20th Century Latin American Literature: A Comprehensive Guide
20th Century Latin American Literature
American Novel – First Third of the 20th Century
This first part of the century is characterized by the continuity of the realistic style. It is a peculiar realism that can be classified by these themes:
- The Regional Novel: J.E. Rivera (The Vortex), R. Gallegos (Doña Barbara), R. Güiraldes (Don Segundo Sombra).
- The Social Novel: A. Arguedas (Raza de Bronce), J. Icaza (Huasipungo) and C. Alegría (The World is Wide and Strange).
- The Novel of the Mexican Revolution: M. Azuela (Los de abajo), M.L. Guzmán (The Eagle and the Snake).
Renovation of the Latin American Narrative
In the 1930s, new narrative forms emerged, characterized by:
- Presence of existential problems.
- Irruption of magical realism. This is the marvelous made visible in American reality.
- Mythical and allegorical treatment of characters, environments, and actions.
- Very careful prose.
- Introduction of innovative elements.
Authors: Alejo Carpentier (The Kingdom of This World), Miguel Angel Asturias (Mr. President), Jorge Luis Borges (Ficciones), Juan Rulfo (El llano en llamas, Pedro Páramo).
The Latin American Boom
The 1960s was a period of splendor for the Hispanic American novel. The main question was that of Hispanic American reality. Four trends developed this theme: social realism, psychological realism, magical realism, and structuralism.
Innovative narrative techniques included:
- Opposition of time planes, space, and mind.
- Variety in perspective.
- Active reader participation.
- Expressive games for aesthetic and conceptual purposes.
- Disintegration of the narrative structure.
- Paralysis of temporal development.
- Mix of the real and the mythical.
- Combination of narratives, blending of idiomatic registers.
- Creation of new terms.
Julio Cortázar: In his novels, games with language and imagination predominate. In Rayuela (Hopscotch), chaos and disorder prevail to describe the absurd, fragmentation, disregard for spelling, symbolism, and the mix of forms of expression.
Gabriel García Márquez: His work One Hundred Years of Solitude epitomizes magical realism. This work utilizes resources such as repetition of names, narration from a historical perspective, and a circular structure. Other works: The Autumn of the Patriarch.
Mario Vargas Llosa: In his narratives, reality is the central issue, using mythical worlds removed from everyday life in Peru. His literary production responds to several aspects.
Hispano-American Poetry – 20th Century
Early Years of the Century: Modernism
The early years of the twentieth century belong to the fullness of modernist poetry, whose best representative is Rubén Darío. Modernism is characterized by the pursuit of beauty and formal refinement.
After 1916-1920, the modernist movement began to fade, giving way to:
Postmodernism and Avant-Garde (1920s)
Postmodernism
Postmodernism toned down the formal splendor (sonority, rhythm, vocabulary, etc.) of Modernism, moving towards a simpler, more direct, and human expression. There was a greater cultivation of intimate problems.
Authors: Baldomero Fernández Moreno, Alfonsina Storni, César Vallejo (early works), Pablo Neruda (early works).
Avant-Garde Poetry
Also by 1920, avant-garde currents born in Europe began to be felt in Latin America. Highlights include Creationism (initiated by Vicente Huidobro), Ultraism (Jorge Luis Borges), and Surrealism (César Vallejo, Pablo Neruda, Octavio Paz).
1930s: Pure Poetry and Black Poetry
Pure Poetry
Pure poetry emerged with poets who stood outside the strident avant-garde, though many came from it. This poetry has parallels with the Generation of ’27 in Spain (influence of Juan Ramón Jiménez, admiration for Luis de Góngora, a taste for formal perfection). These poets exhibit a balance between tradition and renewal, between classicism and modernity.
Authors: Jaime Torres Bodet, Eduardo Carranza, Jorge Luis Borges.
Black Poetry
Black poetry emerged in the West Indies, seeking inspiration in the ethnic and cultural peculiarities of the area. It drew from a rich folklore where African and Spanish elements are intimately fused.
Authors: Luis Palés Matos, Emilio Ballagas, Nicolás Guillén.
Hispano-American Poetry from the Mid-20th Century Onward
From 1945 to today, the proliferation of trends, movements, and groups is remarkable. The most salient trends include the survival of pure poetry, the emergence of existentialist attitudes and themes, and the abundance of socially and politically committed poetry.