"Memoria y dignificación cultural de la criada en la literatura infantil: el caso de Nicerata en Antoñita La Fantástica (1948)"

This article explores the representation of Nicerata, the maid character in the Spanish children’s novel Antoñita la fantástica (Borita Casas, 1948) through the lens of Homi K. Bhabha’s Third Space theory. Unlike the rest of the adult characters, who belong to an upper social class, Nicerata plays a fundamental role in Casas’ narrative and takes on great prominence. This way, the author manages to dignify Nicerata’s work and life through a careful depiction of her actions, humble origins, and, especially, her relationship with Antoñita, the main character. At the same time, we will connect these ideas with the extraliterary reality of maids during the 1940s in Spain. This allows us to reflect on Antoñita la fantástica as a site of memory that recovers and vindicates the figure of the maid, traditionally rendered invisible in Franco’s times.