In her essay “Postcolonialism and Latin American literature: the case of Carlos Fuentes“ Nadia Lie describes two different currents of Postcolonialism: the first one is the literature that grew out of colonial experience in Latin America and is considered an answer to the over present literature of the oppressing European literary traditions. The second one is characterized by a set of theoretical concerns and reading strategies. Rather than merely “writing back“, a term introduced by Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin, this approach suggests that cultural differences are constructed by replacing the strong binary opposition “us“ versus “the other“ with concepts of hybridity, in-betweenness and border thinking (see Lie 2005: 139-140).
The early work of Mexican author Carlos Fuentes (*1928) can be seen in an intermediate position between these two concepts. Even though the theme of otherness and opposition is very present in his work, as can be seen in La frontera de cristal (1995) and his early novel Aura (1962), his writing is full of intertextual references that show his appreciation for both European and Latin American literary tradition. As part of the “Boom“ movement in Latin American literature he also uses supernatural and gothic elements that sometimes make it hard or even impossible to distinguish between reality and illusion:
According to this aesthetic, unreal things are treated as if realistic and mundane, and mundane things as if unreal. Plots, while often based on real experiences, incorporate strange, fantastic, and legendary elements, mythical peoples, speculative settings, and characters who, while plausible, could also be unreal, and combine the true, the imaginary, and the nonexistent in such a way that they are difficult to separate. (Pope 1996: 229)
Fuentes‘ novel Aura is an early example of this tradition. The purpose of this essay will be a postcolonial approach to the novel, showing Fuentes‘ position in the discourse of postcolonial identities and literatures. The argument will be based on notions of time, space and intertextual references that can be found in Aura.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Aura: A Boom novel
3. Postcolonial Key Elements
3.1 Hybrid identities and intertextual references
3.2 Deconstructing notions of time and space
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Objectives and Research Themes
This essay explores Carlos Fuentes' novel Aura through a postcolonial lens, examining how the author constructs a unique Latin American identity by deconstructing traditional notions of time, space, and authorship. The analysis focuses on the interplay between European literary traditions and indigenous elements, demonstrating how the narrative challenges binary oppositions.
- The role of hybridity and intertextuality in Aura.
- Deconstruction of historical and Eurocentric narratives.
- The function of the second-person perspective in blurring authorship.
- Magic realism as a tool for postcolonial self-awareness.
- The manifestation of identity as a 'simulacrum' of the past.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Hybrid identities and intertextual references
In his essay “How I wrote Aura“ Carlos Fuentes points out some of the sources that inspired him to write this novel in 1962. It can be seen that many of the references he used come from a European literary tradition. In Aura these references converge with originally Latin American elements and create a new, hybrid narrative. The name Felipe Montero is a reference to Spanish writer Francisco Quevedo, whereas Aura refers to a medieval witch from Jules Michelet‘s La Sorcière (Lie 2005: 142, 143). To make it more complex Fuentes denies the notion of originality and true authorship by using the second form to write to someone who is ‘tú‘, but also the author of the writing.
Indeed, although Fuentes rejects the traditional notion of ‘authorship’, he simultaneously preserves it in a fictional, playful way as he assigns the true authorship of Aura to the Spanish poet, Francisco de Quevedo. In this way, he claims to be the direct heir of the Spanish cultural legacy, and more particularly the baroque. (Lie 2005: 143)
The young woman Aura is the personification of a hybrid identity that joins European traditions as well as uniquely Latin American or Mexican elements. Felipe Montero sees her passing three stages, from ‘niña‘ to ‘mujer‘ and, finally ‘cubierta por un cielo endurecido‘ (see Frenk 1994: 267). Frenk refers this to the three stages of the figure of the witch in Mediaeval European history, as well as of the Greek Goddess, or of the three incarnations of the Aztec deity Coatlicue (see Frenk 1994: 267).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the theoretical framework of postcolonialism and situates Carlos Fuentes' early work, specifically Aura, within the intersection of European and Latin American literary traditions.
2. Aura: A Boom novel: The chapter characterizes Aura as part of the "Boom" movement, highlighting how it utilizes magic realism to break free from European literary conventions and establish a distinct Latin American self-awareness.
3. Postcolonial Key Elements: This section investigates how the novel employs hybrid identities, intertextual references, and the deconstruction of time and space to challenge colonial binaries.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the previous analysis, reiterating that Aura creates a complex, hybrid narrative that successfully deconstructs rigid cultural and historical distinctions.
5. Bibliography: This section lists the academic sources and critical texts used to support the postcolonial analysis of the novel.
Keywords
Aura, Carlos Fuentes, Postcolonialism, Hybridity, Intertextuality, Latin American Literature, Boom Movement, Deconstruction, Magic Realism, Identity, Simulacrum, Othering, Eurocentrism, Narrative, Modernism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper performs a postcolonial reading of Carlos Fuentes' 1962 novel Aura, analyzing how the text constructs identity and challenges traditional literary norms.
What central themes are explored in the work?
Key themes include the construction of hybrid identities, the deconstruction of time and space, the role of intertextuality, and the concept of the 'simulacrum' in a postcolonial context.
What is the overarching goal or research question?
The essay seeks to demonstrate how Fuentes utilizes postcolonial and postmodern literary elements to establish a unique Latin American identity that resists Eurocentric binary definitions.
Which scientific or theoretical methods are applied?
The author applies postcolonial literary criticism, utilizing theories from scholars like Homi K. Bhabha, Edward Said, and Jacques Derrida to deconstruct the novel's narrative structure.
What aspects of the novel are examined in the main body?
The main body focuses on the "Boom" literary context, the hybridization of characters like Aura and Felipe Montero, and the manipulation of temporal and spatial boundaries.
Which keywords best characterize the study?
The study is characterized by keywords such as Hybridity, Postcolonialism, Intertextuality, Magic Realism, Deconstruction, and Latin American Identity.
How does the second-person perspective contribute to the novel's meaning?
The use of the "tú" (second-person) forces the reader to become the protagonist and the author simultaneously, effectively dismantling the notion of a fixed, original identity.
What is the significance of the "green" color associated with Aura?
The green color links Aura to the jade skirts of the Aztec deity Tlaloc, symbolizing her role as a mediator between European heritage and indigenous Latin American roots.
Why does the author define Aura as a "simulacrum"?
Aura is seen as a simulacrum because she represents a reconstruction of Consuelo's past, acting as a trace of an identity that is both present and absent.
How does the novel deal with the concept of authorship?
Fuentes denies traditional authorship by embedding himself into the story, creating a polyphonic narrative where the lines between the author, the reader, and the characters are blurred.
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- Antonia Lilie (Autor:in), 2011, Postcolonial concepts of hybridity and identity in Carlos Fuentes‘ "Aura" , München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/187587
