Week Ten: A Recollection of Advancement in Bolano’s “Amulet”
by samuel wallace
Roberto Bolano’s “Amulet” is a unique tale which, in its focus on character development in a time of political violence, makes a more potent statement about human perseverance. The perspective is the student Lacouture hiding in the bathroom of UNAM from the army coming to crush the student protest movement. On the surface, it appears to be the most common tale of Latin America: one involving injustice and suppression of the masses. Yet in the creative choice to tell the tale almost completely through memory, one can draw a parallel between many of the other texts covered in this course.
A scene which struck me was, curiously, one set in the present. While in the bathroom stall, a soldier enters and Lacouture is forced to raise her legs. She compares the instinctive act to “as if [she] was about to give birth,” before adding, “in a sense, in effect, I was preparing to deliver something and to be delivered myself” (pg. 29). The deliverance she speaks of can only be viewed as being the sole witness to military occupation. In this way, she sees her survival as giving birth to an even more meaningful movement than the one being crushed. Furthermore, her description of being delivered can either be viewed as a live figurehead, or dead martyr.
This political undertone felt under duress encompasses most of the book. Equally prevalent is the usage of hallucination–wherein poetic metaphors often describe a growing movement— to escape harsh reality. One example is when Lacouture believes she is being wheeled into a hospital. When asking in a frantic tone if she is pregnant, the doctor responds, “No, ma’am, we’re just taking you to attend the birth of History” (pg. 152).
By placing an emphasis on memory as a spearhead for revolution, “Amulet” shares its structure with other texts from the Romance World. Although many are not overtly political, there is something to be said for what the defiance of literary convention and structure—whether through a use of memory or a discarding of plot altogether—truly captures. Perhaps some authors seek to make progress by shocking readers with a flagrant decrying of social norms where others are simply trying something new in their medium. Like all great art, I find the interpretation of message is often up to the spectator.
Overall, I enjoyed reading “Amulet.” I was left pondering: does simply surviving a traumatic event start a collective movement? Or does one need to become a sole figurehead, or a martyr if necessary, to rally the masses?
I enjoyed reading your interpretations Samuel! Especially, the point regarding the relevance of hallucinations that underlies the political themes – I agree Auxillo’s “hallucinations” are a powerful literary tool to explore the intimate thoughts and reactions of immigrants in Mexico in the context of a traumatic political event.
I think all the most successful revolutions or movements have elements of both trauma-bonding and some sort of charismatic leader and/or heroic martyr. I’m not sure as to what answer I have for your question, but I thought the prompt itself was interesting and well-written.
I also really enjoyed Amulet and think that trauma and abuse is often a first step in the path towards revolution but it requires further visible action for revolution to truly take hold.
I think surviving a traumatic event can definitely be enough to start a movement. For instance, the survivors of the MSD shooting were able to start the Never Again movement.
Hi Samuel, thanks for your blogpost I definitely enjoyed reading your analysis. I think that the former question is definitely what happens in major protest and political movements, especially in the case of the shootings against students during the Dirty War in Mexico, where there were multiple local student leaders who organized protest against the societal repression from the PRI.
Hi! Great post! You have highlighted some interesting points and have done an intriguing analysis. I certainly think surviving a traumatic event can provide considerable motivation to start a successful movement.
Wonderful post!
“On the surface, it appears to be the most common tale of Latin America: one involving injustice and suppression of the masses.”
I like this observation. So many texts we have engaged me tell these stories that have taken-for-granted contexts- and yet through dreams, memories, mundane experiences, we understand the intricate details of everyday life.