Cited by 1Literature, Magical Realism, García MárquezLatin American Literature StudiesLatin American Literature Analysis

¿Ficción o realidad? El valor sociológico de Relato de un náufrago de Gabriel García Márquez

Open access
Rivas Hernández, Ascensión·2011·Acta literaria

Abstract

Hay obras que no nacen con vocación literaria, pero al final acaban convertidas en literatura.Es lo que sucede con Relato de un náufrago, novela corta de Gabriel García Márquez, desde que apareció con ese título en el año 1970.Antes lo había hecho en forma de reportaje periodístico, en catorce entregas, en el diario El Espectador de Bogotá.Entre ambos textos no hay diferencias de contenido, pero el "Prólogo" que antecede a la edición del 70 es muy significativo: aporta datos sobre el protagonista que desdicen la imagen que se daba de él en 1955; cuenta los motivos del naufragio, que salpicaron y acabaron con la dictadura de Rojas Pinilla; dice qué fue del héroe pasados los años, e insinúa los motivos de la publicación de aquel reportaje en forma de libro quince años después.La interpretación de la obra es diferente según se lea o no este "Prólogo".Todo ello revela el papel sociológico de la literatura: un acontecimiento histórico que se convierte en ficcional, y que, desde su posición como objeto literario, influye después en la realidad.En el artículo se analizarán todos estos aspectos, así como los elementos literarios del relato y aquellos otros que lo vinculan con la realidad.

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

The article argues that *Relato de un náufrago* by Gabriel García Márquez is a case study in the sociological value of literature: a real historical event (the 1955 shipwreck of the destroyer *Caldas*) was turned into a literary object that then acted back on reality, toppling the Rojas Pinilla dictatorship's credibility. It contends that the 1970 "Prólogo" fundamentally changes how the work is read, and that the literary character of the text was already present in the 1955 newspaper serial, not added fifteen years later.

Key findings

  • The 1955 reportage ("La verdad sobre mi aventura", published in 14 instalments in *El Espectador*) and the 1970 book version have no differences in content, but the added "Prólogo" is decisive: it gives new data on the protagonist, explains the causes of the shipwreck, and reveals what became of the hero, so "la interpretación de la obra es diferente según se lea o no este 'Prólogo'".
  • The shipwreck was not caused by a storm as the official version claimed, but by a shift of fraudulently transported cargo (domestic appliances) on deck; Velasco's declaration was "explosiva" because a Navy destroyer could not carry commercial or contraband cargo. The serial's success (circulation "casi doblada") led to the newspaper's closure, Velasco's return to anonymity, and García Márquez's posting to Europe.
  • The paper disputes Díez Huélamo's claim that the literary character came only in 1970 via three changes (prologue, title change, "entregas" renamed "capítulos"); Rivas Hernández argues the 1955 core text already had literary value, and that the chapter designation is merely a consequence of book format.
  • The protagonist of the 1955 text is a partly fictional creation: the "Prólogo" contradicts the good-natured Velasco of the narrative, presenting him instead as someone trying to sell his story for money ("Cuando Luis Alejandro Velasco llegó por sus propios pies a preguntarnos cuánto le pagábamos por su cuento, lo recibimos como lo que era: una noticia refrita").

Methods

  • Literary-critical and comparative textual analysis of two versions of the same work: the 1955 serialized journalistic reportage and the 1970 book edition with its added "Prólogo".
  • Close reading of narrative devices (homodiegetic narrator, prolepsis/analepsis, oral traces such as "he dicho", suspense between chapters, hallucination and dream sequences) to argue for the text's literariness and its mixture of fiction and reality.
  • No empirical data, corpus, or quantitative analysis; the argument is built through quotation and engagement with secondary criticism (Díez Huélamo, Gilard, Molina Fernández, Vargas Llosa, Méndez).

Limitations

  • The paper states no limitations of its own.
  • Evident from the text: it is a single-case interpretive study with no stated sampling or coding procedure, and its central claim (that the 1955 text was already literary) is advanced as the author's own position against Díez Huélamo's, i.e. a polemical reading rather than a testable finding.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.4067/s0717-68482011000100004

Cites

1 of 1 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

0 of 7 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Premisereasoning

    The Relato is the result of what survivor Luis Alejandro Velasco told reporter García Márquez about his adventure at sea.

    “El Relato es el resultado de lo que el superviviente, Luis Alejandro Velasco, le contó al reportero García Márquez sobre su aventura en el mar.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 67
  • May combine two claims. 47
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    In the Prologue, García Márquez states that the novel appeared narrated in first person and signed by the protagonist for two fundamental reasons: to contribute to its credibility and because it seemed fair to those involved.

    “En el Prólogo de 1970 Gabriel García Márquez afirma que la novela apareció narrada en primera persona y firmada por el protagonista por dos razones fundamentales: para contribuir a su credibilidad -extremo que, en efecto, se corrobora-y porque a los que intervinieron en su organización y redacción -periodista y protagonista de los hechos-les pareció justo.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingnone given

    The 1970 Prologue hints at the motives for publishing the report as a book fifteen years later.

    “insinúa los motivos de la publicación de aquel reportaje en forma de libro quince años después”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Findingnone given

    The Prologue is written by a homodiegetic narrator and signed with initials G. G. M., corresponding to the author's name.

    “Está escrito por un narrador homodiegético y firmado con las iniciales G. G. M., que corresponden al nombre del autor.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingnone given

    The 1970 Prologue provides data about the protagonist that contradict the image given of him in 1955.

    “aporta datos sobre el protagonista que desdicen la imagen que se daba de él en 1955”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    The Prologue is an explanation about the nature of the castaway's story, but also speaks of the genesis of the text and offers a new point of view on the character and story, highlighting the literary or fictional character of the work.

    “Se trata de una explicación sobre la naturaleza del relato del náufrago, aunque también se habla allí de la génesis del texto y se ofrece un nuevo punto de vista sobre el personaje y sobre la historia que amplía la visión de ambos y pone de relieve el carácter literario o ficcional de la obra.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingnone given

    At the end, García Márquez proclaims himself author of the book, but declares that it is not his but of the one who suffered it.

    “Al final, no obstante, se proclama autor del libro, pero declara, así mismo, que éste no es suyo sino de quien lo sufrió.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Findingnone given

    The text has two versions: the 1955 reportage and the 1970 version with a Prologue.

    “El texto cuenta con dos versiones.La primera es la de 1955, y reproduce el reportaje periodístico elaborado por García Márquez tras escuchar al superviviente; la segunda, que data de febrero de 1970, incorpora un Prólogo”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingown data

    The 1970 Prologue says what became of the hero years later.

    “dice qué fue del héroe pasados los años”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingcitation

    At the beginning, the narrator introduces very precise and continuous references so that the receiver understands the slow and subjective passage of minutes from the protagonist's perspective.

    “Al principio, el narrador introduce referencias muy precisas y continuadas con el fin de que el receptor comprenda el lento y subjetivo transcurrir de los minutos desde la perspectiva del protagonista”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    The narration is very simple, as corresponds to the formation and culture of a twenty-year-old sailor.

    “La narración, además, es muy sencilla, como corresponde por su formación y por su cultura a un marinero de veinte años.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    The literary character of the Relato is appreciated in elements of both style and narration, and therefore there is frequent careful use of language that reveals the master hand of the author.

    “El carácter literario del Relato se aprecia en elementos tanto del estilo como de la narración, y por eso es frecuente un uso muy cuidado del lenguaje que revela la mano maestra del autor.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    The literary character of the narration is also observed in the resources used to vary the linear course of time.

    “El carácter literario de la narración también se observa en los recursos utilizados para variar el curso lineal del tiempo.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    In the work, features of the oral exposition that is at its origin are often maintained.

    “En este sentido, además, en la obra se mantienen, a menudo, rasgos de esa exposición oral que está en su origen.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    Despite abundant anticipations and retrospections, the implicit author usually privileges the character's position, forcing the reader to live the adventure from the castaway's perspective.

    “A pesar de las abundantes anticipaciones y retrospecciones, que son un elemento de la literaturización, el autor implícito habitualmente privilegia la posición del personaje, de manera que obliga al lector a vivir la peripecia desde la perspectiva del náufrago.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    In the narration, traces of the literaturization of the text are also perceived.

    “Pero además, en la narración también se perciben huellas de la literaturización del texto.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingnone given

    The central body of the work consists of what was published in 1955 in fourteen chapters, but the 1970 prologue introduces new reading keys and shows the intricacies of the writing of the Relato.

    “El cuerpo central de la obra está constituido por lo que ya se publicó en 1955 en catorce capítulos, pero el prólogo de 1970 introduce nuevas claves de lectura sobre la obra y, sobre todo, muestra los entresijos de la escritura del Relato.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    Prolepsis and analepsis are used to give the story variety and amenity.

    “Las prolepsis y las analepsis se emplean para dotar al relato de variedad y amenidad.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Findingnone given

    The text is elaborated by a reporter who counts as oral informant with the protagonist, and has two fundamental characteristics between which it oscillates: objective and realistic narration of what happened and the literary character the author imprints on the narration.

    “Se trata de un texto elaborado por un reportero que cuenta como informador oral con el protagonista de los hechos, y que tiene dos características fundamentales entre las que oscila: la narración objetiva y realista de lo que pasó y el carácter literario que imprime el autor a la narración.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    In the fragment where parallelism and abundance of color adjectives dominate, the style recalls more that of a novel than a simple journalistic report.

    “Así se pone de manifiesto en el siguiente fragmento, donde dominan los paralelismos y la abundancia de adjetivos de color, conformando un estilo que recuerda más al de una novela que al de un simple reportaje periodístico”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    Not only do dialogues appear that must necessarily have been recreated, but there is also a dosage of information, necessary for the story to turn out as the implicit author wants.

    “No sólo es que aparezcan diálogos que han tenido que ser necesariamente recreados, sino que además hay una dosificación de la información, necesaria para que el relato resulte como quiere el autor implícito.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    García Márquez achieves his triumph by asking directly about the storm; the castaway responds that the sailors fell into the sea because the appliances on deck shifted and made the ship capsize.

    “Ahí es donde García Márquez consigue su triunfo, ya que al preguntar directamente por la tormenta, el náufrago le responde que la caída de los marineros al mar fue debida, en realidad, a que los electrodomésticos que estaban sobre la cubierta se desplazaron y esto hizo zozobrar el barco.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    There are also the castaway's reveries, which also allow introducing other times, spaces and characters, while facilitating the mixture of reality and fantasy in the story.

    “Además están las ensoñaciones del náufrago, que también permiten introducir otros tiempos, espacios y personajes, mientras facilitan la mezcla de realidad y fantasía en el relato”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    All of them, linked to the figure of his companion Jaime Manjarrés, intercalate other situations and other characters in the story, and favor the entry of the magical, as well as the mixture between the real (what happens on the raft) and the fictional (the reverie).

    “Todas ellas, vinculadas a la figura de su compañero Jaime Manjarrés, intercalan en el relato otras situaciones y otros personajes, y favorecen la entrada de lo mágico, así como la mezcla entre lo real (lo que sucede en la balsa) y lo ficcional (la ensoñación).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    At that moment of the story, the character has normalized his precarious situation and has become accustomed to that state of affairs.

    “En ese momento de la historia, el personaje ha normalizado su precaria situación y se ha acostumbrado a ese estado de cosas.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    Thus, new perspectives are added and, occasionally, new characters.

    “Así, además, se añaden nuevas perspectivas y, en ocasiones, nuevos personajes.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingnone given

    In the story, Velasco appears as a good man who does not curse his bad luck, who discovers with gratitude what life offers him, who feels renewed strength to go on, who shows his simplicity and ingenuity, and who does not discover how much his story is worth until others let him know.

    “En el relato, Velasco aparece como un hombre bueno que no maldice su mala suerte, que descubre con gratitud lo que la vida le ofrece, que siente fuerzas renovadas para seguir adelante, que muestra su sencillez y su ingenuidad, y que no descubre cuánto vale su historia hasta que otros se lo hacen saber.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    But the image offered of him in the Prologue is very different, because he appears as a man of whom readers and the public are tired, and as an interested type who tries to sell his story to profit from it.

    “Pero la imagen que se ofrece de él en el Prólogo es muy diferente, porque aparece como hombre de quien los lectores y el público están hartos, y como tipo interesado que trata de vender su historia para sacar provecho de ella”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The 1970 Prologue's account of Velasco's character and the circumstances of the shipwreck is factually accurate.
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingnone given

    A very significant example of the mixture between reality and fantasy takes place when the protagonist, after ten days of solitary shipwreck, finally sees land.

    “Un ejemplo muy significativo de la mezcla entre realidad y fantasía tiene lugar cuando el protagonista, tras diez días de naufragio en solitario, por fin ve tierra.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingnone given

    The hallucinations of Luis Alejandro Velasco appear after several days in which he is alone at sea, fearing for his life every second.

    “Las alucinaciones de Luis Alejandro Velasco aparecen después de varias jornadas en las que está solo en el mar, temiendo por su vida a cada segundo.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    That is why when he glimpses the coast, he doubts whether that is fantasy or reality.

    “Por eso cuando vislumbra la costa, duda de si aquello es fantasía o realidad”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The work reveals the sociological role of literature: a historical event becomes fictional, and from its position as literary object, it later influences reality.

    “Todo ello revela el papel sociológico de la literatura: un acontecimiento histórico que se convierte en ficcional, y que, desde su posición como objeto literario, influye después en la realidad.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisenone given

    Initially the text was published over fourteen days, and its success was absolute.

    “Inicialmente el texto se publicó de forma consecutiva a lo largo de catorce días, y su éxito fue absoluto.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    There is a third reason not expressed but evident: in 1955 García Márquez was not a prestigious author, while the castaway protagonist was; a story presented thus is only possible when the real author is unknown to the public.

    “Sin embargo, hay una tercera razón que no se expresa pero que se evidencia después de que el tiempo ha situado a cada uno en el lugar que le corresponde.En 1955 Gabriel García Márquez no era el autor de culto que llegó a ser después, sino un reportero que escribía para un periódico.Lo verdaderamente revelador es el hecho de que en aquel momento García Márquez no era un hombre prestigioso y sí lo”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given

    The 1970 Prologue recounts the motives of the shipwreck, which implicated and ended the dictatorship of Rojas Pinilla.

    “cuenta los motivos del naufragio, que salpicaron y acabaron con la dictadura de Rojas Pinilla”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisenone given

    Problems came later when the reporter discovered that behind Velasco's naive narration hid a corruption case implicating the military dictatorship of General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla.

    “Los problemas llegaron después cuando, por casualidad, el reportero descubre que tras la ingenua narración del marinero Velasco se esconde un caso de corrupción que salpica la dictadura militar del general Gustavo Rojas Pinilla.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The newspaper's circulation was almost doubled, and there was a rush of readers buying back issues to keep the complete collection.

    “la circulación del periódico estaba casi doblada, y había frente al edificio como una rebatiña de lectores que compraban los números atrasados para conservar la colección completa (12).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [12]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

    Interpretationreasoning

    This is another great merit of the story, linked to the sociological value of literature.

    “Y éste es otro de los grandes méritos del relato, vinculado, una vez más, al valor sociológico de la literatura.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given

    The problem then is to distribute merits justly, but this is impossible.

    “El problema que se plantea entonces es el de repartir los méritos con justicia, pero esto resulta imposible.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    From its origin, the story met its author's expectations.

    “Desde el origen mismo, pues, el relato cumplió las expectativas de su autor.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    In its first edition as newspaper text, the work signed by its protagonist was more valuable, but by 1970 it was more appreciated with G. G. M.'s signature, highlighting the sociological value of literature depending on circumstances and time.

    “En su primera edición como texto para el periódico valía más la obra firmada por su protagonista, pero ya en 1970 era más apreciada con la firma de G. G. M., lo que pone de relieve ese valor sociológico de la literatura que depende de las circunstancias y del tiempo en que aparece.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationnone given

    García Márquez says at the end of the Prologue that if the story comes out in 1970 as a book, it is for purely editorial interest, due to the Boom of Hispanic American literature and especially the success of Cien años de soledad in 1967.

    “Como señala García Márquez, pues, si el relato sale a la luz en 1970 en forma de libro, es por puro interés editorial, debido al Boom de la literatura hispanoamericana y, sobre todo, al éxito alcanzado por la publicación de Cien años de soledad en 1967.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Relato de un náufrago did not originate with a literary vocation but ended up converted into literature.

    “Hay obras que no nacen con vocación literaria, pero al final acaban convertidas en literatura.Es lo que sucede con Relato de un náufrago”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    As understood in the mid-20th century, the reportage was a hybrid genre between literature and journalism in which aesthetic and fictional aspects were as indispensable as objectivity, verisimilitude and realism.

    “Tal como se entendía a mediados del siglo XX, el reportaje era un género híbrido entre la literatura y el periodismo en el que los aspectos estéticos y ficcionales eran elementos tan indispensables como la objetividad, la verosimilitud y el realismo (Chillón, 1999: 185-195).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Chillón, 1999: 185-195

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    The journalist did important work in favor of verisimilitude.

    “Independientemente de que el relato esté literaturizado -y en ocasiones muy literaturizado según mostraré después-el periodista hizo un trabajo importante en favor de la verosimilitud.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Although the narrator apparently is telling the facts objectively, in reality he is selecting them, and by doing so, he is giving the necessary information to produce the desired effect.

    “Porque aunque el narrador aparentemente está contando los hechos de forma objetiva, en realidad los está seleccionando, y al hacerlo, está dando la información necesaria para producir el efecto que desea.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Interpretationreasoning

    This is why the story García Márquez published in the Bogotá newspaper shook the dictatorial regime.

    “Este es el motivo de que el relato que el reportero García Márquez fue dando a la luz en el diario de Bogotá hiciera tambalear el régimen dictatorial.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    The designation of chapters is not at all a literaturizing element, but a natural consequence of the new status of the text.

    “La designación de capítulos, en realidad, y dejando al margen que este término suele aparecer en los libros, no es, en absoluto, un elemento literaturizador, sino una consecuencia natural del nuevo estatus del texto.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisenone given

    The power apparatus flatly denied the new version published in El Espectador, but with the help of sailors, reporters got photographs of the trip that evidenced the truth of what happened.

    “Desde el aparato del poder se negó tajantemente la nueva versión que se iba publicando en El Espectador, pero con la ayuda de los marineros, los reporteros consiguieron las fotografías del viaje, que evidenciaban la verdad de lo sucedido.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    The complete title of the short novel seems an irony of the author, determined to use an exaggerated epigraph.

    “Más bien al contrario, parece una ironía del autor, decidido a utilizar un epígrafe de dimensiones exageradas.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    In the case of the Relato, the fact that the narration takes place after the events is more natural and credible, because the castaway could only tell the story after returning to civilization.

    “En el caso del Relato, además, el hecho es más natural y verosímil, porque el náufrago sólo pudo contar la historia después de haber regresado a la civilización, es decir, una vez finalizada su aventura en el mar en solitario.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisereasoning

    The official version claimed the disaster was caused by a storm, but in reality it was because a gust of wind displaced cargo that was being transported fraudulently on the ship.

    “Esta pasaba por afirmar que el siniestro se había producido por causa de una tempestad, y no, como en realidad había sucedido, porque un golpe de viento había desplazado la carga que, de forma fraudulenta, se transportaba en el barco.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisereasoning

    Luis Alejandro Velasco had been held in a hospital until his recovery after the shipwreck, and no independent reporter had been able to speak with him, because the regime feared he would tell what could not be known about the truth.

    “De hecho, Luis Alejandro Velasco había sido retenido en un hospital hasta su recuperación tras el naufragio, y ningún reportero independiente había podido hablar con él, temeroso el régimen de que contase lo que no se podía saber sobre la verdad de los hechos.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Alongside first-person narration, simple style, orality and verisimilitude, one must place realism, an element sought by the implicit author in an originally journalistic text.

    “Al lado del relato en primera persona, del estilo sencillo, de la oralidad y de la verosimilitud, hay que situar el realismo, elemento, como los otros, buscado por el autor implícito en un texto originariamente periodístico.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisenone given

    With time, the castaway moved to a second social plane, and the official version of the story seemed exhausted.

    “Pero con el paso del tiempo, el náufrago mudó a un segundo plano social, y la versión oficial de la historia parecía no dar más de sí.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    The designation of chapters is a fact derived simply from the new exergo of the text, i.e., its edition in book format.

    “En este sentido, la denominación de capítulo a cada una de las catorce entregas que aparecieron en El Espectador de Bogotá es un hecho que se deriva sencillamente del nuevo exergo del texto, es decir, de su edición en formato de libro.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    As a consequence, the newspaper was closed, the hero was returned to anonymity, and García Márquez was sent to Europe as correspondent for a year.

    “Pero además, y a consecuencia de ello, el periódico fue clausurado, el héroe fue devuelto al anonimato y el periodista autor del texto, Gabriel García Márquez, fue enviado a Europa como corresponsal durante un año 5 , según señala en el Prólogo”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [5]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationcitation

    The self-attribution of responsibility by García Márquez in the 1970 Prologue is something external, devoid of literary content.

    “La autoatribución de responsabilidad por parte de García Márquez en el Prólogo de 1970 no deja de ser algo externo, desprovisto de contenido literario alguno 6 .”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [6]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The narrator is interested in telling the situation lived by the castaway with an intensity similar to that felt by the character, i.e., he is concerned with transmitting events as faithfully as possible.

    “Al narrador le interesa contar la situación vivida por el náufrago con una intensidad parecida a la que sintió el personaje, es decir, le preocupa transmitir los acontecimientos del modo más fiel a como tuvieron lugar.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Censorship was installed in the press and reporters had to deal daily with the regime's impositions, struggling to hide from readers political news that would make them distrust the dictatorship.

    “La censura estaba instalada en la prensa y los reporteros tenían que lidiar a diario con las imposiciones del régimen, peleando por escamotear a sus lectores noticias de carácter político que hicieran recelar sobre la dictadura 4 .”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [4]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The use of a homodiegetic narrator makes the content more credible, because the one telling the story is the protagonist of the events.

    “De esta manera, el contenido es más verosímil, ya que, como el que cuenta la historia es el protagonista de los hechos, nadie mejor que él puede saber lo que pasó, cómo pasó o qué sintió el héroe”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    That is, in the work the sensation of reality that first-person narration provides is sought until the end.

    “Es decir, en la obra se busca, hasta el final, la sensación de realidad que aporta la narración en primera persona.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    There it is discovered that, in some facet, in some of his traits, the castaway is an invention of the author, a novelized recreation that has elements of reality and imagined elements.

    “Ahí se descubre que, en alguna faceta, en alguno de sus rasgos, el náufrago es una invención del autor, una recreación anovelada que tiene elementos de la realidad y elementos imaginados.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The 1970 Prologue's account of Velasco's character and the circumstances of the shipwreck is factually accurate.
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    It is surprising that in the list of receivers of the event the name of García Márquez is not present, but in such a case the reader would not have seen the story as the work of the castaway and the verisimilitude about the authorship would have been blurred.

    “Sorprende que en la lista de receptores del suceso no esté el nombre de García Márquez, pero lo cierto es que en tal caso el lector no habría visto el relato como obra del náufrago y se habría desdibujado la verosimilitud sobre la autoría.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    This imaginary creation of the protagonist suits the 1955 story because the castaway was the true protagonist and the subject that interested the reader from a social perspective.

    “Esta creación imaginaria del protagonista conviene al relato de 1955 porque el náufrago era el verdadero protagonista y el sujeto que interesaba al lector desde una perspectiva social.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    However, in 1970 the one who interests is García Márquez, who allows himself to dynamite the image of the hero raised fifteen years earlier and show without shame that, at least in part, it was an invention of his.

    “Sin embargo, en 1970 el que interesa es García Márquez, que se permite dinamitar la imagen del héroe levantada quince años antes y mostrar sin sonrojo que, al menos en parte, fue una invención suya.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    The implicit author uses all this to oxygenate the castaway's drama, seasoning it, at times, with a peculiar sense of humor that the reader appreciates.

    “El autor implícito se sirve de todo ello para oxigenar el drama del náufrago, aderezándolo, en ocasiones, con un peculiar sentido del humor que el lector agradece 9 .”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [9]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    This fact is important because it allows organizing the narrative universe and dosing information, anticipating events that actually happened later in time.

    “Este hecho es importante porque permite organizar el universo narrativo y dosificar la información, anticipando, si así le interesa al narrador, acontecimientos que en realidad sucedieron con posterioridad en el tiempo.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    But there is also the allusion to the fantastic nature of the story, to its invented character which, as can be seen, worries the narrator until the last moment.

    “Pero además está la alusión a la naturaleza fantástica de la historia, a su carácter inventado que, como se ve, preocupa al narrador hasta el último momento.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    When suspense is wanted about what happened later, or unease and tension are to be introduced, prolepsis is used, and it is done in an absolutely credible way.

    “Por este motivo, cuando se quiere crear suspense sobre lo que ocurrió después, o se desea introducir desasosiego y tensión, se utiliza la prolepsis, y se hace de forma absolutamente verosímil.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    It is, in short, one of the most interesting aspects of the relationship between journalism and literature, and a matter that runs transversally through Relato de un náufrago.

    “Se trata, en definitiva, de uno de los aspectos más interesantes de la relación entre periodismo y literatura, y de un asunto que recorre de forma transversal el Relato de un náufrago 10 .”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [10]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    One of the essential elements of literaturization, linked in this case to fictionality, is the moral character that Luis Alejandro Velasco exhibits within the story, precisely because it is contradicted in the prologue, which is a text linked to reality by being signed by G. G. M.

    “Uno de los elementos esenciales de la literaturización, vinculado en este caso a la ficcionalidad, es el carácter moral que Luis Alejandro Velasco exhibe en el interior del relato, y lo es, precisamente, porque, como ya se señaló, queda desmentido en el prólogo que, no lo olvidemos, es un texto vinculado a la realidad al estar firmado por G. G. M.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The 1970 Prologue's account of Velasco's character and the circumstances of the shipwreck is factually accurate.
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The implicit author also uses other resources that contribute to the literaturization of the text and that, at the same time, introduce variety in a story that would be monotonous if it only reproduced what happened to the castaway during ten days adrift.

    “El autor implícito se sirve, además, de otros recursos que contribuyen a la literaturización del texto y que, al mismo tiempo, introducen variedad en un relato que resultaría monótono si sólo reprodujera lo acontecido al náufrago durante diez días a la deriva.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    A new feature that highlights the literary character, and that depends on the implicit author, is the expectation created between chapters-a feature taken from the serial-which responds to what reporter García Márquez wanted to create to maintain readers' interest during the fourteen days the series lasted in El Espectador.

    “A esto hay que añadir un nuevo rasgo que pone de relieve el carácter literario, y que depende del autor implícito.Se trata de la expectación creada entre los capítulos -en un rasgo tomado del folletín-que responde a la que quería crear el reportero García Márquez para mantener el interés de sus lectores durante los catorce días que duró la serie en El Espectador de Bogotá.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    This diverse treatment of the survivor evidences that in the journalistic story a character very similar to the real one has been created, who nevertheless has traits invented by the author.

    “Este tratamiento diverso del superviviente evidencia que en el relato periodístico se ha creado un personaje muy parecido al real que, sin embargo, tiene rasgos inventados por el autor.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The 1970 Prologue's account of Velasco's character and the circumstances of the shipwreck is factually accurate.
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    We are before a fictional elaboration, and fictionality is one of the essential characteristics of literature.

    “Nos encontramos ante una elaboración ficcional, y la ficcionalidad es una de las características esenciales de la literatura.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The mixture of fiction and reality was already present in the 1955 text, and the 1970 prologue further reinforces that amalgam and obliges us, as readers, not to reconsider whether what is told really happened, but to value, above all, the capacity of a young García Márquez who already anticipates in a journalistic report concerns, motifs and values that will be key pieces of his later literature.

    “La mezcla de ficción y realidad estaba ya presente en el texto de 1955, y el prólogo de 1970 refuerza aún más esa amalgama y nos obliga, como lectores, no a replantearnos si lo que se cuenta sucedió en realidad, sino a valorar, por encima de todo, la capacidad de un joven García Márquez que ya anticipa en un reportaje periodístico preocupaciones, motivos y valores que serán piezas clave de su”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The presence of Manjarrés is for Luis as real as hunger and thirst, although a product of lack of lucidity.

    “La presencia de Manjarrés es para Luis tan real como el hambre y la sed, aunque fruto de la falta de lucidez.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
77 of 77
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The 1970 Prologue's account of Velasco's character and the circumstances of the shipwreck is factually accurate.

    “aporta datos sobre el protagonista que desdicen la imagen que se daba de él en 1955”
    “la imagen que se ofrece de él en el Prólogo es muy diferente”
1 of 1

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Gilard, J. 1982. "Prólogo" a Gabriel García Márquez. En Obra periodística. Entre Cachacos 2. Madrid: Mondadori, pp. 7-68.

Authors
Rivas Hernández, A.
Venue
Acta literaria
Published
2011
Issue
42
Pages
45-59
ISSN
  • 0716-0909 (ISSN-L)
  • 0717-6848
OpenAlex
W1982034249
Cited by
0
References
1
FWCI
0.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • Acta literaria (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Americanae (AECID Library) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Gredos (University of Salamanca) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Hispana (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Redalyc (Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Literature, Magical Realism, García Márquez
  • Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Latin American Literature Studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Latin American Literature Analysis
Keywords
Gabriel García Márquez, short stories, journalistic reportage, El Espectador, preface, fiction and reality, sociology of literature, literary elements, historical events in fiction

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