The Civilization-Barbarism Dichotomy: A Critical Re-examination of Doña Bárbara

Abstract

Doña Bárbara is not only a fundamental work of 20th-century Venezuelan literature; it is perhaps the most important cultural document in our literary history. Gallegos captures the tensions of his time, but he does so without knowing that his time and ours converge in terms of our fragmented identity and an ongoing process of nation-building. The dichotomy of civilization and barbarism inhabits us. This is defined by our recurrent efforts to construct moral-normative codes from which to organize ourselves politically and the recurrence of disorder and violence that have marked our historical process. Barbarism haunts us like a shadow that tries to cloud our vision, to blur our focus, to make us victims of violence and passion. In this work, we propose the beginning of a discussion about the ways in which we have interpreted our lost identity. It is an endless search that leads us to question our modes of social organization, our need for emancipation, and our mistakes.