Early Modern Spanish Literature
Open access
Peer reviewed
Abstract
Abstract
María de Zayas y Sotomayor’s Desengaños amorosos (1647) exemplifies the enduring human fascination with sex, scandal and shock, themes prevalent in literature and popular culture across centuries. Interpretation of race within Zayas’s cultural labyrinth has, however, seemed reductive, as if her black characters serve a singular, identifiable purpose. This essay explores how Zayas’s portrayal of blackness, when viewed through an intersectional lens, complicates historical narratives and prompts reevaluation of black life in seventeenth-century Spain. By examining Zayas’s short stories alongside a contemporary television adaptation of Fernando J. Múñez’s La cocinera de Castamar (2021), the essay illuminates the lasting relevance of the Spanish Baroque in shaping – and complexifying – contemporary racial representation. A range of historical periods (the seventeenth century to today), genres (text to film) and geographic regions are traversed, with the aim of encouraging scholars to draw more connections between the intentions and attempts of early modern (Spanish) authors and their counterparts today. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ .
Direct answer
What can I do from this paper page?
Use this page to scan "Troubling Black Nobility: Racial Representation from Maria de Zayas’s Desengaños amorosos (1647) to Fernando J. Múñez’s La cocinera de Castamar (2021)" quickly: start with the summary and abstract, then check the authors, source, topics, and related papers. From here, open Scollr to follow Early Modern Spanish Literature research, save the paper, or map adjacent work.
Research areas
Follow related topics
Citation
BibTeX
@article{Persia2026Troubling,
title = {Troubling Black Nobility: Racial Representation from Maria de Zayas’s Desengaños amorosos (1647) to Fernando J. Múñez’s La cocinera de Castamar (2021)},
author = {Daniel Persia},
journal = {Bulletin of Hispanic Studies},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.3828/bhs.2026.46},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3828/bhs.2026.46}
}FAQ
Using this paper in a discovery workflow
How do I find related work for this paper?
Use the related papers and topic links on this page as starting points. In Scollr, you can also open the paper and build a literature map around its references, citing papers, and related work.
How can I keep up with new Early Modern Spanish Literature research papers?
Follow Early Modern Spanish Literature research in Scollr. New papers from the topic flow into a personalized feed, and you can save useful studies to revisit later.
Can I cite this paper from this page?
This page includes a static BibTeX block for Troubling Black Nobility: Racial Representation from Maria de Zayas’s Desengaños amorosos (1647) to Fernando J. Múñez’s La cocinera de Castamar (2021). Always verify the DOI, source, and publication details against the publisher record before submitting a manuscript.
Follow this research in Scollr
Follow the topics and authors behind this paper, save useful studies, and build a literature map when you are ready to go deeper.
Get the app