Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
5-1-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
First Advisor
José Luis Cano Jr.
Second Advisor
Alyssa G. Cavazos
Third Advisor
Emmy Pérez
Abstract
This thesis will discuss the implications of sacrifice as an ideology inflicted upon Chicana mothers. It will center on answering the following inquiry: why should a Chicana/Mexican mother sacrifice? This question addresses the role of sacrifice by discussing aspects of Chicana/Chicanx feminist rhetoric and Catholicism that influence the perception of motherhood as sacrifice and martyr. I construct and employ the rhetorical concept of MA↔MÁ to articulate the relationship between la maternidad y el martirio as attributed to mothers from the borderlands. This concept examines whether this affliction is bestowed by dominant and marginalizing narratives or self-imposed through divine merits. I use the framework MA↔MÁ to examine Ana Castillo’s So Far from God, collect testimonios from women in my family, and create narratives of Chicana motherhood through my experience. I explore this rhetoric to understand where the need to sacrifice emerges when the one who suffers the most is the mother.
Recommended Citation
Rodriguez, A.(2026). “Daría Mi Vida Por Ti”: On the Rhetoric of Sacrifice Through the Lens of Motherhood From the Border [Master's thesis, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley]. ScholarWorks @ UTRGV. https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/1920
Comments
Copyright 2026 America Rodriguez. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3371082139