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Imagining Argentina
Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo
“Imagining Argentina” by Lawrence Thornton is a novel set in the 1970s in Buenos Aires. This was the time of the Dirty War when thousands of Argentines disappeared into prison cells and detention centers under the dictatorship. Representing the traumatic stories of many Argentines in the 1970s, the protagonist, Carlos Rueda, experiences the disappearance of a loved one—his wife. Although the story is based on the dark realities of the past, it is a novel with a fictional twist; Carlos Rueda discovers he has a magical power to see visions of the fates of those who have disappeared from their families, but the only fate that he cannot see through his visions is the fate of his own wife.
I really enjoyed this novel because it is very well written, powerful and inspirational. I was impressed by how Thornton managed to create a story thatemphasized the hopeful and the magical even despite all of the human evil within the Dirty War (the disappearances, the torturings, the killings). The novel highlighted the power of the human spirit and I felt that it very well captured my perception of Buenos Aires today. Living here, I am reminded every day about the disappearances that happened in the 1970s. I have noticed that the painful events of the Dirty War still linger within the city of Buenos Aires in so many ways. For example, The ESMA, which is one of the detention centers where the “disappeared” were tortured and imprisoned, literally exists amidst the city life of Buenos Aires. When I visited the ESMA, I expected it to be isolated and was shocked to see that is surrounded by apartments and main roads. Clearly visible, it is a constant reminder of the tragedies.
In many other ways I have witnessed how Argentina is still feeling the effects of its dark past. Relatives of those who disappeared are always telling their stories through the media, and the newspapers still publish stories concerning the injustices. Every Thursday, an organization of mothers whose children “disappeared” symbolically gather at the Plaza de Mayo to protest. For over three decades, these mothers have fought for the right to re-unite with their abducted children. As I read “Imagining Argentina”, the hope and the inspiration of Carlos Ruedo’s story reminded me of the persistence of these mothers, as well as the numerous other organizations and advocates in Buenos Aires still demanding justice. To me, the struggles and the magic of Carlos captured the essence of Buenos Aires. In terms of human rights, Buenos Aires has a tainted past and a difficult present. Yet Buenos Aires is special because the people who live here seem to have an enduring, powerful, and inspirational spirit.
the past
Argentina, like the Czech Republic where I am studying abroad, has gone through many political upheavals in the past century. I mean, many countries around the world have gone through enormous changes. Reading through your post I was really struck by your last paragraph, and how the past problems seep into the present consciousness of a place. I wonder if those affects are really so strong, or if it is merely us foreigners imagining them on the public. For example, many people who come to Prague say that it's easy to see how Communism has affected people even today. They say that (for example) the reason why people are quiet on the train is because of communism. I find this somewhat hard to believe. Perhaps there are things that are simply part of a culture, not necessarily the remainders of a political problem. It's easy to simplify things from the outside.
It is very interesting to see
It is very interesting to see how the historic reminiscences stay in places. I have never been to Argentina but I can see how you were chocked when you went to see the ESMA. In the United States it would have been given a different treatment but in Latin American countries people live very differently. In Colombia, people are always living with all of the reminders of a war that has been going on for the past thirty years. People are constantly reminded of such and it is as if they have become insensible to all. Some others who fight for justice and understand the situation live on the edge but they still live with courage and hope.