Latin American Literary Movements and the Boom

Major Trends in Latin American Narrative

The Latin American narrative encompasses social realism, psychological realism, magical realism, and structural realism. Key narrative techniques include: opposition to the plans of time, space, and mind; variety in perspective; active participation of the reader; expressive games for aesthetic and conceptual disintegration of narrative structure; paralysis of temporal development; the mix of the real and the mythical; combination of narratives; blending of linguistic registers; and the creation of new terms.

Julio Cortázar: Wit and Imagination

In the works of Julio Cortázar, games of wit and imagination dominate. In his novel Rayuela (Hopscotch), chaos and disorder predominate to describe the absurd, utilizing fragments, a disregard for traditional spelling, and a mixing of symbolism and forms of expression.

Gabriel García Márquez and Magical Realism

In the work of Gabriel García Márquez, specifically One Hundred Years of Solitude, magical realism is central. In this work, resources are used such as the repetition of names and a narrative perspective that provides a historical overview through a circular structure. Other notable works include The Autumn of the Patriarch.

Mario Vargas Llosa’s Complex Techniques

Mario Vargas Llosa explores reality using mythical worlds removed from his own life and Peru. His literary output responds to three aspects: autobiographism, the totalizing novel, and the neo-realist novel. He employs a very complex technique. Other works include The Green House and Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter.

Evolution of the Hispano-American Novel

The Early 20th Century: Realistic Continuity

The first third of the century is characterized by the continuity of the previous century's realistic line. This is a peculiar realism that can be classified by its subjects:

• The Regionalist Novel (Novel of the Land): José Eustasio Rivera (The Vortex), Rómulo Gallegos (Doña Bárbara), and Ricardo Güiraldes (Don Segundo Sombra).
• The Social Novel: Alcides Arguedas (Raza de Bronce), Jorge Icaza (Huasipungo), and Ciro Alegría (The World is Wide and Strange).
• The Novel of the Mexican Revolution: Mariano Azuela (The Underdogs) and Martín Luis Guzmán (The Eagle and the Serpent).

The 1930s: Renovation of the Narrative

In the 1930s, new narrative forms emerged with the following characteristics:

• Presence of existential problems.
• Emergence of magical realism, highlighting the wonderful elements visible in American reality.
• Mythical and allegorical treatment of characters, environments, and actions.
• Highly polished prose and the introduction of innovative elements.

Key authors include: Alejo Carpentier (The Kingdom of This World), Miguel Ángel Asturias (Mr. President), Jorge Luis Borges (Ficciones), and Juan Rulfo (El Llano en Llamas, Pedro Páramo).

The 1960s: The Latin American Boom

The sixties represent a stage of grandeur for the Hispano-American novel. The main issue is the question of Hispano-American reality, with four major trends developing this topic.