La casa del padre en ruinas. La narrativa de Karmele Jaio

Abstract

This article will analyze the thematic and poetic axes that govern Karmele Jaio’s literary universe, with special focus on narrative production formed by three books of short stories—Hamabost zauri (2004; Heridas crónicas, 2010), Zu bezain ahul (2007), and Ez naiz ni (2012)—and two novels—Amaren eskuak (2006; Las manos de mi madre, 2008) and Musika airean (2010; Música en el aire, 2013)—as well as the recipient of the latest Premio Euskadi 2020: Aitaren etxea (2019; La casa del padre, 2020). Jaio’s literary trajectory delves into the silences, lack of communication, and longings of characters many times constrained by gender roles. Women become protagonists in Jaio’s literary universe, a place saturated with glances, memories, and gestures in an intimacy and corporeality that transcends and moves, and has been adapted in the film Amaren eskuak-Las manos de mi madre (2013) by Mireia Gabilondo, also analyzed here in dialogue with Jaio’s original novel. This close reading will situate the author in context with the most recent Basque narrative and serves to interpret, from the commemoration of a violent political past, a contemporary reality marked by the end of decades of terrorism.

Keywords:

• Karmele Jaio
• Basque literature
• Mireia Gabilondo
• Amaren eskuak
• Las manos de mi madre
• Aitaren etxea
• La casa del padre

Notas

Notes

1 Mikel Ormazabal: “El Día de la Memoria de las Víctimas, la foto de la división en Euskadi”, El País, 8/11/2020. https://elpais.com/espana/2020-11-07/el-dia-de-la-memoria-de-las-victimas-la-foto-de-la-division-en-euskadi.html [Accedido el 7/2/2022].

2 El contenido de este apartado sobre Amaren eskuak incluye algunas de las reflexiones que redacté para mi contribución al libro editado por María Pilar Rodríguez: Euskal zinegileak. Cineastas vascas. (Donostia, Euskal Filmategia, 2022).

3 Para un estudio de toda la obra de Karmele Jaio, recomiendo la lectura de Mari Jose Olaziregi & Amaia Elizalde (eds.): Karmele Jaioren literatura, emozio gorpuztua. Bilbao, EHU, 2022.

4 Todas las citas de la novela son de la edición en castellano, publicada en 2009.

5 Defenderé/la casa de mi padre./Contra los lobos,/contra la sequía,/contra la usura,/contra la justicia,/defenderé/la casa/de mi padre./Perderé/los ganados,/los huertos,/los pinares;/ perderé/los intereses,/las rentas,/los dividendos,/pero defenderé la casa de mi padre./Me quitarán las armas/y con las manos defenderé/la casa de mi padre./Me moriré,/se perderá mi alma,/ se perderá mi prole,/ pero la casa de mi padre/ seguirá/ en pie. / http://basquepoetry.eus/?i=poemak-es&b=1375).

6 Todas las citas de esta novela son de la versión en castellano, publicada en 2020.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mari Jose Olaziregi

Mari Jose Olaziregi is Associate Professor at the University of the Basque Country (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain), and between 2007 and 2009 Assistant Professor at the Center for Basque Studies (University of Nevada, Reno). She has been a visiting professor at the University of Konstanz, the University of Chicago, and the City University of New York. She specializes in contemporary Basque and Iberian literature, Basque Cultural and Gender Studies, and Memory Studies. She is the author of seven books on Basque literature, 70 book-chapters, 12 edited books, and more than 70 articles in international journals. Olaziregi is a correspondent member of the Royal Academy of the Basque Language, and between 2010 and 2016, the Director of the Language and Universities Area at Etxepare Basque Institute (Basque Government). At present, she is the director of MHLI (Historical Memory in Iberian Literatures) Consolidated Research Group at the University of the Basque Country (www.mhli.net) (2013-).