Defying revolution in venezuela: Biography as utopic discourse in federico vegas’s falke

Abstract

For French philosopher Lois Marin, utopic discourse represents a supplementary alternative to the historical contradictions that produce a cultural artifact. Instead of creating a synthesis between two opposites, utopics offers the simulacrum of a solution made of personal narratives and exotic descriptions. This definition applies only partially to Falke (2004), the first novel of Federico Vegas, a popular author of historical fiction in Venezuela. Falke reconstructs the role of Rafael Vegas (1908–1973), a well-known educational reformer and philanthropist, in the 1929 Falke expedition. The novel narrates the tragedy of a failed military invasion and follows the journey of the protagonist through Los Llanos. It also intimates his personal transformation, suggesting that his ulterior consecration to teaching can be interpreted as utopia. However, the actual and unprecedented contributions of the main character to society are not included within the novel. As utopic discourse, Rafael Vegas’s life is projected as a placeholder that the reader is called upon to fill in order to understand the utopian characteristics of the novel. At the same time, Falke—although anchored in Gomecismo—offers personal agency and autonomy as alternatives to the contradictions between Chavismo and the opposition in the years between 1999 and 2004.