María Odette Canivell Arzú esplora le intricate connessioni tra letteratura, politica e narrazioni culturali. Il suo lavoro indaga come i simboli nazionali e le nozioni di eroismo vengono costruiti e diffusi attraverso processi intellettuali e letterari. L'autrice approfondisce le ripercussioni storiche e sociali del pensiero, esaminando, ad esempio, l'impatto di Freud sul mondo moderno. La sua scrittura indaga la complessa interazione tra arti creative, strutture di potere e la formazione dell'identità collettiva.
Literary Narratives and the Cultural Imagination analyzes the cultural imaginaries of the United Kingdom and Spain through their national heroes, King Arthur and Don Quijote, and compares the ways in which they have been constructed as marketing tools.
National heroes are a staple of practically every culture in the world. Through the analysis of the traits, values and personality of heroes it is possible to get a glimpse into the psyche of a given culture. By examining the figures of Don Quijote de La Mancha and King Arthur, a comparison of the world view, of the mores, and of the ideal characteristics that made Spain and Great Britain choose these exceptional representatives can be attained, highlighting the similarities and differences between both cultures.