A Literary Journey Through Argentina and Chile
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Three Women and an Unmarked Map A Literary Journey through Argentina and Chile Fiona G. Parrott Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Glasgow Departmentof English Literature and Department of Hispanic Studies January 2006 © Fiona G. Parrott 2006 For Dick and Susan with love lll Acknowledgements Many people helped me with this book. Firstly, I would like to thank Mike Gonzalez and Willy Maley for their invaluable advice, support, dedication and endlesscups of tea. I do not know what I would have done without them. I would also like to thank SusanCastillo for her help and encouragementalong the way. In Argentina and Chile several people took me by the hand, making my trip more interesting and certainly more enjoyable. Those kind and generouspeople are Norma Allocatti, Carlos Andreola, Dolores Bengolea, Iris Bombet, John Fernandez,Barney Finn, Lea Fletcher, Andrew Graham- Yooll, Beatriz Kase, Valdy Kociancich, Eduardo Paz Leston, Monica Ottino, Graciela Queirolo, Ana Quiroga, Alejandro Storni, Ana Zemboräin, Rosita Zemboräin and China Zorrilla. In the UK and Ireland,various academics and writers boostedboth my confidence and knowledge, in particular, Nuala Finnegan, Amanda Hopkinson, John King, Dinah Livingstoneand Fiona Mackintosh.I am indebtedto the SaintAndrews Societyof SanFrancisco for four yearsof financial assistancewhile researchingand writing this thesis as well as the financial assistanceI received from Glasgow University's Faculty of Arts and English Literature Department. I would like to thank my husband,Stewart Allan (R.), for all of his affectionateemails, phone calls and courage that held me togetherwhen times on the roadwere tough. My biggestthanks, however, goesto my parentsDick and Susan.They havealways encouraged me to go out and see the world. For this and everythingelse, I am forever grateful. iv Declaration I declarethat I am the sole authorof this thesis.I haveconsulted all of the references cited. The work has not been previously accepted for a higher degree. Signed iona G. Parrott V Abstract This thesis interweavesthe lives and works of three Latin American women writers - Victoria Ocampo, Alfonsina Storni and Gabriela Mistral - into a travel narrative undertaken as part of a researchproject. The journey begins in Glasgow, Scotland and takes the reader as far as Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Santiago, exploring the legacies left by Ocampo, Storni and Mistral. Through a variety of interviews, encounters and experiences,against the backdrop of political unrest of 2002/3, a colourful tapestry unravelsto revealwhy and how thesethree women made such a profound impacton their people and countries. The researcher/travellerwas able to explore culture, custom and history throughthe generoushospitality of local artistsChina Zorrilla, Monica Ottino and Eduardo Paz Leston. The narrative recalls relationships sharedbetween Victoria Ocampo and Virginia Woolf, Jorge Luis Borges and Graham Greene. Questions of class, society and the after effects of Argentina's Dirty War are considered, and Chile's past is investigated through the open testimonies of present day Chileans. The researcher/traveller learns (sometimes the hard way) valuable lessonsabout how to survive as a twenty-something woman travelling on her own and reflects on the changes time has imposed, not only on South America but also on herself. The focus on the `inner journey' is vital to the overall themeof womenand the senseof self. By stayingin youth hostelsan elementof the backpacker'ssubculture is incorporatedinto the overall story, which in turn surfacesas a parallel theme. The narrativeis brokenup into forty-one chapterswhich are divided into two separatesections; one relatingto Argentina and Uruguay,the other to Chile. The section V1 on Argentina and Uruguay makes up the majority of the text, while the section on Chile can be interpreted as an extended epilogue. Both sections are completely unique in terms of circumstance and material but complement each other in their preoccupations with the troubled terrain of gender, writing and travel. vii Table of Contents Chapters Page 1. Getting There 9 ........................................................................................ 2. The Gardenhouse 18 ................................................................................ 3. The Face the City 27 of ............................................................................. 4. One Thing Leads to Another 35 ................................................................... 5. Meeting the Locals 49 .............................................................................. 6. Una Fiesta ......................................................................................... 55 7. Tourist Traveller 61 or .............................................................................. 8. Red Boots .......................................................................................... 65 9. Victoria ............................................................................................... 78 10. Amigos Vino 89 y ................................................................................... 11. Monica Ottino 97 .................................................................................. 12. Lady Poetry 103 of ..................................................................................... 13. Villa Victoria 122 .................................................................................. 15. Biblioteca Nacional 131 ........................................................................... 16. Cafe Tortoni 135 ................................................................................... 17.Alfonsina 146 ....................................................................................... 18. No Daisies 152 ..................................................................................... 19. Tears 156 ............................................................................................... 20. Queen 166 .............................................................................................. 21. Tango 175 ................................................................................................ 22. Vrgin 180 .............................................................................................. 23. Second-hand 186 ....................................................................................... 24. The Son 192 ........................................................................................ 25. Faith 197 ............................................................................................ 26. Buen Pastor 211 .................................................................................... 27. Rosario .......................................................................................... 220 28. Montevideo 235 .................................................................................... 29. Kind Strangers 242 ................................................................................ 30. Buenos Aires 249 .................................................................................. 31. Santiago Bust 253 or .............................................................................. 32. Neruda his Ship 268 and .............................................................................. 33. Beatriz Kase .................................................................................... 272 34. The Dead ....................................................................................... 279 35. Finding Gabriela .............................................................................. 282 36. The Gateway 291 ................................................................... ................ 37. Vicuna 296 ......................................................................................... 38. Falling Stars 304 ................................................................................... 39. Montegrande 308 .................................................................................. 40. To the Coast 314 .................................................................................... 41. Mapping Memory 320 ............................................................................. vu' Notes 324 ................................................................................................ Bibliography 327 ....................................................................................... ix Preface When the University of Glasgow acceptedme for a PhD in Creative Writing four years ago, I was ecstatic. Not only was I being offered the opportunity I had always dreamed of but I was one of the pioneers (and the first woman) to undertake this new postgraduate possibility. The borders around my initial proposal were a little watery. I knew I wanted to travel to Argentina and Chile and write a book about my journey but I had to find an angle, some kind of creative and critical connection that would make the journey much more than just a trip. For the first year of the degree,I spentmy daysin the library. I readall I could about Argentina and Chile. I brushed up on my Spanish and when I was not reading, I was taking notes.My reclusivelifestyle proved,at times, extremelylonely but I perseveredand by the end of that year, I felt like an experton everythingArgentinean and Chilean - especially in regards to literature. It was then that I revised my initial