De antropofagias y logofagias literarias en la literatura argentina.
Date
2000-08-15
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Latin American Studies Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Abstract
The XVI century chronicles written
about the early settlers of Buenos Aires start with frequent references
to
cannibalism. In fact, the first writers who describe the beginning of
the European presence in the region do not
hesitate to stress the emptiness
of those lands which would have driven the newcomers insane and would have
pushed
them to cannibalistic acts. During the following centuries, this
motif was extended to the literary discourse as a
rhetorical artifice.
Argentinean writers interested in writing about their milieu always considered
themselves immersed
in an "empty" literary scenario which compelled them
to "consume" or cannibalize other writers' words and cultures.
Antropofagia
became logofagia. Parody and pastiche of other [para]literatures
were the devices they found to
survive in those deserted lands. The aim
of this article is to review the different aspects and the deveolpment
of this
concept of antropofagia/logofagia as a motif and as a discursive
mechanism.