Frames of the memory: Cartography and Genealogy in Martina Barros’ and Inés Echeverria’s Text

Abstract

The article enquires the memoires of two Chilean writers of late XIX century: Martina Barros and Inés Echeverría, whose texts were just published in the middle of the XX century. Due to their condition asfemale members of the conservative high class the reception of their memoires in literary history was a complex issue. Revisiting this sort of texts leads to a reflection on the relationship among memoir texts in general and power (according to Leonidas Morales), and other problems such as gender discrimination and the women’s integration in national republican memory. The study scopes the network created by both memoir writers as starting point in order to observe, to move, to discuss (or prefer to remain silent) on issues men do not have access to. In doing so, they draw cartographies and inheritances that set them up as authorized voices of their social class.