Specters of war : the battle of mourning in postconflict Central America / Ignacio Sarmiento.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sarmiento, Ignacio, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Central American literature--21st century--History and criticism.

Central American literature.

Grief in literature.

War and society--El Salvador.

War and society.

War and society--Guatemala.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 279 pages) : illustrations

Other Title:

Path to Open

Place of Publication:

Tucson : The University of Arizona Press, 2025.

Summary:

" Specters of War explores mourning practices in postwar Central America, particularly in El Salvador and Guatemala. Ignacio Sarmiento delves into the intricate dynamics of grieving through an interdisciplinary lens, analyzing expressions of mourning in literature, theater, and sites of memory. At the heart of this analysis is the contention over who has the right to mourn, how mourning is performed, and who is included in this process. Sarmiento reveals mourning not as a private affair but as a battleground where different societal factions vie for the possibility of grieving the dead. Through meticulous research and theoretical nuance, Specters of War sheds light on the politics of mourning in postconflict societies. Sarmiento argues that mourning is not merely a personal experience but a deeply political act intertwined with power struggles and societal divisions. From victims of state terrorism to military elites, various groups engage in a complex dance of grief, revealing the fraught nature of public mourning in postwar Central America. By examining cultural artifacts and memorialization projects, Sarmiento uncovers the multifaceted nature of mourning and its implications for memory, justice, and reconciliation."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction: the battle of mourning in postwar Central America

1. Sites of memory, sites of mourning: memorialization in post-conflict Central America

2. Staging mourning in postwar El Salvador: Jorgelina Cerritos's Ensayos sobre la memoria

3. What to do with the dead? The specters of war in Claudia Hernández's De fronteras

4. Somos la masa silenciosa: archival work and the work of mourning in Mónica Alizarin's Ita

5. Eduardo Halfon: a global struggle for mourning

Conclusions: whither mourning?

Notes:

Title from online title page (viewed on May , 2025).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Print version: Sarmiento, Ignacio. Specters of war

ISBN:

9780816554294

0816554293

OCLC:

1466097851

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.