pág. 2378
FROM REGENCY MORALITY TO TROPICAL
TRAGEDY: A DECOLONIAL AND GENDER-BASED
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EMMA
WOODHOUSE AND EMMA IN THE WORKS OF
JOSÉ MARÍA VARGAS VILA
DE LA MORALIDAD DE LA REGENCIA A LA TRAGEDIA
TROPICAL: UN ANÁLISIS COMPARATIVO DESCOLONIAL Y
DE GÉNERO DE EMMA WOODHOUSE Y EMMA EN LAS
OBRAS DE JOSÉ MARÍA VARGAS VILA
Jairo Eduardo Soto Molina.
Universidad del Atlántico, Barranquilla, Colombia
pág. 2379
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v10i4.25270
From Regency Morality to Tropical Tragedy: A Decolonial and Gender-
Based Comparative Analysis of Emma Woodhouse and Emma in the Works
of José María Vargas Vila
Jairo Eduardo Soto Molina1
Jairosoto1@mail.uniatlantico.edu.co
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3378-0202
Universidad del Atlántico, Barranquilla, Colombia
ABSTRACT
This article develops a decolonial and gender-based comparative analysis of female subjectivity through
the figures of Emma Woodhouse in Emma and Emma in the works of José María Vargas Vila. Moving
beyond superficial nominal coincidence, the study proposes the shared name “Emma” as a symbolic and
discursive entry point to examine how two distinct literary traditions construct divergent models of
femininity within unequal historical and epistemological frameworks. The research adopts a qualitative
interpretative approach grounded in critical hermeneutics and symbolic interactionism, complemented
by a decolonial theoretical framework drawing on the works of Aníbal Quijano, Walter Mignolo, and
Catherine Walsh, alongside gender theory perspectives. Analytical categories include the configuration
of female subjectivity, representations of love, social regulation, and the tension between agency and
determinism. Findings reveal that Emma Woodhouse embodies a disciplined and socially regulated
subjectivity embedded within the bourgeois order of Regency England, while Vargas Vila’s Emma
represents a fragile and tragic subject shaped by emotional excess, moral instability, and the
contradictions of a postcolonial Latin American context. The study contributes to comparative literary
studies by advancing a decolonial methodology that enables dialogue between canonical European texts
and marginalized Latin American narratives, challenging hegemonic frameworks in the construction of
gendered subjectivities.
Cue words: Female Subjectivity, Comparative Literature, Gender Studies, Interculturality, José María
Vargas Vila, Jane Austen, Coloniality of Power
1 Autor principal
Correspondencia: Jairosoto1@mail.uniatlantico.edu.co
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v10i4.25270
From Regency Morality to Tropical Tragedy: A Decolonial and Gender-
Based Comparative Analysis of Emma Woodhouse and Emma in the Works
of José María Vargas Vila
Jairo Eduardo Soto Molina1
Jairosoto1@mail.uniatlantico.edu.co
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3378-0202
Universidad del Atlántico, Barranquilla, Colombia
ABSTRACT
This article develops a decolonial and gender-based comparative analysis of female subjectivity through
the figures of Emma Woodhouse in Emma and Emma in the works of José María Vargas Vila. Moving
beyond superficial nominal coincidence, the study proposes the shared name “Emma” as a symbolic and
discursive entry point to examine how two distinct literary traditions construct divergent models of
femininity within unequal historical and epistemological frameworks. The research adopts a qualitative
interpretative approach grounded in critical hermeneutics and symbolic interactionism, complemented
by a decolonial theoretical framework drawing on the works of Aníbal Quijano, Walter Mignolo, and
Catherine Walsh, alongside gender theory perspectives. Analytical categories include the configuration
of female subjectivity, representations of love, social regulation, and the tension between agency and
determinism. Findings reveal that Emma Woodhouse embodies a disciplined and socially regulated
subjectivity embedded within the bourgeois order of Regency England, while Vargas Vila’s Emma
represents a fragile and tragic subject shaped by emotional excess, moral instability, and the
contradictions of a postcolonial Latin American context. The study contributes to comparative literary
studies by advancing a decolonial methodology that enables dialogue between canonical European texts
and marginalized Latin American narratives, challenging hegemonic frameworks in the construction of
gendered subjectivities.
Cue words: Female Subjectivity, Comparative Literature, Gender Studies, Interculturality, José María
Vargas Vila, Jane Austen, Coloniality of Power
1 Autor principal
Correspondencia: Jairosoto1@mail.uniatlantico.edu.co
pág. 2380
De la moralidad de la Regencia a la tragedia tropical: un análisis
comparativo descolonial y de género de Emma Woodhouse y Emma en las
obras de José María Vargas Vila
RESUMEN
Este artículo desarrolla un análisis comparativo decolonial y de género de la subjetividad femenina a
través de las figuras de Emma Woodhouse en Emma y Emma en la obra de José María Vargas Vila.
Más allá de la mera coincidencia nominal, el estudio propone el nombre compartido «Emma» como
punto de partida simbólico y discursivo para examinar cómo dos tradiciones literarias distintas
construyen modelos divergentes de feminidad dentro de marcos históricos y epistemológicos desiguales.
La investigación adopta un enfoque interpretativo cualitativo basado en la hermenéutica crítica y el
interaccionismo simbólico, complementado por un marco teórico decolonial que se nutre de las obras
de Aníbal Quijano, Walter Mignolo y Catherine Walsh, junto con perspectivas de la teoría de género.
Las categorías analíticas incluyen la configuración de la subjetividad femenina, las representaciones del
amor, la regulación social y la tensión entre agencia y determinismo. Los hallazgos revelan que Emma
Woodhouse encarna una subjetividad disciplinada y socialmente regulada, arraigada en el orden burgués
de la Inglaterra de la Regencia, mientras que la Emma de Vargas Vila representa un sujeto frágil y
trágico, moldeado por el exceso emocional, la inestabilidad moral y las contradicciones de un contexto
latinoamericano poscolonial. Este estudio contribuye a los estudios literarios comparados al proponer
una metodología decolonial que posibilita el diálogo entre textos europeos canónicos y narrativas
latinoamericanas marginadas, desafiando los marcos hegemónicos en la construcción de subjetividades
de género.
Palabras clave: Subjetividad femenina, Literatura comparada, Estudios de género, Interculturalidad,
José María Vargas Vila, Jane Austen, Colonialidad del poder
Artículo recibido 20 mayo 2026
Aceptado para publicación: 20 junio 2026
De la moralidad de la Regencia a la tragedia tropical: un análisis
comparativo descolonial y de género de Emma Woodhouse y Emma en las
obras de José María Vargas Vila
RESUMEN
Este artículo desarrolla un análisis comparativo decolonial y de género de la subjetividad femenina a
través de las figuras de Emma Woodhouse en Emma y Emma en la obra de José María Vargas Vila.
Más allá de la mera coincidencia nominal, el estudio propone el nombre compartido «Emma» como
punto de partida simbólico y discursivo para examinar cómo dos tradiciones literarias distintas
construyen modelos divergentes de feminidad dentro de marcos históricos y epistemológicos desiguales.
La investigación adopta un enfoque interpretativo cualitativo basado en la hermenéutica crítica y el
interaccionismo simbólico, complementado por un marco teórico decolonial que se nutre de las obras
de Aníbal Quijano, Walter Mignolo y Catherine Walsh, junto con perspectivas de la teoría de género.
Las categorías analíticas incluyen la configuración de la subjetividad femenina, las representaciones del
amor, la regulación social y la tensión entre agencia y determinismo. Los hallazgos revelan que Emma
Woodhouse encarna una subjetividad disciplinada y socialmente regulada, arraigada en el orden burgués
de la Inglaterra de la Regencia, mientras que la Emma de Vargas Vila representa un sujeto frágil y
trágico, moldeado por el exceso emocional, la inestabilidad moral y las contradicciones de un contexto
latinoamericano poscolonial. Este estudio contribuye a los estudios literarios comparados al proponer
una metodología decolonial que posibilita el diálogo entre textos europeos canónicos y narrativas
latinoamericanas marginadas, desafiando los marcos hegemónicos en la construcción de subjetividades
de género.
Palabras clave: Subjetividad femenina, Literatura comparada, Estudios de género, Interculturalidad,
José María Vargas Vila, Jane Austen, Colonialidad del poder
Artículo recibido 20 mayo 2026
Aceptado para publicación: 20 junio 2026
pág. 2381
1. INTRODUCTION
Comparative literary studies have increasingly questioned the unequal organization of the global literary
canon and the asymmetrical circulation of texts between the Global North and the Global South. While
some approaches to world literature emphasize circulation, scale, and comparison across literary
systems (Luca, 2022; Moretti, 2020; Casanova, 2020), critical perspectives have warned that global
comparison may reproduce Eurocentric hierarchies if it does not interrogate the politics of translation,
canon formation, and epistemic location (Apter, 2025; Spivak, 2021). In this sense, the comparison
between Jane Austen’s Emma and José María Vargas Vila’s Emma is not based on nominal coincidence
alone, but on the possibility of examining how female subjectivity is constructed across unequal literary
modernities.
This comparative approach also draws on postcolonial criticism, particularly Said’s (1978) critique of
Western representational power and Bhabha’s (2012) notion of cultural hybridity, in order to examine
how literary subjectivities emerge within spaces of cultural tension, asymmetry, and symbolic
negotiation.
The figure of Emma Woodhouse has been widely examined within the context of English literature as
a paradigmatic representation of bourgeois femininity in the Regency period. Scholars have emphasized
her role as a socially embedded subject whose identity is shaped by class privilege, moral discipline,
and the subtle regulation of desire within a structured social order. Austen’s narrative has thus been
interpreted as both a reflection and critique of early nineteenth-century English society, particularly in
relation to gender norms, marriage, and the consolidation of middle-class values. Within this framework,
Emma Woodhouse operates as a subject who exercises agency, yet within clearly defined social
boundaries, embodying what may be understood as a disciplined and normalized form of femininity.
In contrast, the literary production of José María Vargas Vila has often been relegated to the margins of
the Latin American canon, frequently dismissed due to its stylistic excess, political radicalism, and
departure from normative literary conventions. However, recent scholarship has begun to reassess
Vargas Vila’s work as a critical site for examining the tensions of postcolonial modernity, particularly
in relation to the construction of subjectivity, morality, and power. His text Emma, though less studied
than his more widely known works, offers a compelling portrayal of a female figure shaped by emotional
1. INTRODUCTION
Comparative literary studies have increasingly questioned the unequal organization of the global literary
canon and the asymmetrical circulation of texts between the Global North and the Global South. While
some approaches to world literature emphasize circulation, scale, and comparison across literary
systems (Luca, 2022; Moretti, 2020; Casanova, 2020), critical perspectives have warned that global
comparison may reproduce Eurocentric hierarchies if it does not interrogate the politics of translation,
canon formation, and epistemic location (Apter, 2025; Spivak, 2021). In this sense, the comparison
between Jane Austen’s Emma and José María Vargas Vila’s Emma is not based on nominal coincidence
alone, but on the possibility of examining how female subjectivity is constructed across unequal literary
modernities.
This comparative approach also draws on postcolonial criticism, particularly Said’s (1978) critique of
Western representational power and Bhabha’s (2012) notion of cultural hybridity, in order to examine
how literary subjectivities emerge within spaces of cultural tension, asymmetry, and symbolic
negotiation.
The figure of Emma Woodhouse has been widely examined within the context of English literature as
a paradigmatic representation of bourgeois femininity in the Regency period. Scholars have emphasized
her role as a socially embedded subject whose identity is shaped by class privilege, moral discipline,
and the subtle regulation of desire within a structured social order. Austen’s narrative has thus been
interpreted as both a reflection and critique of early nineteenth-century English society, particularly in
relation to gender norms, marriage, and the consolidation of middle-class values. Within this framework,
Emma Woodhouse operates as a subject who exercises agency, yet within clearly defined social
boundaries, embodying what may be understood as a disciplined and normalized form of femininity.
In contrast, the literary production of José María Vargas Vila has often been relegated to the margins of
the Latin American canon, frequently dismissed due to its stylistic excess, political radicalism, and
departure from normative literary conventions. However, recent scholarship has begun to reassess
Vargas Vila’s work as a critical site for examining the tensions of postcolonial modernity, particularly
in relation to the construction of subjectivity, morality, and power. His text Emma, though less studied
than his more widely known works, offers a compelling portrayal of a female figure shaped by emotional
pág. 2382
intensity, fragility, and a tragic orientation toward love and existence. Unlike Austen’s Emma, Vargas
Vila’s protagonist is not integrated into a stable social order but rather emerges within a context marked
by institutional weakness, moral ambiguity, and the lingering effects of colonial structures.
This asymmetry between the two literary contexts—Regency England and late nineteenth-century
Colombia—constitutes the central problem of this study. While traditional comparative approaches
might view such disparity as an obstacle, this article approaches it as an analytical advantage. Drawing
on decolonial theory, particularly the concept of coloniality of power developed by Aníbal Quijano, the
study examines how different historical trajectories produce distinct configurations of gendered
subjectivity. In this sense, the comparison does not seek equivalence but rather aims to reveal how
literature encodes the tensions between social order and fragmentation, discipline and excess, agency
and determinism.
Furthermore, this study is situated within broader debates on the relationship between gender and
modernity. Feminist theory has long emphasized that the construction of the female subject is deeply
intertwined with social, economic, and cultural structures. In the case of Emma Woodhouse, her relative
autonomy is inseparable from her position within a privileged class structure that affords her both
protection and authority. Conversely, Vargas Vila’s Emma embodies a form of subjectivity that is not
stabilized by institutional frameworks but instead is defined by vulnerability, emotional intensity, and
proximity to death. This contrast allows for a critical interrogation of the ways in which gendered
identities are shaped by differing conditions of modernity, particularly when viewed through a
decolonial lens.
Methodologically, this article adopts a qualitative interpretative approach grounded in critical
hermeneutics and symbolic interactionism. These frameworks enable a close reading of the texts that
attends not only to narrative structures and character development but also to the symbolic meanings
embedded within them. The shared name “Emma” is thus not treated as a superficial coincidence but as
a discursive device that allows for the exploration of how similar signifiers can produce radically
different meanings across cultural contexts. By focusing on key analytical categories—such as the
configuration of female subjectivity, representations of love, social regulation, and the tension between
intensity, fragility, and a tragic orientation toward love and existence. Unlike Austen’s Emma, Vargas
Vila’s protagonist is not integrated into a stable social order but rather emerges within a context marked
by institutional weakness, moral ambiguity, and the lingering effects of colonial structures.
This asymmetry between the two literary contexts—Regency England and late nineteenth-century
Colombia—constitutes the central problem of this study. While traditional comparative approaches
might view such disparity as an obstacle, this article approaches it as an analytical advantage. Drawing
on decolonial theory, particularly the concept of coloniality of power developed by Aníbal Quijano, the
study examines how different historical trajectories produce distinct configurations of gendered
subjectivity. In this sense, the comparison does not seek equivalence but rather aims to reveal how
literature encodes the tensions between social order and fragmentation, discipline and excess, agency
and determinism.
Furthermore, this study is situated within broader debates on the relationship between gender and
modernity. Feminist theory has long emphasized that the construction of the female subject is deeply
intertwined with social, economic, and cultural structures. In the case of Emma Woodhouse, her relative
autonomy is inseparable from her position within a privileged class structure that affords her both
protection and authority. Conversely, Vargas Vila’s Emma embodies a form of subjectivity that is not
stabilized by institutional frameworks but instead is defined by vulnerability, emotional intensity, and
proximity to death. This contrast allows for a critical interrogation of the ways in which gendered
identities are shaped by differing conditions of modernity, particularly when viewed through a
decolonial lens.
Methodologically, this article adopts a qualitative interpretative approach grounded in critical
hermeneutics and symbolic interactionism. These frameworks enable a close reading of the texts that
attends not only to narrative structures and character development but also to the symbolic meanings
embedded within them. The shared name “Emma” is thus not treated as a superficial coincidence but as
a discursive device that allows for the exploration of how similar signifiers can produce radically
different meanings across cultural contexts. By focusing on key analytical categories—such as the
configuration of female subjectivity, representations of love, social regulation, and the tension between
pág. 2383
agency and determinism—the study seeks to construct a comparative model that is both theoretically
robust and methodologically coherent.
A significant gap in existing literature lies in the limited engagement between canonical European texts
and Latin American works within a decolonial comparative framework. While Austen’s novels have
been extensively studied from feminist and socio-historical perspectives, and Vargas Vila’s work has
been examined within the context of Latin American modernism, there remains a lack of studies that
bring these traditions into dialogue. This absence reflects broader epistemological hierarchies that
privilege European literary production while marginalizing other forms of knowledge and expression.
By establishing a comparative dialogue between these two authors, this study seeks to challenge such
hierarchies and contribute to a more inclusive understanding of literary analysis.
The relevance of this research extends beyond literary studies, engaging with broader questions of
cultural representation, epistemic justice, and the decolonization of knowledge. In an increasingly
globalized academic landscape, the need to critically examine the foundations of comparative
methodologies becomes ever more urgent. This article responds to this need by proposing an approach
that does not merely juxtapose texts but actively interrogates the conditions under which they are
produced, circulated, and interpreted.
In doing so, the study advances three main contributions. First, it offers a theoretically grounded
justification for comparing texts from radically different contexts, moving beyond superficial criteria
toward a decolonial analytical framework. Second, it develops a set of analytical categories that can be
applied to the study of female subjectivity across diverse literary traditions. Third, it repositions Vargas
Vila’s work within global literary debates, highlighting its relevance for contemporary discussions on
gender, modernity, and coloniality.
Ultimately, this article argues that the comparison between Emma Woodhouse and Vargas Vila’s Emma
reveals not only contrasting models of femininity but also deeper tensions within the project of
modernity itself. While Austen’s narrative reflects a form of modernity characterized by order,
regulation, and social coherence, Vargas Vila’s work exposes a fractured modernity marked by
instability, excess, and unresolved contradictions. Through this comparative lens, the figure of Emma
agency and determinism—the study seeks to construct a comparative model that is both theoretically
robust and methodologically coherent.
A significant gap in existing literature lies in the limited engagement between canonical European texts
and Latin American works within a decolonial comparative framework. While Austen’s novels have
been extensively studied from feminist and socio-historical perspectives, and Vargas Vila’s work has
been examined within the context of Latin American modernism, there remains a lack of studies that
bring these traditions into dialogue. This absence reflects broader epistemological hierarchies that
privilege European literary production while marginalizing other forms of knowledge and expression.
By establishing a comparative dialogue between these two authors, this study seeks to challenge such
hierarchies and contribute to a more inclusive understanding of literary analysis.
The relevance of this research extends beyond literary studies, engaging with broader questions of
cultural representation, epistemic justice, and the decolonization of knowledge. In an increasingly
globalized academic landscape, the need to critically examine the foundations of comparative
methodologies becomes ever more urgent. This article responds to this need by proposing an approach
that does not merely juxtapose texts but actively interrogates the conditions under which they are
produced, circulated, and interpreted.
In doing so, the study advances three main contributions. First, it offers a theoretically grounded
justification for comparing texts from radically different contexts, moving beyond superficial criteria
toward a decolonial analytical framework. Second, it develops a set of analytical categories that can be
applied to the study of female subjectivity across diverse literary traditions. Third, it repositions Vargas
Vila’s work within global literary debates, highlighting its relevance for contemporary discussions on
gender, modernity, and coloniality.
Ultimately, this article argues that the comparison between Emma Woodhouse and Vargas Vila’s Emma
reveals not only contrasting models of femininity but also deeper tensions within the project of
modernity itself. While Austen’s narrative reflects a form of modernity characterized by order,
regulation, and social coherence, Vargas Vila’s work exposes a fractured modernity marked by
instability, excess, and unresolved contradictions. Through this comparative lens, the figure of Emma
pág. 2384
becomes a site for exploring the limits of dominant epistemologies and the possibilities of alternative
readings grounded in decolonial thought.
2. Coloniality, Modernity, and the Construction of Subjectivity
The decolonial dimension of this study is grounded in the concept of coloniality of power, proposed by
Quijano (2000), which explains how colonial forms of domination persist beyond formal political
independence through hierarchies of race, labor, gender, knowledge, and authority. This perspective is
complemented by Dussel’s (1995) critique of the Eurocentric invention of modernity and by Mignolo’s
(2011) notion of epistemic disobedience, which challenges the supposed universality of Western
knowledge. From this standpoint, Vargas Vila’s Emma may be read as a literary expression of the
contradictions of the postcolonial Latin American republic.
Recent decolonial scholars has expanded these debates by examining the persistence of coloniality in
philosophy, political economy, pedagogy, and global social structures. Maldonado-Torres (2020)
repositions decoloniality as a philosophical project for the future, while Grosfoguel (2016) and Bhambra
(2021) emphasize the colonial foundations of modern political and economic systems. Similarly,
Mignolo and Walsh (2023) argue that decoloniality is not merely a theoretical critique but a praxis of
epistemic, political, and cultural reorientation.
Any comparative literary analysis that seeks to move beyond descriptive parallels must engage with the
epistemological conditions under which texts are produced. In this regard, the concept of coloniality of
power, developed by Aníbal Quijano, provides a crucial starting point. Quijano argues that modernity
is inseparable from coloniality, as the emergence of European modernity was historically constituted
through systems of domination that classified populations according to race, labor, and knowledge
hierarchies. This framework allows us to understand that literary texts are not merely aesthetic artifacts
but also sites where power relations are reproduced, negotiated, and contested.
Within this perspective, the construction of subjectivity—particularly gendered subjectivity—must be
understood as historically situated and epistemologically conditioned. The figure of Emma Woodhouse
in Emma emerges within a context of consolidated European modernity, where social hierarchies are
stable and institutional frameworks function as mechanisms of regulation. In contrast, the Emma
portrayed in the works of José María Vargas Vila reflects the tensions of a Latin American modernity
becomes a site for exploring the limits of dominant epistemologies and the possibilities of alternative
readings grounded in decolonial thought.
2. Coloniality, Modernity, and the Construction of Subjectivity
The decolonial dimension of this study is grounded in the concept of coloniality of power, proposed by
Quijano (2000), which explains how colonial forms of domination persist beyond formal political
independence through hierarchies of race, labor, gender, knowledge, and authority. This perspective is
complemented by Dussel’s (1995) critique of the Eurocentric invention of modernity and by Mignolo’s
(2011) notion of epistemic disobedience, which challenges the supposed universality of Western
knowledge. From this standpoint, Vargas Vila’s Emma may be read as a literary expression of the
contradictions of the postcolonial Latin American republic.
Recent decolonial scholars has expanded these debates by examining the persistence of coloniality in
philosophy, political economy, pedagogy, and global social structures. Maldonado-Torres (2020)
repositions decoloniality as a philosophical project for the future, while Grosfoguel (2016) and Bhambra
(2021) emphasize the colonial foundations of modern political and economic systems. Similarly,
Mignolo and Walsh (2023) argue that decoloniality is not merely a theoretical critique but a praxis of
epistemic, political, and cultural reorientation.
Any comparative literary analysis that seeks to move beyond descriptive parallels must engage with the
epistemological conditions under which texts are produced. In this regard, the concept of coloniality of
power, developed by Aníbal Quijano, provides a crucial starting point. Quijano argues that modernity
is inseparable from coloniality, as the emergence of European modernity was historically constituted
through systems of domination that classified populations according to race, labor, and knowledge
hierarchies. This framework allows us to understand that literary texts are not merely aesthetic artifacts
but also sites where power relations are reproduced, negotiated, and contested.
Within this perspective, the construction of subjectivity—particularly gendered subjectivity—must be
understood as historically situated and epistemologically conditioned. The figure of Emma Woodhouse
in Emma emerges within a context of consolidated European modernity, where social hierarchies are
stable and institutional frameworks function as mechanisms of regulation. In contrast, the Emma
portrayed in the works of José María Vargas Vila reflects the tensions of a Latin American modernity
pág. 2385
that is both derivative and fractured, shaped by the enduring effects of colonial domination and uneven
processes of nation-building.
Expanding on Quijano’s work, Walter Mignolo introduces the notion of epistemic disobedience, which
calls for a critical disengagement from Eurocentric frameworks of knowledge. Mignolo argues that
Western epistemology has positioned itself as universal, marginalizing alternative ways of knowing. In
the context of literary analysis, this implies that canonical texts such as Austen’s have been privileged
as normative representations of modern subjectivity, while Latin American texts have often been read
through reductive or exoticizing lenses. By adopting a decolonial approach, this study seeks to disrupt
such hierarchies and to place both texts within a dialogical framework that acknowledges their epistemic
differences.
Walsh’s (2023) concept of critical interculturality is particularly relevant for this study because it allows
comparison to be understood not as a neutral juxtaposition of texts, but as a critical dialogue between
unequal epistemic traditions. In this sense, the comparison between Austen and Vargas Vila seeks to
challenge the hierarchy that has historically privileged European literary modernity over Latin American
literary dissent.
Furthermore, Walsh, & Monarca, (2020). emphasizes the importance of interculturality as a critical
project that challenges the asymmetries of knowledge production. Walsh’s notion of critical
interculturality goes beyond mere coexistence of cultures, advocating instead for a transformative
dialogue that confronts power imbalances. In this sense, the comparison between Austen and Vargas
Vila is not an attempt to homogenize their differences but to create a space where these differences can
be critically examined and understood as expressions of distinct historical trajectories.
The analysis of female subjectivity requires a theoretical engagement with feminist thought, particularly
in relation to the ways in which gender is socially constructed and historically mediated. Simone de
Beauvoir famously argued that “one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman,” highlighting the role of
social structures in shaping gender identities. This perspective is particularly relevant for understanding
how the two Emmas are constituted within their respective contexts.
Emma Woodhouse represents a form of femininity that is both constrained and enabled by the social
norms of Regency England. Her position within the upper class affords her a degree of autonomy that
that is both derivative and fractured, shaped by the enduring effects of colonial domination and uneven
processes of nation-building.
Expanding on Quijano’s work, Walter Mignolo introduces the notion of epistemic disobedience, which
calls for a critical disengagement from Eurocentric frameworks of knowledge. Mignolo argues that
Western epistemology has positioned itself as universal, marginalizing alternative ways of knowing. In
the context of literary analysis, this implies that canonical texts such as Austen’s have been privileged
as normative representations of modern subjectivity, while Latin American texts have often been read
through reductive or exoticizing lenses. By adopting a decolonial approach, this study seeks to disrupt
such hierarchies and to place both texts within a dialogical framework that acknowledges their epistemic
differences.
Walsh’s (2023) concept of critical interculturality is particularly relevant for this study because it allows
comparison to be understood not as a neutral juxtaposition of texts, but as a critical dialogue between
unequal epistemic traditions. In this sense, the comparison between Austen and Vargas Vila seeks to
challenge the hierarchy that has historically privileged European literary modernity over Latin American
literary dissent.
Furthermore, Walsh, & Monarca, (2020). emphasizes the importance of interculturality as a critical
project that challenges the asymmetries of knowledge production. Walsh’s notion of critical
interculturality goes beyond mere coexistence of cultures, advocating instead for a transformative
dialogue that confronts power imbalances. In this sense, the comparison between Austen and Vargas
Vila is not an attempt to homogenize their differences but to create a space where these differences can
be critically examined and understood as expressions of distinct historical trajectories.
The analysis of female subjectivity requires a theoretical engagement with feminist thought, particularly
in relation to the ways in which gender is socially constructed and historically mediated. Simone de
Beauvoir famously argued that “one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman,” highlighting the role of
social structures in shaping gender identities. This perspective is particularly relevant for understanding
how the two Emmas are constituted within their respective contexts.
Emma Woodhouse represents a form of femininity that is both constrained and enabled by the social
norms of Regency England. Her position within the upper class affords her a degree of autonomy that
pág. 2386
is not available to women of lower social status. However, this autonomy is not absolute; it is mediated
by expectations related to marriage, propriety, and social responsibility. Thus, Emma’s subjectivity can
be understood as a negotiated space where agency operates within the limits imposed by a patriarchal
social order.
In contrast, Vargas Vila’s Emma embodies a subjectivity that is marked by emotional intensity, fragility,
and a proximity to death. Her identity is not stabilized by social institutions but is instead shaped by
affective experiences that exceed the boundaries of rational control. This difference can be interpreted
through a decolonial feminist lens, which critiques the universality of Western models of femininity and
highlights the diverse ways in which gender is experienced across cultural contexts.
The category of female subjectivity is approached through feminist theory. Beauvoir’s (19992011)
argument that one is not born but rather becomes a woman provides a foundational point of departure
for understanding femininity as a social and historical construction. Butler’s (1999) theory of gender
performativity further allows this study to examine how femininity is enacted through repeated social
norms, gestures, expectations, and symbolic codes.
Moreover, feminist theory has increasingly emphasized the intersectional nature of identity, recognizing
that gender cannot be analyzed in isolation from other axes of power such as class, race, and colonial
history. (Butler 2021) Although the present study does not focus explicitly on race, the colonial context
of Latin America inevitably informs the construction of subjectivity in Vargas Vila’s work. The absence
of stable institutional frameworks and the prevalence of social inequality contribute to a form of
femininity that is less regulated but also more vulnerable.
However, this article does not assume that female subjectivity follows a universal path of emancipation.
Lugones’s (2020) critique of the coloniality of gender is essential for understanding how gender is
differently constructed within colonial and postcolonial contexts. This perspective is reinforced by
Fraser’s analysis of the relationship between feminism and capitalism, (Ivkovic, & Zaric, 2024).
Hooks’s (2020) insistence on feminism as a collective emancipatory project, and Ahmed’s (2021)
reflections on complaint as a form of resistance against institutional power.
is not available to women of lower social status. However, this autonomy is not absolute; it is mediated
by expectations related to marriage, propriety, and social responsibility. Thus, Emma’s subjectivity can
be understood as a negotiated space where agency operates within the limits imposed by a patriarchal
social order.
In contrast, Vargas Vila’s Emma embodies a subjectivity that is marked by emotional intensity, fragility,
and a proximity to death. Her identity is not stabilized by social institutions but is instead shaped by
affective experiences that exceed the boundaries of rational control. This difference can be interpreted
through a decolonial feminist lens, which critiques the universality of Western models of femininity and
highlights the diverse ways in which gender is experienced across cultural contexts.
The category of female subjectivity is approached through feminist theory. Beauvoir’s (19992011)
argument that one is not born but rather becomes a woman provides a foundational point of departure
for understanding femininity as a social and historical construction. Butler’s (1999) theory of gender
performativity further allows this study to examine how femininity is enacted through repeated social
norms, gestures, expectations, and symbolic codes.
Moreover, feminist theory has increasingly emphasized the intersectional nature of identity, recognizing
that gender cannot be analyzed in isolation from other axes of power such as class, race, and colonial
history. (Butler 2021) Although the present study does not focus explicitly on race, the colonial context
of Latin America inevitably informs the construction of subjectivity in Vargas Vila’s work. The absence
of stable institutional frameworks and the prevalence of social inequality contribute to a form of
femininity that is less regulated but also more vulnerable.
However, this article does not assume that female subjectivity follows a universal path of emancipation.
Lugones’s (2020) critique of the coloniality of gender is essential for understanding how gender is
differently constructed within colonial and postcolonial contexts. This perspective is reinforced by
Fraser’s analysis of the relationship between feminism and capitalism, (Ivkovic, & Zaric, 2024).
Hooks’s (2020) insistence on feminism as a collective emancipatory project, and Ahmed’s (2021)
reflections on complaint as a form of resistance against institutional power.