From Scopophilia to Abjection: Vision and Blindness in the Monja que se arrancó los ojos

Beresford, AM

Abstract

The brief untitled exemplum preserved uniquely in MS 77 of the Biblioteca Menéndez Pelayo and generally known as the Monja que se arrancó los ojos, tells the tale of a nun who, rather than submit to the lechery of a king, opts instead to mutilate herself in order to spurn his attentions. This article, which draws on theories of the gaze and of abjection (showing how from a certain theoretical perspective they could be considered complementary hermeneutics for tackling the same issue), analyses the complex symbolic implications of self-mutilation, showing how the Nun’s actions could be interpreted from a range of complementary perspectives.

Citation

Beresford, A. (2016). From Scopophilia to Abjection: Vision and Blindness in the Monja que se arrancó los ojos. Miríada hispánica, 12, 111-127

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 13, 2015
• Publication Date: 2016
• Deposit Date: Mar 22, 2016
• Journal: Miríada Hispánica
• Print ISSN: 2171-5718
• Publisher: University of Virginia
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Pages: 111-127
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1388548
• Publisher URL: http://www.miriadahispanica.com/publicacion/12