De pájaros invisibles y otros cuentos: o fantástico feminino de María Elena Llana

Abstract

The present work aims to analyze the feminine fantastic in the short stories of Cuban writer María Elena Llana, from the book De pájaros invisibles y otros cuentos (2009). The feminine fantastic differs from the andocentric fantastic literature by relating the theories of gender to the ones of the fantastic literature. This way, the feminine fantastic reflects upon the feminist criticism, its relation with power, the construction/reconstruction of female characters, and its multiple identity components and the role of submission imposed by the patriarchal society on women. The work of María Elena Llana enables the discussion of these questions, especially when she creates female characters who question their own identity and the social roles that designate women to the private spaces instead of public ones. Through this questioning, these female characters establish a new order for their lives that helps them break with the imposed stereotypical patterns of behavior in order to achieve a place and voice in society.