Restorative Memories, Subjugated Knowledge, and Tensions within Mercedes Cabello de Carbonera, Clorinda Matto de Turner and Virginia Gil de Hermoso’s Writings on War

Morales-Pino L.A. · Paginas (2022) · DOI: 10.35305/rp.v14i36.68036.677

Resumen

This paper analyzes the texts (narrative and essay) of three Latin American women writers from the turn of the century: Mercedes Cabello de Carbonera (Moquegua, 1845- Lima, 1909), Clorinda Matto de Turner (Cusco, 1852- Buenos Aires, 1909) and Virginia Gil de Hermoso (Coro, 1856-1912). Amid their differences, these works converge in the topic of war. Moreover, they shed light on subjugated knowledge that fosters alternative forms of heroism, while making feasible the political agency of subaltern subjects (women, indigenous peoples, and farmers) and the advent of counter normative masculinities. By doing so, they not only confront the patriarchal system, but also the hegemonic projects of nation and modernity, portrayed in these texts as decadent and failed. Thus, they pave the way for the articulation of restorative memories that resist and confront the hegemonic historical discourse, while promoting paths for these minorized groups’ transit into modernity. However, an intersectional reading of these texts, with their claims and vindications, also reveals the silences and tensions of their agendas. Delving into these problematics contributes to a critical perspective of women writings on war in the turn of the century.

Instituciones: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú