The Task of the Historian in el general en su laberinto

Author(s): Isabel Alvarez Borland

Source: Hispania, Vol. 76, No. 3 (Sep., 1993), pp. 439-445
Published by: American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/343799 .
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toriographic
ica's
Key
UW
Words:
official
metafiction,
history
Latin
M.rquez'
American
seen
Colombian
criticism
in
narrative,
hisearlierworks,
literature,
of20th
Latin
century,
Amer-
history
the
Garcia
cal
has
claim
Mirquez
fact
aand
truth
in
and
historiography
claim,
fiction.
(Gabriel),
both
It
novelcontrastssharplywithhispreviousfictions.
tory fiction
are refuses
by
general
and
questioning
by
the
en
asserting
view
sulaberinto
the
discourses,
humanthat
ground
that
only
both
(El),
history
ofthat
his-
constructs,
sig-
InCienaffos
deso/edadmanuscripts
become nifying
systems,
andboth
derive
their
major
claim
to

ready
told
us:only
inself-understanding
can metafiction
isauseful
means
toexamine
the
439

these
inemploying
narrative
strategies
which E/genera/ canbeconsidered ahistorio-
TheTaskof the Historianin
Elgeneral en su laberinto
IsabelAlvarezBorland praise
Garcia
Co//egeoftheHo/y Cross
Historical
truth
hasbeen apopular
topicin thehistorian inhisrecreation
ofBolivar's
fic-
E/genera/
Abstract
InElgeneralen
sulaberinto,
Garcia
Mirquez offers
acritique
ofthe
historical
process
and
examination
ofthe
methodology
ofhistory
asadiscipline
inseveral
interrelated
dimensions.
Central
toavision
ofthe
in novel
as
"historiographic
tion, metafiction"
history
becomes are
the
author's
humanized disclosure
and thus of
hisownmethodology
Originally incompiling
published the
in1989,story
of
Bolivar
thenovel
accused has
andthe
relationship
betweenoral
versions
andwritten
documents
within
thefiction
itself.
I-'ostmodernis'm,
Linda
Hutcheoncoinsthe (Bushnell).
Some unqualified
reviewers
(especially
those
have
another
to
todescribe
thenature
ofpostmodern
narra-Mirquez
ofbeing
unpatriotic
duetohisun-
IRE hile E/genera/
ensu/aben>zto one
isin Historiographic
metafiction
refutes
the
natural
orcom-
manyways
aconlinuation
ofGarciamon-sense
methods
ofdistinguishing
simply between
histori-
with
outrage
aliterary metaphor ofwhatthemythical andtruth fromthat
identity."
(Poetics
93)
thehistorical dimensionsofthetexthave from
al- Hutcheon's model
America) ofthehistoriographic
interact
wemeet thechallenge
oftheLatinAmerican degree andthemanner inwhich history
and
predicament. And inCrdnicadeunamuen'e fiction
Latin
anunciada thetruth ofofficial
language is in
ensu/al'erinto
ranged inordertoenhance ourbasic
challenged bytheaccount ofthetext'sNar-understanding ofthemeaning ofhistory
in
rator.1 E/genera/ensu/aberintodiffers
fromGarcia Mirquez' fiction.
seek toanswerinamuch more overtand of graphic
di- metafiction
because itdramatizes
the
dactic fashion
questionsthat
thenovel poses processof
orderofafictionalhistorical
reconstmctionbymeans
about history:
What role
dohistorical
contexts historian
who confronts
thepro-
play intheliterary
representation
ofin
history? cessofhow official
history
iscreated.
Thecri-
How canhistorical
knowledge beobtained?2
Poetics tiqueofthehistorical
process and
thetask
of
Latin American contemporary literatureas tonal worldtakes variousdimensionswhich
novelists share
thenotion that,
through
The fic- areinterrelated.
more understandableandaccessibleforthe elicited responsesfromthecritics
which
have
reader. Inherrecent text,
term metafictions"
"historiographic
tives which,accordingtotheauthor,asktwoflattering portraitofBolivar, oneofLatin
central questions
from history:
"How can we America's most eminentheroes.Ontheother
know thepast?What canweknow ofit?"(Po- hand, critics
intheUnited States
havelargely
etics 92): celebratedGarcia MArquez' portrait
ofthis
ceeds.Acombination
state,
anarchy
national
clearly
440HISPANIA
Bolivar
have
hero
and
to
civil
and
76
leaves
doconsidered
SEPTEMBER
war
with
of
Bogoni
that
Garcia
failing
he
1993
ithealth,
Mirquez
felt
for
a tour
ajourney
would
deforce.
inclem-
con-
de- These
falta
yo,
renunciar
Itisdurante
de
difficult
experienciay
comments
aun
los
atsiglo
times
de
fueros
are
mtodo
yofmedio,
to
relevance
desafomados
interpret
enlayinvestigaci6n
me
because
what
hiciemon
dehis-
by
he
la
stead
recreates
abriefsegment thereof:
the greatest doubts suchas"elpensamiento

sonal
andanonymous
representation
ofana- theword
rea/?
Does
theauthor
pretend
to
The reasons forthese critical
disagreements t6rica
hizo atmmas arduosmisdias.
(271-72)
troversialandwedaring
can portrait
more ofgrasp
easilyacentral fig- assuming
Garcia the
description ofmole
his ofthehistorian
methodology and, bythe
inwritinglet-
ureinLatin
A,yf'oetica, American history. tingtherender know how thebook was con-
The novel reconstmcts atime inthebifeofstmcted, Garcia Mirquez isinfactexploiting
Sim6n Bolivar that hasnoprecedent inhis-thevery methodology heseekstocriticize.
At
tory,since there isnothing inthehistorical onepoint inthis segment theauthor equates
record which documents thelastfourteen himselfwith otherBolivarhistorianswhileat
days ofBolivar's existence.The book beginsthesame time acknowledging thathehasno
at the pointin which Bolivaris rejectedas intentionof givingup his identityas a writer:
president ofthenew goverment that hehim-"Este libmonohabmin sidoposiblesinelauxillo
selfhelped tocreate. Inanalmost dejected dequienes trillaronesosterritorios
antesque
down theMngdalena riverwiththestated in- mlisfricil
latemeridad literarin
decontar una
tention ofsailing toEurope, but henever suc-vida conunadocumentnci6n tiffinica,
sin
entweather, and adverse political
conditions novela" (272).
which
render led
hishim towrite
objectives onthisparticular
impossibletoattain.The El
topic: historiador
ayud6desde
Garcia bobiviamo
Caracas..
Mirquez Vinicio
.com
uma Romero
revisi6n
appears Martinez
me
implacable
de
tosimultaneously
last
Por pages
otra oflos
parte the book tellof
fundamentos Bolivar's
hist6ricosdespair
me preocu-sethimself
losdatos theobjectives
hist6ricos
em ba of
versitnahistorian
final....
Mi and
viejo
ami-
paban
and poco,
death pues
due eltiltimo
to viaje
por
hisinability elsuppress
to rioeseltiempo goAnibab
the those ofNoguera Mendoza...
anovelist descubri6
inthewriting media
ofthis doce-
novel.
menos documentado delavida
deBolivar....
Sinembar- madefabaciasmortalesyanacronismossuicidas
que
go desde
stroy elprimer capitubo
hiscountry.3 tuve
Garcia quehacer
Mimquez alguma
does con- habrian
not means sembrado
bystatingdudas
thatsobre
elrigor
heismost de esta
novela.
gratefultoa
attempt
me to
remiti6 write
aotra, Bolivar's
yluego aotraentire
mts, life,
yaotra but
mts, in-
has- group ofhis friends who helped him withhis
tamts nopoder. Durantedosaflosme fuihundiendo Contradictions abound inthepossible inten-
finaltwo weeks. Inthebook weknow Bolivar politicorea/[myemphasis] deBolivar en
torrencial
firstasacomtradictoriay
human being muchas
and asvecesincierta....
anordinary Mimedio
man onehand,
deGarcia Mimquez speaks
suscontradicciones ofhisde-
flagrantes"
with allhisdefects and weaknesses. Thisper-(272). What does Garcia Mirquez mean by
tional hero becomes GarciaMArquez' con-espouse aclaim toanonly truth?
frontation ofBolivar's official
history inorder While theinterpretationofthis
passage can
to questionits exclusiveclaimto tmth. onlybe left in ambiguity,whatis of interest
Ifwethink ofthe"Gratitudes" asthenovel's here isthedescription oftheauthor's own
Mirquez' acknowledgement oftheconstmc- novel,thevery same methodologywhich hap-
tion ofhisown tale. Inthissegment ofthe pens tobetheobject ofhiscriticism.
The thor-
work, Garcia Mirquez shows how thehisto-oughness with which Garcia Mimquez de-
rian both constmcts and textualizesthepast.scribes fortherender hissources andhis
Thiscrucial segment begins asifitwereconsultants givestheimpression thattheau-
meant toberead asseparate from thenovel's thor setouttowrite ahistoricalandnota
fiction.Here Garcia Mirquez, author, ad- fictionalaccount:
dresses thereader ashetraces thereasons

subta
ocasional
sobre
sumodo
devida,
yesa
consulta
(273-74)
enlasarenas
movedizas
deuna
documentaci6n
tions
ofthis
particular
segment,
forif,onthe
tives
hesetout
toanswer
viathis
novel.
lfthe sions
ofhistory.
For
Garcia
Mirquez
theoral
Byassuming
theidentity
ofahistorian,According
toWalter
Ong,theomality
ofany

THETASK OFTHE
HISTORIAN INELGENERALEN SULABERINTO 441
torians,
andeven more so,their
renders,mustmits itstalestowriting(Ora/4)'147).
Ong also
sire
andinterest
inobtainingr4rorhist6no,on well as the approachesof such philosophers
theother,
hecloses this
segment notasahis-ofhistory asNietszche and Foucaulttoame-
torian
butasanovelist,when headmits thatevaluation ofhistorical
narrative.Likewise,
perhapssomeinnacumacieswouldhaveaddedDonckLaCnprainhisHis'toyandC
unintentional
humor tothe"horror"
ofhistale.analyzes themajor scholarlyworksinhisfield,
Thus,inthispassage GarciaMirquez ad- and concludes that
forthewritingand forthe
dressesthereader ontheconventions andmending ofhistory,
positivistic
models still
pine-
devices
used bynovelists
and historians
alikevail.
andsomehow
onhistory places
inthistexttheactivity
of
ressembles the
the histo-
work Garcia
of inhis Mimquez'
reconstruction insistence
of on"rigor
Bolivar's
story.The
ranatthesame levelastheactivity
ofthe hist6rico" affirmedinthe"Gratitudes"iscon-
writer
offiction. tradictedbythepreference giventooralhis-
Though biographicalcharacters
occur in toryinthetellingofBolivar's
tale.
WalterOng,
GarciaMirquez' previousfiction,
never be- inhisbook Ora/ityand Literacy,
postulates
foredidtheauthorincludeanycommentary thatevery readerpossessesasubmerged con-
regarding
hisown writing
methodology.The nection with anoraltradition.
Thisconverges
importanceofhisnarrative disclosuresare with Garcia Mirquez' preoccupationwith the
evenmore significant
interms oftheobjec-relationship between spoken andwrittenvein-
stmcted
entire bythe
novel kinds
(which ofquestions
we
chronologically askof component
precedes sadelapalmatoria,
sentada
ofhistory enumsill6n
apparentlyqueanntenia
consistsof
the"Gmatitudes")
challengeshistory's
claim to themubtiple,often contradictory,
storiesand
tmth,the"Gratitudes"exploit
thisclaim by meanings oftheday-to-dayverbal
interactions
asserting
critics the author's
Levi-Strauss, desireto getat the oflivingpeoples.History
isaseriesof"stories"
his1987
"meal"
political ofBarthes
collection essays
thinking
and
The Derrida,
Content
ofBolivarand by
as cause inque
in- created
ofthe
itthe
teatraies
bybe
the
fictional
iban
muy historian
bien
people, ab describes
estibo
stories delautor.
which
the
(15)
needed
sisting
onthehistorical
accuracyofitsfacts.tobeheard.
GarciaMirquezseeksto undertakehis explo- givenculture,residingin the unwrittentales
ration
ofhistorical
knowledge fromwithin, ofitspeoples,
possessesaspontaneity and
The"Gratitudes"
segment suggests
that his-liveliness
whichislost
oncethis culturecom-
leamtobeself-consciousoftheir
narratives, tells
usthat
inprimaryoralcultures theoral
Moreover,thesegment reminds usthat a performer
andlive
audienceinteract with
one
claim
totruthisnottheproperty ofany text;another because
theperformer respondsto
rather
itistheresult ofhow ahistorian(as thelistener,
whereasthewriter's
audience (of
render)
interprets
thefacts.
The content
ofthis readers)isalwaysabsentatthemoment of
segmentsuggeststhevulnerability
aswell as writing('TheWriter's"
16).
Itispreciselythe
thepowerofany historian. participatory
quality
andcontextualityoforal
GarciaMirquez'self-conscious
meditation speechthat
Garcia
Mtrquez' historianvalues
contemporaryhistorians,such asHayden description
ofManuela Sndnz asareader
White,
who arecurrentlyrevising
themeth-within thetext
isacaseinpoint:
odologyofhistoryasadiscipline.
AsWhite
reminds us"factsarenotgiven butcon-Mamueba be
ley6
durante
doshoras. Leia ala
... buz
esca-
events"
(Tropics eb
escudo
dearmas
43). Fromthe publicationof tendido
del
bocarriba
enbaaitimo
cama.virrey,
ydsela
Ellibro escuchaba
lbamabaLec-
his1973work Metah/s'toy: The H/s'torica/cidn
denoticiasy
rumores
que
corrieronporLima
enel
Imagination
inNineteenthCentuyEuropeto affo
degracia
de1926...
yelba
bobeiacon umosnfasis
Forin.NarrativeDiscourseandHis'torica/Rep-
Manuela'soral
rendition
restores andpro-
resentation,
Hayden White hasbeen applying videsanexperiential,
oraldimension tothe
thetheories
ofculturalandpost-stmcturnlisttext
sherends.
This passageisimportant be-
words,
way
He
plementarbos,
comes
style
evocado,
in
ofwhich
she
the
ametaphor
pues,
"hearing"text
recovers
los
theManuela
detalles
mis
she
recuerdos,
isand
voice
offor
que
reading.
rends
han
the
gives
the ypodido
buscando
the
activity
The
life
text
common suministrar-
to
scene
para
aloud,
written
ofcom-
the
be-
people a which
as written
places
story
"official
the
of
aJosdconsiderable
documents
history."
Bolivnr
oral
version
Aare
tension
and
Palacios...
queemphasis
of
there
leevents
thearises
narrating
to
seems
on
continually
in
non-verifi-
that
to
voices
over-
dispusieralosthe
medios
mehombres
quebo
comocieron
emsuimfancia...
que
hanableevents.
Inthefirst
chapter,
thereader
is

442HISPANIA
76SEPTEMBER
1993

"theatrical"
mannerinconsonance
with
the contextunlize
and
criticize
whatweknow
as

fictional
historian
inE/genera/ensu/abennto, appear tobeatodds with oneanother. A
forasManuela gives contexttothespoken rhythm isestablished
withinthenarrativein
history. power andundermine thntwhich waswritten.
Real-life
historianslikewisehaveexhibited Moreover,thestoryofBolivarisnarrated by
adesire
to
Colombiaretrieve
tiene the
lbanos,
vidaspontaneous
pastoril,
vida quality
birbara,of means of
ame-tosetting ajuxtaposition
of
theatmosphere oralversions
ofimpendingon the
death
ricana,
oral pura
yde
history.
Forahiparti6
elgram
example, Bolivar;
Domingo deaqueb
Faustino which willprevail
onehand-via thethroughout
voices this
ofthe text,the
omniscient
Sarmiento,
phers
biografia
bo who
could wrote
takeinto
asemeja during
account
acualquier Bolivar's
his time,
American
general historian
theusualaswellas
methods those
of ofJos Palacios
distinguishing and
between
wasawarethatacomplete ofeuropeo
picture de the
Facundo own intrahistoria.
character Bolivar'sinitial
ofBolivnr-and selection
on of
theother
Quirogawould notemerge untilthestorieshand, writtenhistory-themany documents
and legends
surrounding thecaudi//o
werethat are written
orreadbythefictionalBolivar
made part
ofhisprofile: throughoutthecourse ofthenovel.
From theoutsetofthenovel,thenarrator
ingavoice
tothecommon people,
thefictionalsidersthe"rumors"ofwar,thetextinsistson
vistoconsusojosunoshechos,
oido
otros.
-- (Facundo5)confrontedbyBolivar's
desiretowrite down
hismemoirs andbyhisrecollection
ofadream
Sarmiento's
method was based ontheideaof hewishes toinclude
inhiswritings:"Lepidi6
herecreatedthelifeofFacundo.Toachieve pam empezam aescribir susmemortas.
hisobjectives,
Sarmiento even reproduces Queria empezarporsurecuerdo mtisantigno
interviews
with thecitizensofLaRiojainor- que eraunsuei'ioque tuvoenlahacienda de
dertoprovideamore complete picture
ofhis SanMateo enVenezuela poco despuds de
subject:
"auno delosmuchos interro-gatorios
cumplirlostres
niXos"(30).
The contradiction
quehedirigido pam conocer afondo los here isevident.
Bolivarwishes towritedown
hechossobre quefundo misteorias"(39).It hispastandthefirst
subjecthechooses isnot
isnocoincidence
thatSarmiento,inhisintro-ahistorical incident
but, instead,adream
duction
toFacundo,criticizes
theway biogra- aboutablack mulethathad ravagedhispos-
phershadportrayedBolivar: sessionsanddestroyedhishouse.Inaddition

barro
hizo
sugborioso
edificio.
jC6mo espues que su dreambecomes aprimeexample ofBolivar's
escbarecidas
prendas?
(6) adream over
reality
asthepossible
subjectof
Anaccurate
pictureofBolivar,Sarmiento tellshisown memoirsisimportant,
foritsetsthe
us,wouldnotbeobtained untilhisbiogra- toneofanarration
thatwillcontinually
refute
side,
"quebotraduzcanasuidioma natal"(7). historical
fact
andfiction.
GarciaMirquez' fictionalhistorian an- From thepreference
ofthegeneral's
rend-
swersthesame concerns ofSarmiento ashe ings(Manuela Sanzwould readatnight to
translates
intoprintthelegends and storieshim fromLeccidndenoticiasyrumores en
that
make uptheprivate lifeofBolivar.Ingiv-Lima) tothevalueheplacesonwhat hecon-
historian
inF/genera/en su/aberintois adopt- theimportanceofcreatingahistorywhich
ingamethodology forwriting history whichwould include
thoseeventsthatcouldnotbe
wasrelevant
tohistoriansofBolivar's time. considered facts,
ahistory
complemented and
Thenarratingperspectives which tellthe contextualized
bylegend,which falls
inthe
batallas
cama
comes
Desde
de
antes
se
an
muchasuna
habiam
inseparable
de
mujer....Suposici6m
lavictoria
deperdido
ffibulas semixture
sal6nen
decia
que las
bo que
guerras
falsa,
of
porbo
rumors
como
de
memos
indepem-
tantas
and
tresla
persiguieron
hasta
mfisfusilado
ously
sible
tarde,
treason.
troubles
enAngostuma,
sino
Palacios un
Here
onceBolivar,
din
the we
como
yleam
is
loyal no
outside
hoy
hoy
the
servant de
alas
facts
the
hace
action
cinco
that
utterstrece
the of-
de
of
date.
historian's
allifi strategy
delamuerte. ofequalizing
(121) theofficial
"Elgeneral
sehabia
negado apresenciar
la

THETASKOF
THEHISTORIAN IN EL GENERALEN SULABERINTO 443
realmoforality. here isdouble, since themender hasalready
Legend alsofigureswithinthetextinthe been informed thatPalacios isilliterate.
description
ofthefictional
Bolivar.
Neverthe-Palacios' "oral memory" becomes essential
less,
thevoice ofthehistorianisselective
in intherecreation ofGarcia Mirquez' Bolivar,
hisuseofthelegends which surroundhis foritisthischaracter who places theevents
protagonist.
For example, heseems toacceptsurrounding Bolivar's past inthecontext of
thelegend that Bolivamslept onasaddle: everyday life.Theepisode concerning the
"Desdequeempezaron lasguerras deinde-execution ofPiar, oneofBolivar's closestal-
pendencia habia cabalgadodieciocho mil lies, is a case in point.Palaciosbegins his in-
leguas....Nadie
desmenthinuncala leyenda
de terpretation ofthisevent byplacing itinhis-
que dommiacabalgando" (51).
Yet theanony- toricaltime, ashedoes many timesduring the
mous historian
refusestoaccept therumors narrative: "SAbado diecisdisdeoctubre, dijo
about
der Bolivar's
con extensive
elargumento
simple
dewomanizing:
que
nohabia JosePalacios";
sabiduria . Yaelgeneral Piam fue
mayorque
badelosburros.
Peroemcambioera
capaz q
dethe
ofrecordar
cualquierfrase
spokenword: que
"era hubiera
normal oido
en por
esacasua-
poca dominantes
naciones" sebeconvirti6
(205). enunmartin.En
dencia
solo
porquednoestabad6ndedebia
sino
enbaaiTios" (231-32). This incident, which obvi-
partes
otras,militares
puessus fueman
serralbos embrollados
deguerrafueron a
unapro- destine reports over
delas thetextbutisrescued official
news, buthe
forthereader also
by
Piarisagood friend,
butBolivar
isforcedto
Thus theprofile ofBolivarinthistextbe- execute him afterhehasleamed ofhispos-
fact.Asreaders wearesoon aware ofthe ficial
writtenhistory
didnotbother
torecord:
record,"Su estatura
oficial
eradeunmetroejecuci6n. Eli[inico
que estaba
ensucasa era
consesenta ycinco..."
(146)withtherumors Jos& Palaciosy dstebovi6luchando por
surrounding hisprotagonist. reprimirlas
lAgrimas
cuandooy6ladescarga"
Josd Palacios'
mediatingrole
between spo-(234).The ideathatallwritten
historycan be
ken andwritten history
iscrucial
inthedevel-subjective
isarticulated
frequently
throughout
opment ofthenovel's oraldimension. thestory:
'Ya s queseburlandemipoinque
Palacios'
role asBolivar's
(andthereader's) enuna misma carta,
enunmismo din,auna
interpreter
ofthewrittenwordeventhoughhe mismapersonale digo
una cosaylacontrarma
was unab/e to readbecomesametaphor for (206).Episodessuchasthismake clearthe
thetext'smessage regardingtheprocess of challenge
ofGarcia MArquez'Bolivartothe
writing
history: absolute
claims totruthassumedbyhistori-
calwriting.
Oralhistoryismuchmore impor-
Nosabia
nileermiescribir
ysehabia
resistido
aapren-tant
thanthat whicheventually
getswritten:
"elcorreo uefudunadesusobsesiones
bidad
yaqubbanobarecordaba.
(65) cambioloscorreosclandestinossev
pr6digosyapmesurados.
Demodo queelgeneral
When Bolivar receives
acoded letter
whichtenianoticia
delasnoticias
antes
dequellegaran
he is unableto interpret,he reliesonthetmth y le sobrabatiempode madurarsus determi-

queseenrevesaran
losrecadosy quelos Not only
doesBolivar
favor
unwritten,
clan-
p6sito
porrazones
deseguridad"
(240).
Con-exhibitsangry
resentment
towards
thewrit-
fronted
bythemystery
ofthis
letter,
Bolivartenword.
Throughout
thenarrative,
Bolivar's
sends
JosPalacios
totowninorder
toobtainvoice
isexplicit
regarding
hisdisdain
forwrit-
information
which
mightallowamore accu-tenhistory
andcautions
against
thetrapthat
rate
interpretation
ofitsmessage.
Theironyistheillusion
ofcapturing
facts
with words.
vainas
those
lo
memoirs
destroy
complnci6
of
de
all
Santander
Bolivar
los
the
muertos"
Santander
letters
answers:
is(205).
he
evident.
had
"Jamis,
cuyas
Likewise,
written:
Moreover,
cartas
esas
sens-
"No
son
al como
adds:
a
acter
Garcia
nadie
"Duranteelalmuerzonoleprest
la
(in
Mirquez'
Cartadejamaz?d'
mis
this
case
que
most
asus
Bolivar)
didactic
propios
(85).
thestrategy
political
fantasmas.
ideas
inhis

rian
elaborates
onthefact
that Bolivar
isfullysistema
degobierno
adecuado
panlasnuevas
444HISPANIA
76SEPTEMBER1993
personal
When writing.
asked
abouthisdecision towrite long,
angry
tirade
his documents. which
Later
on, reflects
some
theomniscientofthe
narrator

inghisown
death,
Bolivar
gives
orders
tode- Habl6...
soltando
sentencias
prof6ticas...
stroyallofthelettershe hadwritten,"panque muchasde lascualesestarianen unaproclama
no quedaranmastros de sus hornssombrias" dpicapublicadndins
despudsenunperi6dico de
(228). In the same vein, he asks Santanderto Kingston,y que la historiahabriade consagrar

the texts
dejamaica
mande thatenter
signals
usted into theworld
theessential
apublicar mis ofnithenovel
ni No
relationship
cartas vivo noshagan
tranquibos
Other mis
nuestraelfavor
Edad
historical dedecirnos
Media. loque
(132)
documents suchasdebemos
Garcia
also constitute
muerto poinquearefutationofancon
estinescritas easy way
muchaof Mirquez'
hacer...
notraten
1982deensefiamoscomo
Nobel Address debemos
also ser,
no
figurein
distinguishing
libertad between
yconmucho historical
desorden" fact
(228).andthis
The traten
deque seamos
author's iguabes
austedes,
fictionaiweaving nopretendan
ofBolivar's
tale.
fiction.
The
contrast episode
between inwhich
theletters theomniscient
Bolivarwrites que
andThus hagamos enveinte
itispossibletoaflos
boque
ustedes
attribute
to hamhecho
anovel's
char-
voice speaks
official ofit
history,thehistorically
recreates famous
forthe Can'a
reader tan
the The malendosmil...Por
interpretation
of favor,
our carajos,
reality djennos
through hacer
patterns
not
Bolivarisfullyaware ofthepossibility fordis- (ifnotthewords) oftheauthor himself.
The
tortionthatisinherent inaletter: 'Tampoco presence ofbiographical intertexts
becomes
contrariodelassuyas eran perfectasdeformaexploration ofthequestion ofhowhistorygets
y defondo ysevein asimple vista quelas written.
context
escribiaand
conthespirit
concienciainde
which
quethe
el wordsbe- ever
destinatario ourown
The servesonly
episode
less
free, tomake
relates
evermore us
the evermore
occasion
solitary. unknown
inwhich
Venerable
Europe
finaleralahistoria"(228).Finally,the twolet- Bolivarshares a dinnerwitha Frenchdipbo-
terswhich Bolivar sends toUrdaneta offer
a mat whoseems tobevery critical
ofLatin
byattempting
notable tocomplement
example ofthetensionand to"rectify"
expressed hundredyears
in Americans andtothe
build
itsfirst
city
waytheywerewall,
and
going three
about
thisnarrative
between historyand orality.
The obtaining theirindependence fromSpain.The
firstonebegins with "Excelentisimo seiior,"Frenchman, who inthenovelischaracterized
while thesecond one begins with"Mi querido as"arrogant," insistsongivingBolivarsome
General". The omniscient voiceofthehisto-advice regarding "cualseriaendefinitiva
el
conscious oftheobligatory filterthat existsreptiblicas" (129). Upon hearingsuch inso-
between official
writing andtheoral style
of lence, Bolivar jumps upand respondswith a
Whilethe narrativevoicesin the texthelp content of Garcia MArquez'now famous
thereader
delve
into
Bolivar's
inner
history,
Nobel
Speech:

between
history
and
orality
inthis
celebratedThefictionalBolivar'swordsechoth
text.
Inthis
instance
thehistorian's
voice
situ-appear
inGarcia
Mirquezf
Nobel
address:
ates
thewords
ofBolivar
before
theybecome

camereality.
Garcia
Mirquez infuses
newwould perhaps
bemoreperceptive
ifittried
tosee
usin
meaning
into
this
famous
historical
documentitsown
pastIfonly
itrecalled
thatLondontookthree
history
with
orality:
"no
sonlosespai'ioles
sinohundred years
moretoacquire
abishop; that
Rome
nuestra
propia
desunidn
loquenoshallevado
labored
inagloom
ofuncertainty
furtwentycenturies,
denuevoalaesclavitud"
(85),
says
Bolivamuntil
anEtruscan
king
anchored
itinhistory....
(210)
during
aconversation
whichwouldeventually Byhaving thefictionalBolivam argue
become
oneofLatin
Amdrica's
most
famous Garcia Mirquez'own ideas regarding the
unusual
reflections
minds
history
embarks
counts
ontheus
process
the
in
isfor
that
on
not
the
juxtaposition
on
this
aGarcia
to
those
telling
reassessment
history,
of
deny
episode
how
in
Mirquez
of
it,
power
history
Bolivar's
of
Garcia
and
constitutes
oral
so,
of
control
gets
and
as
the
Mimquez
in
tale,
athis
written
facts
novelist.
history.
an
novel,
sum-
me-
ac- Atwood,
Bushnell,
Fuentes,
clearly.
written.
ex- Libertador
bridge
UP,
(1982):
1990.
Margaret.
Carlos.
UP,
David.
13-21.
________'The
"Garcia
142-87.
ed.V.
1987.207-11.
"Garcia
Solitude
"ASbave
"El
Lecuma.
MArquez
primer
M6rquez
of
toNew
Latin
His
Nobel
yOwn
York:
la
America:
basegunda
voz
Liberation."
histori6grafo."
Coboniab,1948
deNobel
Bobivar."
lectura."
The
Ad-

THE TASK OF THE

HISTORIAN
INEL GENERAL EN SU LABERINTO445
LatinAmerican predicament, theauthor is (Re)readingofCronica
deuna muede anunciada."
giving
historicalresonance tohisown words. Symposium 4(1984-85):
278-87.
Moreover,
ample ofanovert didacticstrategy which NJ'7'Booh
is Barthes, Review
Roland.
"Le16September
Discours (1990):
1,30.
del'historie."Pot47u
American past.Thewords Nietzsche,
ofthefictionalKaufmann Friedrich.
and The Will
Holbingdabe. to
New Power.
York: Trans.
Vintage,
Reminiscent ofNietzsche's andFoucault's Bolivar,
Sim6n.
"CartadeJamaica" enCartas
del
inherentinthetask ofthehistorian: "PuesOrtega, Julio.
"El
bector
ensulaberinto."ElMundo,
19
Crdnica,
The Borland.
documents in E/genera/ensu/aben)zto Revista
Oviedo,deEstudios
Jose
Miguel.
Foucault,
Michel. Colombianos
"Garcia 7(1989):
MArquez 33-36.
eneb
TheArchaeologyofKnow laberinto
(Spring
1992):
165-79.
must beheard aswellasread. Notunlike Discourre onLanguage.
Trans. NM. Sheridan
Smith.
today's
theorists ofhistory,Garcia MirquezNew York:
Pantheon,
1972.
'Fordiscussion
ofthis subject
inCien affossee __________.
'TheWriter's
Audience IsAlways
aFic-
Fuentes
and GonzalezEchevarria
thelifeofBolivar, (The
NoveV,
reminding andin
us La tiom."
PMLA
nueva 90 (1975):
9-21.
novelahispanoamericana.
Mexico:
Mortiz,
rounding
aboutthe important relationship
between in- 1969.58-67.
Garcia
MArquez,Gabriel.
El general ensulaberinto.
2Foradditional
studiesofhistoriography
and this deIasobedad."Revista
deEstudios Colombianos
7
formation
novel and interpretation.
indifferent
contexts, ToEchevarria's
seeGonzalezchallengeMadrid: Mondadori,
(1989):
18-27. 1989.
"Garcia
Mirquez ylavozdeBolivar,"
which ties
Elgen- Palencia-Roth,
Michael.
"Labyrinths ofLoveandHis-
eralto
his
Garcia larger
theory
Mirquez about
invitesanthropology,
thereader the
to law,
and tory."
reflect WorldLiterature
dress
1982."
Trans. Today (1991):
Richard 54-58.
Cardwebb.Gabriel
theLatin
American novel,expoundedinMyth and Garcia
Pope, Mdrquez:
Randolph. NewReadings.
"Lectura Cambridge:
literaria."
Revista Cam-
deEstudios
T by hein
McMurray assumption
aspecial
theauthor
ofthe
issueofrobeofade
Revista
ofthenovel,
historian
Estudios
aswell
Gonzilez
Echevarria,
Sarmiento,
as Archive."
DomingoRoberto.'The
Faustino. Novel
Facundo. As
Ed.
MythAndArchive. NewYork:
Mythand
Raimundo
Cambridge
rinths
ofLove andHistory." White,
Hayden.
Metahistoy:
The Historical
Imagination
3Substantial
book reviewsofElgeneral ensu inNineteenth Centuy
Europe. BaltimoreandLoin-
laberinto
are plentiful
in both
Englishand Spanish, don:
Johns
HopkinsUP, 1973.
toGarcia
point Mirquez'
ofconceptualizing
interest
theLatin
innewways
American
CuadernosAmericanos
past.Hutcheon,Linda.
Theo'y, ANew (1991):
Poetics
Fiction.
63-76.Histo'y,
ofPostmodernism
York: Routbedge,1988.
Criticism.
Baltimore:
Johns Hopkins UP,
1978.
Thus thegreatness ofGarcia Mtrquez' LaCapra,
Dominik.Histo'y
and Criticism.
Ithaca
and
Bolivarbecomes theauthor's insistence on London: Cornell
UP,1985.
Alvarez
Borland,
theidea Isabel.
oflistening "From
to MysterytoParody:
theunwritten Hopkins
voicesMcMurray, UP,1987.
George.
"Historia yficci6n."
Revista
de
thatmake uphistory inanalyzing theLatin Estudios Colombianos7
(1989): 39-45.
Bolivar
serve toremind usofthecomplexities 1967.
Sect.
481.
bien,
todo esciertopero circunstancial"(207). denoviembre
"El
_________ de1989:
lector
ensu20-24.
baberinto."
Hispanic
Review
* NOTES 0mg,
Walter.
OralityandLiteracy:
The Technology
ofthe
WordLondon:
Methuen,1982. 179-90.

Archive,-
articles
byBushnell,
Oviedo,
Pope,
and Colombianos7
(1989):
36-39.
Colombianos
(1989);
andPalencia-Roth's
study
"Laby-Lazo.
Mexico:
Pornia,
1985.

among
them
essays
byOrtega
and
Atwood. _________.
Tropics
ofDiscoursv:
Essays
inCultural
* WORKS CITED couyeThe
Content
ofthe
Form.
Narrative
Dis-
Historical
Representation.
Baltimore:
Johns
.