The Plural Poetry of Loss: The Pain and Beauty of Exile in Sandra Lorenzano's Saudades and Fuga en mí menor*. Issue 8 (14th September 2017) - Chibici-Revneanu, Claudia
Abstract: This article analyses the complex and multi-layered portrayal of exile in the novels Saudades and Fuga en mí menor by the Argentinian-Mexican writer Sandra Lorenzano. Drawing on works on political philosophy, the psychology of exile and literary studies, as well as on biographical material by the author and her own theoretical writings on displacement, it will argue that both novels bemoan the loss and celebrate the enrichment which (forced) migration often entails. Not only do they contain a detailed depiction of the common sufferings of exile, they also present the reparative power of multiple artistic manifestations and explore some benefits of exile of great artistic and ethical importance. Finally, and in direct relation to the latter, the novels make use of the symbolical potential of the condition of exile. Narratives of displacement become part of the constant losses inherent in the human condition as well as instruments for embracing cultural diversity and breaking down oppressive oppositions such as homeland vs abroad, homosexual vs heterosexual and individual vs community.