¿Quién canta? Bolero y ambigüedad genérica en Sirena Selena vestida de pena de Mayra Santos-Febres.

Abstract

The novel Sirena Selena vestida de pena presents the musical genre of bolero and the character of the transvestite as elements that can shudder traditional gender roles. In one hand, Selena‘s performance of boleros mirrors a collective desire, the drama of the music and the romantic discourse of the Caribbean. Both the performer and the audience are constantly exchanging signs of desire that have been typically associated with heterosexual desire. In this novel, nevertheless, these signs do not only signify heterosexual desire, but can also be applied to homosexual desire. The messages, the signs and the exchanges are constant and ambiguous. On the other hand, the figure and character of the transvestite also help to build the ambiguity of the novel. As a performer, the transvestite acts as or occupies a "third" term, she is constantly creating new identities that do not fit within the classical dichotomies of gender roles.