Los que se van
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Language | Spanish |
| Series | Sherlock Holmes |
| Genre | |
| Publisher | Zea y Paladines |
Publication date | 1930 |
| Publication place | Ecuador |
Los que se van is a collection of short stories published in 1930 by Ecuadorian writers Demetrio Aguilera Malta, Joaquín Gallegos Lara, and Enrique Gil Gilbert, members of the so-called Guayaquil Group. The work is considered the most famous short story collection in Ecuadorian literature,[1] and marked a definitive break with the costumbrista literature that had previously dominated the national literary scene.[2]
The collection contains 24 short stories depicting the lives of coastal Ecuadorian peasants. Set in the rural areas of Ecuador's coast, the stories explore the daily struggles of characters who represent the montubio and cholo populations, highlighting their poverty and interactions with family and the land.
The book was published in 1930 by Zea y Paladines in Guayaquil.[2] Upon release, it was met with strong criticism from conservative literary circles, who objected to its crude language and the perceived exaggeration in its narratives. The authors were accused of trying to create international scandal and tarnish the country's image by portraying characters driven by lust, alcohol, or jealousy.[3]
Style and themes
[edit]Los que se van is noted for its use of language, narrative techniques, and thematic focus, which marked a departure from costumbrismo that dominated Ecuadorian literature in the 19th and early 20th centuries.[4][5] The work is widely recognized as a precursor to Latin American social realism[5] and magical realism.[6] The stories in Los que se van are written within the framework of literary realism, a movement that sought to portray social reality through literature. They employ several hallmarks of the realist style, including colloquial language, vivid depictions of everyday life, social critique of marginalized communities, and the use of archetypal characters to represent collective experiences.[2]
The stories in the collection are characterized by their use of colloquial language and an emphasis on oral expression. The authors incorporate regional dialects of cholos and montubios,[6] reproducing phonetic features such as metaplasms (e.g. desgraciao for desgraciado, naide for nadie) to reflect authentic speech.[6][7] Themes vary across the authors, though unfulfilled desire appears as a central motif throughout the collection. Demetrio Aguilera Malta's stories frequently center on protagonists driven by desire and often include scenes of rape and murder in markedly machista settings.[2] Joaquín Gallegos Lara focuses more on superstition and idealized portrayals of nature, although lust also motivates many of his characters.[2] Enrique Gil Gilbert employs more lyrical language, with some stories exploring the nature of evil and death; the theme of the woman as an unattainable object is also recurrent in his work.[2]
Publication sequence
[edit]The collection comprises 24 stories: 8 by each author.[2]
| Story | Author |
|---|---|
| El malo | Enrique Gil Gilbert |
| El guaraguao | Joaquín Gallegos Lara |
| El cholo que odió la plata | Demetrio Aguilera Malta |
| Er sí, ella no | Joaquín Gallegos Lara |
| El cholo de la atacosa | Demetrio Aguilera Malta |
| Por guardar el secreto | Enrique Gil Gilbert |
| El cholo del cuerito e venao | Demetrio Aguilera Malta |
| La blanca de los ojos de color de luna | Enrique Gil Gilbert |
| ¡Era la mama! | Joaquín Gallegos Lara |
| El cholo del tribón | Demetrio Aguilera Malta |
| Lo que son las cosas | Enrique Gil Gilbert |
| Cuando parió la zamba | Joaquín Gallegos Lara |
| Juan der diablo | Enrique Gil Gilbert |
| El tabacazo | Joaquín Gallegos Lara |
| El cholo que se vengó | Demetrio Aguilera Malta |
| Los madereros | Joaquín Gallegos Lara |
| El cholo que se fue pa Guayaquil | Demetrio Aguilera Malta |
| Montaña adentro | Enrique Gil Gilbert |
| Al subir el aguaje | Joaquín Gallegos Lara |
| Tren | Enrique Gil Gilbert |
| El cholo de las patas e mulas | Demetrio Aguilera Malta |
| Mardecido "llanto" | Enrique Gil Gilbert |
| El cholo que se castró | Demetrio Aguilera Malta |
| La salvaje | Joaquín Gallegos Lara |
References
[edit]- ^ Foster, David William, ed. (2015). Handbook of Latin American literature. Routledge Revivals. Abingdon, Oxon New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-51825-9.
- ^ a b c d e f g Rodríguez, Juan Manuel (2008). Información estética en el relato (PDF). Ediciones Ciespal. p. 149. ISBN 978-9978550687. OCLC 263162198. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ^ Adoum, Jorge Enrique (1980). Narradores ecuatorianos del 30. Caracas: Biblioteca Ayacucho. p. XIX. ISBN 8466000631. OCLC 14001492. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- ^ Sánchez, Luis Felipe (2012). Semiótica pictórica en la novela Don Goyo de Demetrio Aguilera Malta (PDF) (Thesis). Quito: Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ a b Alcívar, Vergara; Antonio, Juan (2003). "Sustratos de oralidad en la escritura de la cultura popular: un análisis de Los que se van desde los estudios culturales" (PDF) (in Spanish). Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Sede Ecuador. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ a b c Barrera, María Helena (2009). "Demetrio Aguilera-Malta: Los que se van: inicios y retornos" (PDF). Kipus (25). Quito: Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar: 141–144. ISSN 1390-0102. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ Sánchez, Verdugo; Pilar, Doris (20 November 2024). "Lengua y habla de los montubios y cholos en Los que se van de Enrique Gil Gilbert, Joaquín Gallegos Lara y Demetrio Aguilera Malt" (PDF) (in Spanish). Riobamba, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo. Retrieved 25 June 2025.