Spaces of Representation

Spaces of Representation: The Struggle for Social Justice in Postwar Guatemala juxtaposes a variety of contemporary Guatemalan discourses – literary fiction, testimonio, historical and political documents, and popular drama – calling into question such notions as truth, clarification, memory, and storytelling in the representation of human experience. It analyzes these texts in an effort to further a broader understanding of the dynamic social tensions that continue to exist in Guatemala despite the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords. This book illuminates the contemporary cultural production of Guatemala by highlighting peace and social justice – not as accomplished political and economic goals, but as perpetual motives for social transformation in Central America.