ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on male sexual ideology and morality. It examines the discourse of the tango to moral choices and ambiguity. The chapter shows that through textual analysis it is possible to depict a time of moral effervescence, in the sense of Durkheim, a period of creation and renewal when a set of moral rules and beliefs was contravened symbolically. It addresses the contextual introduction of tango narratives. The chapter presents hints on the social and historical setting of the tango. It discusses the importance of tango lyrics in the wider background of Argentinian literature. The tangos played by the best orchestras or sung by the most popular singers in a given historical period are a guarantee of historical survival. The lyrics of the tango can be seen as a reflection of different types of love: love as duty, love as passion, love as a deep friendship and, finally, romantic love.
