Latin american Literature

Latin-American Literature (21st Century Literature Presentation)

1. LATIN-AMERICAN LITERATURE 21 ST CENTURY LITERATURE PRESENTATION

2. What’s latin-American literature? Consist of oral & written literature in several languages (Spanish, Portuguese, and the indigenous languages of the Americas as well as literature of the United States written in the Spanish language ) Rose to particular prominence globally during the second half of the 20th century, largely due to the international success of the style known as magical realism . As such, the region's literature is often associated solely with this style, with the 20th Century literary movement known as Latin American Boom, and with its most famous exponent, Gabriel García Márquez . Latin American literature has a rich and complex tradition of literary production that dates back many centuries.

3. HISTORY

4. Pre-Columbian Literature Primarily oral, though the Aztecs and Mayans Colonial literature When Europeans encountered the New World, early explorers and conquistadores produced written accounts and crónicas of their experience, such as Columbus's letters or Bernal Díaz del Castillo's description of the conquest of Mexico Nineteenth-century literature (" foundational fictions“) Novels in the Romantic or Naturalist traditions that attempted to establish a sense of national identity, and which often focused on the indigenous question or the dichotomy of "civilization or barbarism“ Additionally, a gradual increase in women's education and writing during the 19th century brought more women writers to the forefront History

5. History Modernismo and Boom precursors Emerged in the late 19 th century A poetic movement whose founding text was the Nicaraguan Rubén Darío's Azul (1888). Had been the renovation of poetic from & techniques, extending to the use of free verse. The first Latin American literary movement to influence literary culture outside of the region, and was also the first truly Latin American literature, in that national differences were no longer so much at issue. In early twentieth century, saw the rise of indigenismo , a movement dedicated to representing indigenous culture and the injustices that such communities were undergoing The Argentine Jorge Luis Borges invented what was almost a new genre, “the philosophical short story” Modernismo was an end of Nineteenth and early Twentieth-century Latin-American literary movement, best exemplified by Rubén Darío .

6. AVANT-GARDE Also vanguadria , literally fore-guard Next artistic movement after Modernismo which instituted a radical search for new, daring, confrontational themes and shockingly novel forms People & works have become experimental It is to push boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or status quo

7. The Boom After World War II, Latin America enjoyed increasing economic prosperity, and a new-found confidence also gave rise to a literary boom . Was a period of literary flourishing in the 1960s and 70s that brought much of the area’s literature to an international audience. Famous Boom authors include Julio Cortázar , Carlos Fuentes, Octavio Paz, Mario Vargas Llosa , and Gabriel García Márquez . Boom writers ventured outside traditional narrative structures, embracing non-linearity and experimental narration . Launched Latin American literature onto the world stage, it was distinguished by daring and experimental novels Emir Rodríguez Monegal published his influential Latin American literature monthly Mundo Nuevo (with excerpts of unreleased novels from then-new writers such as Guillermo Cabrera Infante or Severo Sarduy , including two chapters of Gabriel García Márquez's Cien años de soledad in 1966) which was one of the Boom's defining novels, which led to the association of Latin American literature with magic realism. History

8. Post-Boom and contemporary literature Sometimes characterized by a tendency towards irony and towards the use of popular genres Some writers felt the success of the Boom to be a burden, and spiritedly denounced the caricature that reduces Latin American literature to magical realism . Other writers have traded on the Boom's success: see for instance Laura Esquivel's pastiche of magical realism in Como agua para chocolate . Contemporary literature in the region is vibrant and varied, ranging from the best-selling Paulo Coelho and Isabel Allende to the more avant-garde and critically acclaimed work of writers such as Diamela Eltit & Giannina Braschi . History

9. MAJOR THEMES

10. The Fantastic — odd, remarkable or bizarre; grotesque and highly unbelievable or unrealistic events occur in fiction. The Fantastic tests and often bends the limits of reality. Authors most often associated with the “Fantastic” are Borges and Cortázar . Magical realism — there is argument between those who see magical realism as a Latin American invention and those who see it as the global product of a postmodern world — when magical or supernatural elements are introduced into an otherwise realistic fictional setting; magical realism will depict believable settings, characters, and circumstances, but the supernatural or magical is incorporated into the fiction. Carpentier coined the term “lo real maravilloso .” Authors associated with magical realism include Garcia Marquez, Carpentier , and Esquivel (especially Like Water for Chocolate ).

11. 3. Social realism — dark and often depressing depictions of life in Latin America; sometime the literature reflects the violent history of the region: “Torrents of blood.” Authors associated w/social realism are Novas Calvo , Rulfo , and Arias. 4. Female discourse — fiction that makes its main theme gender role as it critiques marianismo and machismo in Latin American society. Authors associated w/female discourse or feminist themes include Allende, Castellanos. and Ferré .

12. Difference between surrealism & magic realism Surrealism is often confused with magical realism as they both explore illogical or non-realist aspects of humanity and existence. Surrealism "is most distanced from magical realism [in that] the aspects that it explores are associated not with material reality but with the imagination and the mind, and in particular it attempts to express the 'inner life' and psychology of humans through art." It seeks to express the sub-conscious, unconscious, the repressed and inexpressible. Magical realism, on the other hand, rarely presents the extraordinary in the form of a dream or a psychological experience.

13. Other Principles under the fantastic Labyrinth — Borges’ fiction relies upon this theme. Many of his characters are caught in strange mazes or webs of lies. Sometimes , Borges’ charters’ actions cause them to be trapped in a place or time, repeating the same bad decisions endlessly . Eternal Recurrence of All Things — Borges borrows from Nietzsche’s concept: the eternal recurrence of all things means that everything that has happened in the past will happen again; only characters who are capable of self-knowledge can learn not to repeat the mistakes of the past .

14. Reader participation — Cortázar’s characters are more often social outcasts: the circus freak, lunatics, even some delusional characters people Cortazar’s fiction. Instead of the author having omniscience (being all-knowing), Cortázar invites readers to construct the meaning of his work. In the case of Rayuela /Hopscotch (a novel), readers are encouraged to read chapters in a non-linear fashion. Whether a reader wants to read from the middle of the novel or from the last chapter to the first (backwards), each reader will experience a different story. Open doors — rather than placing characters in a maze, Cortázar risks their lives; some are murderers, some are insane, and others are suicidal . Sudden jolts — the unexpected is bound to happen in Cortázar’s fiction. In an effort to shake readers from passivity and complacency, Cortázar wants readers to feel shocked and surprised when we read his stories. The conclusion of “Continuity of Parks” is particularly surprising as readers are suddenly transported into the narrator’s chair. (How so?)

15. Prominent writers of Latin-american

16. 1. Jorge Luis Borges ( Argentine, 1899-1986 ) Author of Ficciones , El Aleph The most eminent Latin American author of any century, because to read him is to activate an awareness of literature in which he has gone farther than anybody else. ( According to literary critic Harold Bloom) Borges’ work is aesthetic; this means he writes with the intention of contributing to the world of literature. As such, his fiction can be viewed as “art for art’s sake .” Credited for developing and advancing the “ fantastic ” style in the region His short stories frequently present his reader with a dizzying array of libraries, labyrinths, and mirrors. “Is an admirable writer pledged to destroy reality and convert man into a shadow .” (description of Ana Maria Barrenchea ) Prominent writers

17. 2. Gabriel García Márquez (Columbian) Novelists that’s perhaps the most prominent author to emerge from Latin America in the 20th century Author of the Cien Años de Soledad (1967), one of the most important works in world literature of the 20th century Won the Nobel Prize for Literature 1982 Márquez’s magical realist world blends beautifully the magically quotidian (ice, magnets) with everyday magic (divine ascensions, raining flowers) Prominent writers

18. 3. Pablo Neruda (Chilean) A poet of 20th century “Is the greatest poet of the 20th century, in any language.“ (according to Gabriel García Márquez ) Won the Nobel Prize for Literature1971 An outspoken voice in Latin American world politics, a move which allowed him, in some ways, to alienate everyone. His poetry is famously romantic and erotic, sometimes importing sensuality to the most quotidian of objects, as seen in works like “Ode to the Apple . Neruda’s politics made him an exile from his native Chile, and he recounted his dramatic escape in his Nobel lecture. Prominent writers

19. 4. Octavio Paz Mexican writer and poet Won the Nobel Prize for Literature1990 Author of the The Labyrinth of Solitude Hist poetry often explores solitude and sensuality as well as language and silence. Prominent writers

20. 5. Alejo Carpentier (1904-1980 ) great stylistic contribution to Latin American literature was his magical realism, called lo real maravilloso , which reflects the fantastic, and often otherworldly, properties of Latin American life Embraces the extreme as never too far from the truth His novel The Kingdom of this World depicts the Haitian uprising in which African slaves rebel against their French colonial rulers. Prominent writers

21. 6. Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957 ) Her poetry captures not only the wide political themes of Latin American identity and progress, but also the intimate spheres of loss, grief, and motherhood . She remains the only female Latin American author to win the Nobel Prize 1945. Prominent writers

22. 7. Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012 ) His books reflect a constant political striving, interrogating the ideals of revolution, power, equality, justice, and violence. Author of The Death of Artemio Cruz, that happily utilizes the tools of multiple narration and interior monologue. Prominent writers

23. 8. Isabel Allende (b. 1947) A post-Boom author Her novels frequently blend myth and reality. She draws from the fount of magical realism that has long helped capture the Latin American experience . As a reporter, she was able to get an interview with Pablo Neruda, who told her that she had too much imagination for a journalist. He suggested that she begin writing novels instead. As a result, her literary career has a semi-accidental nature. If it wasn’t for outside encouragement, and a letter to her dying grandfather (that developed into The House of the Spirits, her first book), who knows how long her career would have been delayed. Today, she is regarded as a Latin American treasure and figure of world culture. She has appeared in Olympic ceremonies, won Chile’s National Literature Prize, and won a Presidential Medal of Freedom Prominent writers

24. Sources Britannica.com myblog.worpress.com Wikipedia bookstellyouwhy.com telegraph.com