Khorfan
1
Carlos Fuentes' Journey to Unbury the Buried Mirror: Understanding the Cultural
Identity of Latin America
Zena Khorfan
Faculty Sponsor: Maureen Thum, Honors Program
In his history novel, The Buried Mirror, Carlos Fuentes writes, “Mirrors
symbolize reality, the sun, the earth and its four corners, its surface, its depth, and all of
its people… they now reflect the world, salvaging this reflection of their identity… Is not
the mirror both a reflection of reality and a project of the imagination?” (Fuentes 11). The
Buried Mirror attempts to unravel the remarkable history of the rich Hispanic culture in
the New World, from its social to political to economic aspects. Fuentes discusses the
Spanish Americans’ search for a unique and independent cultural identity amid the
variety of influences that entered the New World. He takes the reader on a journey
through the history of Latin America, beginning in Spain. Ultimately, The Buried Mirror
is a journey to unbury the mirror by understanding the history and cultural identity of
Latin America marked by its variety of outside cultural influences, its revolutions and
ongoing crises, and its arts and literature that have greatly contributed to the richness and
continuity of Latin American culture.
To understand the modern cultural identity of Latin America, it is essential to
discuss the many outside influences on the New World. The richness of Latin American
culture is the product of many influences; European influence owes much to the culture
due to the region’s history of colonization by Spain, Portugal, and France. European
influence left an enduring mark particularly in literature, music, painting, and language.
In addition, the introduction of African slaves to the region led to an African influence,
especially in the Caribbean, in areas such as dance, cuisine, and religion. There was also
Khorfan
2
a strong indigenous influence from ancient Aztec, Incan, and Mayan civilizations. Once
independent, Spanish America turned their backs on Spain and looked towards France
and the United States as their new role models. But, as the Argentine Romantic poet
Esteban Echeverria argued, “we are independent, but we are not free; the arms of Spain
no longer oppress us, but her traditions hamper us” (Fuentes 277). Although Spanish
influence lived on, most Spanish Americans now had an admiration for everything
French. They adopted their ideas and democratic thinking and imported and consumed
their goods. Spanish America not only imitated the French, it became a sort of mirror
image of France. Fuentes states that Latin Americans are more than Spanish; they are
mestizo, which is a melting pot of cultures that defines the Latin American people.
In addition to cultural influences, Latin America’s history of revolutions and civil
wars, as well as its ongoing crises, have reverberated into its identity. From its war of
independence on Spain to a number of civil wars and uprisings, Latin Americans
continued to struggle to form their own national identity. With revolutions in Mexico,
Argentina, Chile, Nicaragua, Venezuela, among others, each country contributed in part
to the Latin American identity. However, crisis is not a thing of the past for Latin
America. The modern culture is plagued by a crisis of “the 4 D’s”: debt, democracy,
drugs, and development. Economic, social, and political development is marked by a
decline in education, housing, health, a growing underclass living in city slums, and
weakened political systems. The fast-growing and young population, who find that there
is not enough opportunities in the country, smuggle into the United States, where they
either live as illegal immigrants or in poverty. Nonetheless, according to Fuentes, the
Khorfan
3
current economic and political crisis in Latin America is balanced by its strong cultural
heritage.
Finally, the arts of Latin America contribute greatly to its rich cultural identity.
Fuentes states, “A painting, a poem, or a film indicates the way we are, what we can do,
and what we have yet to do” (Fuentes 316). Art can reveal a lot about a culture; Latin
American art owes much to the influence of Spanish and French Baroque painting.
Eventually, European art influence began to fade in the early 20th century as Latin
Americans began forming their own unique artistic identity. Artists such as Frida Kahlo
and Jose Guadalupe Posada chronicled daily life, news, or culture in their art through
elements of realism, symbolism, and surrealism. Some, such as Posada, became a voice
for the voiceless and illiterate. In terms of literature, writers, like Jorge Luis Borges and
Carlos Fuentes himself, contributed greatly to the literary culture of Latin America. More
specifically, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ works led to the association of Latin American
literature with magic realism. In addition to visual art and literature, dance plays a large
role in the identity of Latin American culture. Tango, which originated in Buenos Aires,
became “a music of immigrants in a transitional, lonely city” (Fuentes 289). Tango came
to represent the mystery and misery of Latin American cities, as it told tales of
frustration, memories, desires, and dreams. Through music and body language, “Spanish
Americans were not simply choosing modernity over tradition, but keeping both alive in
creative tension” (290). Overall, Latin American art brings together influences and local
contributions to create a unique Latin American cultural identity.
In the end, Fuentes describes Latin America as “growing but unfinished, energetic
but full of seemingly unsolvable problems” (Fuentes 316). A culture marked by a variety
Khorfan
4
of influences, revolutions and crises, and art and literature, among other aspects, have all
contributed to the Latin American identity. However, he argues that Latin America’s
struggle to find its own unique identity among its multiple identities is solved by “the
aleph”, or the perfect moment where everything comes together. The Spanish American
aleph, he claims, is when Spanish Americans finally recognize and acknowledge all the
different influences that make up their culture. At this moment –the recognition of all the
influences and the blending of the past with the present—the mirror is finally unburied
and the ever-changing Latin American culture is reflected.
Khorfan
Works Cited
Fuentes, Carlos. The Buried Mirror: Reflections on Spain and the New World. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1992. Print.
5