SARCASM, IRONY AND NARRATION: ANALISIS OF A SCENE FROM THE STORY «EL CAMPEÓN DE LA MUERTE» BY ENRIQUE LÓPEZ ALBÚJAR

Abstract

In this paper, we will focus on the analysis of a shocking scene from the indigenist tale "The Champion of Death", included in the volume Andean Tales by Enrique López Albújar (1920). To better contextualize our interpretative path, we will establish some conceptual lines referring to the nature of orthodox indigenism within the Peruvian critical tradition. In addition, we will establish core aspects of sarcasm and irony, as conceptualized in the emerging cognitive pragmatics (Kreuz, 2020; Ca sas, 2022). In order to understand the passionate path of the story associated with a kind of brutal revenge, an incision is made in the vision of Andean justice as a case of iusnaturalism. It is postulated that, in one of the most intense scenes of the aforementioned indigenist tale, the narrative shows a strong distinction between sarcasm and irony, which can be understood in terms of deep operations linked to emotions and feelings. An interesting corroboration of this hermeneutical point of view is given by a plausible film version of the story, since, thanks to the cinematographic code, the dynamics of the gestures that reflect the activation of mental spaces associated with the intense management of affections by the characters are clearly visualized.