Europe and Latin America: Returning the Gaze

Images of Europe in Latin American cultures reveal a complex relationship, fluctuating between alienation from Europe and attraction to it, an affirmation of difference and an insistence on shared identity. The book examines versions of the Spanish conquest in accounts narrated by the invaded people. Its main emphasis, however, is on the 20th century. After analyzing modern treatments of the conquest in dance, theater, verse, and novels, it assesses attitudes towards Europe expressed in various forms during the 20th century and concludes with a study of ways in which Latin Americans have appropriated features of the European culture for their own advantage.