SPAN 44 Lecture 8: Week 8_ A Revolutionary Decade_ 1960 and the rise of the new left
A Revouitionary Decade
1960 and the rise of the new left
● Cuban revolution breaking point that influenced the political and cultural life of Latin Americans
● Progressive radicalization of society after the Cuban revolution→ shift of different sectors of society;
workers and students especially and how this political shift affected cultural production
● Nueva Cancion → (New Song) influence of Cuban revolution on the left-shift of the Latin American
youth during 1960s
The “Masses” enter the picture; emergence of the masses as a new political player
● Progressive incoroporation of wider sectors of society (the masses vs. the elite) to political, military,
economic and culturla processes across the continent
○ Transformation of the Mexican Revolution (1920)
○ Trasnformation of populist regimes→ Peronismo (Argentina, since 1945)
○ Transformation of the Cuban Revolution (since 1959)
● Argentina under Juan Domingo Peron and Eva Peron (“Evita”): the “Peronismo”
○ Member of the military, becomes present in 1945 (-1955)
○ Eva Peron, a charismatic leader for the people
○ Strong support of urban and rural workers, trade unions, women, lower sectors of society
○ Strong rejection from traditional elites (estancieros or big landowners, etc.)
○ Origin of Argentine welfare state
■ Protection of underemployed, women, children, elderly people
● Incredibly effective orators; public speeches and radio broadcasting as new, MASSIVE forms of
communication and mobilization
○ The Peron couple using public speaking as means as direct communication with their followers
■ Before, the presidency would address other politicians: congressmen, etc.
■ Politicians wanting expand discourse, speaking DIRECTLY to the people!
Julio Cortazar: “House Taken Over’ (“Casa Tomada”)
● Member of the Latin American Boom: known for huge production of short stories
● “Casa Tomada” originally published in 1046 in a literary magazine
● Then included in the short-story collection bestiario (1951)
● Master of the “Fantastic” genre
○ Fictional world with two planes: real and fantastic
○ Real world (rational, logic, knowledge)
○ The “fantastic” (rrational, supernatural, does not follow logical rules) (strange things happen!)
○ A fantastic event impacts (and disrupts) the narrative (real) world
○ Unsettles the “common sense” of reader
● What is the “fantastic event” in the short story?
○ Their house is taken over by somebody
● The space: in a farmhouse
○ “We liked the house because it was old and spacious… great hollow, silent house”
○ The section that faced towards Rodriqguez Pena (street in Buenos Aires-in very posh
neighborhoods in the city)
○ I found that the drawer replete with mothballs… amid a great smell of camphor
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
1960 and the rise of the new left. Cuban revolution breaking point that influenced the political and cultural life of latin americans. The masses enter the picture; emergence of the masses as a new political player. Progressive incoroporation of wider sectors of society (the masses vs. the elite) to political, military, economic and culturla processes across the continent. Trasnformation of (cid:3247)populist(cid:3248) regimes peronismo (argentina, since 1945) Transformation of the cuban revolution (since 1959) Argentina under juan domingo peron and eva peron ( evita ): the peronismo . Member of the military, becomes present in 1945 (-1955) Eva peron, a charismatic leader for the people. Strong support of urban and rural workers, trade unions, women, lower sectors of society. Strong rejection from traditional elites (estancieros or big landowners, etc. ) Protection of underemployed, women, children, elderly people. Incredibly effective orators; public speeches and radio broadcasting as new, massive forms of communication and mobilization.
