Sobre los comienzos: La renuncia del héroe Baltasar y sus proyecciones en la narrativa de Edgardo Rodrí­guez Juliá

Abstract

This paper suggests a reading of Edgardo Rodrí­guez Juliá's first novel -La renuncia del héroe Baltasar- starting from the concept of the beginnings theorized by Edward Said, since it is possible to notice in the text a narrowing of senses which the author resumes, explores and continues in his later work. On the other hand, the novel also deals, from fiction, with the origins of Puerto Rican nationality through erotic metaphors which account for tensions among white, mulatto and black people in eighteenth century colonial Puerto Rican society. Conflicts derived from slavery converge on spaces such as the palenque, slave revolts, cimarronaje's attempts to run away, that is, various images that closely link this work in particular and subsequent texts by the author to a larger scope which exceeds Puerto Rican national limits and comprises Antillean history.