Gauchos que lloran: masculinidades sentimentales en el imaginario criollista.

The present paper studies a canonical text in Argentinean literature, the Martín Fierro (1872-1878), by José Hernández. The objective is to explore, based on a debate on masculinity and nation, the sentimental side of criollo culture. Although Hernández's gaucho is usually thought of as the archetype of a stoic masculinity that represses its emotions in order to fight wars at the border, this paper will show how that predominating notion undermines the tearful affective excesses constantly taking place in the text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]