Arguedas’ Zorros and the Mimeography of Canto

Jose María Arguedas’ last novel, El Zorro de Arriba y El Zorro de Abajo, has often been read as a prime example of “indigenous” fiction. In contrast to these valid, though limited accounts, this essay situates Arguedas’ text within the context of recent debates about globalization and literary transnationalism. To this end, I first offer an analysis of Arguedas’ distinction between palabra and canto, and subsequently connect the concept of canto to the novel’s rare, though crucial allusions to the development of cybernetic technologies.