On the Polemics of Possession in Spanish American Narrative
Adorno, Rolena. The Polemics of Possession in Spanish American Narrative. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014. pp. 448. Paperback.
This is familiar ground for those who’ve read a bit about the debates between Bartolomé de las Casas and Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda before, as well as about the writings of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and the story of Cabeza de Vaca. Adorno’s big contribution is to show us that the same themes that were so heavily discussed in the 16th century about space and control over territory (and conquest) continue to predominate in Latin America literature.
The book is more literary studies than history, so I’m not the intended audience. Literary studies, to me, is dense and confusing, but I’m sure other readers will find it far more valuable than I did.