Theatrum Mundi. The theatrical code in Aguafuertes porteñas by Roberto Arlt (1928-1932)

Abstract

Roberto Arlt's journalistic career was strengthened around 1928, when he assumed the responsibility of writing daily in the "Aguafuertes porteñas" section of El Mundo. At the same time, he entered the literary field by writing–in the first moment–novels, to later dedicate himself definitively to the theater, beginning with the premiere of the play Trescientos millones (1932). The resounding change in Roberto Arlt's work from the novel to the play has received numerous explanations from critics. However, his production as a journalist has not received the necessary attention in understanding the plot of continuities. We maintain that the background of his dramaturgy must be sought, not only in his novelistic work, but also in his chronicles. In this article, we will be able to demonstrate that theatrical language, as a mediating code, is present as theme, writing and metaphor in Arlt the journalist and recedes Roberto the playwright. The problem that we pose, centered on the narrative/drama modal tension, is part of the field of Comparative Literature (Guillén, 1985), and we address this interaction from a set of theoretical postulates from the semiotics of culture (Lotman, 2000) and dramatology (García Barrientos, 2001).