E-Lit in Spanish: Voices of Oppression and Dissent from the Spanish Speaking World
Quoi:
Talk
Quand:
10:00 AM, mercredi 15 août 2018
(1 heure 15 minutes)
Où:
Pavillon J.-A. DeSève (DS) UQAM -
DS-1420
Discussion:
0
E-lit narratives in Spanish have demonstrated a special interest in
denouncing some of the historical, social and political events which are
commonplace in the Spanish speaking world. Their origins can be traced
back to iconic works such as Extreme Conditions (1996) and The Wright
Brothers’ First Flight (1996) by Juan B. Gutiérrez. Whereas the first
e-lit work immerses the reader in a science fiction narrative which
portrays the effects of capitalism, the second literary piece takes
place in an isolated Latin American town deeply affected by corruption
and the typical idiosyncrasies of a small Latin American town. As a
follow up to this declamatory gesture portrayed by these narratives,
Gabriella Infinita (2000) by Colombian writer Jaime Alejandro Rodríguez
Ruiz brings to the fore topics that are common in many Spanish speaking
countries, such as a civil war, censorship, repression, fear and exile.
In turn, Golpe de gracia (2006) also by Jaime Alejandro Rodríguez Ruiz
discusses discusses the role of authoritarianism in society, as
represented by one of its main characters. But it is the
Peruvian-Venezuelan writer Doménico Chiappe who has transformed his
e-lit pieces in declamatory narratives which entice the reader to
reflect and act upon historical, political, social and technologically
driven events which have drastically altered a region and/or a
globalized society in general. In the polyphonic multimedia novel Tierra
de extracción (1996-2007) Chiappe incisively depicts the enduring
hardship of a small Venezuelan town and its people who have lived under
the shadows of exploitation by the oil companies, whereas in Hotel
Minotauro (2014), his latest and most declamatory piece, Chiappe
addresses issues such as the financial crisis, human trafficking, the
role of economic, social and political power as well as the role of
social media. In this paper I will address the historical, social and
political aspects that are subtlety addressed via sound, image, text and
the kinetic images and readers’ navigation tools in Hotel Minotauro.
Chiappe’s evocative references to authoritarian regimes and abuse of
power in Latin America permeate throughout this immersive literary piece
that resembles a first-person perspective video game. The voices of the
subaltern can be read and heard throughout this piece inciting
reflection not only on the value of this literary work but also on its
message to foster social and political transformation.