Textual Labyrinthine Spaces in the Select Works of Isabel Allende

Abstract

The chaotic political history of Chile has long been scrutinised by writers who have recognised the importance of addressing alternative histories of suppressed groups on the land through their literary narratives. Chilean novelist Isabel Allende belonged to the group of writers who had adopted several narrative strategies to expose alternate histories in order to make the readers understand the power plays inherent in their land. The textual architecture of the labyrinth, a concept discussed by Faith N. Mishina in Gabriel García Márquez: A Subversive Agenda, can be applied to the works selected for discussion in this paper. This concept works against the labyrinths of power structures, class differences and other hidden agendas generated by the authorities to safeguard their political motives without any form of resistance. How the select literary narratives of Isabel Allende deconstruct such labyrinths used to trap common people is the central concern of this paper. The empowering nature of textual labyrinths is also discussed in this paper.