169:
traditional legend, but the story is of
Asturias's own creation. The plot revolves around an isolated Indian community (the men of maize or "people of corn") whose land is under threat by outsiders, with the intent of commercial exploitation. An indigenous leader, Gaspar Ilom, leads the community's resistance to the planters, who kill him in the hope of thwarting the rebellion. Beyond the grave Ilom lives on as a "folk-hero"; despite his efforts, the people still lose their land. In the second half of the novel, the central character is a postman, Nicho, and the story revolves around his search for his lost wife. In the course of his quest he abandons his duties, tied as they are to "white society", and transforms himself into a coyote, which represents his
894:
882:
215:
181:
Written in the form of a myth, the novel is experimental, ambitious, and difficult to follow. For instance, its "time scheme is a mythic time in which many thousands of years may be compressed and seen as a single moment", and the book's language is also "structured so as to be analogous to Indian
194:
to be a sacred food (the indigenous people of
Guatemala); and those who view it simply as a commercial product. It exposes the devastating effects capitalism and international companies had on the lives of Guatemalan maize growers, having a profound effect on their customs, ancestral beliefs and
168:
The novel is written in six parts, each exploring the contrast of traditional indigenous customs and a progressive, modernizing society. Asturias's book explores the magical world of indigenous communities, a subject which the author was both passionate and knowledgeable of. The novel draws on
173:. This transformation is yet another reference to Mayan culture; the belief of nahualism, or a man's ability to assume the shape of his guardian animal, is one of the many essential aspects to understanding the hidden meanings in the novel. Through allegory, Asturias shows how European
177:
dominates and transforms native traditions in the
Americas. By the novel's end, as Jean Franco notes, "the magic world of Indian legend has been lost"; but it concludes on a "Utopian note," as the people become ants to transport the maize they have harvested.
27:
533:
464:
544:
929:
566:
199:. As such, it delves into the richness of native culture and oral tradition and touches themes such as: myths and legends, songs, native wisdom and lore,
476:
576:
157:
600:
934:
457:
142:. The novel is usually considered to be Asturias's masterpiece, yet remains one of the least understood novels produced by Asturias. The title
432:
413:
356:
939:
450:
944:
919:
559:
592:
264:
849:
837:
182:
languages". Because of its unusual approach, it was some time before the novel was accepted by critics and the public.
552:
135:
473:
139:
40:
886:
662:
643:
228:
777:
499:
491:
924:
867:
770:
146:
refers to the Mayan
Peoples' belief that their flesh was made of corn. Its title originates in the
753:
195:
cultural identity. The novel is generally considered to be part of the literary genre known as
825:
813:
428:
409:
385:
352:
801:
782:
746:
741:
670:
124:
60:
898:
818:
722:
635:
616:
101:
789:
758:
378:
893:
913:
515:
402:
220:
196:
153:
190:
The novel deals with the conflict between two types of men: the ones who consider
715:
689:
442:
397:
174:
214:
210:
400:(1989). "Miguel Angel Asturias". In Solé, Carlos A.; Abreu, Maria I. (eds.).
806:
200:
148:
132:
88:
644:
The Hye Ch'o Diary: Memoirs of the
Pilgrimage to the Five Regions of India
389:
26:
842:
830:
608:
765:
170:
191:
794:
601:
Told Round a
Brushwood Fire: The Autobiography of Arai Hakuseki
548:
446:
427:(3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
347:
Asturias, Miguel Angel (1996). Martin, Gerald (ed.).
723:
860:
733:
707:
681:
654:
627:
584:
526:
483:
108:
94:
84:
74:
66:
56:
46:
36:
534:Miguel Ángel Asturias National Prize in Literature
401:
377:
351:. Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Económica de México.
302:
300:
275:
273:
425:An Introduction to Spanish-American Literature
560:
458:
8:
19:
326:
324:
567:
553:
545:
465:
451:
443:
25:
18:
577:UNESCO Collection of Representative Works
158:UNESCO Collection of Representative Works
156:. The English translation is part of the
408:. New York: Scribner. pp. 865–873.
239:
575:Works translated into English for the
330:
306:
291:
279:
716:The Cheapest Nights and Other Stories
7:
16:1949 novel by Miguel Ángel Asturias
14:
838:The Bodhicaryavatara of Santideva
349:Hombres de maíz (edición crítica)
152:, one of the sacred books of the
892:
881:
880:
579:(with original publication date)
213:
935:Guatemalan magic realism novels
930:Novels by Miguel Ángel Asturias
367:Asturias, Miguel Angel (1957).
593:Four Major Plays of Chikamatsu
1:
636:Complete Works of Chuang Tzu
203:, magic and animal spirits.
961:
876:
136:Nobel Prize in Literature
96:Published in English
24:
940:Novels based on folklore
790:The Courtesan of Lucknow
376:Callan, Richard (1970).
945:Novels set in Guatemala
920:Spanish-language novels
371:. Buenos Aires: Losada.
229:Literature of Guatemala
404:Latin American Writers
128:
492:Leyendas de Guatemala
474:Miguel Ángel Asturias
423:Franco, Jean (1994).
380:Miguel Angel Asturias
369:Leyendas de Guatemala
140:Miguel Ángel Asturias
131:) is a 1949 novel by
41:Miguel Ángel Asturias
850:The Year of the Hare
778:Wild Bapu of Garambi
384:. New York: Twayne.
899:Politics portal
868:Index Translationum
500:El Señor Presidente
47:Original title
21:
754:War with the Newts
907:
906:
639:(4th century BCE)
542:
541:
434:978-0-521-44923-6
415:978-0-684-18463-0
358:978-8-489-66620-7
186:Plot introduction
116:
115:
85:Publication place
952:
897:
896:
884:
883:
853:(Finnish) (1975)
749:) (11th century)
569:
562:
555:
546:
467:
460:
453:
444:
438:
419:
407:
393:
383:
372:
362:
334:
328:
319:
316:
310:
304:
295:
289:
283:
277:
268:
262:
256:
253:
247:
244:
223:
218:
217:
76:Publication date
29:
22:
960:
959:
955:
954:
953:
951:
950:
949:
910:
909:
908:
903:
891:
872:
856:
826:Siberia: A Poem
734:Other languages
729:
703:
677:
663:Pather Panchali
650:
623:
617:Thousand Cranes
580:
573:
543:
538:
522:
479:
471:
441:
435:
422:
416:
396:
375:
366:
359:
346:
342:
337:
329:
322:
317:
313:
305:
298:
290:
286:
278:
271:
263:
259:
254:
250:
245:
241:
237:
219:
212:
209:
188:
171:guardian spirit
166:
144:Hombres de maíz
129:Hombres de maíz
109:Media type
97:
77:
51:Hombres de maíz
32:
17:
12:
11:
5:
958:
956:
948:
947:
942:
937:
932:
927:
922:
912:
911:
905:
904:
902:
901:
889:
877:
874:
873:
871:
870:
864:
862:
861:Related topics
858:
857:
855:
854:
846:
834:
822:
810:
798:
786:
774:
762:
750:
737:
735:
731:
730:
728:
727:
719:
711:
709:
705:
704:
702:
701:
693:
690:Configurations
685:
683:
679:
678:
676:
675:
667:
658:
656:
652:
651:
649:
648:
640:
631:
629:
625:
624:
622:
621:
613:
605:
604:(c. 1709-1725)
597:
588:
586:
582:
581:
574:
572:
571:
564:
557:
549:
540:
539:
537:
536:
530:
528:
524:
523:
521:
520:
512:
504:
496:
487:
485:
481:
480:
472:
470:
469:
462:
455:
447:
440:
439:
433:
420:
414:
394:
373:
364:
357:
343:
341:
338:
336:
335:
320:
311:
296:
284:
269:
257:
248:
238:
236:
233:
232:
231:
225:
224:
208:
205:
187:
184:
165:
162:
114:
113:
110:
106:
105:
98:
95:
92:
91:
86:
82:
81:
78:
75:
72:
71:
68:
64:
63:
58:
54:
53:
48:
44:
43:
38:
34:
33:
30:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
957:
946:
943:
941:
938:
936:
933:
931:
928:
926:
923:
921:
918:
917:
915:
900:
895:
890:
888:
879:
878:
875:
869:
866:
865:
863:
859:
852:
851:
847:
844:
840:
839:
835:
832:
828:
827:
823:
820:
816:
815:
811:
808:
804:
803:
799:
796:
792:
791:
787:
784:
780:
779:
775:
772:
768:
767:
763:
760:
756:
755:
751:
748:
744:
743:
742:Vis and Rāmin
739:
738:
736:
732:
725:
724:
720:
718:
717:
713:
712:
710:
706:
699:
698:
694:
692:
691:
687:
686:
684:
680:
673:
672:
668:
665:
664:
660:
659:
657:
653:
646:
645:
641:
638:
637:
633:
632:
630:
626:
619:
618:
614:
611:
610:
606:
603:
602:
598:
595:
594:
590:
589:
587:
583:
578:
570:
565:
563:
558:
556:
551:
550:
547:
535:
532:
531:
529:
525:
518:
517:
516:Mulata de tal
513:
510:
509:
505:
502:
501:
497:
494:
493:
489:
488:
486:
482:
478:
475:
468:
463:
461:
456:
454:
449:
448:
445:
436:
430:
426:
421:
417:
411:
406:
405:
399:
395:
391:
387:
382:
381:
374:
370:
365:
360:
354:
350:
345:
344:
339:
333:, p. 869
332:
327:
325:
321:
318:Callan, p. 58
315:
312:
309:, p. 252
308:
303:
301:
297:
294:, p. 251
293:
288:
285:
282:, p. 250
281:
276:
274:
270:
266:
261:
258:
255:Callan, p. 54
252:
249:
246:Callan, p. 53
243:
240:
234:
230:
227:
226:
222:
221:Novels portal
216:
211:
206:
204:
202:
198:
197:Magic Realism
193:
185:
183:
179:
176:
172:
163:
161:
159:
155:
151:
150:
145:
141:
137:
134:
130:
126:
122:
121:
111:
107:
103:
99:
93:
90:
87:
83:
79:
73:
69:
65:
62:
59:
55:
52:
49:
45:
42:
39:
35:
31:First edition
28:
23:
20:Men of Maize
848:
836:
824:
812:
800:
788:
776:
764:
752:
740:
721:
714:
697:Men of Maize
696:
695:
688:
669:
661:
642:
634:
615:
607:
599:
591:
514:
508:Men of Maize
507:
506:
498:
490:
424:
403:
398:Franco, Jean
379:
368:
348:
314:
287:
265:Men of Maize
260:
251:
242:
189:
180:
167:
147:
143:
120:Men of Maize
119:
118:
117:
50:
925:1949 novels
726:(1926-1974)
596:(1703-1720)
331:Franco 1989
307:Franco 1994
292:Franco 1994
280:Franco 1994
175:imperialism
914:Categories
845:) (c. 700)
814:Dolly City
771:Indonesian
340:References
133:Guatemalan
807:Malayalam
267:. UNESCO.
201:nahualism
149:Popol Vuh
102:Delacorte
89:Guatemala
67:Publisher
887:Category
843:Sanskrit
821:) (1992)
809:) (1956)
802:Chemmeen
797:) (1899)
773:) (1949)
761:) (1936)
585:Japanese
207:See also
57:Language
831:Yiddish
783:Marathi
747:Persian
682:Spanish
655:Bengali
628:Chinese
609:Botchan
527:Related
477:(books)
138:winner
125:Spanish
61:Spanish
885:
819:Hebrew
766:Atheis
708:Arabic
700:(1949)
674:(1946)
671:Jagari
666:(1929)
620:(1952)
612:(1906)
519:(1963)
511:(1949)
503:(1946)
495:(1930)
431:
412:
390:122016
388:
355:
164:Themes
100:1975 (
70:Losada
37:Author
759:Czech
647:(728)
484:Books
235:Notes
192:maize
112:Print
795:Urdu
429:ISBN
410:ISBN
386:OCLC
353:ISBN
154:Maya
80:1949
916::
323:^
299:^
272:^
160:.
127::
841:(
833:)
829:(
817:(
805:(
793:(
785:)
781:(
769:(
757:(
745:(
568:e
561:t
554:v
466:e
459:t
452:v
437:.
418:.
392:.
363:.
361:.
123:(
104:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
