Bodies breaking silence: new guatemalan narratives, from the concrete to the virtual realms

Abstract

Representing an original and deeply critical perspective, young women narrators from Guatemala reveal in their stories a troubled world where “post-war” does not equal “peace” and violence keeps on escalating. Moreover, given the difficulties for accessing  traditional publishing, their work is disseminated in virtual formats and goes beyond conventions. This article explores how through the new dynamics and publication means, these female Guatemalan writers/performers instate and maintain a constant critical view of the contemporary world in which women transcend traditional roles, attempt to escape the position of victims and become agents and narrators of their own stories. With regards to this, Regina José Galindo, whose performances are internationally acclaimed, is a case in point; therefore, particular attention is given here to her production in which there is clear denunciation and resistance to the imposition of narratives on and about female subjectivities and bodies