Narratological analysis of “Bosquejo”, by Élmer Mendoza

a critical perspective on the transition to armed struggle of the Sinaloan student movement of the 1970s

Abstract

During the 1970s, the Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa faced a profound crisis following the appointment from outside the institution. This event led students and faculty to protest such designation. From these student groups emerged a faction known as the Enfermos, which subsequently joined the Liga Comunista 23 de Septiembre, an organization that unified various student movements across Mexico to engage in an armed struggle against the State. Within this context, Sinaloan author Élmer Mendoza published Mucho que reconocer (1978), a collection that includes "Bosquejo” a story that depicts the activist recruitment for military training. The objective of this article is to demonstrate, through narratological analysis, that the work offers a critical and hesitant stance regarding the organization of the armed movement. The methodology employs the framework on narrative levels of Luz Aurora Pimentel (1998), as well as the theory of the short story of Marta Elena Mungía. The study is structured into a theoretical framework and a review of the historical-literary context, followed by a narratological analysis of “Bosquejo”. It concludes that the narrative offers a critical view on the organizational structure of this student movement thoroughout its transition toward armed militancy