Abstract
At the intersections of gender, race, and class, Aparecida emerges as a haunting figure, giving access to that which is marginalized, repressed, trivialized, and denied. The ritual process of popular Catholicism produces a montage effect: Aparecida and the she-wolf. Uncanny similarities between these ghost figures are explored. Following a sequence of performances involving Aparecida in the basilica; the she-wolf in the amusement park; and ladies of Devils’Hole, in their daily dramas; one sees how, as a flashing image, the abject body in performance, even if repressed, becomes meaningful for devotees of Our Lady in critical life-threatening situations.
Aparecida; She-wolf; Performance; Gender; Race