I The Supreme: Augusto Roa Bastos

Augusto Roa Bastos's novel "I the Supreme" (1973) may be one of the most famous and yet least understood works of contemporary Latin American fiction. Based on the 26-year reign of Paraguayan dictator, Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia (1766-1840), the novel carries on dialogues with history in unexpected ways. Helene Carol Weldt-Basson analyzes Roa Bastos's seminal work by unravelling the rich web of both historical and non-historical intertextuality that is critical to an understanding of this novel. Weldt-Basson first establishes the preliminary connections between "I the Supreme" and Roa Bastos's previous works. She continues her analysis of the novel's fragmented structure by focusing on its complex use of narrative "voice" and symbolism. In doing so, the author applies and extends some of the most stimulating contemporary literary theories of dialogism and intertextuality, in particular those of Mikhail Bakhtin. Weldt-Basson also discusses the novel's dialogic relationship with history and examines how the novel "answers" and parodies historical texts, imitates the constructive process of historiography, and amplifies and exaggerates historical events. In addition, she investigates the novel's incorporation of non-historical intertexts, especially the works of Cervantes, Pascal, Raymond Roussel and Roa Bastos himself. She offers suggestions regarding how the reader may deduce authorial norms and values from the novel's dialogic structure. I The Supreme Imagines A Dialogue Between The Nineteenth-century Paraguan Dictator Known As Dr. Francia And His Secretary, Policarpo Patino. The Opening Pages Present A Sign That They Had Found Nailed To The Wall Of A Cathedral, Purportedly Written By Dr. Francia Himself And Ordering The Execution Of All Of His Servants Upon His Death. This Sign Is Revealed To Be A Forgery, Which Takes The Leader And His Secretary Into A Larger Discussion About The Nature Of Truth And The Fallibility Of The Written Word. Their Conversation Broadens Into An Epic Journey Of The Mind, Stretching Across The Colonial History Of Their Nation, Filled With Surrealist Imagery And Labyrithian Turns. In A Metafictional Twist, The Novel Itself Is Revealed To Be The Work Of A Mysterious Compiler, Who Interjects From Time To Time And Calls Attention To The Fragile Nature Of The Texts He Is Collecting (with Some Lines Noted As Unfinished, Blotted Out, Or Obscured). Darkly Comic And Deeply Moving, I The Supreme Is A Profound, Unflinching Meditation On Power And Its Abuse--and On The Role Of Language In Making And Unmaking Whole Worlds. I the Supreme imagines a dialogue between the nineteenth-century Paraguayan dictator known as Dr. Francia and Policarpo Patiño, his secretary and only companion. The opening pages present a sign that they had found nailed to the wall of a cathedral, purportedly written by Dr. Francia himself and ordering the execution of all of his servants upon his death. This sign is quickly revealed to be a forgery, which takes leader and secretary into a larger discussion about the nature of truth: “In the light of what Your Eminence says, even the truth appears to be a lie.” Their conversation broadens into an epic journey of the mind, stretching across the colonial history of their nation, filled with surrealist imagery, labyrinthine turns, and footnotes supplied by a mysterious “compiler.” A towering achievement from a foundational author of modern Latin American literature, I the Supreme is a darkly comic, deeply moving meditation on power and its abuse—and on the role of language in making and unmaking whole worlds. I the Supreme imagines a dialogue between the nineteenth-century Paraguayan dictator known as Dr. Francia and Policarpo PatiNo, his secretary and only companion. The opening pages present a sign that they had found nailed to the wall of a cathedral, purportedly written by Dr. Francia himself and ordering the execution of all of his servants upon his death. This sign is quickly revealed to be a forgery, which takes leader and secretary into a larger discussion about the nature of truth: "In the light of what Your Eminence says, even the truth appears to be a lie." Their conversation broadens into an epic journey of the mind, stretching across the colonial history of their nation, filled with surrealist imagery, labyrinthine turns, and footnotes supplied by a mysterious "compiler." A towering achievement from a foundational author of modern Latin American literature, I the Supreme is a darkly comic, deeply moving meditation on power and its abuse'and on the role of language in making and unmaking whole worlds "I the Supreme imagines a dialogue between the nineteenth-century Paraguayan dictator known as Dr. Francia and Policarpo Patiño, his secretary and only companion. The opening pages present a sign that they had found nailed to the wall of a cathedral, purportedly written by Dr. Francia himself and ordering the execution of all of his servants upon his death. This sign is quickly revealed to be a forgery, which takes leader and secretary into a larger discussion about the nature of truth: “In the light of what Your Eminence says, even the truth appears to be a lie.”"--Amazon.com