Guatemala

Guatemala1 PDF: The Guatemalan novel, 1976-1982

- The “New Novel” emerged in 1976 for the first time in Guatemala; the country lagged in literature, compared to other Latin American countries because of Castillo Armas (1954() his violation of human rights led to the exodus and/or silencing of intellectuals, so they had no other choice but to publish from abroad; for example; Miguel AngelAsturias and Mario Monteforte Toledo)
There are four major books in this new movement:
Los Companeros (1976) by Marco Antonio Flores, who also published abroad, specifically in Mexico City under the Editorial Joaquin Mortiz---his book was not sold in Guatemala
Despues de las bombas (1979) by Artutro Arias- same as above
El Pueblo y los atentados (1979) by Edwin Cifuentes: published in GuatemalaCity with small printings and less circualtion
Los demonios salvajes (1978) by Mario Roberto Morales-same as above
The four books share similar themes: Sr.Presidente, various Guerrilla Movements agaisnt Ubico and the counterrevolutionary presidents after 54
Los Companeros along with Los demonios salvajes have to do with Guerrilla Movements from two different perspectives and El pueblo y losatentados along with Despues de las bombas are about superheroes who fight against the dictator.

Los Companeros: written between 1968 and 1971 in Mexico City, Madrid, and Guatemala City, presents a negative view of the guerrilla movement of the 1960s while denouncing the right-wing government violence.- the book focuses on Bolo cannot decide whether he want to join the FAR (Fuerzas ArmadasRevolucionarias) “Because el Bolo does not really participate in the guerrilla move- ment, the chapters devoted to him are much more concerned with his own personal war of liberation against his mother, the archetypal Terrible Mother, with whom the violence-ridden nation is totally identified at the end of the novel” his mother is seen as the Terrible Dictator…
“No voy a volver nunca mas, no voy aregresar nunca a mi pinche guatemalita de la asunci6n, a meterme a ese hoyo que me destruye, que me ningunea, que me asfixia. Alli donde esta la casa de mi madre . . . pero no voy a regresar . .. al pais de mi madre, al pais de mi padrequenoexiste, a mi pais donde no puedes nunca estar solo ni libre, porque a todos conoces y todos te conocen y matas y te matan y tienes que huir que esconderte porquesi no te desaparecen te encarcelan te matan te torturan te cortan los huevos te sacan los ojos te cortan
la mano izquierda te cogen te violan . . . y te matan a pausas o de un tiro y alli esta tu madre y esta el tirano de turno y esta la policia que en cualquier momento y por cualquier raz6n te ficha te persigue y te mata. Aquf sentado me voy a quedar Chupando Oyendo los bongos.” (Pp. 237-38)-other characters include:
El Patojo: the pure revolutionary who dies while being tortutred
Chuca Flaca: feared both the police and the communists for abandoning his post as the propaganda director—stole money and denounced the privilege and positions of the highest members of the Party

Los demonios salvajes: contrast of Los Companeros
The book includes six more-or-less-independent shortstories that all present the distinctly prorevolutionary contrast be- tween the idealism of the communist revolutionaries and the selfishness of the bourgeoisie. In the remaining two special sections, both entitled "Hay gentes en la universidad," the attractive new university campus and the nearby expensive homes owned by Guatemalan and American oligarchs are contrasted with the needs of the poor.Criticism is also directed at the university students, children of bourgeois parents who think that they are fulfilling their duty to the revolution by participating in the Huelga de Dolores when actually they are preparing to become the politicians of the future, who will be no different from the targets of their mockery. Although Los demonios salvajes does not dwell on the guerrilla movement as...