Five encounters through Mario Benedetti

Abstract

Memories of personal and literary moments are the backdrop for five crucial points in which Mario Benedetti becomes essential to understand an era: commitment, memory, tenderness, language and Montevideo. These elements are interwoven throughout the literary work of the author, and present key issues that are still relevant today. Mario Benedetti is an indispensable author who through his poetry, novels, essays, articles, recitals and courses proved to be a principal witness to the changes not only in Latin America but also in Spain for a quarter of the century. Although this time was fraught with uncertainty and pessimism, his work presents a moderate optimism, which provides a source of salvation.