El Amauta Atusparia or the expression of an indigenous avant-garde movement

Abstract

The article analyzes the novel El Amauta Atusparia by Ernesto Reyna, published in the magazine Amauta, highlighting its relevance both in literary and historical contexts. The narrative, a blend of journalism and fiction, offers a detailed insight into the indigenous rebellion of 1885 in Áncash, Peru. Although labeled as a historical novel, it transcends this genre by incorporating testimonies and primary sources, becoming a valuable document for social and literary historiography. Mariátegui’s prologue underscores its importance by challenging literary and historiographical conventions, presenting the rebellion as a continuous act of resistance against oppression. The novel is situated in the context of indigenous avant-gardism of the 1920s, seeking to renew literature and politics through an experimental approach that merges aesthetics and revolutionary praxis. It examines how the novel fits into the debate about the role of avant-gardism in social transformation and highlights its contribution to understanding the social history of Peru.