The Rise of Latin American Literature: Gabriel García Márquez and His Impact
Gabriel García Márquez and the Boom of the Latin American Novel
In the early twentieth century, Latin American poetry and narrative diverged. Poetry underwent a renewal with Modernism, while narrative remained rooted in nineteenth-century forms.
The dominant realist novel persisted until 1945, exemplified by Doña Bárbara by Rómulo Gallegos and Don Segundo Sombra by Ricardo Güiraldes.
The renewal of narrative began in 1945 with the decline of the realist novel, which started to be approached with different techniques. Fantastic elements emerged, foreshadowing magical realism, where fantasy and reality are inextricably linked. Aesthetically, there was greater attention to constructive and stylistic elements, with surrealism explored through irrational and dreamlike themes.
Key innovators included Miguel Ángel Asturias with El Señor Presidente and Alejo Carpentier with The Lost Steps, but Jorge Luis Borges was the most influential figure.
The so-called “boom” of the Latin American novel began with the publication of The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (GGM), captivating previously indifferent readers. This solidified Latin American narrative as a major milestone in Spanish literature. These novelists continued the renewal initiated in the preceding stage.
The novels expanded thematically, with Cortázar favoring the urban novel and GGM exploring rural themes with a distinct approach.
Magical realism became a defining characteristic of these novelists, marked by unexpected alterations of reality that offered privileged insights, creating unusual illusions perceived with particular intensity.
Significant changes occurred in narrative structure, including the breakdown of storylines, shifts in point of view, and clashes of perspectives. Language also evolved, featuring contrasts in styles and registers. This renewal did not abandon realism but approached it from different angles. The social and political content of the novels remained relevant, with novelists expressing advanced social and political ideas. The 1960s and 70s were turbulent for Latin America, marked by dictatorships and coups, influencing writers like GGM, Carlos Fuentes, and Vargas Llosa, who went into exile in Europe.
One Hundred Years of Solitude ushered in a new era of American letters, establishing GGM as a novelist par excellence. His literary career began with the Barranquilla Group, where he and Fuenmayor discovered authors like Joyce and Faulkner. His early work, characterized by simple realism, evolved to incorporate magical realism in tales like The Incredible and Sad Story of Candida Eréndira and Her Heartless Grandmother and the short story collection Eyes of a Blue Dog. Later works included The Autumn of the Patriarch and Chronicle of a Death Foretold, based on real events. Finally, Love in the Time of Cholera, a work outside the realm of magical realism, was followed by Strange Pilgrims, News of a Kidnapping (a journalistic work), and Memories of My Melancholy Whores, which tells the story of an old man’s love for a teenager, among other works.
GGM stands as one of the most important American writers of his time, excelling in magical realism and works like One Hundred Years of Solitude during a turbulent era.