Detective Fiction in the Monster, Mexico City

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Detective Fiction in the Monster, Mexico City Leisa Rothlisberger Wiest 3HQQV\OYDQLD6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\ Detective Fiction in the Monster, Mexico City Abstract: 0XHUWRVLQFyPRGRVDQRYHOFRZULWWHQE\SRSXODU0H[LFDQGHWHFWLYHÀFWLRQDXWKRU3DFR,JQDFLR 7DLER,,DQGWKH=DSDWLVWDOHDGHU6XEFRPDQGDQWH0DUFRVGHPRQVWUDWHVWKHGLIÀFXOW\RIDFFHVVLQJ the information required to uncover proof of state-supported crimes. The prospect of successfully GHSOR\LQJVXFKLQIRUPDWLRQWRVWRSLQMXVWLFHLVIXUWKHUFRPSOLFDWHGE\WKHGLVSDULW\EHWZHHQXUEDQDQG rural geography--registers often suggestively associated with aggressor and victim, respectively. 7KH QRYHO·V WZR DXWKRUV DOWHUQDWH ZULWLQJ FKDSWHUV UHODWLQJ WKH WUDYDLOV RI WZR GHWHFWLYHV RQH ORFDWHGLQ0H[LFR·VFDSLWDODQGWKHRWKHUWUDYHOLQJWRWKHFLW\IURPKLVUXUDOKRPH7KHUXUDODOVR LQH[SHULHQFHG GHWHFWLYH DVVXPHV WKDW WKH SURRI KH QHHGV WR VROYH WKH P\VWHU\ RI SHUYDVLYH LQMXVWLFHLVFRQFHQWUDWHGLQWKHFDSLWDO2YHUWKHFRXUVHRIWKHQRYHOKHOHDUQVWKHSRWHQWLDOVWUHQJWK RISHULSKHUDOLQIRUPDWLRQJDWKHULQJKHGLVFRYHUVWKHIDOVLW\RISHUFHLYLQJWKHJRYHUQPHQWFDSLWDODV WKHFHQWHURINQRZOHGJHDQGMXVWLFH7KHQRYHO·VDXWKRUVKDYHFOHDUDQWLQHROLEHUDOSROLWLFDOJRDOV and their didacticism is heavy-handed at times, but the act of depicting the process of discovery in GHWHFWLYHÀFWLRQGHOLEHUDWHO\PRGHOVKRZWRTXHVWLRQLQMXVWLFHVWKDWDUHJORVVHGRYHUDVP\VWHULHV ,W LV WKURXJK WKH LQWHUSOD\ RI WKH WZR DXWKRUV· VWRU\OLQHV DQG ZULWLQJ VW\OHV ZKLFK LQWULQVLFDOO\ allows comparison, that the novel shows the value of sharing information to crack capital crimes. Keywords: 3DFR,JQDFLR7DLER,,6XEFRPDQGDQWH0DUFRVGHWHFWLYHÀFWLRQ L. Rothlisberger Wiest ÀDU9RO 0D\ Detective Fiction in the Monster IRUXPIRULQWHUDPHULFDQUHVHDUFK ,661 Mexico City Is a Monster 0H[LFR&LW\LVDPRQVWHU$FFRUGLQJWR3DFR,JQDFLR7DLER,,·VÀFWLRQDOGHWHFWLYH+pFWRU %HODVFRDUiQ6KD\QHLWLVD´WZHOYHPLOOLRQKHDGHGPRQVWHUµ 7DLERCosa fácil 0H[LFR·V VSUDZOLQJKHDYLO\SRSXODWHGFDSLWDOFLW\LVDFKDUDFWHULQLWVRZQULJKWLQ7DLER·VGHWHFWLYHÀFWLRQ,WV characterization is used to solve the mysteries of the crimes perpetrated by and in the monstrous FDSLWDO 6XFK D FRQQHFWLRQ LV VLJQLÀFDQW LW LV DOVR FRPPHQVXUDWH ZLWK 7DLER·V OHIWLVW DQWL QHROLEHUDOSROLWLFDOVWDQFH6SHFLÀFDOO\7DLER·VQRYHOFRDXWKRUHGZLWK=DSDWLVWDVSRNHVSHUVRQ Subcomandante Marcos, 0XHUWRV LQFyPRGRV IDOWD OR TXH IDOWD, or The Uncomfortable Dead: :KDW·V0LVVLQJLV0LVVLQJXVHV0H[LFR&LW\·VFKDUDFWHUL]DWLRQDVDPRQVWHUWRGLVPDQWOHWKH power of the capital. 0XHUWRVLQFyPRGRV challenges the perceived and real power of the city. As with all capital FLWLHVWKHGHFLVLRQVPDGHLQ0H[LFR&LW\RUE\WKHJRYHUQPHQWRIÀFLDOVWKHFDSLWDOFLW\PHWRQ\PLFDOO\ UHSUHVHQWV KDYH VLJQLÀFDQW RIWHQ QHJDWLYH FRQVHTXHQFHV IRU LQGLYLGXDOV DQG FRPPXQLWLHV WKURXJKRXWWKHFRXQWU\0XHUWRVLQFyPRGRV demonstrates the severity with which that reality is RYHUORRNHG7KHQRYHOLVWKHUHVXOWRIDQLQYLWDWLRQWR3DFR,JQDFLR7DLER,,WKHSRSXODUDQGSUROLÀF 0H[LFDQGHWHFWLYHÀFWLRQDXWKRUIURPWKHVSRNHVSHUVRQWKHVRFDOOHG6XEFRPDQGDQWH,QVXUJHQWH 0DUFRVRIWKH(MpUFLWR=DSDWLVWDGH/LEHUDFLyQ1DFLRQDO7KH=DSDWLVWDVDUHDQLQVXUJHQWJURXS ZKRVWDJHGDUHEHOOLRQDJDLQVWWKH0H[LFDQJRYHUQPHQWRQ-DQXDU\LQWKHVRXWKHDVWHUQ 0H[LFDQVWDWHRI&KLDSDVWRFRLQFLGHZLWKWKHLPSOHPHQWDWLRQRIWKH1RUWK$PHULFDQ)UHH7UDGH $JUHHPHQW 1$)7$ ,QLWLDOO\ WKH UHEHOOLRQ ZDV YLROHQW EXW VRRQ DIWHU WKH XSULVLQJ WKH UHEHOVHPSKDVL]HG´ZRUGVDVWKHLUZHDSRQVµ VHH0DUFRVOur Word 7KHLUSROLWLFDOLGHRORJ\LV GHOLEHUDWHO\DQGRYHUWO\DJDLQVWQHROLEHUDOJOREDOL]DWLRQZKLFK1$)7$H[HPSOLÀHVIRUWKHP7KHLU LQVXUJHQF\DLPVWRFRXQWHUDFWWKHQHJDWLYHFRQVHTXHQFHVRILQFUHDVHG´IUHHWUDGHµGHFUHDVHG restrictions of corporations, privatization of formerly public services, which by their calculations DQGIURPWKHLUH[SHULHQFHVLJQLÀFDQWO\QHJDWLYHO\DIIHFWVWKHLPSRYHULVKHGE\LQFUHDVLQJLQFRPH GLVSDULW\ EHWZHHQ WKH XOWUD ULFK DQG WKH SRRU 7KH\ RSSRVH WKH XQMXVW KLHUDUFK\ DQG XQHYHQ GLVWULEXWLRQRIUHVRXUFHVDQGWKHUHIRUHSRZHUSHUSHWXDWHGE\0H[LFR·VVRFDOOHGPRGHUQL]DWLRQ HIIRUWVWKDWDFWXDOO\LJQRUHGDQGIXUWKHUPDUJLQDOL]HGWKHFRXQWU\·VSRRUHVWHVSHFLDOO\WKH´QRQ PRGHUQµUXUDOSHULSKHULHVE\H[SORLWLQJWKHPIRUFDSLWDOJDLQ 7DLER·VOLWHUDU\SURMHFWVLPLODUO\KDVDVWURQJDQWLQHROLEHUDOOHIWLVWVWDQFH+LVZULWLQJKDV shaped the tradition of the neopoliciaca, roughly the Latin American equivalent of US hard-boiled GHWHFWLYHÀFWLRQWKRXJKLWLVGLIIHUHQWIURPLWV(QJOLVKVSHDNLQJFRXQWHUSDUWLQWKDWLWLV´RYHUWO\ SROLWLFDO DQG OHIWLVWµ DV 3HUVHSKRQH %UDKDP FRQYLQFLQJO\ DUJXHV [LLL 7DLER·V PRVW SRSXODU SXEOLFDWLRQVLQFOXGHDQLQHQRYHOVHULHVZLWKGHWHFWLYH+pFWRU %HODVFRDUiQ6KD\QHWKHVDPH protagonist he writes about in 0XHUWRV LQFyPRGRV DQG PRUH WKDQ D GR]HQ RWKHU QRYHOV ,Q L. Rothlisberger Wiest ÀDU9RO 0D\ Detective Fiction in the Monster IRUXPIRULQWHUDPHULFDQUHVHDUFK ,661 addition to his popular neopoliciacas7DLERZULWHVDVDOHIWLVWKLVWRULDQKHKDVZULWWHQELRJUDSKLHV RI FRQWURYHUVLDO SROLWLFDO OHDGHUV LQFOXGLQJ &KH *XHYDUD DQG KLVWRULHV RI WKH VWXGHQW PRYHPHQWDQGPDVVDFUHLQ0H[LFR:LWKWKHVHWH[WV7DLERUDLVHVDZDUHQHVVRIVWDWHFULPHV DQGWKHWKLQO\FRQFHDOHGH[SORLWDWLRQRIFLWL]HQVWKHVHOHIWLVWPRWLYDWLRQVDOVRFOHDUO\GULYHKLV SRSXODUGHWHFWLYHÀFWLRQ,QIDFW7DLERDUWLFXODWHGRQHFKDUDFWHULVWLFRIWKHneopoliciaca genre as ´/DREVHVLyQSRUODVFLXGDGHVXQDLQFLGHQFLDUHFXUUHQWHWHPiWLFDGHORVSUREOHPDVGHO(VWDGR FRPRJHQHUDGRUGHOFULPHQODFRUUXSFLyQODDUELWUDULHGDGSROtWLFDµ TXRWHGLQ%DOLEUHD(QUtTXH] Q 'HWHFWLYHÀFWLRQHVSHFLDOO\LQWKHZD\LWLVIRUPXODWHGE\7DLERDQGRWKHU/DWLQ$PHULFDQ authors, uses urban spaces to make evident the disempowerment of the masses who live in them. As part of the neopoliciaca genre, 0XHUWRVLQFyPRGRVKDVSDUDOOHOWHQGHQFLHV*LYHQWKLV background information about the authors and its genre, there are no doubts about the political ideology presented in 0XHUWRVLQFyPRGRVLWLVFOHDUDWÀUVWEOXVK>@ 7KHQRYHOSHUIRUPVLWVSROLWLFDOOHDQLQJVRYHUWO\FRQVHTXHQWO\KRZWKHDXWKRUVFRPPXQLFDWH their points and prescribe remedies reveals as much about the system they are working against as what they are trying to prove. The role of the city and the duplicitous idea of capital in the novel EULQJV WR OLJKW LPSRUWDQW RIWHQ SDUDGR[LFDO GLPHQVLRQV RI WKH FRQVHTXHQFHV RI QHROLEHUDOLVP DQGDWWHPSWVWRUHVLVWWKHP7KHFLW\ÀJXUHVSURPLQHQWO\LQERWKWKHPDQQHULQZKLFKWKHQRYHO ZDVSXEOLVKHGDQGLWVSORW7KHQRYHOZDVÀUVWSXEOLVKHGLQWZHOYHLQVWDOOPHQWVLQWKHZHHNO\ Sunday editions of La Jornada D SRSXODU OHIWLVW 0H[LFDQ QHZVSDSHU EDVHG LQ 0H[LFR &LW\ EHWZHHQ'HFHPEHUDQG)HEUXDU\7DLERDQG0DUFRVDOWHUQDWHGZULWLQJLQVWDOOPHQWV each author narrating the undertakings of his own detective. Taibo resurrects the independent GHWHFWLYH +pFWRU %HODVFRDUiQ 6KD\QH RI KLV SRSXODU VHULHV WR LQYHVWLJDWH XQVROYHG PXUGHUV DQGP\VWHULRXVWHOHSKRQHPHVVDJHVIURPDGHFHDVHGSHUVRQLQ0H[LFR&LW\0DUFRV·VFKDSWHUV IROORZWKH=DSDWLVWDV·PRGHORILQFOXVLYHQHVVE\LQWURGXFLQJDOOYDULHWLHVRIFKDUDFWHUVWKRXJKKLV PDLQFKDUDFWHU(OtDV&RQWUHUDVLVD=DSDWLVWD´FRPPLVVLRQHGLQYHVWLJDWRUµIURP&KLDSDVZKR LVLQYHVWLJDWLQJRWKHUZURQJIXOGHDWKVWKHH[SORLWDWLRQRIWKHQDWXUDOUHVRXUFHVRIWKH/DFDQGRQ -XQJOHWKHPLVWUHDWPHQWRI=DSDWLVWDLQGLYLGXDOVDQGFRPPXQLWLHVE\JRYHUQPHQWRIÀFLDOVDQG RWKHUFULPHVRQJRLQJLQ&KLDSDV6XEFRPDQGDQWH0DUFRV ERWKWKHDXWKRUDQGDFKDUDFWHULQ WKHQRYHO VHQGV(OtDVWR0H[LFR&LW\WRJHWKHOSIURP%HODVFRDUiQDVDYHWHUDQGHWHFWLYHDQGWR ÀQGMXVWLFHWKDWVHHPVLQDFFHVVLEOHLQ&KLDSDVWKHFRQVHTXHQFHVFKDOOHQJHWKHSHUYDVLYHQRWLRQ WKDWWKHDQVZHUVWRWKHP\VWHULHVFDQEHVROYHGLQWKHFDSLWDO2YHUWKHFRXUVHRIWKHQRYHO(OtDV learns the potency of gathering information in the periphery and discovers the falsity of perceiving WKHJRYHUQPHQWFDSLWDODVWKHFHQWHURINQRZOHGJHDQGMXVWLFH7KHFLW\WKHUHIRUHUHSUHVHQWVWKH locus of communication and discovery, but the way it is characterized makes it seem complicit in the crimes the protagonists are investigating. 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Rothlisberger Wiest ÀDU9RO 0D\ Detective Fiction in the Monster IRUXPIRULQWHUDPHULFDQUHVHDUFK ,661 %HODVFRDUiQ DQG (OtDV HDFK GHVFULEH 0H[LFR &LW\ DV D PRQVWHU DQG DSSURDFK LW ZLWK FRQVLGHUDEOHWUHSLGDWLRQ(OtDVFRQWLQXRXVO\UHSHDWVWKDW0H[LFR&LW\LVD0RQVWHU,QIDFW´(O 6XSµ0DUFRV·VFKDUDFWHULQWKHQRYHOLQVWUXFWV(OtDVWRUHIHUWRLWLQWKDWZD\ZKHQKHLVJLYLQJ (OtDVLQVWUXFWLRQVDERXWKLVPLVVLRQLQWRWKHFLW\ 7KURXJKRXWWKHQRYHO(OtDVFRUUHFWVKLPVHOI DGQDXVHXP E\TXDOLI\LQJWKHGHVFULSWLRQIRUH[DPSOHKHWHOOVVRPHRQHKHLV´LQWKH0RQVWHU WKDWLV0H[LFR&LW\µ 6LPLODUO\%HODVFRDUiQUHIHUVWR0H[LFR&LW\DVDFUHDWXUHZLWKZKLFK KHKDVDYHU\FRPSOLFDWHGUHODWLRQVKLS+HKDVD´QRWLRQRIEHLQJWLHGWRWKHFLW\E\DQXPELOLFDO FRUGWUDSSHGLQDORYHKDWHUHODWLRQVKLSµ +HDOVRGHVFULEHVWKHFRPSRQHQWVRIWKHFLW\DV LILWZHUHDOLYHIRUH[DPSOHKHVSHQGVWLPHOLVWHQLQJWRWKHQRLVHRIWKHVWUHHWDQGGHVFULEHVWKH VRXQGRIWUDIÀFDVD´URDUµ %HODVFRDUiQRIWHQUHWLUHVWRKLJKYDQWDJHSRLQWVWRREVHUYH WKHFLW\DQGFRQVLGHUKRZWRUHVROYHWKHVXQGU\P\VWHULHVKHGHDOVZLWKDVSULYDWHGHWHFWLYH ´KHKDGEHJXQWRSUHIHUVHHLQJ0H[LFR&LW\IURPDERYH)URPWKHKLJKHVWURRIVDQGEULGJHVKH FRXOGÀQG,WZDVOHVVKDUPIXOWKDWZD\PRUHOLNHDFLW\MXVWDVLQJOHVROLGWKLQJDVIDUDVWKHH\H FRXOGVHHµ :KLOHWKHFLW\VHHPVPRUHOLNHDFUHDWXUHXSFORVHIRU%HODVFRDUiQ(OtDV·VÀUVW YLHZRILWHPSKDVL]HVLWVPRQVWHUO\FKDUDFWHULVWLFVWKDWFRUURERUDWHDQREVHUYDWLRQ%HODVFRDUiQ PDNHVDERXWWKHFLW\·V´MXQJOHRIDQWHQQDVDQGODPSSRVWVµ (OtDVWUDYHOVWR0H[LFR&LW\IRU WKHÀUVWWLPHE\EXVDQGKHVD\VWKHPDQ\DQWHQQDVDUH´OLNHVNLQQ\OLWWOHKDLUVJURZLQJRQWKH KHDGVRIWKHKRXVHVµ ,QGLFDWLYHRI%HODVFRDUiQ·VDPELYDOHQWUHODWLRQVKLSWR0H[LFR&LW\KH LVGHVFULEHGDVEHLQJ´DFFXVWRPHGWRDEVXUGHQLJPDVEHFDXVHKHOLYHGLQWKHPRVWPDUYHORXVO\ DEVXUGFLW\LQWKHZRUOGµ (OtDVDOVRTXLFNO\QRWLFHVWKHSDUDGR[HVLQWKHFLW\VRPHWLPHVWKH residents of the city are genuinely part of the creature that is the monster and sometimes they DUHWHUURUL]HGE\WKHLQIUDVWUXFWXUHWKDWLVDGDQJHURXVFUHDWXUHKHREVHUYHVWKDW´7KH0RQVWHU has big houses and small ones, tall ones and little bitty ones, fat and skinny, rich and poor. Like SHRSOHEXWZLWKRXWKHDUWV,QWKH0RQVWHUWKHPRVWLPSRUWDQWWKLQJLVWKHKRXVHVDQGWKHFDUV VRSHRSOHJHWVHQWXQGHUJURXQGWRWKHPHWUR,ISHRSOHVWD\XSWKHUHLQFDUFRXQWU\ZHOOWKHFDUV
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