*Abstract (Summary)*
One of the most salient features of contemporary Peninsular "Generation
X" fiction is its self-conscious appropriation of Anglo-American rock
music. This dissertation examines through an interdisciplinary approach
how U.S. and British rock function within the literary current referred
to as /generaciÛn x / while taking into account issues such as
globalization, commodification, and authenticity. Chapter one traces the
emergence of the aforementioned writers onto the Spanish literary scene,
giving special attention to certain preconditions, such as the "grunge"
movement in the U.S., which quickly became a successful "import" to
Spain. This brief foray into literary history is followed by an analysis
of rock music as a valuable form cultural capital within Peninsular "Gen
X" fiction and Spanish youth culture at large. By looking at Loriga's
/Lo peor de todo / (1992), MaÒas's /Mensaka / (1995), and Prado's /
Nunca le des la mano a un pistolero zurdo / (1996), chapter two deals
with notoins of authenticity. Already a fundamental concern within the
realm of popular music, the question of authenticity is all the more
critical when discussing Anglo-American rock in Spain. Chapter three
then studies rock as part of a long-standing, transnational ritual in
Loriga's /HÈroes / (1993) and /CaÌdos del cielo / (1995). Chapter four
analyzes the relationship between rock and sexuality in the writing of
EtxebarrÌa--- /Amor, curiosidad, prozac y dudas / (1997), / Beatriz y
los cuerpos celestes / (1998), /Courtney y yo / (2004)---and JosÈ
Machado, /A dos ruedas / (1996). In chapter five, MaÒas's /Historias del
Kronen / (1994) reinforces one primary thesis of this study---that rock
music is inherently polysemic, to the extent that meaning is contingent
on use, particularly within the "transatlantic" context of Peninsular
fiction. Finally, the works studied herein do not represent an attempt
to subvert or destroy any dominant system, but rather, one finds
subjects who use popular music and other cultural commodities as a means
to develop and occupy various positions within a globalized
late-capitalist culture. This attitude of posturing from with the
system, often taking the form of trouble-as-fun, is synonymous with rock
culture, thereby making rock music the ideal medium for understanding
Peninsular Generation X fiction.
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