What if melancholy were more than a personal affliction, but a lens through which to understand the unraveling of an entire empire? In this Q&A, MA graduate Daniel Pazmiño shares about his research and experience pursuing a Master of Arts in Hispanic Studies at UBC’s Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies (FHIS).
Photograph taken at the Convento Máximo in Quito, Ecuador, by Emma Vitoria Margarita in August 2025.
“My study demonstrates that melancholy was intimately intertwined with the fragmentation of the political body and the erosion of religious value systems which destabilized the Hispanic Monarchy during the Golden Ages.”
What was your MA thesis topic?
My research project is titled Beyond a Response Dictated by Its Time: Melancholy as an Analytical Approach to the Golden Age Theatre of the Hispanic Monarchy. I analyze a selection of Hispanic Golden Age theatrical plays by Calderón de la Barca, Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega, and Diego Calleja with the goal of proposing a revised definition of melancholy. This form of affection, characteristic of its time, enables an exploration of an individual internal disorders that can be projected onto both the sociopolitical and religious spheres.
Ultimately, this study demonstrates that melancholy was intimately intertwined with the fragmentation of the political body and the erosion of religious value systems which destabilized the Hispanic Monarchy during the Golden Ages. Furthermore, my research suggests that the symptoms of melancholy from the Spanish Golden Age and their artistic and literary expressions are, to some extent, similar to contemporary mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD—conditions that are likewise shaped by their sociopolitical, cultural, and religious contexts.
Why did you pursue an MA at FHIS?
I wanted to be an academic and professor, and this felt like the right step to get there.
The main reason why I decided to join the MA program at FHIS was having a faculty member, Dr. Raúl Álvarez Moreno, who was interested in my research. I had the opportunity to meet with him virtually before I got accepted into the program and, from the start, he showed a lot of interest in my research topic. That’s one of the aspects that I most appreciated about working with him: the fact that he truly invests his time and energy into his students’ projects. His feedback and knowledge of Early Modern Hispanic Literature helped me give shape to my ideas and resulted in a very successful MA thesis. Moreover, he was always open to dialogue and was receptive toward new ideas. Without a doubt, Raúl is a great supervisor!
“The one recommendation I would give undergraduate students interested in pursuing graduate studies is to not be scared of approaching their professors and of getting to know them.”
The one recommendation I would give undergraduate students interested in pursuing graduate studies is to not be scared of approaching their professors and of getting to know them. I believe this is a crucial step in becoming a scholar, as it allows you to learn whether the professor you are interested in working with shares the same research interests as you, and whether their professional standards align with your needs.
What did you gain most from your graduate experience?
My graduate experience at FHIS helped me understand and explore what it means to be an academic in the North American context—from coursework that developed our academic writing skills to learning how to organize and present at conferences. At UBC, I have been able to further develop my research, making its scope more precise and focused on the areas of research that interest me: Hispanic Golden Age Art and Literature and the History of Emotions.
One of my best memories from my grad studies was when I presented at the departmental symposium in 2023 after completing my first term as an MA student. I presented a final paper I had written for Dr. Elizabeth Lagresa-González’s course on the Hispanic Golden Age. The reason why this was such a memorable experience was that despite not knowing the department very well, I felt comfortable presenting in front of the professors and fellow grad students. This opportunity helped me feel like I belonged as an academic at FHIS.
What are your future plans?
I’m currently in the first year of my PhD at the University of Toronto. My time at FHIS and all the skills I learned prepared me for this new academic and professional challenge!
