows the male characters to discover and redefine their true selves. The novels present female characters as saviors and healers. Through their feminine intercession, the male protagonists can reconnect to the land and reconstruct their fractured identities.
Recommended Citation
Perez, Denise, "EXAMINING THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN GENDER, IDENTITY, AND LAND IN LESLIE MARMON SILKO’S CEREMONY AND RUDOLFO ANAYA’S BLESS ME, ULTIMA" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 214.
https://rio.tamiu.edu/etds/214
