Narrative poetics and cultural translation in José María Arguedastraducción cultural, transculturación, heterogeneidad, El zorro de arriba y el zorro de abajo, José María Arguedas.

Abstract

El zorro de arriba y el zorro de abajo epitomizes the translation novel that Arguedas is known for. In this essay, I argue that the novel is steeped in translations on many levels, and that Arguedas uses prehispanic history in Peru as a crux for creating new interpretations of Peruvian life. Balancing roles as both a transculturador and a cultural translator, Arguedas models his characters to represent many dimensions, mythical and political, of Peruvian history and society. I also reinforce the importance of the symbol of the zorro (fox) in this particular work, and how it is transculturally reproduced throughout the text.