Fragmented narratives and languages of power

Abstract

The multiple, cyclical, and fragmented narratives in the novels of Mercedes Valdivieso and Gustavo Frías are the focus of this chapter. It is argued that by creating such narratives, the authors construct what Homi K. Bhabha denotes as a ‘third space’ which facilitates hybridity, destablising fixed notions of identities that the patriarchal and colonial hierarchies seek to perpetuate. This is complemented by a discussion of the power dynamics in the colonial society that are simultaneously undermined and reinforced through the use and perceived prestige of languages.