Perdre la mémoire «cuando más la necesito»

Abstract

«¿Por qué pierdo la memoria cuando más la necesito?» cries Ismael, the autodiegetic narrator of the novel Los ejércitos (2006) by Colombian author Evelio Rosero. As the character desperately searches for his missing wife in the streets of a village decimated by various armed groups, his memory deteriorates. Our analysis will begin with Ismael’s cry of despair and will lead us to reflect on the vital issue of memory, for Colombia, for the story and for the character, all of whom are threatened by the amnesia caused by the violence of an armed conflict that has lasted for over 60 years.

Keywords

• Colombia
• armed conflict
• the implications of memory