THE ROLE OF HISTORY IN THE RECENT MEXICAN NOVEL A STUDY OF FIVE HISTORICAL NOVELS BY ELENA GARRO, CARLOS FUENTES, FERNANDO DEL PASO, PACO IGNACIO TAIBO II AND ROSA BELTRÁN LAURA RAFAEL PhD University of St Andrews September 2006 I, Laura Rafael, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 80000 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. Date Signature of candidate I was admitted as a research student in September 2003 and as a candidate for the degree of PhD in February 2003; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2003 and 2006. Date Signature of candidate I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of PhD in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date Signature of supervisor In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker. Date Signature of candidate CONTENTS ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………..1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………….3 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………5 CHAPTER 1: The historical novel as a genre…………………………………….13 CHAPTER 2: The historical novel in Latin America…………………………….49 CHAPTER 3: The loss of the absolute: deconstructing the patriarchal discourse in Los recuerdos del porvenir……………………………87 CHAPTER 4: Terra Nostra and the total novel: the scatological paradigm…………………………………………………………...125 CHAPTER 5: Noticias del Imperio or the novel of the thousand and one voices……………………………………………………...160 CHAPTER 6: Looking for a truth on the run in La lejanía del Tesoro………...196 CHAPTER 7: La corte de los ilusos: carnivalisation or barbarism?...................232 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………….271 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………279 ABSTRACT This thesis sets out to investigate the development of the recent historical novel in Mexico by examining a corpus of five novels. Elena Garro’s Los recuerdos del porvenir (1963) represents the final point of the novel of the Revolution and it is the link with the recent historical novel. Carlos Fuentes’ Terra Nostra (1975) and Fernando del Paso’s Noticias del Imperio (1978) belong to the group containing the postmodern historical novel. Terra Nostra summarizes all the concerns of postmodernism and can be considered as a paradigm of this current of thought. Noticias del Imperio seeks a reconciliation between history and literature in an attempt to get closer to the historical truth. Paco Ignacio Taibo II’s La lejanía del Tesoro (1992) is a representative novel in the way it melds history with the mystery novel, developing the genre of the historical thriller. Lastly, Rosa Beltrán’s La corte de los ilusos (1995), and in particular its treatment of history is pertinent to this thesis due to the fact that women have been traditionally silenced by official history. This novel gives them a voice. From its beginnings, the historical novel confronted the problem of being questioned for its lack of accuracy when dealing with the past. This skepticism sparked a long lasting debate that initially degraded the historical novel as secondary genre that could never contribute to historical knowledge. However, as a result of recent theories that seek to defend the poetic nature of history, a theory developed initially by Hayden White, the recent historical novel has sought to debunk historiography’s claim to be the only possible way to recount the past. This thesis advances the theory that the recent historical novel in Mexico is the result of a search for a genuine identity, as well as a quest to develop an alternative, yet truthful, 1 interpretation of a past whose true nature has been distorted by decades of historical officialdom. This process is seen in a context of increasing democratisation and globalisation. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of my supervisor, Prof. Will Fowler, whose patience, enthusiasm, and inspiration guided me through the whole PhD process. Thank you so much for finding the researcher inside me. I would also like to thank Dr. José Luis de la Fuente, who introduced me to the marvellous world of Latin American literature and guided me through my first foray into the academic world. Sadly, he passed away and he will not see this thesis finished, but this is the product of his legacy. For their comments and feedback on this thesis, I would also like to thank Dr. Eleni Kefala and Prof. Phil Swanson. I would like to acknowledge the many people who encouraged my interest in the Hispanic world: my secondary school teacher Juan José Pérez Solana; my undergraduate teachers at Valladolid (especially Dr. Margarita Lliteras); and my graduate teachers (especially Dr. Kormi Anipa, Dr. Bernard Bentley, and Dr. Gustavo San Román). For his kind assistance with postgraduate matters, I wish to thank Prof. Nigel Dennis, who was always there as my main source of information in doctoral issues. I would also like to thank the team of Secretaries in the School of Modern Languages at St Andrews University, especially Barbara Fleming, for all her support with administration and scholarship information. I am grateful to Robert Dennis, for his commentaries on my English. I would like to say a big “thank-you” to all the people who made my stay in Mexico City possible. I am especially grateful to Dr. Anne Staples, who provided me 3 with a house and a home to stay in and a library in which to do research. Thank you also to Doña Gloria, Don Beto and Doña Cirila, who were my friends and my family while I was in Mexico. This thesis could have not been written without Doña Gloria’s delicious frijoles. Lastly, and most importantly, I wish to thank my husband, Rhys Pinna- Griffith, for his unconditional support through all my ups and downs. You make all this meaningful. I would also like to thank my parents, Carmela Redondo and Luis Rafael who always encouraged me to find my way. To them I dedicate this thesis. 4 INTRODUCTION The historical novel has the power to humanize its characters and bring to life historical facts that are usually recounted in an aseptic fashion by history books. The historical novel is capable of exploring not only the political, social, and economic events of the past, but also the dreams, hopes, and everyday lives of the people. The factual and fictional events recreated by novels transcend, as well as accommodate, the historical circumstances they are immersed in. People want to know about their common, national and universal past and how the world was before they themselves formed part of it. The fictional approach offered by literature is frequently regarded as “entertainment”, while history books can sometimes be seen as aimed solely at the academic community. There are, of course, exceptions to this general principle and not all novels or books of history can be categorized as such. Some historical novels focus mainly on philosophical or metafictional topics, such as Terra Nostra (1975) or La huella del conejo (1991). And some historians research topics related to studies of every-day-life. However, the combination of a historical topic with an artistic approach has proved key in enhancing the extraordinary scope of the historical novel as a genre. The development of historicism during the second half of the twentieth century has been demonstrated by the flourishing growth of the historical novel in Latin America. This growth has been driven by the combination of historical circumstances particular to each individual country, as well as the spread of universal globalisation. The problem of identity has been one of the main issues explored by the 5 Latin American novel from its beginnings. However, since each country has felt the need to create boundaries between itself and the rest of the world, and search for its own definition, the topic of national identity has become increasingly popular. Courses, lectures and studies covering the subject of cultural identity are very common nowadays. In Mexico’s case, defining cultural identity is extremely complicated due to the country’s heterogeneous make-up. Mexicans need to find an inclusive identity, a task that can only be accomplished by revisiting the past from a critical and conciliatory point of view. Mexico’s history is fascinating, but history books have been unable to reach their intended target audience. When I went to Mexico City in 2005, one of the first complaints that I heard from one of my professors in El Colegio de México was about Mexican’s lack of historical knowledge. She affirmed that when asked about the Mexican loss of territory during the nineteenth century, most of the students were unaware that Mexico had lost half of its territory in a war with the United States of America. Some of them knew that Texas had been part of Mexico. Only very few knew that six North American states had belonged to Mexico. On the one hand, through the historical novel the authors attempt to extend and reveal Mexican history to those who do not know it, in a context in which history is important for defining cultural identities.