At Face Value: Autobiographical Writing in Spanish America (Cambridge Studies in Latin American and Iberian Literature, Series Number 4)

This study of Spanish American autobiography from its beginnings in the post-colonial nineteenth century to the present day concentrates mainly on cultural and historical issues. Spanish American autobiographies are fascinating hybrids, often wielding several discourses at once. They aspire to documentary status while unabashedly exalting the self, and dwell on personal experience while purporting to be exercises in historiography, the founding texts of a national archive. Professor Molloy examines a wide range of texts, from Sarmiento's Recuerdos de provincia to Victoria Ocampo's Autobiografia. She analyses their textual strategies, the generic affiliations they claim, their relationship to the European canon and their dialogue with precursor texts, as well as their problematic use of memory and the ideological implications of their repressive tactics. This method enables her to identify perceptions of self and tensions between self and other, thus shedding light on the fluctuating place of the subject within a community. This study of Spanish American autobiography from its beginnings in the post-colonial nineteenth century to the present day concentrates mainly on cultural and historical issues. Spanish American autobiographies are fascinating hybrids, often wielding several discourses at once. They aspire to documentary status while unabashedly exalting the self, and dwell on personal experience while purporting to be exercises in historiography, the founding texts of a national archive. Professor Molloy examines a wide range of texts, from Sarmiento's Recuerdos de provincia to Victoria Ocampo's Autobiografia. She analyses their textual strategies, the generic affiliations they claim, their relationship to the European canon, and their dialogue with precursor texts, as well as their problematic use of memory and the ideological implications of their repressive tactics. This method enables her to identify perceptions of self and tensions between self and other, thus shedding light on the fluctuating place of the subject within a community.--Publisher description Frontmatter Acknowledgments (page ix) Introduction (page 1) PART I THE SCENE OF READING (page 13) 1 The reader with the book in his hand (page 15) 2 From serf to self: the autobiography of Juan Francisco Manzano (page 36) 3 The theatrics of reading: body and book in Victoria Ocampo (page 55) PART II CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY TALES (page 77) 4 Childhood and exile: the Cuban paradise of the Countess of Merlin (page 79) 5 A school for life: Miguel Cané's Juvenilia (page 97) 6 The search for Utopia: Picón Salas looks forward to the past (page 108) 7 A game of cutouts: Norah Lange's Cuadernos de infancia (page 126) PART III MEMORY, LINEAGE AND REPRESENTATION (page 137) 8 Autobiography as history: a statue for posterity (page 139) 9 Shrines and labyrinths: a place to remember (page 159) 10 First memories, first myths: Vasconcelos' Ulises criollo (page 186) Notes (page 209) Bibliography (page 256) Index (page 267) The Reader With The Book In His Hand -- From Serf To Self: The Autobiography Of Juan Francisco Manzano -- The Theatrics Of Reading: Body And Book In Victoria Ocampo -- Childhood And Exile: The Cuban Paradise Of The Countess Of Merlin -- A School For Life: Miguel Cane's Juvenilia -- The Search For Utopia: Picon Salas Looks Forward To The Past -- A Game Of Cutouts: Norah Lange's Cuadernos De Infancia -- Autobiography As History: A Statue For Posterity -- Shrines And Labyrinths: A Place To Remember -- First Memories, First Myths: Vasconcelos' Ulises Criollo. Sylvia Molloy. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 256-266). This is a study of Spanish American autobiography from its beginnings in the post-colonial nineteenth century to the present day. Spanish American autobiographies are shown to be fascinating hybrids, aspiring to documentary status while unabashedly exalting the self, and dwelling on personal experience while purporting to be exercises in historiography. Not surprisingly, Borges provides us with a beginning.