R 'l'isw de Es udios No eame i nnos. 11.ª 7 (2000). pp. 103 -113
AMERICAN
HISTORIOGRAPHIC
METAFICTION
AND
EUROPEAN
TRADITION:
THE
CASE
OF
MARLOWE'S
THE
MEMOIRS
OF
CHRISTOPHER
COLUMBUS
*
FRANCISCO COLLADO
RODRÍGUEZ
Uni e sidad de Za agoza
T adi ionally his o y and he no el
haw
been
nmning
along pa allel pa hs. a
ac ha has
usually
huppcned
ou
o
shee neccssi y bccausc his o ical csea ch
co nmonly
mani
es ed
i sel
in
nan« il'l'
hislo iog aphy
and
no eis equen ly
p esen ed s o ies ha ook place in se ings
-and
imes-
ha
can
be quali ied as
bcing
«h
i
s o
ical.» Dcspi e he
cmphas
is adi ional his o iog apbe s pu
on
hc
jlc imwl
compone
n!
o
he
no el o di e en ia e i om hei own mo e ai lz 11/ epo s
o
pas
e en s.
in
la e
yea s
co
n
cmpo a y
c i
i
cs
ha e
been
highligh ing
mo e
he
coincidences
han he di e ences
be ween
hcs
e wo cul u al mani cs a ions
(c
LaCap a 1985: 115-34), a shi h
a
somehow has
also
coincided
wi h
a e i a]
o
his o ical issues in no els
w
i en
in
hc 1980s in many pa s
o
he Wes e n wo ld.
ln
a su ey
o
he l alian ic ion published in h
is
ecen pe iod. Michael Caesa poin s
ou he impo ancc ha his o y has again acqui ed in
hc
ic ion
o
his
co
un y
and
o e s as
p oo
o
i well-known
i
ics su
ch
as Umb
e
o Eco
's
The Nmne
o
he Rose
(1983) o Robe o
Paai's
La
P incipessa e il d ago (1986). Bu
Caesa
also a n
ms
ha in his new e i a]
o
his o ical ic ion «
lhe
cade is nol allowed
o
ake he
au hen ici y and au ho i y
o
he his o ical ma e ial o g an ed» ( 1991: 85). a ea u e
ha somchow seems o
con
as wi h he olde his o ical no el. As he eadc
may
know. simila cha ac e is ics also
appca
in he con empo a y Spanish no el. To such a
* The
~sca ch
ca icd
ou
o lhc w i1
111g
u
hís
pape
ha~
becn inanccd by he
Spanhh
Minís y
o
Educa ínn <DGICYT: P og nma Scc1
o
ial de P omoción Gene al
dd
Co
n
ocim
icn
10
.
PS94
-
0057 a
nd
PB97 -1022).
104
F ancisco Collado
Rod ígue
z
deg ee
Spanis
h eade s seem o be in e cs
ed
in
his o ical
issues ha
e en
he
powe ul publishing house Edi o ial Plane a s a ed so ne
yea s
ago a se ies
en i led
«Memo ia de la His o ia» whe e, as happens in he case
o
I aly, he
hi
s o ical ma e ial
canno be aken o g an cd: wha seems o be peculia
in
he
s o ies published
so
a
in his se ies is he ac ha many
o
hem
a e
accoun s
o
h
e li es
o
amou
s
his o ical pc sonages wi h hei own -newly in en cd- oices nan-a ing hci old
deeds
and glo ies, a cha ac e is ic
o
o e ic ionali y dealing wi h his o ical issues ha
may
also
be
e
cognized in o hc bes -selling con empo a y no els anging om To en e
Balles e 's El
Re
y Pasmado (1989) o Pé ez-Re e
e's
La
Tabla de Flandes (1990)
o
El Club Dumas ( 1993
).
'
This
peculia
combina ion
o
ic ion
and
his o icis
e
sea
ch can
also
be
ecognized
in
ecen B i ish no els, especially sincc he l 980s. Cases such as
Pe e
Ack oyd's Hawksmoo ( 1985), Cha les Pal!ise 's The Quincunx (1989). o
Law ence
Du ell 's The A ignon
Q11in e
(1974-85) ha e bccome
h
e cen e
o
a en ion
also
among Spanish c i ics (Onega 1992, Plo 1992) p ecisely because hesc no els
o e ly
expuse his mix u e
o
ic ionali y and his o ici y abo e mcn ioned. a combina ion
usually enhanccd by na a o ia] sel -consciousness ha had al eady becn pe cei ed
by
Linda Hu cheon
in
h
e
book A Poe ics
o
Pos mode nísm ( 1988), whe e she used
he
by now well-known ph ase
o
«his o iog aphic me a ic
ion»
o
e e o a g oup
o
popula . cccn «no els which a e bo h in ensely sel - eílexi e and yc pa adoxically
also lay claim o lús o ical e en s and pe sonages» (Hu cheon 1988: 5). Al eady
in
his book Hu cheon sugges ed be pos s uc u alis undc pinnings exis ing in
hi
s
pa ic
ula
ype
o
no els,
being
«na a
i e
ep es
en a
ion»
he
key
no ion
o
unde s and no only he simila i ics cxis ing be ween hc no el ami his o iog aphy
bu
also he meaos
o
undenninc hc imp ession
o
au hen ici y appa en
in
scien ijic
his o iog aphic analysis. One
yca.
la c , in The Poli ics
o
Pos mode nism Hu cheon
ex ended he s udy o o
h
e pos mode nis mani 'es a íons bu insis ing again
on
he
socially sub e si e capaci y ha seems o exis
in
he books ha she has quali ied
as
«his o iog aphic me a ic ion.»
ln
ou
con empo a y socie y he e is a cul u al ension -Hu cheon sugges s
in
The Poli ics
o
Pos mode nism-be ween adi ional humanis alues and he
mos
ecen heo ies
o
cul u al analysis.
Thc cqui alen on he li e a y scenc has been lhe hos ile esponse
o
so ne c i-
ics o
he
mixing
o
his o ical and ic i e ep esen a ion in his o iog aphic
me a ic ion.
T
is no ha he ac
o
he
mi
xing is new: he his o ical no el, no
o men ion he epic, should ha e habi ua ed eade s o ha . The p oblem seems
o
eside in i s manne , in he sel -consciousness
o
he ic ionali y, he lack
o
he amilia p e ense
o
anspa ency, and he calling
in
o ques ion
o
he ac ual
g ounding
o
his 01y-w i ing. The sel - e 1cxi i y
o
pos modem ic ion does
indeed o eg ound many
o
he usually unacknowledged and na u alized impli-
ca ions
o
na a i e ep esen a ion. ( 1989: 35)
J.
I ha e dcall wi h his issue in mo e dc ail in Collado 1997 and l 998.
Ame ican His o iog aphic Me a ic ion
and
Eu opean
T adi i011
105
In 1991,
being
al eady
a
well
-es ablished
c i ic,
Hu cheon
u he ed h
e
analysis
on
his ype
o
ic ional na a i e ha
calls
in o ques ion « he ac ual
g ounding
o
his o y-w i ing» ea inning i s -in en ional
o
unin en ional?- a ack
on
humanis alues and i s o eg ounding
o
he ideological componen ha media es all
human discu si e p ac ices. Howe e , his ime -pa anoia
o
ex ual mis ake?- she
ex ended he concep
o
«his o iog aphic me a ic ion» o i ually ali pos mode n
ic íon (1991: 106).
Ce ainly, his o ical issues we e becoming impo an in so ne
o
he ic ions
w i cn
in
English i
we
a e o belie e Hu cheon, and ce ainly she was no alone when
a i ming
he
i npo11an ole played by ideology in con empo a y his o iog aphic
s udies.
I
is al eady a well-known acl ha he 1960s signaled a p o ound dis espec
o he dominan! capi alis alues
o
he i
me
, a
dis espec
ha became clea ly
mani es ed in a numbe
o
ema kable e en s such
as
he uni e si y e ol s in he
USA, espccially in Be keley,
o
in simila c ol s in F ance, and in he hipp
ies'
mo emen . Bu
he
1960s also signaled lhe beginning
o
pos s uc u alis he01ies ha
soon
ei hc
suxges ed
he ideological as
insepa able
om ali discu si e hum
an
p ac ices (Be ge and
Luckmann
1966)
o
clea ly poin ed i
ou
(De ida 1967
a.
l 967b
).
The
i
heo e ical no ions o igina ed wi hin a social con ex cha ac e ized by
he a ack agains adi ional idcological alues
o
,
mo e
speci ically, agains
he
exis en mas e nami i es ha ha e con olled
ou
pe cep ion and unde s anding o
e ali
ly
o se e al
hund ed
yea s
(scc Lyo a d
1984
).
This
cul u al
e olu ion,
cu en ly mani es ed in he g adual impo ance
o
class, gende , and mee issues. also
ca ne
o
he g ounds
o
his o iog aphy e cn
i
i s a i al was no so quick as one could
ha e expec ed.
Following he adical obse a ions
o
young De ida. which he p esen cd
o
hc
Ame ican public in he Johns Hopkins symposium «The Languages
o
C i icism and
he
Sciences
o
Man»
(O
c obe
1966).
ca ne
h
e
de elopmen
o
Ame ican
Decons uc ion and he p og essi e collapse
o
S uc u alism wilh he subsequen
eme gence
o
a pos -s uc u alis assaul on adi ional discu si e mani es a ions.
Howe c , in he i s dccons uc i
e
s udies (pe haps bes ep esen ed in he ac i i ies
o
he Yale School
o
C i icism) «His o y» was s ill de e ed
asan
objec
o
analysis.
Th
e i s decons uc i e c i ics did no pay much a enlion o he hislo ical c c en ,
bu a ew yea s la e an ea ly me ahis o ical c i icism bcgan, a las , o he p oduced.
His o ians and cul u al c i
i
cs like Hayden Whi e g adually becamc awa e ha c en
hc his o iog aphe is npped inside his
o
he
own discou se, unable o achie e
unmedia ed conlac wi h an objec i e his o ical e e en . Wi h no anscending mas e
codc o he w i ing
o
his o y, he his o ian also becomes a me ahis o ian, a w i e
abou w i ing: and na a i e discou se, Wbi c a inm,
a om being a neu al medium o he e
p
esenla ion
o
his o ical e en s and
p ocesses. is he e y s u
o
a my hical iew
o
ealily, a concep ual o pseu-
doconcep ual 'con en ' which, whcn used o ep esen eal e en s, endows hem
wi h an illuso y cohe ence and cha ges hem wi h he kinds
o
meanings mo e
cha ac e is ic
o
onei ic han
o
waking hough . ( 1987: ix)
]()6 F ancisco Collado Rod (guez
Wha ollows soon a e Whi
e·s
Íl sl melahis o ic.:al c i i
cism
(1980)
is
a
ncc.:essa y dis us
o
adi ional his o iog aph
y.
E en a sc.:hola like Michael
Ryan
(1982) soon ocuses upon he deslabilizing
pl
ay
o
dass
di e ences hal he
inds
in
Ma x's
his o ical heo y. and designs a model
o
a
commi ed
c i icism dedica ed, as
J. Fish
c
Solomon commen s, « o he cons an! unde mining
o
poli ícal and
ex ual
au ho i y in he name
o
di é ance i sel » (1988: 15). Decons uc ion (
bu
al
so
Lac.:anian hough ,
as
shown in lhc abo e
quo c
om Whi e) becomes hen,
in
he
hands
o
so ne c i ics, socio-poli i
ca
lly commi ed:
no
ma e on which side
one
is,
he
human bcing canno escape discou se
o
so i see
ms
o
be
implied by he
Ame ican
New
His o ian
s.~
whose main conce n s ill appea s o be
he
cde ini ion
o
he
canon
while ques ioning he alues implicd in adi ional discou se.
Con empo a y
Ame ican c i icism
o
adi ional
his
o iog aphy. as
s a ed
abo
e
. seems o
be
e y e ec i e. bu can we say
h
e same
o
he
US
ic ion w i en
in
h
e l 980s and ca ly l 990s?
Is
he e su
c.:
h a hing a he ime ha we may quali y
as
an
US
pos mode nis his o ical no el
-o
his o iog aphic mc a ic ion- ha pa allels he
esul s
o
eccn his o iog aphic c i ic
ism
and
o
i s Eu opcan li e a y coun c pa ?
The
i s imp essíon one may
ha
e
when consul ing c i ica!
books
on he subjec
may
be a li le disappoin ing. Con a y
o
Hu cheon
·s
-pe
h
aps-
o e s aling a gumen s
on
he impo ance
o
h
is
o y in he ecen Ame ican no el ( 1991
),
c i ics like Da id
Seed
(1991), Tony Hil e (1992).
o
e en Malcolm B adhu y in h
is
new cdi ion
o
The
Modem
A111e ic1111
Nm·el ( 1992) pay
no
a en ion wha soe e o a possihle ela ions
hip
be ween
hi
s o y and he no el. Bu his i s imp ession will soon be dispelled
when
one considc s so ne o h
e
essays on con cmpo a y Ame i
ca
n ic ion such as
Heinz
Jcks ad "s «Plo ing o Wha En
d'?
Doc o ow. Coo e . and he ln en ion
o
His o y»
( 1991)
o
Molly Hi e· s con ibu i
on
o The
Co/11111hia
Hi
. l
o y
o
he Ame ican No el
(
1991
).
whc c she asse s he exis ence
o
Ame ican no e Is lhal a e a he cen e
o
he
pos mode n canon bu ha a e also undamen ally conc.:e ned «wi
h
he cons uc ion
o
ec.:en
Ame ican his o y ami icleology» ( l 991: 699). Hi e ci es as examples
o
his
ype
o
pos mode nis
am
i his o ical ic ion Vonnegu 's Slaugh e house-Fi e.
Recd
's
Mwnbo
Jumho.
Coo e 's
The Puhlic
Buming.
Delillo's
Lib a,
and
Pynchon's
G a i y
·s
Rainbm : clea ly shc sees he necessi y o lake
o
g an ed he - adic.:al-
me a ic ional quali y
o
his kind
o
ic ion be o c labeling i as «pos mode nis .»
an
aspec ha also seems o p eoccupy o he c i i
cs
who. ne c heless, also sugges
he
possibili y
o
a «pos modemis ealism» (lcks ad 1988: 108-9), an op ion ha in an y
case
wo
uld
cla i y
he
s
a us
o
some
con
e
mpo a
y
his o
ica
l
no els
such
as
2.
The boun
<la
ics bc wcen Whi e's Me ahis
lo
y. he kind
o
his
o
ical c i icism p nc i
ce<l
by
so
ne
01hc
c
i i
cs
like Domíníck LaCap a (
19
85, 1987). and
hc
Ncw
Hislo ians· mc hods a e
no
p eciscly
cl
e
a
-cu ,as ali o hem cly
un
<lecon
sl uclion and o he
po
s s uc1u al me hods
o
c i icism.
Compa e Giles
Gumú
de ini ion
o
hc New His o icism wi h hc abli e-men ioncd icws: Thc
New
Hislo icism is
an
a emp « o unmask
i<leo
logical ac1
o s
ha
ha
c
in luenced hc shaping
o
hc
canon. o decons uc he idealized opposi ions be ween innoccnce and
expe
icncc, machine
and
ga den. ci iliza ion and wilde ness.
o
no el and omance
by
which lhe canon has hccn es ablished
and de ended. and
o
esi
ua1e
ex. s
in
he sociopoli ical
and
cconomic si es
n
hci c ea ion
and
ccep ion
.»
(1992: 163)
Ame ican His o iog aphic Me ajic ion
and
Eumpean T adi íon 107
Doc o ow's 1/ze Book
<!
Daniel o
Ra
g i
me
,
o
Kenn
edy'
s Legs, books ha look li
ke
«pos m
ode
nis » e en
i
hei echni
ca
l expe imen a ion is no so o e as, !e
us
say,
he kind
o
me a ic ion one may ind in no els w i en
by
Ba h o So en in
o.
I
mus
con ess ha in his dialec ical a gumen 1 p e e
o
side
wi h hc ones who de ine
pos modem ic ion mo e o i s coincidences wi h p
os s
uc u alis hinking (P is
e
1989, Hu cheon 199
l)
h
an
o he deploymen
o
a
se
o
expe imen al de ices ha
can also be cquenlly ound in node nis ex s.
As we
conside ed
abo e, whc eas so ne
con empo a y
c
i ics
en
hance
he
ela ionship be ween ic ion and his o y in
h
e p esen mo nen , so ne o he s simply
igno
e
such link. Bu e cn
i
we
a i m he impo ance o his ela ionship and
a gue
ha many con empo a y
Ame
ican no els e e o
he
necessi y
o
decons uc ing
adi ional his o iog aphic iews,
we
canno escape he ac ha nos Ame ican no els
o
his kind e e o a his o ical pas
h
a is s ill e y
clase
o
ou
own ime.
In
o he
wo ds, he pos mode nis
-
he e o e, in a sense, pos s uc u alis - his o ical no el in
he USA
seems
o di c , in his espec . om he Eu opean ype
o
his o iog aphic
me a ic ion ha 1 men ioned ea lie : The
Name
o
h
e
Rose
akes place in he Middle
Ages.
La
Tabla de
Flandes
e e s o so ne e en s
ha
ook place in he i cen h
cen u y, whe eas pai1
o
he na nli e in
Hawksmoo
is se
in
eigh een h
cen u y
London. Why ha pa icula di e encc be ween he ic ional his o ical wo ks being
w i en in bo h sides
o
he ocean? The answc
<loes
no
casily come o mind:
i
could
be sugges ed,
as
he
c
i ic John B own al eady
<lid
many
yea s ago ( 1956). ha he
Ame ican ense is.
pa
excellence,
h
e p esen ;
o
ha Ame icans
do
no ha e mue h
his o y behind, con a y o wha happens in he old
Eu o
p
ea
n coun ics
an
d he e o e,
al hough hey a e eady o use classical hemes as.
o
ins ance, he s o y
o
The
Las
o
he
Mohicans
in a ilm emake, hey will
no
use
i in a new pa odie no el. ..
w
ha e
c he
caso
n he ac
ema
ins ha ic ion
in
he USA
-a
leas
ca11011ica/
ic ion-does no e
qu
en ly ea
u
e
he kind
o
his o iog aphic ne a ic ion oo ed in
he old pas ha seems o cha ac e ize Eu opean li e a y g ounds. The e a e so ne
appa en exceplions o his ule, such as Joseph
Hclle
's
God
Knows, o Go e Vidal's
Li e
F om
Golxo ha,
bu
e en
hese
cases can
be
be e
unde s ood
as biblical
pa odies han
as
his o ical no els. On he o he hand, w i e s such as Reed. Doc o o
w,
Coo e
o
Kcnnedy appea o be m
o e
inle es ed in d awing he
i
his o ical exempla
om ecen - a hc mos 11i11e y-yea -old-c cn s
as
i
he Ame ican mind needed he
wen ie h
cen
u y as a backg ound o apply pos mod
e n
is p ac ices. E en pos m
ode
m
gu
n
Th
omas
Pynchon wai s ill 1997 be a e eleasing his so-long-expec cd no el on
p e-Re olu iona y US, Mason & Di. on. Howe e , he e see ns o be
-a
leas -
one
genuine excep ion o
h
is ule: so ne
o
h
e no els w i en by a es less Ame ican who
ha
s been a
isi a
o se e a! Eu opean coun i
es
o
many yea s, a con empo a y
Ame ican expa ia e wi h a e y ancien name
o
li e a y echoes, S ephen Ma lowe.
Some
o M
a low
e's
no els a e his o ical na a i es and among his mos ecenl
wo ks he eade
n
ay
i
nd wo long books ha also e e o he Spanish pas , The
Memoi s
o
Ch is oph
e Columbus (1987)
an
d
The
Dea
h
and
Lije
o
Migu
el
de
Ce an es
(1991 ), bo h
o
which
cou
ld
ba
e
ound
a
pla
ce
in Plan
e a's
se ies
«Memo ia de
Ja
His o ia» because in
bo
h cases
he
wo amous his o ie pe sonages
a e al so he na a o s
o
h
ei espec i e li es and deeds. I is ny belie ha Ma lowe 's

108
F ancisco Collado Rod íguez
no e
Is
ha e also a place in he con ex
o
Hu cheon' s his o iog aphic me a ic ion,
and
hal
happens
des pi e
he
ac ha hey do no «look» as
ex
pe i men al as
o he
Ame ican wo ks ha , mo eo e , a e concemed wi h mo e
ecen
his o ical e en s:
in
Ma lowe
's
ic ion he eade can also ind ha appa en ealism ha co e s no hing
bu an e ec i e decons uc ion
o
adi ional humanis alues. The w i e , as
o en
happens in con empo a y Ame ican ic ion oo ed in he ecen pas , also becomes,
in
bis ic ion. he pos s uc u alis «c i ic» ha con es s he adi ional no
ions
o
o iginali y, uni y, cohe ence, subjec i i y, and a ionali y ha ha e become he
a ge
o
p o essional c ilicism o he las wen y- i e yea s (Hu cheon 1991: 111). Despi e
he ac ha he se s his s o ies
in
he imes
o
he Spanish li cen h cen u y and Gol
den
Age, Ma lowe inco po ales,
in
my eading, a conscious
ype
o
decons nc i e
c i icism.
In
o de o pu in o e ec his ype
o
c i icism he uses ce ain de ices
ha
ope a e o eloca e
hi
s wo ks
in
he con ex
o
he
-Ame ican?-
pos modem no el.
Acco ding
o many
con empo a y
c i ics, in he
1980s
and
ea ly
1990
s
pos mode nis US ic ion and he c i ique
o
humanis alues wen hand in
hand
.
Some speci ic li e a y
de
ices a e equen ly men ioned
o
enhance his c i ica]
capaci y
o
cu en pos mode n li e a u e. Techniques such as in ini e eg ess,
he
b eaking
o
na a i e ames
o
le cls. he mix u e
o
li e a y gen es o egis e s,
cha ac e s' agmen a ion. pa odie e e ences.
o
he use
o
un eliable na a o s a e
all
o
hem elemen s equen ly e e cd o as being conunon in pos mode n ic ion (see
Waugh 1984,
Me
Hal
e 1987, S onehill 1988,
o
Hi
e 1991 ).
These
echniques,
ul
hough mos
o
hem we e al eudy ope a i e
in
modc nis
o
la e mode nis imes
-we
may
conside
Bo ges
' o Flann
O'B ien's
ic ion
-,
may
also
p oduce
a
decons uc i e and an i-humanis e ec bo h in hei o e -me a ic ional-cxposi ion
o
he ideological cha ac e exis ing
in
ali ypes
o
human discou se and also in hei
mo e sub lc e osion
o
discu si e o ali
::.
a ion.1
Despi e
h
e ac ha a book like The Memoi s
o
Ch is ophe Columhus
<loe
s
no ollow he cu en g ounds
o
US
his o iog aphic me a ic ion
in
i s dedica ion o
he Eu opean pus und in i s - o muny pages-appa cn
ealism
.
by
ea u ing he
pos mode n echniqucs abo e men ioned his no el ends
up
being no simply a e y
en e laining and highly acclaimed na a i e bu also a se ious wa ning agains human
o alizing excesses. F cqucn l
y,
he s o y Columbus ells -his own
li e-
is hila ious,
al hough a imes humo gi es way o agic e en s, some
o
which a e
ai
ead y pu
o
hc Spanish Black Legend. A sum na y
o
he
book's
s o y
easily disco e s he
ecu1Tence
o
he abo e men ioned de ices. A he beginning
o
his au obiog aphy,
Columbus assumes hu he is a New Ch is ian whose «ma ano» amily has o lee
3.
Wi h hc passing
o
ime e cn c i ic Haydcn Whi e secms o ha e
mo
e
d om less adical
[ al hou
gh
con cmpo a y J iews u discou sc as bcing simply he p oduce
o
mo al alues ( 1980)
o
a
mu e pus s uc u alis s ancc ha
al nm
he
a
ll
acy
o
he humanis bclie
in
a s able human subjcc :
«Whal is ·imagina y· abou any na a i c
c
p cscn a ion is he illusi
on
o
a cen e ed cm1sciousness
capable
o
looking
ou
on hc wo ld. app ehending i s s uc u e and p ocesses, and cp esen ing hcm
o i sel as ha ing ali hc
o
mal
co
he encc
o
na a i ily ilsel
.»
(W
hi e 1987· 36:
my
em
ph
asis.)
On
hc cla cd no ion
o
a o a üing his o y, see LaCap a l 985: 25.
C l:
Sa up 1993: chap e 6.
Ame ican His10 io1 aplzic Me a ic ion
and
Eu opean T adi ion 109
Spain
- o
ob ious eligious easons
in
Inquisi ion
imes-
when he is s ill
in
his
mo he 's womb: as a esul , Columbus will be bo n in
he
middle
o
he Mcdi e anean
sea, aboa d a ship ha sails o Genoa. The e o e he will
be
nei he Spanish no I alian:
his
na ionali
y
will
be
any hing
bu
clea
-cu , his pa icula
incidcn
being
he
beginning
o
his poslmode n con used iden i y.
Once in I aly Ch is ophe s a s a oundabou li e o a
ew
yea s ill he en
e s
he se ice
o
Spanish Ca dinal Bo gia, he would-be
Pope,
as his ood es e . A lo e
a ai leads him close o his dea h bu Ca dinal Bo gia e en ually sa es his li e
and
gi es him a le e o he House
o
Cen u ione - a powc ul bank a he ime-o de ing
hem o assis he ca ie
o
he documen
a
any momen :
and
so, wi h his li e
a
s ake
(a socie y
o
sec e kille s ha e been paid o kili him, his being he i s Pynchonian
mo i
in
he no el), he le e and a na iga o 's cha ha his b o he Ba holomew
ga e him
-and
which u ns la e on o be a palimps
es -,
he
p o agonis s m s a long
pe iod
o
wande ing: i s o England (whe e he will all in )o e wi h maid-disguised-
as
-boy
T is am).
Iceland
(whe e
he will know
abou
E ik
and
his jou ney
o
G eenland and abou E ik's
son'sjou ney
o Ame ica), I eland, Po ugal, and inally
Spain. whe e he comes o o e he Ca holic Mona chs Fe nando and Isabel his p ojec
o
he G ea Ven u e. ln luenced by his b o he Ba o, Columbus wan s
o
na iga e
Wes
ill
hey can ind he Eas : Ca hay and hc Indies, one
o
he mos genial
his o ical e o s
o
all imes. Bu
a
he Pe ipa e ic Cou
o
Fe nando & Isa
bel
he will
i s
ha
e o be a spy in G anada and help in he conques
o he
ci y. Finally, hey gi e
him he money and name
him
Admi a], Vice oy. and G ea Cap ain, and Ch is oph
e
s ai s his i s oyagc. Wha ollows in
he
no el is he accoun
o
his ad en u es
in
he
ou oyagcs.
In
his own wo ds, Columbus ells he
ea
de abou ali he e en s ha
many Spania ds may ha e ead abou in any
o
he a ailable biog aphies
o
he amous
disco e e : he lack
o
discipline
o
he Spania ds
in
Hispaniola, hci e1 n when
acing he «hu acanes,» he g eed
o
man
y,
he c aziness
o
his h o he Ba o, his own
inca ce a ion and e u n o Spain in chains by o dc
o
Hispaniola's new Go e no
Bohadilla. he Mona chs holding
o
his sha e, and lhei aking away om him his
i les
o
Vi
ce oy and Cap ain Gene al. .. Bu soon hose appa en ly his o ical e en s
s a o be mixed up wi h Columbus'p oblems wi h he Inquisi ion and his
!o
e o he
Spanish J ewish spy Pe ene a To es
...
whose sec e name
is
«The Blue Pimpe nel»
(yes, a p edeccsso
o
he Sca le one!). The eade also knows abou Ch is ophe 's
Pynchonian «Whole Sick Synd ome,» a s ange malady ha impedes ea s in his eyes
-among many o he symp oms-and p oduces s ange ei em i e, Chinese box d ea
ms
in him. These d eams a e abou a book ha concems he s o y
o
he Wande ing J
ew,
ha keepe in Pila
e's
palace who ea ed Ch is
in
a ha sh way,
being
he eby
condemned o e e nal wande ing. The p o agonis e en hinks -
o
d eams?-
h
a
he
has a con e sa ion wi h God, who also seems o be e y concemed wi h he mo i
o
in ini e eg ess, o such a poin ha , as Bo ges
<lid,
He e en ells Columbus abou he
possible exis ence
o
ano he supe io wo ld nled by a God abo e Him, and so
ad
in ini um. Bu inally his God comes o Columbus' escue when he is close o die
a
he hands
o
he Indians in his ou h and las oyage o Ame ica.
Back in Spain, he ecei es om King Fe nando he p omise ha his elde son
Diego will inhe i his i le
o
Admi a)
o
he Ocean Seas ( ha he his o ically did). and
110
F ancisco Collado Rod iJ?uez
inally escapes om he house in which his amily is expec ing him o die:
bu
hi
s
oice has n
ow
changed, he is again a young boy who, so ne ime a
e
he Admi a!
's
<l
ea h, ies lo buy an expensi e na iga ional cha signed hy
Co
lumbus himsel
(and
i
is he eal cabalis ic signa u e o he g ea disco e c ): ou
na a o
and p o agonis is
non e o he han he Wande ing J
ew
, ou ad en u ous
Columbus
sba
ll
ha e o
go
on,
na iga ing owa ds new disco e ies.
As
will happen in Ma lowe
's
1991 no el abou Ce an es, Columbus in his
ole
as na a o is g adually unde s ood hy be eade as a dccon ex ualized pos mode nis
igu e who cpca s amous quo a ions ( «l su e ed lhe slings
and
a ows
o
-», 1987:
547). ocuses on ideas ha sugges in inile eg ess (448, 503), inds palimpsesls
(40),
o e
en knows abou u u e his o ical pe sonages, om D akc (27) o Mussolini ( 14 ).
Bu his ole as «pos mode nis ex posé» is pe haps bes cnbanced in lwo aspecls
o
hi
s
pe sona, as bo h na a o and cha ac e , ha di ec ly ecall pos s uclu alis c i icism:
his no ions abou his o y and lhe ins ahili y o his own being.
As a biog aphe
o
his
own
li
e, Columbus pa odically asse s lha «His o y is,
mos ly, a 1oss
o
he dice» ( 1 ), an opinion lhal will be
ollowed
by
con inuous
commenls
ha y o
unde m
ine
he
eade 's
con idence
in
any possible
sound
his o ical epo
o
e enls in his li e. whe he hc epo s a e w i en by any
o
his
well-known biog aphe s
o
by himsel : «His o y lows no in o bu om he pen
o
he
his o ian.
so
who can say ha l am igh and Las Casas w ong?» (21). A imes he will
o e ly con ess ha he is consciously lying o
hi
s eade s,
as
happens in he only,
highly me a ic ional oo no e he book nn ains:
*This is he only oo nole you will ind. occasioncd
by
he single inaccu acy in
hese
pages
. The amous ock ho seman ac ually s
ands
on
a headland on
he
island
o
Co o, wesle nmos
o
he
ni
ne Azo es, no
a
Calhc a Poin on
Po o
San o. Bu 1 claim poe ic Iicense o placing him lhc e. 1 did in ac sec
h
e
Co o ho scman on a <li e enl oyage, when no hing el se
o
in e es anspi ed
(90)
And, in oc . his is he only geog aphical
ina
ccu acy in he whole hook. Bu in
his ole as c i ic and his o iog aphe Columbus e cn da es
o
in e p c he Book
o
Genesis as a «S o y»
(«God's
amanuensis appa en ly wasn' l in e es ed in 'psychology,
mo i a
i
on and a
li
ha . ·,, 167). and u lhe s his pos s uc u alis a ack on adi ional
hi
s o iog aphy hy inally obliging he eade s wi h his nai alo ial e lec ions abou he
aims
o
his o y:
Whal
's
he pu pose
o
his o y?
Acco ding lo he a hc
o
ali hislo ians, Hc odo us
o
Halicamassus (c. 480-425
BC), il's lo pe pe ua e he memo y
o
'g ea and wonde ul dccds.' l gucss his-
o y's become a lo mo e sophis ica ed
si
nce hen, because i s p ac i ione s a e
equally inclined lo pe pe ua e he memo y
o
mean and aw ul dceds. No ha
hey seem
o
ge any close lo he m h, wha e e u h i
s.
(462. my emphasis)
A111a
i<·1m
H
i.110 io¡¡ ap
hic Me ajic ion ami
E11mpea11
T adi i<m
111
On hc o he
han<l,
as I ha e al cady nen ioned,
in
he middle
o
his ad en u es
as disco e c
o
he New Wo ld, Colu nbus becomes a ec
ed
by a s ange disease h
a
he himsel names as « he Whole Sick Synd ome,»
o
unknown o igin and mul iple
symp oms, hu o ce ul en
oug
h o expose he p o
a
gonis « o he supe na u al» (538).
a cha ac e is ic ha allows
him
o sus ain he con e sa ion wi
h
ha God so ond o
in ini c eg ess (540-53), and ha pe
h
aps may also
ex
plain
he p esence
o
s igma a
in he Admi
al's
han<ls. Bu his s i
gma a
do
no
bleed, and bis eyes a e also
d
y,
hecause he
Whole
Sick Synd ome
ends
up being no hing
bu
a supe na u al means o
announ
ce Columbus ha ,
as
w i cn
in
The Ch on
ídes
o[
Roge
Wendo e
o
S .
Albans (his o iog aphy again!). he is none o he han he Wande ing Jcw, a di u
sed
agmen ed
sel
ha dissol es, a hc
end
o
he no el. in o a new oice who, as
hap
pened
o
h
is
«p
edecesso ,»
also
longs
o isi a -away lands. In his way,
Columbus
ends
up adding o ha lis
o
pos mode nis hc oes who, like Saleem Sinai
in
Midnígh '.1· Child en
o
Ty one Slo h op in G m
•i y'.1·
Rainbow. ha c o become
agm
en ed and dissol ed in
o
de o
cpi omize
he pos mode n
condi ion
o
he
human se
l
... Howe e , in a ce ain -pos mode nis -way, Columbus may also em
in
d
he cade
o
S ephen Ma lowe himsel . a no elis
who
has li ed, so a , in so ne
wen y coun ies. including Spain. And om Spanish lands, in
h
e
Goldcn
Age
o
Spanish le e s. no elis Miguel de Ce an es will a!so
L a el
o he B i ish lsles
and
mcc
a ce ain au ho called.
o
ali names. Ch ís ophe Ma lowe, al hough his e en
will ake place in S ephl'll Ma lowe's wel h no el,
111e
Dea h
and
Lije
~
Miguel
de
Ce nn es, a book whc e he p o agonis a
nd
na a
o
also has o
keep
on
mo ing
o
wande ing ... Bu e en so, no wi hs anding he Ame ican coun y in which his au
h
o
was
bo n. ic ional
he
Columbus'
ques
and
iden i y
a e
Eu opean
,
in
his way
sugges ing ha con e npo a y c i ica] iews may s ill ly he o hc way
...
o
ha . e cn
i
agmemed, he pos mode n
sel
is sup ana ional.
REFERENCES
BRADBURY.
MAL
COLM
. 1992. Tlze
Modem
Ame ican
No el. Ncw Edi ion.
Ox o d: Ox o d
UP.
BROWN. JOHN. 1956. Pano ama de la
Lí aa um
No eame icana. Mad id:
G
edos.
CAESAR,
MICHAEL. 199
l.
«l alian Fic ion in he Nine een-Eigh ies».
Tn
Smy h
1991 : 74-89.
COLLADO
RODRÍGUEZ.
FRANC
I
SCO.
1
997.
«The
Colu
mbu
s
Connec ion'?
Ame
ican Pos mode n Fic ion in Spain». In
Pos modem
S udíes 20: «Closing
711e
Clip». Ame ican Pos mode n Fic ion in Ge many, I a/y,
Spai11,
and
he
Ne he lands. T.
D'Haen
and
H. Bc cns, ed.
Ams e dam
and A lan a. GA:
Rodopi. 171-203.
1998. «Mi o, cí culo, pa odia: del
mode nismo
anglo-sajón
a la me a icción
his o iog á ica de Pé ez-Re e c.»
In
E empla ia. A .loumal
o
Cum¡,a a
i
e
Li e a u e. 2 ( 1
).
1998:
47-63.