Conflicting ecologies: an ecocritical analysis of Argueda's "Agua"

Résumé fourni par la source

With relatively recent boom in ecocritical studies in field of Latin American literature, increasing attention has been given to identifying the roots of our environmental/social problems [...] to achieve a fundamental ecological transformation of our sociocultural systems, collective actions and lifestyles (Kane 38). Certainly, twentieth-century Peruvian author Jose Maria Arguedas is known for addressing complex race relations, cultural intersections and often, tense relations between mestizo and indigenous inhabitants, emphasizing unequal and antagonistic nature of transculturation. This is true of collection of short stories, which broaches topics of social injustice in power struggle between property owners and peasant workers, specifically presenting forms of resistance by indigenous worker to semi-feudal system of hacienda. However, little attention has been given to portrayal by Arguedas of abusive or destructive relationship between humans and environment which sustains them. In her discussion of Anibal Quijano's coloniality of power as it relates to environmental topics, Jennifer French has suggested importance of reevaluating texts through an ecocritical lens with hopes of unearthing alternative environmental imaginings to replace destructive practices instilled initially during conquest (Voices 158).' In short story Agua, Arguedas examines requisition of elemental resources by powerful landowner in order to expose negative effects of primitive accumulation in both causing social injustice and environmental degradation. By expanding notion of coloniality of power to include profound implication of ecology, Arguedas's short story can be perceived as not only critiquing relationship between land owner and indigenous communities but also as calling for a revision of relations between human and non-human environment in favor of more sustainable modes of dwelling with land.

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