Butler University
Digital Commons @ Butler University
Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
2001
Luis Goytisolo Beyond "Antagonía": His Search for
Agency in Democratic Spain
Terri Carney
Butler University, [email protected]
Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/facsch_papers
Part of the Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature Commons
Recommended Citation
Carney, Terri. "Luis Goytisolo Beyond Antagonía: His Search for Agency in Democratic Spain." Letras Peninsulares 14.3 (2001):
487-501.
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Digital Commons @ Butler University. It has been
accepted for inclusion in Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Butler University. For more
information, please contact [email protected].
-a. Madrid: Vindicacion Feminista, 1994.
eda de su identidad. Barcelona: Plaza y
Luis Goytisolo Beyond AntagoDia: His Searchfor
Agency in Democratic Spain
'indicacion Feminista, 1994.
fuego del siglo." Falcon Cinco abras 7-58.
:on Cinco abras 123-44.
alcon Cinco abms 85-122.
:on Cinco abras 59-83.
:.3 (1989): 19-24.
y el feminismo espanol: una entrevista."
Terri M. Carney
Butler University
Since his monumentally successful tetralogy, Antagonia, Luis
Goytisolo has adapted his literary style to survive the changes in
both the publishing world and the greater cultural context of post­
lmia de una democracia. Trad. Horacio
Franco Spain. Indeed, his post-Antagonia novels can be divided into
~aza y Janes, 1984. two phases: the structurally complex novels of the 1980s, and the
'Vat One. Trad. Catherine Porter y Carolyn more readable novels of the 1990s. Although these two groups of
1985. Trad. Ce sexe qui n'en est pas un. novels
differ stylistically, they both form part of Goytisolo's ongoing
77.
critique of Western man's investment in subjectivity as either a con­
~rie Estudios 21. Madrid: Ministerio de
trolling, self-governed force or a controlled subject, both of which
Ie 1a Mujer, Instituto LD.E.S., 1988.
miarcada. 1986. Trad. Monica Tussell.
occlude a viable notion of human agency. My study of his novelistic
trajectory of the last two decades uncovers two guiding factors: 1)
IS amorosas de la pastguerra espanola. 6
his desire to carve out a space for human agency in the wake of an
187.
oppressive
dictatorship and 2) his recognition of the postrnodernist
ltherhood in Franco's Spain." En Gisela
lesson of complicitous critique, which asserts that we must appro­
mity and Gender Palicies: Wamen and the
priate the dominant methods of power in order to oppose them.!
1tates, 1880s-1950s. Londres: Routledge,
The possibility of human agency is a particularly compelling
nos han desprestigiado." Ed. espanola.
question for post-Franco Spain of the 1980s. Emerging from nearly
four decades of oppressive dictatorship, Spanish citizens must re­
IS derechas de la mujer. Madrid: Instituto
think their identities (personal, professional, political) as they adapt
to a newly established democracy and renegotiate'their roles as ac­
texta, coma espect6.cula. 3 ed. Barcelona:
tive citizens. Neither the su bjected subject of the dictatorship (pow­
erless and at the mercy of a centralized power base), nor its binary
anaia, una sambra de destina en la univer­
?cci6n Femenina de Falange (1 934-1977).
opposite (the autonomous individual, dictator-like and impervious
caciones, U de Murcia, 1990.
to others), will serve as role models for these citizens. Indeed, much
tinista en la Espana contemparanea: (1868­
recent thinking on theories of agency has struggled to overcome the
;a. Torrejon de Ardoz: Akal, 1986.
chasm between the two opposing models with an eye towards a more
civiles de Lidia Falcon." Pader y libertad
politically viable definition of agency.2
At first glance, post-structuralist, postmodern versions of the self as
Luis de Micheo Izquierdo. Mujer: trabaja,
decentered and fragmented seem to preclude the possibility of a theory
~Estudias a trabajas? Madrid : Temas de
of agency. However, the paradoxical nature of the fluid human subject
) 'Neill: Una apreciacion critica." Pader y
depicted by these cliscourses becomes the basis for a human agent that
emerges from the contradictions, as Susan Hekman explains in her
.a G. Levine, Ellen E. Marson y Gloria F.
study, "Subjects and Agents: the Question for Feminism:"
m Writers. Westport: Greenwood Press,
Q
Q
Literature. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1977.
!ly-Llyn Zaza
... for the discursive subject, however, agency
and construction are not antithetical. Rather,
Letras Peninsulares, Winter 2001-2002
488
agency is a product of discourse, a capacity
that flows from discursive formations.
. . . It does not entail reference to a prediscursive
"I" but, instead, entails that subjects find
agency within the discursive spaces open to
them in their particular historical period. (202)
In his book Discerning the Subject, Paul Smith argues that human
agency is not to be conflated with the model of subjectivity he calls
the "individual:" a version of the Western, male "I" who is master of
his own destiny . Agency, for Smith and for Hekman, is paradoxical
because it is actually a product of determining forces. J In other words,
human agency is only possible from within a power system. In a
similar fashion, Theresa de Lauretis envisions the human agent as
requiring a contradictory, paradoxical account of the human sub­
ject as the site of heterogeneous influences and compromises and
not as a stable, centered, autonomous being. In this s tudy I will
explore how Goytisolo's novels engage readers in ques tions abou t
the validity of inherited models of subjectivity and explore alterna­
tive notions of selfhood that are more sensitive to other selves and
their shared social environment, not as separate/opposite of the
self, but as continuously connected with the self in a mutual pro­
cess of exchange.
Goytisolo's first two post-Antagonia novels allegorize a struggle
for agency in fictional wor lds of controlling outside for es. Both
novels, Estela del fuego que se aleja (1984) and La paradoja del ave
migratoria (1987), resist rapid consumption by the general public
because of their convoluted structures and minimal story lines, and
both exploit self-referential strategies to examine how discursive
manipu lations influence notions of power, subjects, and truth. 4 These
allegories about how the human subject strives to be a responsible,
active agent in his/her world suggest that human agency js not merely
the negation of the powers that be, but rather a bargaining vvith said
powers.s
Goytisolo published Estela del fuego que se aleja, nine years
after Franco's death, in Spain's young democracy. The novel pre­
sents readers with nameless, shadowy character-narrators, desig­
nated only by capital letters: A, B, V, and W. AU four are writers who
move about in a recognizable contemporary Spanish environment.
Each is a creation of the other in this metafictional text that fore­
grounds the issue of subjectivity with its opening line, "Adivina quien
soy." The structure of the novel and the "names" of the four main
characters undermine the autonomy and individuality normally as-
Terri M. Carney
cribed to the self: The
central and centered
subject might enjoy .
Goytisolo symbolically
of subjectivity and un
A and S, the two
capacity of ideological
only constant frustra
regime, these system
human subject's life,
novel clearly position
he is, he makes kno
forces and assert his
here to an idealized i
with a dizzying num
contradictions betwe
history and "consciot
A's clandestine p
from within oppresiv~
fulfilled. His recollecti
vide readers with a b
subjects they would i.I
abstract political idea
led to his involvement
the human agent alw
Cosas dE
aqueJlo,
detenido :
congreso
posterior
asistente~
rencores)
un disput
Lo mas cu
habia sen
Si habia
mejores a
por no ab
A's political past dE
subjectivities . It rev
oppositionality prevai
LetrasPeJ
489
lUrse, a capacity
mations.
to a prediscursive
at subjects find
~ spaces op en to
ical period. (202)
I Smith argues that human
nodel of subjectivity he calls
n, ma le "I" who is m aster of
: for Hekman, is paradoxical
:ining forces. 3 In other words,
ithin a power system. In a
visions the human agent as
3.ccount of the human sub­
nces and compromises and
being. In this study I will
readers in questions abou t
!ctivity a nd explore alterna­
ensitive to other selves and
:s separate/opposite of the
h the self in a mutual pronovels allegorize a struggle
,!ling outsid e forces. Both
~4) and Laparadoja del ave
)tion by the gen eral public
nd minimal story lines, and
o examine how discursive
subjects, and tru th. 4 These
strives to be a responsible,
human agency is n ot merely
.ther a bargaining with said
que se aleja, n ine years
lemocracy. The novel pre­
:haracter-narrators, desig­
W. All four are writers who
'ary Spanish environment.
letafictional text that fore­
pening line, "Adivina quien
"names" of the four main
. individuality normally as­
'0
ney
cribed to the self: The lack of proper names symbolizes the lack of a
central and centered locus of identity that the traditional humanist
subject might enjoy. By giving his characters letters for names,
Goytisolo symbolically emphasizes the determined, constructed facet
of subjectivity and underplays the self-determining side.
A and B, the two main characters , struggle with the controlling
capacity of ideological systems, one discovering agency and the other
only constant frustration. No longer centralized under a dictatorial
regime, these systems manifest their influence in all s p h eres of the
human subject's life, from movies to formal education." While the
novel clearly positions A as subjected to forces that determin e who
he is, he makes known his desire to maneuver from within these
forces and assert his agency. However, instead of struggling to ad­
here to an idealized image of indepen d ence and plenitude, he flirts
with a dizzying number of subject-positions and accentuates the
contradiction s between them, thereby m arkin g his own personal
history and "consciousness of complicity" (de Lauretis 1987 , 11) .
A's clandestine political past illustrates how the agent emerges
from within oppresive forces whose ideological tasks are not always
fulfilled. His recollections of his anti-Franco political affiliations pro­
vide read ers with a bitter critique of political ideologies and of the
subjects they would interpellate. 7 A demythologizes his allegiance to
abstract political ideals by remem bering the actual conditions that
led to his involvement in politics. In doing so, he demonstrates how
the human agent always exceeds any single subject-position.
Cosas de la vida: vein t e aiios despues de
aqueUo , uno de los militantes comunistas
detenidos a raiz de su participacion en el
congreso de Praga y uno de los artifices de la
posterior caida de la mayor parte de los
asistentes a ese congreso, podian evocarlos sin
rencores y hasta con buen humor, como si de
un disputado encuentro deportivo se tratase .
10 mas curioso, explico A, era que el nunca se
habia sentido 10 que se llama un comunista.
Si habia militado era mas bien porque sus
mejores amigos se habian hecho del partido,
por no abandonarlos. (31 - 32)
A's political past debunks notions of absolu te ideologies and
subjectivities. It reveals a world of compromise within which
opposition ality prevails. Political and national" su bjects" find room
Letras Peninsulares, Winter 2001-2002
490
for maneuver within oppressive conditions. Political enemies within
one regime can be friends in another, because there are no abso­
lutes. "Revolutionaries" like A do not really break with the regime in
power; they are eventually reabsorbed into the system, which al­
ready accounts for opposition and even depends upon it. a
Ironically, B's quest for imaginary plenitude takes place within
a structure that denies his separateness: he is one of four nameless
narrators whose lives comically reflect one another in shared inter­
ests and habits. They are also bound together by the circularity of
the metafictionallayers, which do not lead to any definitive answers
about authorship or personhood. B is disgusted with the restric­
tions that society imposes upon subjects, often in the form of com­
mon beliefs or morals.
Pues bien: no estoy dispuesto a que mi
pensami.ento tenga que seguir viendose filtrado en
su exteriorizacion por todos los topicos y lugares
comunes que la imbecilidad del hombre ha ido
sedirnentando a 10 largo de los anos, imponiendose
a nuestro comportarniento como uno de esos
corses y refajos inventados para comprirnir
indiscrirninadamente, jW1to a los mas amoIfos
despliegues de celulitis, las mas genuinas
exuberancias del cuerpo femenino. (124)
Like a corset, habits and customs contain both the best and the
worst elements of human thought, neutralizing their distinctions to
an extent, and limiting while at the same time enabling their exteri­
orization. According to B, they squelch any originality. B seems
disgusted that the best and the worst are massed together in the
same grouping. This reaction points to his extreme vision of subjec­
tivity that precludes a compromise with the powers that be. B imag­
ines himself as the illusory "individual," overlooking his own impli­
cation in the systems he critiques.
Goytisolo foregrounds textual self-consciousness in Estela del
fuego que se aleja, while diminishing the importance of more con­
ventional concerns, like plot and characterization, both of which
promote a view of subjectivity as fixed and integral. Instead of pre­
senting the promise of a stable and centered human subject that
can stand up to oppressive forces or be definitively crushed by them,
the novel challenges us to recognize that, paradoxically, agency is a
function of these forces.
Estela del fuego que se aleja provides a model of human agency
Terri M. Carney
and oppositior
doned the pror
ave migratoria,
postmodern w
man identity t,
W
wi
v~
th
tit
st
hl
w
it
By juxta
foregrounding
creates a textu
subjectivity a~
del ave migral
sense" of theiJ
reconciling th,
the choices th
The work
of two ways of
the two media
our preference
resent the filrr
movie, and hi:
like a novel. '
behind-the-sc
subject-positi.
representatiOJ
resentations i
The preliJ
quintessentiai
y escultor cor.
as a "nuevo 1<
the "ocularcer
over the othe
accepted mod
By fashiO!
491
IS. Political enemies within
ecause there are no abso­
ly break with the regime in
nto the system, which al­
lepends upon it. 8
enitude takes place within
he is one of four nameless
Ie another in shared inter­
~ether by the circularity of
:1 to any definitive answers
lisgusted with the restric­
, often in the form of com­
sto a que mi
dose filtrado en
picos y 1ugares
hombre ha ido
;, imponiendose
) uno de esos
.ra comprimir
: mas amorfos
laS genuinas
. (124)
n both the best and the
izing their distinctions to
lIne enabling their exteri­
'ny originality. B seems
, massed together in the
extreme vision of su bjec­
powers that be. B imag­
erlooking his own irnpli­
sciousness in Estela del
mportance of more con­
!rization, both of which
integral. Instead of pre­
red human subject that
.itively crushed by them,
lTadoxically, agency is a
model of human agency
!f
and oppositionality that functions well in a world that has aban­
doned the promise of absolute truth. His next novel, Laparadoja del
ave migratoria, reflects, and even recreates, the experience of such a
postmodem world, which demands a corresponding model of hu­
man identity to support it:
We live, to put it baldly, in a humanist culture
which is 'ho1ocentric,' and whose discourses
variously and to varying degrees betray not only
the hegemony of the desire for holistic explana­
tions, but also the faith (albeit a sometimes
shaken or shaky one) in the correlative 'whole'
human 'subject,' the model for and purveyor of
whichever particular epistemological formation
it is obliged to, or which concerns it. (Smith 89)
By juxtaposing various epistemological formations and
foregrounding their contradictory and exclusionary claims, Goytisolo
creates a textual world in which the characters cannot derive a whole
subjectivity as Smith describes as the "individual." In La paradoja
del ave migratoria, the characters need to develop a way to "make
sense" of their world and themselves; they must find a means for
reconciling the discourses to which they have been subjected with
the choices they have to make.
The work is an allegory about the novel and the film as symbolic
of two ways of knowing the self and the world. The tension between
the two media recalls high-tech society's reliance on the visual and
our preference for movies over books. The two main characters rep­
resen t the film and the novel: Gaspar is in the process of makirlg a
movie, and his wife Virginia writes in an intimate diary that unfolds
like a novel. The metafictional mode created in this novel invites a
behind-the-scenes peek at each medium and how it offers specific
subject-positions. By calling attention to the process of creating
representations, Goytisolo invites readers to examine how these rep­
resentations influence human beings.
The preliminary scene of the novel establishes Gaspar as the
quintessential "Renaissance man:" "un ingeniero, arquitecto, pintor
y escultor conocido en todo el mundo." Even Virginia refers to him
as a "nuevo Leonardo." Gaspar is a parody of what Martin Jay calls
the "ocularcentric" individual; Jay connects the dominance of vision
over the other senses with a parallel rise of the individual as the
accepted model of subjectivity.9
By fashioning a narrator that represents through a complex layer-
Letras Peninsulares. Winter 2001·2002
492
ing of visual and linguistic codes, Luis Goytisolo foregrounds the role of
readers/spectators, alerting them to their participatory role in "know­
ing" these two main characters. Readers discern a fu ndamental differ­
ence between the way Gaspar and Virginia defme themselves with re­
spect to an outside perspective, represented here by the mediating pres­
ence of the narrator. Gaspar is a voyeur unseen and undetected by the
observed yet, in a parallel fashion, is posited a s u naware object of the
camera-narrator's gaze. The camera-narrator also frequently positions
the reader as spectator vis-a.-vis Virginia. However, she performs as an
actress on stage. Virginia's awareness of an outside viewpoint and her
incorporation of this viewpoint into her self-construction contrast with
Ga spar's investment in a superior position that precludes the presence
of an outside observer watching him.
Somehow Virginia seems able consciously to direct her life while
simultaneously living it. She seems to be aware of the camera­
narrator's lens, posing for it yet maintaining the logic of the scene in
question. Her posturing bespeaks a director-like consciousness in
charge of manipulating the roles s h e will play, granting herself dual
characteristics throughout the novel. Gaspar, on the other hand, is
unknowing of the script he is following. The camera-narrator refers
to Gaspar's actions and thoughts predominantly in the preterite tense,
tagging his speech with "dijo Gaspar." The use of external focaliza­
tion with reported dialogue maximizes the distance between the time
of narrating and the time of narration and therefore minimizes the
presence of a narrating agency. This maintained distance between
the camera-narrator and Gaspar contrasts strikingly with the rela­
tionship fostered with Virginia. The intimate quality of the latter is
dramatized by the fusion of the two in a culminating metafictional
moment of her narration, when she refers to the act of writing in her
diary in the present tense with the self-con scious phra se: "mientras
yo escribo estas lineas" (130). This phrase rhetorically represents
the closing of the gap between the narrating self and the narrated
self, and symbolizes Virginia's ability to take herself as her own lin­
guistic object, to perform as both director and actor in her own life.
The characters in La paradoja del ave migratoria maneuver in a
postmodern fictional world of competing discursive realms that af­
fects their subjective constructions. For example, Gaspar derives
security from static idealizations of himself and the world, and he
consequently experiences difficulty within the h yb rid textual envi­
ronment. Virginia, on the other hand, demonstrates more flexibility
in her interpretations of herself and her surrounclings and is there­
fore more comfortable with fragmentation and relativity. Without
falling prey to the seductive promises of absolute truth and identity,
Terri M . Carney
Virginia is able
active agent.
La paradoj(
proposes that v
our lives, not a
powering. Also,
and not central
How do the
ish novel? The
characterized t
Fernandez Cub
The experiment
ally retreated t(
the reading put
Spanish noveli~
ers are no longe
of power; now tl
a locatable, inl"
corruption. Th(
to new thinkinl
ity.ll In this per
those from the
under many S1­
autobiographic
The publis;
development of
ers and popular
wider reading 1=
creates a new ki
As a result of th
has "sold out," a
as "literature lit
doubt that Spar
It is not un
sible fiction, wh
temporary put
Estatua con pc
(1997), carefull
genres in orde
human subject
mounts a cone
subject:" the <
centered mode
iJoytisolo foregrounds the role of
leir participatory role in "know­
:s discern a fundamental differ­
Pnia defme themselves with re­
lted here by the mediating p res­
: u nseen and undetected by the
)sited as unaware object of the
mator also frequently positions
1. However, she performs as an
)f an outside viewpoint and her
self-construction contrast with
ion that precludes the presence
sciously to direct her life while
to be aware of the camera­
lining the logic of the scene in
iirector-like cons ciousness in
nil play, granting herself dual
Gaspar, on the other hand, is
;. The camera-narrator refers
ninantly in the preterite tense,
The use of external focaliza­
the distance between the time
and therefore minimizes th e
naintained distance between
rasts strikingly with the rela­
.timate quality of the latter is
I a culminating m etafictional
~rs to the act of writing in her
·conscious phrase: "mientras
1rase rhetorically represents
Tating self and the narrated
) take herself as her own lin­
tor and actor in her own life.
we migratoria maneuver in a
19 discursive realms that af­
'or example, Gaspar derives
nself and the world, and he
hin the hybrid textual envi­
iemonstrates more flexibility
r surroundings and is there­
jon and relativity, Without
.absolute tru th and identity,
lI'D.ey
493
Virginia is able to choose among these discourses and become an
active agent.
La paradoja del ave migratoria closes the 1980s cycle, which
proposes that we accept the reality of oppressive forces that shape
our lives, not as absolute, but as contradictory and therefore em­
powering. Also, that we learn to identify ideological power as diffuse
and not centralized or embodied in one human figure or regime. 10
How do these two novels fit into a broader context of the Span­
ish novel? The decade of the 1980s saw a boom in Spanish fiction,
characterized by a proliferation of new writers, such as Cristina
Fernandez Cubas, Javier Marias, Lourdes Ortiz, and Rosa Montero.
The experimentalism associated with the novels of the 1970s gradu­
ally retreated to allow room for novels that were more attractive to
the reading pUblic. There is no longer talk of a unified generation of
Spanish novelists the way there was under the Franco regime. Writ­
ers are no longer writing to an enemy or rebelling against a fortress
of power; now they must pursue individuality since there is no longer
a locatable, institutionalized source for violence, inhumanity, and
corruption. The binary-based "revolutionary" project must give way
to new thinking about alternative models of agency and subjectiv­
ity.ll In this period we see a great variety of young writers, as well as
those from the mid-century generation, publishing fiction that falls
under many sub-generic categories: detective/mystery, historical,
autobiographical, adventure, travel/exotic, and memoirs.
The publishing houses certainly play an important role in the
development of the post-Franco Spanish novel, promoting new writ­
ers and popular genres according to their marketability. 12 Attracting the
wider reading public becomes a primary concern, and this situation
creates a new kind of censorship that disfavors the difficult, elitist novel.
As a result of this process, many have complained that Spanish fiction
has "sold out," and critics like Sanz Villanueva even refer to these works
as "literature lite."l3 Regardless of the debate over quality, there is no
doubt that Spanish fiction flourishes in the 1980s and 1990s. 14
It is not un til the 1990s that Goytisolo produces a more acces­
sible fiction, which responds to the commercial pressures of the con­
temporary publishing market. These 90s novels, which include
Estatua con palomas (1992), Mzungo (1996), and Placer licuante
(1997), carefully adapt to the parameters of traditional literary su b­
genres in order to challenge these genres' presuppositions about
human subjectivity and agency. Goytisolo's foray into genre fiction
mounts a concerted attack on the Western notion of the "sovereign
subject:" the autonomous, self-determining, Cartesian, separate,
centered model of the human being, and proposes a view of human
Letras PeninsuZares. Winter 2001·2002
494
agency as a function of our interactions with others within a social
structure. IS If his 80s novels allegorized the Spanish condition of the
ill-equipped citizen facing a myriad of cultural discourses and a dif­
fused model of power, the 90s novels critique Spaniards' hunger for
formulaic fiction and the rigid models of subjectivity such narratives
traditionally offer. Goytisolo appropriates sub-genres that depend
on the self-constituting, self-determining "I," and he systematically
undermines the security of this transcendental personage by frus­
trating generic expectations and staging troublesome confrontations
between this self-contained "I" and others.
Estatua conpa/omas incorporates elements of both the autobio­
graphical and the historical novel, yet undermines the viability of
either by exposing the boundaries between them as arbitrary and
artificial. Their juxtaposition dramatizes the fundamental question
of whether or not the human being can achieve pure individual ex­
pression from within the confmes of the social; autobiography de­
fends the uniqueness of the individual life, while history folds people
into larger social narratives. These questions speak to larger issues
at the level of democracies and dictatorships: is the human being
free to construct an identity and to what extent do these systems
permit individual expression?
Narrated in the first person by Goytisolo-narrator, the novel be­
gins as an autobiographical memoir. However, about midway through
the novel, a second story line, created by the Roman historian Tacitus,
interrupts the autobiographical project already set in motion, thereby
staging a symbolic confrontation between the two genres, autobiog­
raphyand history. The maintained tension between the two speaks
to a view of human agency as a dynamic interlace between the indi­
vidual and the social, between the self and the other, as opposed to
the view under the Franco dictatorship that the social squelched the
individuality of its citizens and represented a force to be directly
opposed. Here there is a shift from a view of agency as an inversion/
negation of an oppressive power base to agency as a complex ne­
gotiation effected within a social system.
Despite the temporal distance separating the two narrative situ­
ations, (Goytisolo-narrator in 1990s vs. Tacitus-narrator in fIrst-cen­
tury Rome), Estatua con palomas invites a comparison of the two
historical figures by establishing clear parallels between their fic­
tional counterparts. In fact, Goytisolo and Tacitus both creatively
adapt their genres to accommodate their personal projects. Tacitus,
considered to be the greatest historian of the Roman Empire, mixed
elements of history and biography in his works to produce a hybrid
text that anticipated the modern novel with its psychological insights
Terri M. Carney
into the motivation
parison from the c
the Roman Empir
shared uncertain~
exercise its flexibili
survive. Estatua C(
to accommodate cY
generic forms and
sense, we are enco
these historical me
in corresponding r
Estatua con pc,
reality of social sy
that would limit or
counter: the self-a
the uncontrolled, 1
classic travel nove.
society in terms of
tors whose cultura
toms they experieJ
the host culture's:
Mzungo portra~
Western society ar.
ing it to its quinte1
prototypical Euro~
brought together t
continents. With
Goytisolo weaves t
respective protago
man, Philip; and tl
as a metaphor for
that can fuel tensi
phasizing the lack,
jects" of the West, .
promise of "individ
Each of the "P
that ends in tragec
girl over a miscom
trapped on a reme
and one is burned
accident. The extl
these events attest
cruise ship full of
Letras
495
th others with in a social
Spanish condition of the
ral discourses and a dif­
Ie Spaniards' hunger for
dectivity such narratives
mb-genres that depend
," and he systematically
:ntal personage by frus­
Iblesome confrontations
:nts of both the autobio­
[ermines the viability of
I. them as arbitrary and
e fundamental question
jeve pure individual ex­
,cial; autobiography de­
'hile history folds people
tS speak to larger issues
)s: is the human being
xtent do these systems
I-narrator, the novel be­
., about midway through
:oman historian Tacitus,
ly set in motion, thereby
e two genres, autobiog­
Jetween the two speaks
:rface between the indi­
he other, as opposed to
he social squelched the
[ a force to be directly
1gency as an inversion/
ency as a complex ne­
~ the
two narrative situ­
Is-narrator in flrst-cen ­
comparison of the two
llels between their flc­
facitus both creatively
lonal projects. Tacitus,
Roman Empire, mixed
ks to produce a hybrid
; psychological insights
into the motivations of historical flgures. Goytisolo extends the com­
parison from the authors to their historical contexts (the height of
the Roman Empire and contemporary society), highlighting their
shared uncertainty about the future. J6 He hints that the novel must
exercise its flexibility in periods of change and instability in order to
survive. Estatua con palo mas celebrates the novel's built-in capacity
to accommodate changing social paradigms by borrowing from other
generic forms and styles without losing its critical stance. In this
sense, we are encouraged to see the novelistic genre as a register for
these historical moments of crisis or change in political systems and
in corresponding models of human su bjectivity and agency.
Estatua con palomas confronts the autobiographical "I" with the
reality of social systems (here represented by the historical genre)
that would limit or control it. In Mzungo we fmd a comparable en­
counter: the self-assured, imperialist "I" of the travel genre meets
the uncontrolled, uncivilized, cultural "other." 17 As opposed to the
classic travel novel, which boasts a narrator who explains another
society in terms of his own, Goytisolo's travel novel has three narra­
tors whose cultural repertoires fail to make sense of the foreign cus­
toms they experience, and each narrator eventually succumbs to
the host culture's system of meaning. 18
Mzungo portrays the hypocrisy and cultural ignorance that plague
Western society and threaten its particular value system by expos­
ing it to its quintessential "other": the exotic cultures of Africa. The
prototypical European white tourists and the native Africans are
brought together by a vacation cruise ship that connects the two
continents. With biting sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek humor,
Goytisolo weaves together three thematically linked stories whose
respective protagonists are the Frenchman, Phillipe; the English­
man, Philip; and the Spaniard, Felipe. This onomastic game serves
as a metaphor for the dynamic between sameness and difference
that can fuel tension among cultures, while at the same time em­
phasizing the lack of real differences among the manufactured "sub­
jects" of the West, leaving readers to wonder if democracy fulfllls its
promise of "individuality" and freedom of expression.
Each of the "Phils" has an encounter with the cultural "other"
that ends in tragedy due to a misunderstanding. One kills a native
girl over a miscommunication about a pair of boots, one becomes
trapped on a remote island that is closed off for political reasons,
and one is burned alive when his driver kills a village boy in a car
accident. The extreme situations and naked depravity depicted in
these events attest to the violence implicit in cultural ignorance. The
cruise ship full of civilized Europeans, floating along the eastern
Letras Peninsulares. Winter 2001-2002
496
coast of Africa, hints at the vulnerability of our self-enclosed society
when faced with another reality, another way of understanding life
and death. Indeed, in this novel, Western culture is revealed to be
self-absorbed, paranoid, racist, and as violent as the stereotypical
"savage," thereby undoing comfortable binary oppositions that allow
Westerners to occupy the preferred position ("civilized" or "superior")
of the hierarchized dichotomy that divides the two worlds. Mzungo
broaches two burning issues in contemporary, democratic Spain:
immigration and xenophobia. 19
In Mzungo, Goytisolo exploits the travel genre in order to sub­
vert the secure positions of knowledge that it traditionally espouses.
In Placer licuante he uses the erotic genre and mystery genre to ex­
plore our society's increasingly dehumanized lifestyle and the con­
comitant violence we visit upon each other, whether as enemies or
lovers. As in Mzungo, the "I" of the mystery must negotiate with the
other, this time in an erotic exchange. The novel focuses on the
most intimate human relationship and how it is mediated by the
fragmentation and alienation characteristic of our high-tech west­
ern world, which demands a complex model of subjectivity and in­
terpersonal relationships. In perhaps a self-conscious gesture,
Goytisolo also critiques the figure of the Spanish mystery writer who
produces uninteresting, formulaic novels yet continues to appear on
the best-seller list.
In Placer licuante, sex and the experiential pleasures of the hu­
man body become a tonic for the bombardment of informational
"knowledge," in a world that threatens to transform unique human
beings into substitutable products of consumption. The protagonist
is Maica, a young professional woman who coordinates art shows
and exhibitions. Although she is married to a popular novelist, she
begins a passionate love affair with M§.x.imo, an architect she meets
on a business trip. The intimacy between the two stands in stark
contrast to the ordinary routine of everyday life around them. Their
love letters are written in a code that uses numbers to designate the
various sexual parts of the body and are sent by fax machines. The
translation of their sexual relationship into faxed codes makes mani­
fest the extent of dehumanization we must endure in a technological
world, yet at the same time suggests the possibility for human inti­
macy in spite of these conditions.
The romantic storyline soon becomes tangled with a mystery
plot involving Maica's ex-husband and a murder. Placer licuante
juxtaposes two ways of knowing: one leading perhaps to intimacy or
shared experience, the other to murder/violence. Soon after Maica
begins her affair with M§.x.imo, Pablo becomes suspicious and hires
Terri M. Carney
a detective to ph
works on a novel
real-life converse
his novel-in-pro~
observation atte:
scandalous phot
her now ex-hust
her office on are:
that may hold it
She soon learns
38-caliber revoh'
she shoots him il
suicide. The mu
ful reader blatar
positions of knOl
tween sub-genre
edge urge reader
manipulate then
Goytisolo's F
experience of Fre
subjectivity that
modernist "J." Hi
plenary subject ("
counterpart: the
determined and
notion of agency'
is a complex wel
negotiations inst
The more ao
tic genre byappn
to expose their Ct
Goytisolo clearly
and readers are
engage with othe
Since FranCt
perhaps more in
engage critically
ing the features (
such complicit01
audience and cOl
that inform ever
agency that he p
497
bility of our self-enclosed society
lother way of understanding life
Vestern culture is revealed to be
d as violent as the stereotypical
ble binary oppositions that allow
position ("civilized" or "superior")
divides the two worlds. Mzungo
mtemporary, democratic Spain:
:he travel genre in order to sub­
Ige that it traditionally espouses.
, genre and mystery genre to ex­
umanized lifestyle and the con­
,h other, whether as enemies or
mystery must negotiate with the
nge. The novel focuses on the
and how it is mediated by the
lCteristic of our high-tech west­
ex model of sUbjectivity and in­
haps a self-conscious gesture,
the Spanish mystery writer who
ovels yet continues to appear on
xperiential pleasures of the hu­
bombardment of informational
:ns to transform unique human
f consumption. The protagonist
lan who coordinates art shows
:trried to a popular novelist, she
Maximo, an architect she meets
etween the two stands in stark
reryday life around them. Their
.uses numbers to designate the
are sent by fax machines. The
p into faxed codes makes mani­
must endure in a technological
; the possibility for human inticomes tangled with a mystery
md a murder. Placer licuante
leading perhaps to intimacy or
:ler/violence . Soon after Maica
, becomes suspicious and hires
Carney
a d etective to photograph her and her lover. In the meantime , he
works on a novel titled "Argumento 38," converting material from his
real-life conversations with Maica into the fictional text. The title of
his novel-in-progress and its exaggerated dependency on empirical
observation attest to its systematic nature. When Pablo reveals the
scandalous photos to Maica, she becomes obsessed with finding out
her now ex-husband's plan. She accesses his computer files from
her office on a regular basis, reading "Argumento 38" and other files
that may hold information pertinent to her search for knowledge.
She soon learns of Pablo's plan to kill both her and Maximo with a
38-caliber revolver, and, when Pablo shows up at her apartment,
she shoots him in the temple with his own gun, making it look like a
suicide. The murder of the author-figu re and the triumph of a care­
ful reader blatantly sabotage the standard mystery novel's secure
positions of knowledge for both author and reader. The seams be­
tween sub-genres and the upheaval of expected positions of knowl­
edge urge readers to recognize how authoritative discourses work to
manipulate them in their own non-fictional worlds.
Goytisolo's post-Antagonta novels move beyond the particular
experience of Francoist absolutism and the binary model of human
subjectivity that mistook agency for a return to a transcendental,
modernist "I." His 80s novels question the Western paragon of the
plenary subject (who has much in common with the despot) and its
counterpart: the helpless model of the subjected subject, hopelessly
determined and oppressed. Goytisolo urges readers to rethink the
notion of agency within the new Spanish socio-political context, which
is a complex web of discursive opportunities, and which demands
negotiations instead of revolutions.
The more accessible 90s novels test the flexibility of the novelis­
tic genre by appropriating popular, formulaic sub-genres as a means
to expose their complicity with Western notions of the "individual."
Goytisolo clearly links such a model with violence towards others,
and readers are left to consider alternatives of selfhood that might
engage with others in mutually beneficial ways.
Since Franco's death, Goytisolo the writer has endured new,
perhaps more insidious forms of censorship, yet he continues to
engage critically with contemporary issues by skillfully appropriat­
ing the features of the dominant literary discourse. By engaging in
such complicitous critique, Goytisolo cunningly attracts a larger
audience and continues to oppose the powerful systems of meaning
that inform every aspect of human life, under the same model of
agency that he proposes in his fiction. 2o
Letras Peninsulares, Winter 2001-2002
498
Notes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
S
In her book The Politics ofPostmodernism, Linda Hutcheon contends that
critical complicity is the hallmark of postmodern fiction: "the postmodern
involves a paradoxical installing as well as subverting of conventions­
including conventions of the representation of the subject. The
complicitous inscribing is as evident as the subverting challenge" (13­
14). Ross Chambers' account of the oppositional text also requires
complicity with the powers that be: "in oppositional narrative, a 'narra­
tive function' that respects the power structure serves as a form of dis­
guise for a 'textual function' whose operation is more covert, but ulti­
mately more significant, and serves to appeal to the 'readerly' activity of
interpretation , thereby subverting notions such as those of the autono­
mous subject or the discursive 'transmission' of information that the
'narrative function' enacts" (Room for Maneuver, 13).
Hekman asserts that the feminist model of agency must be concerned
with "overcoming the dichotomy between the constituted and the con­
stituting subject" (197). She explains that "the dichotomy that has struc­
tured the philosophy of the su bject at least since the time of Descartes
is that of subject/ object, that is, the opposition between the transcen­
dental, constituting subject and the object of this subject's knowledge"
(198).
Though Hekman distinguishes between "dialectical" and "discursive" mod­
els of agency, my point here is that agency must avoid conflation with
the Western "I."
See Antonio Sobejano-Moran for insightful readings of these two novels.
Gonzalo Navajas confinns that the post-Franco "new" novel of Spain is
concerned with subjectivity and agency:". . la afrrmaci6n de la
individualidad del yo frente a las superestructuras ideol6gicas y otros
irnperativos culturales de los que el sujeto espanol se ha visto obligado
a defenderse" (166) "dentro del contexto general de disgregacion y
fragmentaci6n de la subjetividad, empiezan a manifestarse formas de
reconsideraci6n que perrniten discernir una recomposici6n del yo." (83).
Althusser's notion of "interpellation" serves to describe the emphasis on
social forces shaping the person's life in an oppressive way (Lenin and
Philosophy).
I borrow the term "interpellate" from Althusser's (Lenin and Philosophy)
account of how the subject is subjected or hailed by ideologies to as­
sume a position.
"What this means, however, is that oppositional practices do not really
work against prevailing systems but, to the contrary, strengthen them
by making them livable. They are in one sense what Michel Serres would
call the 'noise' that seems to disturb the system but without which it
would not work; they are in this sense needed by the system, and an
integral part of it ( Chambers 7).
In Downcast Eyes, Martin Jay explores Western society's reliance on the
visual paradigm ( "ocularcentrism") as the foundation for its epistemo­
logical practices.
Terri M . Camey
" Spires disc
he expJ
Navajas p
justific
dentro
propia:
hacia 1:
12 Santos S(
under)
the det
Mendo
dency.
partiall
11
SanzV
In his 19i
actual,
ish tict
tually 1
14 See ContI
say"Te
IS My use 0 :
vidual,
corresI
tices..
byexte
as its ~
could f
comm(
be one
given €
cial for
16 See de I
pa/orru
17 Mzungoa
vation ,
ROMt
13
499
Spires discerns a change of attitude in post-Franco Spanish fiction, a change
he explores in his essay"A Play of Difference: Fiction After Franco":
Perhaps the key to the new attitude is a change in
the concept of power. For some thirty-nine years,
power in Spanish society was synonymous with
the Franco regime; in the minds of many people,
power in Spain was absolute and centralized.
When that power finally disappeared, it did not
take long for Spaniards to realize that power rela­
tionships were not limited to the dictatorship.
Among its many effects, the democracy soon re­
vealed the fallacy of believing that power is ever
centralized (286) .
II Navajas points out: "La oposicion absoluta a una fuerza inexorable dio la
justificacion inicial a la obra de esos autores y una posicion diferente
dentro de las dimensiones culturales mas benevolas y ambivalentes
propias del periodo posterior a la Dictadura aparece como deslealtad
hacia una causa pasada percibida como eticamente superior" (165) .
12 Santos Sanz Villanueva notes that the Spanish novel of the late 1980s is
under pressure to conform to the codes of the most popular sub-genres,
the detective and historical novels, pointing out the works of Eduardo
Mendoza and Manuel Vazquez Montalban as exemplary of this ten­
dency. According to SBrlZ Villanueva, the popularity of these genres is
partially due to publishers' politics. See "Subjetividad 0 generos" by
SBrlZ Villanueva.
13 In his 1988 essay" Dukes pero poco 11tiles. La actualidad de la narrativa
actual," Sanz Villanueva uses this term to describe contemporary Span­
ish fiction, although he predicts this trend will run its course and even­
tually be replaced with novels of more substance.
14 See Conte's "Sobre un excepcional discurso narrativo," and his 1989 es­
say "Toda riqueza es caos."
15 My use of "sovereign subject" here parallels Smith's version of the "indi­
vidual," which defines itself as a static and plenary image or "I" that
corresponds to the Cartesian subject of Western epistemological prac­
tices. The term "individual" refers to "one that carmot be divided and,
by extension, one that is plenipotent... a fiction of cohesion that bears
as its symptom a belief in a fully enabled and self-conscious power. It
could even be said that the urge to become such an 'individual,' and the
common consciousness of either being one or having the obligation to
be one, is itself only a limited and ideological SUbject-position within a
given experience of subjectivity and is itself produced by particular so­
cial formations" (Discerning the Subject xxxiv).
16 See de Leon-Sotelo's interview \vith Luis Goytisolo about Estatua con
palomas.
17 Mzungo also indicates Goytisolo 's continued commitment to generic inno­
vation, since it is the first novel to be marketed with an interactive CD­
ROM based on its plot.
'0
;m, Linda Hutcheon contends that
~stmodeITI fiction: "the postmodeITI
!eli as subverting of conventions­
esentation of th e subject. The
as the su bverting challenge" (1 3­
le oppositional text also requires
in oppositional narrative, a 'narra­
: structure serves as a form of dis­
)peration is more covert, but ulti­
D appeal to the 'readerly' activity of
,tions such as those of the autono­
lsrnission' of information that the
• Maneuver, 13).
:iel of agency must be concerned
veen the constituted and the con­
hat "the dichotomy that has struc­
t least since the time of Descartes
opposition between the transcen­
.bject of this subject's lmow1edge"
'dialectical" and "discursive" mod­
gency must avoid conflation with
iul readings of these two novels.
:t-Franco "new" novel of Spain is
:ency: ".. . la afrrmacion de la
,erestructuras ideologicas y otros
ljeto espanol se ha visto obligado
texto general d e disgregacion y
piezan a manifestarse form as de
ir una recomposicion del yo." (83).
ves to describe the emphasis on
in an oppressive way (Lenin and
.t husser's (Lenin and Philosophy)
:ed or hailed by ideologies to as­
lositional practices do not really
to the contrary, strengthen them
~ sense what Michel Serres would
the system but without which it
e needed by the system, and an
'Iestern society's reliance on the
. the foundation for its epistemo­
~ey
Letras Peninsulares. Winter 2001-2002
500
18
19
20
For more discussion on the novel, see Valls ("<~Blanco 0 rojo?"). See Rosa Montero's " Inmoral." . If Goytisolo's tum to more popular fiction in the 1990s raises questions about his commi1Dlent to "serious" literary endeavors, his involvement
with the 'IV documentary series "Indico" might intensify such question­
ing. Certainly it would seem that his television project might compro­
mise his thoughts on the decline of the novel, a topic he discusses in a
series of university lectures and an article published in 1991 (See "La
novela del sigl.o XX y el porvenir del genero" and "El declive de la novela").
In these talks he clearly expresses his concern for the impending death
of the novel in our contemporary video age, because of a fundamental
shift from a society of readers to one of spectators. It seems ironic,
therefore, that Goytisolo would tum to television as a creative medium.
However, I would argue that the model of complicitous critique that I
apply to his novelistic trajectory could also be applied here.
Works Cited
Hutcheon, Linda. T
Jay, Martin. Down
French Thougr
Marcos, Jose Mari
migratoria."' E
Montero, Rosa. "Ir.
Navajas, Gonzalo.
y cine espano~
Sanz Villanueva, S
18 (July 1987
- . "Dulces pero pc
30 Apr. 1988.
Smith, Paul. Disa
Sobejano-Mon'm, .
Goytisolo: La
(1991): 423-3:
"Sobre EsteLa (
Spires, Robert C.
Peninsulares 1
Valls, Fernando. "
Althusser, Louis. Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays. Trans. Ben
Brewster. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1971.
Chambers, Ross. RoomJor Maneuvers: Reading (the) Oppositional (in) Narra­
tive. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1991.
Conte, Rafael. "Sobre un excepcional discurso narrativo." El Pais 11 Mar.
1984.
de Lauretis, Teresa. Alice Doesn't: Feminism., Semiotics, Cinema. Bloomington:
Indiana UP, 1984.
-. Technologies oJGender: Essays on Theory, Film., and Fiction. Bloomington:
Indiana UP, 1987.
de Leon-Sotelo, Trinidad. "Luis Goytisolo cree que la novela tiene los dias
contados por falta de creadores." ABC 22 Jan. 1992.
Goytisolo, Luis. Entrevista con Luis Goytisolo. With Julio Ortega. El Cosmos
de Antagonia: Incursiones en La obra de Luis Goytisolo. Ed. Salvador
Clotas, Barcelona: Anagrama, 1984. 141-52.
Estela delfuego que se aleja. Barcelona: Anagrama, 1984. La paradoja del ave migratoria. Madrid: Alfaguara, 1987. "La novela del sigl.o XX y el porvenir del genero." Revista Canadiense de EstudiosHispanicos 15. 3 (1991) : 545-50. "El declive de la novela." Babelia 2 May 1992. Estatua con palomas. Barcelona: Destino, 1992. Mzungo. Barcelona: Mondadori, 1996. Indico II: impresiones de un viajero en un oceano de culturas. With Jesus Lillo. ABC 24 Nov. 1996. Placerlicuante. Madrid: Alfaguara, 1997. Helanan, Susan. "Subjects and Agents: The Question for Feminism." Pro­
voking Agents: Gender and Agency in Theory and Practice. Ed. Judith
Kegan Gardiner. U ofillinois P, 1995. 194-207.
Herzberger, David K. "La. paradoja del ave migratoria y la hermeneutica del
proceso literario." LaPagina 11-12 (1993): 97-104.
Terri M. Carney
501
ee Valls ("cBlanco 0 rojo?").
fiction in the 1990s raises questions
s" literary endeavors, his involvement
ndico" might intensify such question­
: his television project might compro­
of the novel, a topic he discusses in a
ill article published in 1991 (See "La
1genero" and "El declive de la novela").
; his concern for the impending death
video age, because of a fundamental
, one of spectators. It seems ironic,
rn to television as a creative medium.
model of complicitous critique that I
ould also be applied here.
Cited
Hutcheon, Linda. The Politics of Postrrwd.emism New York: Routledge, 1991.
Jay, Martin. Downcast Eyes: The Denigration of Vision in Twentieth-Century
French Thought. Berkeley: U of California P, 1993.
Marcos, Jose Maria. "Una fabula de Luis Goytisolo: 'La paradoja del ave
migratoria."' Barcarola26-27.2 (1988): 196-202.
Montero, Rosa. "Inmoral." El Pais 13 Feb. 200l. Navajas, Gonzalo. Mas alLa de laposmodemidad: estetica de /a nueva novela y cine espano/es. Barcelona: EUB, 1996.
Sanz Villanueva, Santos. "Subjetividad 0 generos." Republica de las Letras
18 (July 1987): 81-87 .
-. "Dulces pero poco utiles. La actualidad de la narrativa actual." Diario 16
30 Apr. 1988.
Smith , Paul. Discerning the Subject. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 1988.
Sobejano-Moran , Antonio. "La novela metafictiva antipoliciaca de Luis
Goytisolo: La paradoja del ave migratoria." Bulletin Hispanique 93.2
(1991) : 423-38.
"Sobre Estela de/fuego que se aleja." La Pagina 11-12 (1993): 89-96.
Spires, Robert C . "A Play of Difference: Fiction After Franco." Letras
PenirLSUlares 1, 3 (Winter 1988): 285-98.
Valls, Fernando. "cBlanco 0 rojo?" La Esfera 8 June 1996.
,hy and Other Essays. Trans. Ben
new Press, 1971.
: Reading (the) Oppositional (in) Narra­
1. discurso narrativo." El Pais 11 Mar. '!ism, SemiDtics, Cinema. Bloomington:
'heory, Film, and Fict:iDrL Bloomington:
;010 cree que la novela tiene los dias ABC 22 Jan. 1992. ytisolo. With Julio Ortega. El Cosmos ,bra de Luis Goytisolo. Ed. Salvador :4.141-52. ~lona: Anagrama, 1984. drid: Alfaguara, 1987. r del genero." Revista Canadiense de 545-50. May 1992. estino, 1992. ~96.
m un oceano de culturas. With Jesus
1997.
s: The Question for Feminism." Pro­
y in Theory and Practice. Ed. Judith
195. 194-207.
we migratoriay la hermeneutica del
(1993) : 97-104.
. Carney
Letras Peninsulares, Winter 2001-2002