Revolución and Narcos: national myths, parody and satire in Jorge Ibargüengoitias Los relámpagos de agosto and Juan Pablo Villalobos' Fiesta en la madriguera

In your dissertation, you examine Mexico's national myths on the basis of two novels. What is a national myth and to what extent can Revolución and Narcos be described as Mexican myths?

A national myth is a narrative that conveys meaning to all members of a community - in this case: a nation - thus becoming part of their world knowledge. In many cases, it is a founding myth, such as the „Revolución“. Since the end of the Mexican Revolution, the dissemination of the national narrative through mass media and politics has created an image with which the majority of the Mexican population can identify: The nation only became today's Mexican nation due to the rebellion and empowerment of the oppressed rural population and the indigenous communities. It is virtually the other way around with the myth of "Narcos": Certainly, the violence of the drug war does not define identity; however, the displayed wealth and omnipotence of the drug lords is also a narrative of social advancement, i.e., of empowerment.

The novels „Los relámpagos de agosto“ by Jorge Ibargüengoitia and „Fiesta en la madriguera“ by Juan Pablo Villalobos treat the subjects of revolución and narcos with parodic and satirical means. Which effect does this have?

"Los relámpagos de agosto“ satirically denounces the post-revolutionary political haggling and power games via the parody of "autobiographies" — which often were self-congratulatory pamphlets of justification, written by former participants in the revolution; a genre that was very popular when „Los relámpagos de agosto“ was published.
"Fiesta en la madriguera" is set in the clandestine palace of a drug lord. The narrator of the novel, the drug lord’s little son, recounts atrocities of all kinds from his world - the only world he knows - in a naive chatty tone, thus showing the reader frighteningly how "normal" the Narco world can appear.
The black humor of both novels causes, like any good satire, a distanced point of view, and the liberating power of laughter makes it possible to cope with the shocking events of factual reality.

How do you assess the influence of this kind of Mexican literature on Mexican society and its reality?

A parodistic-satirical approach makes it easier to question established opinions and national myths. One essential element of "mexicanidad," i.e., of a Mexican self-perception, is black humor that questions everything and everyone. Both novels offer a kind of self-affirmation of precisely this self-image. After all, it is only possible to avoid distress about omnipresent cruelty, violence, injustice, and impunity with a critical sense of humor. However, the influence of literature on today's society as a whole can certainly be considered small; therefore, film adaptations or a series could doubtlessly reach a broader public.