Milli mála - 01.06.2016, Blaðsíða 119

HÓLMFRÍÐUR GARÐARSDÓTTIR
Milli mála 8/2016 119
for its historical content and the representation of black Costa
Rica,4 and Limón Reggae (2007), studied for its political analysis and
erotic undertones.5 The novels are perceived to contest earlier disre-
gard for the importance of Costa Rican minorities, cultural mixing,
ethnicity and women´s role as protagonists in the enhancement of
cultural heritage and diversity. As a consequence, particular atten-
tion is paid in this article to Rossi´s portrayal of the Costa Rican
Caribbean coast and the port city of Limón, where co-ethnic experi-
ences and constant cultural regenerations are highlighted as a fun-
damental component in the formation of local community, hence
identity, while, simultaneously, special attention is paid to the
leading roles Rossi assigns to her female characters.
1. Identity formation inseparable from
sociopolitical developments
In Central America, the question ‘Who are we?’ has been particu-
larly urgent since Independence in the nineteenth century. Early
on, the different nation states struggled with how to go about man-
aging their own affairs as independent entities, and the question of
representation became critical as different social groups demanded
their place at the ruling table. The belated industrialization of Latin
America at the beginning of the twentieth century, the subsequent
development of labor unions, and the aspirations of the growing
middle classes rendered the previously ‘simple’ liberal-conservative
divide obsolete: a traditional bipartisan political structure was no
longer representative or appropriate. On a larger scale and taking
into account the whole of the Americas, the two World Wars and
the Great Depression contributed to ever-increasing interregional
collaboration. Central and South America became the providers of
raw materials and agricultural products, while North America, pre-
4 See e.g. Kearns, Sofia´s article “Postcoloniality in Anacristina Rossi´s Limón Blues”, The South
Carolina Modern Language Review. Vol. 5, Nr. 1. 2006, pp. 1-36, http://images.acswebnetworks.
com/2017/78/ANACRIST.pdf [Accessed August 2016].
5 See e.g. Manzari, H.J.´s article “Limón Reggae, una visión alternativa del Caribe costarricense”,
Istmica. 2007, (11): pp. 253-259, http://www.revistas.una.ac.cr/index.php/istmica/article/
view/721 [Accessed August 2016]. See also Poe, Karen, “Limón Reggae: La reinvención utópica del
sexo”, Página Literal, 2007, pp. 62-71, https://editoriallegado.com/category/libros/limon-reggae/
[Accessed August 2016].