Doubly subalternized. Embodiment, racialization and Afro-descendants in "Little Black Girl" (1945) by Blanca Varela

Leonardo-Loayza R. · Revista de Critica Literaria Latinoamericana (2020)

Resumen

This article shows that in the poem "Muchachita negra" ("Little Black Girl", 1945) by Blanca Várela we can see how the machinery of invention of Afro-descendant women is set in motion by the Western world. This machinery focuses on the description of the body and face of the black woman to establish her identity. The racialization operation establishes an analogy between the characteristics of this body and face with some elements of nature such as plants. The consequence of this analogy is that the Afro-descendant woman is registered, fixed, and recognized as an integral part of this nature. Keywords: Blanca Várela, Peruvian poetry, Afro-descendants, racialization.