Introducción.
La historia trata acerca de un niño de apellido Cuéllar y sus amigos. Un día, Cuéllar se duchaba después de un entrenamiento de fútbol. La mascota de la escuela, un perro feroz llamado Judas, se escapa de su jaula y muerde a Cuéllar, castrándolo. A partir de entonces, va a sufrir el sobrenombre “Pichulita”[1]. Su infancia y su adolescencia van a ser erráticas y justo a la entrada de la madurez, va a morir en un accidente de tránsito. Este trabajo estudia los elementos narratológicos que estructuran la novela. Además, se hace un recorrido por algunas de las más resaltantes isotopías de significación. Para este trabajo se usa la “edición definitiva” de la obra.
1. Elementos narratológicos.
A continuación se enumeran los elementos más importantes que intervienen en la configuración estructural y formal de “Los Cachorros”
1.1 Protagonista vs. narrador colectivo.
El texto busca ser testimonio de una generación. De hecho, ya desde el título se insinúa pluralidad. Y, efectivamente, la narración es coral. Esto plantea dos problemas: el primero es la identidad del protagonista. Y el segundo es la identidad del narrador. Detengámonos en ello.
Introduction.
The plot revolves around a boy whose last name is Cuéllar, and his friends. They all belong to the upper class in Lima and study in a Catholic school. One day, Cuéllar was taking a shower after a soccer training. The school pet, a fierce dog named Judas, escapes from its cage and bites Cuéllar, castrating him. From there on, Cuéllar will be called “Pichulita”, which in some Latin American countries is a vulgar word to name the penis. Cuéllar’s childhood, adolescence and early adulthood will be erratic. When he is about to enter maturity, he dies in a car accident.
This paper studies the narratological elements which structure the novel. Besides, an analysis of the most relevant narrative isotopies is made. For this paper the “definitive edition” of the novel is used.
1. Narratological elements.
We will now number the most important elements which structurally and formally structure “Los Cachorros”. These elements involve very important narratological elements, such as the protagonist, the narrator and the conflictive relation it may be set among them. We must also consider the identities of the characters and he use of informal spoken language as a chief tool to construct the story.
1.1 Singular protagonist vs. collective narrator.
This novel wants to be a testimony of its time and the voice of its generation. In fact, from the very title, plurality is insinuated. And effectively, narration is choral; this phenomenon manifests itself through immediate pronoun change within the text. This sets at least two problems. The first of them is the identity of the protagonist. The other is the identity of the narrator. Let us focus on these matters.