José Donoso Critical Essay | Critical Essay by Donald K. Gordon

Critical Essay by Donald K. Gordon

SOURCE: "The Dynamics of Psyche in the Existentialism of José Donoso," in Studies on the Works of José Donoso: An Anthology of Critical Essays, edited by Miriam Adelstein, The Edwin Mellen Press, 1990, pp. 55-75.

In the following essay, Gordon evaluates the existential nature of three of Donoso 's stories—"Tocayos," "Paseo, "and "Santelices".

While it is true that the theme which most interests Donoso is the modern bourgeoisie of Chile, and that commentary on his fiction tends to focus on "his preoccupation with Chilean reality,"¹ it is also true that "las obras de Donoso resultan universales como chilenas."² Donoso is a social realist, yes, but it is above all the psychological portrayal of his characters which give universal dimension to his narratives.

One may speak of Donoso's existentialism, meaning that he stresses the role of will rather than of reason in confronting problems posed by a hostile universe. In "Tocayos,"...
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