Mezi metaforou a ironií - Obraz mexické společnosti v díle Octavia Paze a Carlose Monsiváise – Riebová Markéta (2014)

Is a more significant all-encompassing metaphor of the whole or an ironic gloss on the individual more serious for mediating historical experience? Should it take the form of a finished poem, whose wit the reader fully accepts, or of textual fragments that the reader must piece together into a whole by their own efforts? Mexican literature of the 20th century has masterfully explored this Aristotelian theme through the works of Octavio Paz and Carlos Monsiváis. Two prominent figures in Mexican intellectual life – the poet and essayist Paz and the journalist and literary chronicler Monsiváis – have significantly influenced Hispanic American culture through their work and public appearances, providing general stimuli for the interpretation of Western critical thought and humanism. Through an analysis of the literary portrayal of the pivotal year 1968, the interpretation of symbols in Mexican culture, the analysis of chosen genres, and reflections on the position of the writer in society, this comparative study of selected texts by both authors aims to bring Mexican society of the last century closer to the Czech reader while also drawing attention to surprising overlaps in understanding the recent history of our country.