Three Modes of National Allegory in Chilean Narratives of 1990s and 2000s

Abstract

This article defends national allegory as a relevant and meaningful way to read Chilean narratives written in the last two decades. First we discuss theoretical and critical arguments that deny validity to national identity in the postmodern and postdictatorial context. Then we revise the concept of national allegory proposed by Fredric Jameson in order to recover its interpretative possibilities and avoid its authoritarian impositions. Finally, we describe and illustrate three modes by which narratives of the period allegorize Chilean identity: national romance, allegory of social groups and allegory of temporality.