Family Sagas of the Americas: Los Sangurimas and A Thousand Acres

THE COMPAnATIST FAMILY SAGAS OF THE AMERICAS: LOS SANGURIMAS AND A THOUSAND ACRES Lori Ween What exactly is a family saga? What structures or themes allow certain works to be designated as such, and what are the connections between a text, its historical perspective, and the oral tradition? How does tradition itself translate into the written form? Some scholars have sought to define the criteria for this designation, yet many questions remain , as the definition must stretch to include stories from diverse cultures with varying modes ofrepresentation. An understanding ofhow the famüy saga functions in society as an important cultural artifact is vital to the concretization of the genre. Certain traits appear to me as constants throughout various family sagas, and I wül analyze José de la Cuadra's Los Sangurimas (1934) and Jane Smüey's A Thousand Acres (1991) as novels exploring and reveaUng the foUowing generic features: First of all, each narrative traces the history of a famüy over many generations, from its roots in a specific location or period oftime to its downfaU. The theme is almost inevitably the destruction of this family and a reversal of its rules, which may be seen as a negative and tragic downfall or as a liberating and positive step. Secondly, famüy sagas trace their history to oral traditions and the passing down of history; hence, these novels tend to share a reliance on orality in their style and organization, and in their ability to impart opinions and varying versions of "history" based on hearsay or gossip. Moreover, the familial homestead often plays an important role in the shaping of famüy life and its values. The presence and questioning of these significant famüy values within the text is another crucial component ofthe genre. FinaUy, the famüies portrayed become representatives oftheir communities, sacrificing individuahty for the broader goal ofcultural representation. Defining the term "famüy saga" as it relates to the literature of the Americas is especially chaUenging, as the avaüable discussion of the genre mainly concerns the ancient Icelandic Sagas, or addresses the issue as a subdivision offolklore. The problematics of the genre remains largely unexplored, and the issue of "inter-American" literature itself is stiU new to the Uterary world. The term "saga" is applied freely to a certain body of literature, yet the genre itself is loosely and culturally defined. Mody C. Boatright introduces the term "famüy saga" in his folkloric analysis, 77ie Family Saga, yet does not definitively identify its significance nor explore its impUcations for the modern novel. The forms developed by these famüy sagas can give valuable insight into the culture which produced the novel as well as the author. The famüy saga often reflects the morals and lessons of the respective society, yet in turn chaUenges the structures of this society through Vol. 20 (1996): 111 FAMILY SAGAS OF THE AMERICAS conflicts within the narrative. Los Sangurimas, a striking representation of Ecuadorian culture and its history,4 and the North American bestseUer A Thousand Acres, which captures the spirit of the United States and the souring of the "American Dream" in a tale of famüy struggle, reveal the values revered by the societies surrounding the works and serve as enhghtening examples of famüy sagas of the Americas. The genre can be further defined through the simflarities in these two works, and the divergent cultures identified through the differences. A Thousand Acres foUows the outUned pattern of the famüy saga as it traces a wealthy farm famüy, the Cooks, from initial successes on the land to the coUapse ofthe family structure. The destruction of the Cook famüy is brought on by an emotional legal battle over the land itself and a discovery of incest within the famüy. Simüarly, Los Sangurimas, defined by its author as a "novela montuvia," concerns itself with another wealthy farm famüy, this time residing in Latin America, which is also destroyed by incest and a violent battle for power within the famüy itself. The Cooks and the Sangurimas are plagued by an obsession with honor and appearances, which ultimately destroys both...