Distancia de rescate: Exile and Loss of Identity in the Face of Rural Contamination

Abstract

This paper explores Samantha Schweblin’s novel Distancia de rescate within the contexts of environmental literature and eco-horror. It analyses the rural Pampa setting in the novel as a focal point for examining the impacts of ecological degradation on human relationships and societal norms. The novel’s depiction of the Pampa as a Foucauldian heterotopia—a space that both mirrors and subverts idyllic rural landscapes—sets the stage for a narrative that intertwines ecological devastation with elements of horror. Central to this discussion is the novel’s portrayal of migración de almas or soul migration, analyzed as a metaphor for exile that leads to a loss of personal identity and a breakdown of family bonds. Characters such as David and Nina are examined as embodiments of this metaphorical exile that represent broader cultural fears about ecological and existential threats. The essay also examines how these figures embody abjection within the Anthropocene, reflecting fears about irreversible environmental damage. Through this lens, the essay explores how the novel critiques modernity’s dichotomy between nature and culture, and presents a more integrated view of human and environmental interdependence. This paper argues that Distancia de rescate not only critiques contemporary environmental issues but also serves as a commentary on the profound impacts of human actions on nature.

Keywords

• Samantha Schweblin
• Environmental degradation in literature
• Ecoliterature
• Ecocriticism in literature
• Terror in literature
• Argentine literature