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M. Pilar Baines Alarcos (International) assertion M. Pilar Baines Alarcos i(A142326 works by) (a.k.a. Pilar Baines)
Gender: Unknown
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Works By

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1 Down in Elizabeth Jolley's The Well : An Essay on Repression M. Pilar Baines Alarcos , 2014 single work criticism
— Appears in: Journal of Language, Literature & Culture , vol. 61 no. 1 2014; (p. 46-59) 'Female writers traditionally have found in the Gothic a useful weapon for criticising patriarchal ideologies and the constrictions they force upon women. This is the project undertaken by The Well, whose main character is a woman who usually challenges social norms in many ways and finds herself crippled, both physically and metaphorically, by the conservative Australian community in which she lives. The mysterious content of the well next to her cottage invites various interpretations. It acquires a richer meaning from a psychological perspective since it turns out to be the distorted reflection of the two female protagonists' psyche. It functions as a projected unconscious, a container of individual and collective memories, repressed fears, and desires. In the constant battle for power that takes place in the novel, the well becomes a site of female struggle against patriarchal authority. Above all it represents the main character's repressed sexuality, in a story wherein feminine sexuality significantly evokes the abject, and offers her the chance to come to terms with it.' (Author's abstract)
1 The Haunting of History and the Feral Self in Tim Winton's In the Winter Dark M. Pilar Baines Alarcos , 2011 single work criticism
— Appears in: Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies , Spring vol. 17 no. 1 2011; (p. 71-84)
1 She Lures, She Guides, She Quits : Female Characters in Tim Winton's The Riders M. Pilar Baines Alarcos , 2010 single work criticism
— Appears in: Journal of English Studies , vol. 8 no. 2010; (p. 7-22) 'Tim Winton is an Australian writer whose male characters often defy the traditional concept of masculinity. As for the notion of femininity, however, this kind of defiance is not displayed. In this essay, I study the presentation of the female protagonists in The Riders in order to illustrate this point, bearing in mind the Australian social and cultural context that surrounds them. Winton's fictional women, no matter whether they are strong or weak, are normally depicted according to female archetypes. This leads to their negative portrayal as ambivalent beings, thus making them unreliable and even dangerous, as is the case of Jennifer and Irma. In contrast, Billie is a positive female character. She, who is also significantly a child, combines both feminine and masculine qualities. It is precisely this characteristic that enable her to be her father's protector.' (Author's abstract)
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