Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Languages, Literatures and Cultures

First Advisor

Mercedes López-Rodríguez

Abstract

This dissertation examines how the core concern of Mario Mendoza’s work is the notion of evil and how the Latin American neogothic genre provides an apt framework for its exploration. His narrative exposes the eruption of evil, fear, and psychological terror in urban life, portraying a chaotic and desolate Bogotá. Mendoza’s novels conceive evil as an internal human condition that emerges in the minds of both protagonists and secondary characters, becoming a mirror of the city’s social reality. The study analyzes Satanás (2002), Diario del fin del mundo (2018), and Akelarre (2019) to show how these works articulate emotions such as fear and despair, which are essential for understanding the impact of violence on Bogota’s society. The texts also reveal the presence of transpolitical violence, including gender-based violence, as part of the contemporary portrait of the city. The research demonstrates that the broad public perception of Mendoza’s work confirms the resonance of his perspective and his direct interpretation of social trauma and the cycle of violence that has marked Colombia’s recent history.

Rights

© 2026, Andrés Felipe Arroyave

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