Luisa Etxenike's Trilogy on Terrorism

Abstract

This article discusses the themes of the three novels of Luisa Etxenike: El ángulo ciego (Blind Spot, 2009), Absoluta presencia (Absolute Presence, 2018), and Aves del Paraíso (Birds of Paradise, 2019). The novels form a trilogy on ETA terrorism, and each novel is dedicated to a different emotion caused by this violence: fear, guilt, and shame. In her novels Etxenike moves away from the portrayal of terrorists and toward portrayal of the victims. She approaches the theme of ETA violence and of social fragmentation and suffering it has caused emphasizing the culture of blame and fear that this violence instills in its survivors. She structures her novels on a central axis, moral questioning. Each novel is a reflection on the consequences of terrorism in the life of its victims.