Antigonas: Writing from Latin America

The book "Antígonas: Writing from Latin America" is the first to approach classical reception through the study of one classical fragment in Latin America. It explores how fragments of Antigone's myth and tragedy have been persistently cannibalized and ruminated throughout South and Central America and the Caribbean, revealing an archive of political thought about Latin America's heterogeneous neo-colonial histories. By historicizing Antígona plays and interpreting them with a purpose to address specific colonial legacies, the book reveals how Antígona has ceased being Greek and instead tells stories of twentieth- and twenty-first-century Latin America.

Format: Hardback
Length: 480 pages
Publication date: 24 March 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Writing from Latin America is a groundbreaking work that delves into the intricate realm of classical reception through the lens of a single classical fragment's journey across Latin America. This interdisciplinary exploration encompasses comparative literature, Latin American studies, classical reception, history, feminist theory, political philosophy, and theatre history, offering a comprehensive analysis of the fragment's impact on various cultural and intellectual domains.

Tracing the persistent cannibalization and rumination of fragments from Antigone's myth and tragedy throughout South and Central America and the Caribbean since the early nineteenth century, Moira Fradinger reveals an invaluable archive of political thought about Latin America's diverse neo-colonial histories. Antígona, revered as a national mother, emerges as a powerful symbol of resistance and transformation, particularly as the twentieth century progresses. Through meticulous examination of classical culture in neocolonial contexts, Fradinger challenges traditional readings of Creole texts and explores innovative ways of decolonizing them. By historicizing Antígona plays and interpreting them with a specific focus on addressing colonial legacies, the book unveils how Antígona has transcended its Greek origins and become a vehicle for storytelling about twentieth- and twenty-first-century Latin America.

Antígona reimagines the paradigms through which we comprehend the presence of ancient cultural materials in former colonial territories, while also shedding light on an understudied continent in Anglophone reception studies. This book is a vital contribution to the field, offering a fresh perspective on classical reception and challenging readers to reevaluate their understanding of cultural exchange and heritage in Latin America.

Weight: 734g
Dimension: 222 x 144 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192897091