Over the course of our first unit, we have
been going in depth regarding characteristics, techniques, and worldviews
of the modernist poet. During the analysis of an array of poems that we have
been working on, a question popped up in my mind, Have Latin American poetry and novel been influenced by modernism? Unfortunately, the focus of this course is
solely English literature. This sparked my interest in researching more about
Latin American Poetry and Novel and the role that modernism has played in it.
On the fly my research, I stumbled upon a
book called ‘’ Latino Fiction and Modernist Imagination: Literature of the
borderlands’’ by John S. Christie. This
books aims at portraying the traces of modernism in poets who are Latin
Americans or have their roots in Latin America, but they have fled their
hometowns for political or economic reasons. As the modernist poet, these
artists that had to leave behind their roots, see the world in a chaotic way
since they are immersed in a brand new world for them which does not bear any resemblances to their countries. They use a wide range of techniques that are similar to the
ones that modernist poets such as Pound and T.S Eliot used to use in their
times.
On the one hand, Tomas Riveras who was born
in Texas but his parents were from Mexico,
stated that in his books such as ‘’
y no se lo trago la tierra’’ he
makes references to the past ‘’as to
discover , rediscover and place things together’’ ( Riveras, 1984). He also
uses the term ‘’Ajiaco’’ as to refer to the blend of cultural and political
characteristics that this new country has placed in his life. He works on the
basis of connections that aim at making sense of his own complex life and
identity within The Unitated States of North America. I can draw a parallel
between the modernist poets and this Latin American one since both Tomas
Riveras and Modernist Poets, want to explain what is going on in the world they
live in, to go in depth and analyze the events, situations and issues that are
engulfing the world.
On the other hand, The context of situation
plays a remarkable role in the process of writing. We have to bear in mind that these Latin
American poets escaped from their towns after Wars, Riots, Uprisings and
revolutions. This places them in a scenario alike the one poets such as Pound
and Eliot were facing up. This triggers
a shift in thinking, worldviews, beliefs, etc. They start attacking and
criticizing the ruling class, the system. Problems such as economic crisis,
sociological complexities are tackled by them. As to do so, they use fragmentation,
irony and distortion. This is crystal clear in ‘’Pedro Pàramo’’ and ‘’El
llano en llamas’’ by Juan Rulfo a Mexican writer as well as in ‘’My Father’s flag’’ by J.L Torres a
Puerto Rican writer. They use these techniques as to communicate their own
laments at lost pieces of their culture: food, traditions, etc., but also as to
air their grievances against the system established in U.S.A.
All things considered, albeit the fact that
these poets have been influenced by modernism has not been proved yet, it is
undeniable that there are traces of it. Don’t you think so? What do you think,
are there any connections regarding the influence of modernism on Latin
American writers and poets? Or is it just sheer coincidence?
Find Attached two links.
The first is a
documentary about Rivera’s Life. The second is the trailer of ‘’ y no se lo
trago la tierra’’.
It seems to me that there are some traces of modernism in Latin American literature. For instance, you mentioned “El llano en llamas”. In this collection of stories, I remember that Mexican society is shown as hopeless, miserable and sad. To depict this, the places in which the stories take place, are described as arid lands in which you cannot harvest anything. Those descriptions are used as to give the reader a big picture of the society in those times after the Mexican revolution. This reinforces the idea that political crisis and the following changes in society are some causes that trigger writing about them. Therefore, are considered as traces of modernism. In this point I coincide with your statement.
ResponderEliminarHowever, I agree with you up to a point regarding “Pedro Paramo” as being presented as a novel which has been influenced by modernism. Maybe this idea is going to be too specific but here I go. I take the view that in this piece of writing there are some traces of modernism, such as presenting reality as a fragmented one. But something that does not coincide with modernism is the narrator. In this novel, the omniscient narrator describes what the characters are thinking instead of using stream of consciousness or inner speech as is expected.
I would like to raise a point. I take the view that it would be better to stop saying that Latin American literature was influenced by foreign modernist literature since is not an influence that relates them, in fact, is the same cause that triggers writing in that way. For instance, revolutions, political instability, feeling of sadness and uncertainty that the new context brings.
I really liked your point and the connection that you made was really interesting --and I must say it invited me to read the novels that you mentioned.
ResponderEliminarRegarding Macarena's I'm not really sure if to fit as a modernist novel, it necessarily must have all the characteristics that form modernism as I have read some modernist novels whose authors don't use much stream of consciousness.
But, when I was reading your post, Felipe, I thought that the only way to know whether Latin American authors have been influenced by modernism we should look up for their biographies or something like that, so to know what authors they used to read and influenced them; therefore, as Macarena said, I think that the context of the modernist poets and writers as well as the context of the Latin American writers is quite similar, since both of them go through the trauma of war, post-war experiences, revolutions, and the questioning of religion and the ruling class. So that, it is impossible not to have fragmentation of the self in circumstances where everything is chaotic.