Review

Reviewed Work(s): Anlisis morfolgico de veinte cuentos de magia de la tradicin oral

chilena: Aplicacin y discusin del mtodo de Vladimir Propp by Carlos Foresti
Review by: Ken Fleak
Source: Hispania, Vol. 70, No. 1 (Mar., 1987), pp. 96-97
Published by: American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/343667
Accessed: 09-02-2017 06:14 UTC

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96 HISPANIA 70 MARCH 1987

then proceed
training in Latin American or Spanish history andto propose principles for resolving
most have not read, except perhaps inthesecolegio andHis observations relate principally
problems.
for very different ideological purposes,to the
Propp's use of the term "function." He identifies
works
seven nor
of the colonial canon. Neither Vidal's book, basic any
problems that he associated with the
other single tome, can bridge this gapneedin to elaborate a more precise definition. Each
prepara-
tion, so teacher and student will needconstitutes
to worka subdivision
to of the introductory chap-
ter: the function
overcome it not merely through, but alongside, the as sequence, the function as con-
use of the three essays. While the chapters
sequence, theare
function as abstraction, the function
not overly burdened with footnotes, a bibliography
and quantity of functions, function and assimilation,
of basic works would be most helpful. This would
function and unalterability of location, and function
be of much value in the case of authors, and character.
such as
the indigenous American writers, whom Through his use of specific examples from the
students
story "El gran jugador," Foresti creates a new vari-
might be hearing about for the first time.
Overall, Socio-historia de la literatura colonial
ation is
in the understanding of a function by further
a provocative series of essays with extending
substantial the theory to include the possibility of
microsequences.
pedagogical potential. This is a work that a student Foresti's study gains even greater
might best read as culmination, rather significance
than as because
in- of the frequent references to
troduction, to studies in the literary other critics such
culture of as Paul Larivaille and Roland
colonial Latin America. Barthes. Another nebulous area for Foresti is the
Rolena Adorno distinction between the action itself and a mere
Ohio State University consequence of the action. Therefore, Foresti's
concept envisions a function as an action, a series
Foresti, Carlos. Andlisis morfol6gico de veinte of actions (a microsequence), or a consequence of
cuentos de magia de la tradici6n oral chilena:an action.
Aplicaci6n y discusi6n del metodo de Vladimir Foresti also emphasizes Propp's failure to see
Propp. G6teborg, Sweden: Romanica Gotho- the causal relationship between the functions and
burgensia, 1985. 179 pp. actions. He cannot accept the unalterability in the
Andlisis morfol6gico de veinte cuentos de magia de ordering of the functions as valid. His chart that
la tradici6n oral chilena is a critical study by Carlos compares Propp's thirty-one functions is reduced
Foresti based on the method employed by Vladimir to twenty to show the arbitrary nature of the
Propp in the Soviet Union in 1928, as applied toRussian's method of selection. As an example, Fo-
his own research on the morphological singularitiesresti cites from the story "El Tidr6n" to illustrate
of the "cuento de magia." Although Propp's studythat the previous designation of two functions (com-
was relatively unknown until its translation to En- bat and victory) may be further reduced to one
glish in 1958, it was accepted enthusiastically by function (the elimination of the aggressor).
the structuralist school of criticism. Because Car- In the second chapter, Foresti presents his own
los Foresti found that Propp's theory was adheredproposals for a new concept which offers a system
to by the majority of writers and critics, he sub-of hierarchical arrangement. Here again, his ac-
mitted a collection of twenty "cuentos de magia"ceptance of the general outline of Propp's theory
that he had gathered between 1968-1973 from theas a guideline is evident. Using the two contrasting
rural areas of Chile to a similar analysis. poles of villainy and elimination of the misdeed,
Foresti divides his study into five parts. In theForesti offers a more detailed scheme in which
first section, "Algunas consideraciones sobre el there are three basic divisions in the concept of a
metodo de Propp," he shows that his purpose isfunction: Crisis (Cr), Solution (S), and Anticrisis
not merely to describe Propp's method, but also (Acr). Additional functions result from the basic
to search for a more complete understanding of concept in a relationship of causality, and these are
this particular genre of fiction. The Russian critic's classified as functions of expansion. Foresti pro-
basic contention is that the short story has bothceeds to break these down more specifically ac-
constant and variable values, the former beingcording to their location as preparatory (before the
formed by its actions or functions and the latterCr), intermediate (between the Cr and the Acr),
by the characters and their attributes. Proppand those of the conclusion (after the Acr). While
further limits the number of functions to thirty-one.creating his own theory, Foresti maintains Propp's
While Foresti recognizes Propp's effort to improve identification of the functions of a story in an inter-
on earlier works that fail to observe the minimal mediate plane by designating them alofunciones
and invariable elements of the "cuento de magia,"because they belong in the first level of abstraction.
he does not hesitate to indicate the need for greaterForesti ends by establishing three levels of descrip-
precision and an adjustment in the appreciation oftion: the functions and the alofunciones, both
the critical terminology known as a function. abstract, and the actualizations, a concrete desig-
Foresti's contribution must then be seen from a nation.
double angle: he wishes to point out the insufficient The third chapter presents a practical applica-
nature of certain elements of Propp's method andtion of his elaboration of Propp's method by using

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 REVIEWS 97

the three levels of actualization, alofunction, nos juiciosanddiscutibles, como la consideraci6n de

function to analyze the twenty stories of Cuentos
Week-End en Guatemala como novela; y la adici6n
de la tradicidn oral chilena. He begins with a ade-
de fichas la bibliografia final.
tailed critique of "El gran jugador," with No a list of las lineas fundamentales del estu-
obstante,
the actions (in an appendix at the end of dio these book),
mantienen. Se trata de una historia critica
the alofunctions (Propp's functions), and donde the newly
el autor destaca representantes guatemalte-
created functions of his own model. Although cos de cada heetapa en el desarrollo de la novela
eliminates the list of the actions for thehispanoamericana
remaining y analiza criticamente su produc-
nineteen stories, Foresti continues to ci6n. develop
Menton a pone especial enfasis en la contribu-
useful analysis of the other two elements for
ci6n queeach
hace cada uno al desarrollo del genero en
story. Readers and critics should find this section
el pais, el valor literario de las obras y las caracte-
valuable because they are able to see risticas Foresti'sque las vinculan a la realidad nacional. Tam-
theory in practice, and he always concludes the
bien se mantiene la definici6n previa del genero
treatment of each story with a chart that segiunclearly
la cual la novela tiene que "1) tratar de un
illustrates the final scheme for both the Foresti asunto fingido, cuando menos en parte; 2) intentar
functions and the Propp alofunctions. causar placer estetico; 3) tener una trama comple-
The fourth chapter presents a brief summary ja; y 4) ser escrita como novela" (9). Esta defini-
prior to the conclusions. Here he reiterates the ci6n, que se ajusta muy bien a la novela tradicional,
lack of precision in the limitations of Propp's func- resulta a veces problemaitica, sobre todo frente a
tions, the rigidity of Propp's theory that establishes algunos innovadores y experimentales que son ca-
thirty-one functions in an invariable order, and the racteristicos de una novelistica que, el propio autor
lack of a hierarchical arrangement. certeramente sefiala, suele ser "irreverente"
In the fifth chapter, Foresti outlines seven con- frente a las "normas" del g6nero. Aclaremos, sin
clusions about Propp's method. We find this section embargo, que esto no afecta el anailisis de la mayor
important because the author presents a short and parte de las novelas.
precise account of the major theories he developed En el primer capitulo, Menton destaca la impor-
in the initial two chapters. Other valuable sections tancia de Antonio Jose de Irisarri como precursor
at the end of the work are the bibliography, the por sus obras narrativas: El cristiano errante (1847)
summary in English, and the appendix with a list e Historia del perinclito Epaminondas del Cauca
of abbreviations for Propp's functions. (1863). Pese a que no las considera novelas (opini6n
Carlos Foresti has made a definite contribution discutible, sobre todo en el caso de la segunda),
to the critical appreciation of the "cuento de magia," las analiza con acierto y pone de relieve la actitud
which has achieved steady recognition in Chile satirica y el sentido luidico del lenguaje, elementos
since the early years of the twentieth century. que reaparecerin en la novela guatemalteca poste-
Through his recent study, the critic gains a better rior. El segundo capitulo sigue siendo un excelente
understanding of the application of a more elab- estudio introductorio de Jose Milla como novelista.
orate morphological method of analysis without dis- Menton lo considera el verdadero fundador de la
carding the basic tenets of Vladmir Propp's ap- novelistica de su pais y el primer hispanoamericano
proach. en cultivar sistemaiticamente la novela hist6rica.
Ken Fleak Observa su progreso en el cultivo de este subge-
Kansas State University nero, la renovaci6n que se opera en sus tiltimas
novelas, que apuntan hacia el realismo, y pone de
Menton, Seymour. Historia critica de la no-relieve su maestria como narrador.
vela guatemalteca. Second edition. Guatemala: El panorama se complica a fines del siglo XIX.
Editorial Universitaria de Guatemala, 1985. 420Surgen mis novelas y novelistas y coinciden diver-
pp. sas tendencias: realismo, romanticismo y natura-
La primera edici6n de este trabajo en 1960 signific6 lismo. Menton destaca los autores y las obras mais
una aportaci6n fundamental al estudio de la novela representativas para concluir que, si bien ninguna
guatemalteca e hispanoamericana. En esta se- sobresale mucho por su calidad artistica, poseen
gunda edici6n Menton ha revisado su libro anterior, un valor hist6rico indudable ya que afianzan la tra-
ya agotado, y lo ha puesto al dia con un valiosisimo dici6n novelistica nacional e inician temas de gran
capitulo sobre la novela actual. Las revisiones son relevancia. Algo muy parecido afirma con relaci6n
de diversa naturaleza: pequefios, pero significati- a la producci6n modernista, aunque reconoce que
vos cambios en los titulos de algunos capitulos; los autores modernistas poseen mayor conciencia
correcci6n o eliminaci6n de unos pocos detalles artistica y sus obras son, en general, superiores
incorrectos, como la afirmaci6n de que El cristiano e innovadoras en tecnica y estilo. En este sentido
errante estai narrado en primera persona; adicio- se destaca la labor de G6mez Carrillo que incorpora
nes, en el caso de autores como Monteforte Toledo el cosmopolitismo y el estilo artistico refinado en
y Asturias que publicaron mis novelas despues del sus cuatro novelas. Mis afincado en lo centroame-
1960; eliminaci6n de algunos breves pasajes que ricano, Miximo Soto Hall se distingue por sus in-
ya no son pertinentes; mayor matizaci6n de algu- tentos de aplicar la est~tica modernista al escenario

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