Jorge Icaza Coronel
Encyclopedia
Jorge Icaza Coronel was a writer
from Ecuador
, best known for his novel Huasipungo, which brought attention to the exploitation of Ecuador's Native American
s by Ecuadorian whites
.
novel, a movement in Latin American literature
that preceded Magical Realism
and emphasized brutal realism
. Fragments of the book first appeared in English translation in Russia
, where it was welcomed enthusiastically by Russia's peasant socialist class. Jorge Icaza was later appointed Ecuador's ambassador
to Russia.
The first complete edition of Huasipungo was first translated into the English language
in 1962 by Mervyn Savill and published in England
by Dennis Dobson Ltd. An "authorized" translation appeared in 1964 by Bernard H. Dulsey, and was published in 1964 by Southern Illinois University
Press in Carbondale, IL as "The Villagers".
His other books include Sierra in 1933, En las calles in 1936, Cholos in 1938, Media vida deslumbrados in 1942, Huayrapamushcas in 1948, Seis relatos 1952, El chulla Romero y Flores in 1958, and Atrapados, which was published in 1973. Although the latter two books are recognized as Jorge Icaza’s greatest literary achievements by experts (such as Theodore Alan Sackett), Huasipungo continues to be Icaza’s most popular book and has been translated to over 40 languages.
and his Grapes of Wrath
from 1939, as both are works of social protest. Besides the first edition of 1934, Huasipungo went through two more editions or complete rewritings in Spanish, 1934, 1953, 1960, the first of which was difficult for even natives of other Hispanic countries to read and the last the definitive version. This makes it difficult for the readers to ascertain which version they are reading.
Besides being an "indigenista" novel, Huasipungo has also been considered a proletarian novel
, and that is because Latin America had to substitute the Indians for the European working class as a model or character of proletarian literature
.
Icaza became internationally popular based upon his publications, and was invited to many college
s in the United States to give lectures on the problems of Native Americans in Ecuador.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
from Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, best known for his novel Huasipungo, which brought attention to the exploitation of Ecuador's Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s by Ecuadorian whites
White Latin American
White Latin Americans are the people of Latin America who are white in the racial classification systems used in individual Latin American countries. Persons who are classified as White in one Latin American country may be classified differently in another country...
.
Playwright
Jorge Icaza’s literary career began as a playwright. His plays include El Intruso in 1928, La Comedia sin Nombre in 1929, Cuál es in 1931, Sin Sentido in 1932, and Flagelo, which was published in 1936. After his 1933 playscript, El Dictador, was censured, Icaza turned his attention to writing novels about the social conditions in Ecuador, particularly the oppression suffered by its indigenous people.Novelist
With the publication of Huasipungo in 1934, Jorge Icaza Coronel achieved international fame. The book became a well-known "Indigenist"Indigenismo
Indigenismo is a Latin American idea and movement pressing for a greater social and political role for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, and the revindication of indigenous rights and including compensation for past wrongdoings of the colonial and republican states...
novel, a movement in Latin American literature
Latin American literature
Latin American literature consists of the oral and written literature of Latin America in several languages, particularly in Spanish, Portuguese, and indigenous languages of the Americas. It rose to particular prominence globally during the second half of the 20th century, largely due to the...
that preceded Magical Realism
Magic realism
Magic realism or magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical elements blend with the real world. The story explains these magical elements as real occurrences, presented in a straightforward manner that places the "real" and the "fantastic" in the same stream of...
and emphasized brutal realism
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
. Fragments of the book first appeared in English translation in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, where it was welcomed enthusiastically by Russia's peasant socialist class. Jorge Icaza was later appointed Ecuador's ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Russia.
The first complete edition of Huasipungo was first translated into the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in 1962 by Mervyn Savill and published in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
by Dennis Dobson Ltd. An "authorized" translation appeared in 1964 by Bernard H. Dulsey, and was published in 1964 by Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
Press in Carbondale, IL as "The Villagers".
His other books include Sierra in 1933, En las calles in 1936, Cholos in 1938, Media vida deslumbrados in 1942, Huayrapamushcas in 1948, Seis relatos 1952, El chulla Romero y Flores in 1958, and Atrapados, which was published in 1973. Although the latter two books are recognized as Jorge Icaza’s greatest literary achievements by experts (such as Theodore Alan Sackett), Huasipungo continues to be Icaza’s most popular book and has been translated to over 40 languages.
Impact
Jorge Icaza and Huasipungo are often compared to John SteinbeckJohn Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
and his Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath is a novel published in 1939 and written by John Steinbeck, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962....
from 1939, as both are works of social protest. Besides the first edition of 1934, Huasipungo went through two more editions or complete rewritings in Spanish, 1934, 1953, 1960, the first of which was difficult for even natives of other Hispanic countries to read and the last the definitive version. This makes it difficult for the readers to ascertain which version they are reading.
Besides being an "indigenista" novel, Huasipungo has also been considered a proletarian novel
Proletarian novel
Proletarian literature was centered on poor, working-class individuals, and was written during the period of 1930 to 1945. The adjective "proletarian" comes from the Latin words "prole , and , and is a term used to identify an individual of a lower social class identity. Often the group is...
, and that is because Latin America had to substitute the Indians for the European working class as a model or character of proletarian literature
Proletarian literature
Proletarian literature refers to the literature created by working-class writers for the class-conscious proletariat, published by the communist parties. It was a literature without literary pretensions....
.
Icaza became internationally popular based upon his publications, and was invited to many college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s in the United States to give lectures on the problems of Native Americans in Ecuador.
Further reading
- Social protest and literary merit in Huasipungo and El mundo es ancho y ajeno / Armando González-Pérez., 1988
- Three Spanish American novelists a European view / Cyril A Jones., 1967
- The Ecuadorian Indian and cholo in the novels of Jorge Icaza; their lot and language / Anthony Joseph Vetrano., 1974
- Reevaluation of Jorge Icaza's Huasipungo / Edwin S Baxter., 1979