Enchufad@s : representations of the internet and new technologies in queer Latin American literature

This dissertation explores themes of identity, desire, and connection as represented in three literary texts authored in Spanish during the first decade of the 2000s. The literature in question -- novels No quiero quedarme sola y vacía (2000) by Ángel Lozada and Keres cojer? = Guan tu fak (2005) by Alejandro López as well as Cristina Peri Rossi's poetry collection, Playstation (2008) -- relies on queer aesthetics and themes in order to convey the experience of three unique individuals who, through the utilization of Internet and new technologies, navigate Latin America and the ever-globalizing world beyond. The protagonists and poetic voices in question use the Internet as a means to reject hegemonic norms, to reinvent the Self and/or, quite literally in some cases, to reconstruct the body. Using Judith Butler’s theory of performativity, Donna Haraway's "Manifesto for Cyborgs", Henry Jenkins' theory of convergence culture, and a heavy-handed dash of diva studies, this dissertation explores how Internet spaces as represented in the novels and poems serve to enhance as well as hinder human connection, while also making the readers more aware of their Internet dependence.