Latin American Literary Review

NOCTURNAL ILLUMINATIONS: FATHER URRUTIA IN BOLAÑO'S "NOCTURNO DE CHILE"
Author(s): FRANKLIN RODRIGUEZ

Source: Latin American Literary Review, Vol. 37, No. 73 (JANUARY-JUNE 2009), pp. 5-25
Published by: Latin American Literary Review
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NOCTURNAL ILLUMINATIONS: FATHER URRUTIA
IN BOLAÑO'S NOCTURNO DE CHILE
FRANKLIN RODRIGUEZ
WILLIAMPATERSONUNIVERSITY
A mí no me perdonan que tenga boca, Robert,me dice

Lemebel al otro lado de la línea telefònica. Santiago
resplandececon la iluminaciónnocturna.Parece la última
granciudad del HemisferioSur.
(Entreparéntesis)
IntroductoryRemarks
Nocturno de Chile (2000) narratesthe life of two Chilean literary

criticsthroughoutthe second partof the twentiethcenturyand duringa
long feverishnightof fearingdeath,confessing,and self-questioning. The
novel opens with the main characterand literarycriticFather Sebastian
UrrutiaLacroix inbed, meditatingunpredictably abouthispast,and finishes
the same way aftera long explorationof his life.As PatriciaEspinosa has
suggested,thenovel "es un libroen tornoal terror, a la posible verdad,a la
moral posible, un intentode mirartrasla cara visible del poder" ( Estudio
28). Pointingout Nocturno's attemptto look at a "possible truthor moral"
suggeststhe undeterminednatureof the narrationbut also its possibilities
as an exercise of transformation and illuminationthat seeks to expose
the numerousfaces of terror.In orderto obtain the respectof the literary
community, FatherUrrutiaplays different roles withinculturaland political
institutions:
literarycritic,poet,priest,researcher,teacher,opusdeista.His
desire forrecognitionas a literarycriticand poet takes him to the world

6 LatinAmericanLiterary
Review
of González Lamarca, his literaryfatherand predecessorbetterknown as

Farewell.1Farewell introduceshim to the Chilean literaryelite and helps
him become a recognizedliterarycriticwho witnessesand participatesin
key momentsof Chilean history.2
The narrativeis a complex monologue thattells seven semi-delirious
and seeminglydisconnectedstoriesduringthe course of FatherUrrutia's
deathbedconfession,interwovenwiththeappearances and disappearances
of Father Urrutia's superego. This superego or joven envejecido should
be understoodin Freudiantermsas an unconscious controllingforcethat
regulatesthe activityof the ID and the EGO. This force manifestsitself
in consciousness via the pronouncementsof feelingssuch as shame, and
more importantforNocturno,guilt.Nocturnoestablishesthefigureof the
joven envejecido earlyin thenovel: "Ese joven envejecido es el culpable"
(11). Subsequentlythe novel offersmore details, as the priestnotes: "No
tardémuchoen descubrirque era mi propiavoz, la voz de mi superegoque
conducía mi sueño como un piloto de nerviosde acero, era el superyóque
conducía un camión frigorífico por en medio de una carreteraen llamas
[...]" (35-36). The formal and thematicconnectionsbetweenthesenocturnal
storiesare importantbutsubtleand any attemptto read themas a coherent
succession or juxtapositionof eventsleads thereaderdown manyknotted
tunnels.3
"
Accordingto Bolaño, Nocturnode Chile es el intentode construir
con seis o siete u ocho cuadros toda la vida de una persona. Cada cuadro
es arbitrarioy al mismo tiempo,paradójicamente,es ejemplar,es decir se
prestaa la extracciónde un discursomoral"(Braithwaite116). The cuadros
could be identifiedas follows: (1) FatherUrrutia'sintroductionand visitto
Là-bas ; (2) thestoryof Salvador Reyes,ErnestJunger, and theGuatemalan
Painter;(3) the shoemakerand the Austro-Hungarianempire; (4) Father
Urrutia'sresearchmissionin Europe; (5) FatherUrrutiateachesMarxismto
Pinochet'sJunta;(6) Maria Canales and JimmyThompson's story;and (7)
the returnto Là-bas and the finale.The complex overlappingstructureof
thenovel and themultipleculturaland historicalreferencesin each cuadro
have been studiedby several criticsbut will continueto be the source of
further studydue to the densityof the Work.4This essay does not offera
descriptionof the cuadros but a critical explorationof Father Urrutia's
"oscillatingconsciousness" in the contextof Chilean politics and culture
by focusingon cuadros two, five,and six.
My purpose is to examine the rhetoricof confession and moral
discourses in Nocturnoor, as Bolaño had intendedto call it,La Tormenta
de Mierda,5in orderto analyze a crucialpoliticaland ethicalexperienceof
reflectionand decision, which thenovel centerson FatherUrrutia'sfigure

Nocturnal FatherUrrutia
Illuminations: in Bolaño'sNocturnode Chile 1
and purposelyrelatesto a broaderhistoricalcontext.Nocturno's subject is

politics,but filteredvia several ethical reflectionsand moral discourses to
whichBolaño alluded in his descriptionof thetext(Braithwaite116). I use
thetermethicalexperienceto referto themomentswhenthecatholicpriest
examines the fundamentalprinciplesthathelp definehis conduct: ethics
as the theoreticalreflectionsthatdefinerightand wrongconduct. On the
otherhand, moral discourse in Nocturnopoints towardsthe concreteand
practicalnormsestablished,via storytelling, by thepriest'sinvestmentinto
a process of validation and justificationof his behavior.The "extracción
de un discurso moral" pointedout by Bolaño as a key partof the cuadros
designatesFatherUrrutia'smoraldiscourse,orsetofpracticalandacceptable
actionsaccordingto hisjudgment,butalso designatestheprobabilityof the
opposite or thereader's understandingof moral discourse via questioning
of the priest:how moral discourse is constructed,held, argued,defended,
and believe in by thepriest.Moral discourse is understoodas thecontent,
theconcretenorms,thatforma code of conduct.Nocturnofocuses on the
questionablecode establishedby FatherUrrutia'srhetoricof confession.
Mechanismsofconfessionaimattransitions fromuncertainty,pain,and
guiltto truth, pleasure,and balance. The confessionalact attemptsto mark
thebeginningof a ritualof acceptance of guilt,punishment,reconciliation,
and new life.But confessiondoes notlimitthepossibilityof excusingone's
acts and instead encourages this possibilityin both senses of the word:
excuse as askingforforgivenessandexcuse as offering forone's
justification
acts. The excusatorynatureof confessionas self-justification contradicts
its understandingas a techniqueforthe productionof truthor Espinosa's
"posible verdad-moral."It thereforetarnishesthe possibility of a new
life. Key to my argumentin relationto Bolaño's Nocturnois thatFather
Urrutia'smonologueestablishesa constantnegationof guiltand speaks the
language of the excuse more oftenthan the language of forgivenessand
conversion.The priestcreatesa hybridmechanismof confessionas excuse
in which theexcuse is always simultaneousor a priorito the confession.6
The allegorizationoftheliterarycriticin thefigureof thepriestinNocturno
permitsa reading of the critic's task not as the traditionaldeciphererof
truthor autobiographicaldetective,but as riskinga mechanical cover-up
operation. His own confessionis a registerof alternativestoriesand excuses
leading to therecoveringof otherstories.
Nocturnois fullofcover-upstoriesin whichliterature, church,and the
stateare thekey machinists.The traditionalrole of thecriticas uncovering
and reconstructing is cancelled by thecriticrole inversion,as theone who
triesto erase themarksand thetraces.Contraryto readingsof theNocturno
thatemphasizemelancholyas thecentralmetaphorofthetextthateventually

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leads to the priest'sdownfall,7thisreadingsuggeststhatmelancholyas it

applies to thepriest- or morebroadlytothenovel- is a secondaryaspectof
theexcusatorymechanismthatdominatesNocturno. FatherUrrutiais a cold
idealistwho triesto avoid thetarnishingof his reputation,a pusillanimous,
arrogant,but resourcefulfigurewho, confrontingthe final hours of his
existence,makes recourse to all available tactics in order to impose his
version of history.Melancholy and the ambiguitythatcharacterizesthis
conditiondo notlead to his downfall,insteadtheyserve him as a mask,as
a formidablearsenalof scenarios,situations,and mentalconflictsthathelp
himto coldly manipulateand validatehis excuses and multipleattemptsto
separateethicsand literature.
The criticalfictionof FatherUrrutiaas reader,listener,and tellerof
storiesalways relatedto his own confessionbecomes partof the undoing
of his own confessionalaccount and the revelationof the criticas puzzle
creator,as enhancer of undecidabilityand disseminatorof false clues.
Father Urrutia,the docile functionaryof the state (researcher,educator,
culturalcritic), tries to confess (excuse) via the narrativemachine that
regulates its own productionof narrativesbut fails- only at the end of
his life and under extreme conditions- to retain the cohesiveness and
coping mechanismsnecessaryto be successful. His finalbreakdownand
deliriumis an overflowingof stories,a hyperliterary journey towardsthe
hiddenterriblething,towardsthe space of disasterand terror,towardsthe
recognitionof the"I" in thefigureof themutilatedand forgotten other.He
is led to this confrontationnot by melancholic symptomsaffectinghim
throughout his lifebutby his own relentlessdeathbedsearchforan idyllic
posterity, a validationof his moraland artisticvalues, and foran image
for
of Chile thatnever existed.8Therefore,the novel productivelymimics a
nocturnalcompositionthatbringsintoplay thebrittleness ofconfessionand
remembering byexposingtheobscurityat thecore ofan act thatis supposed
to create new life by convertingfaultsintolove. In Nocturno,themelody
and theinterplaycreatedby multipleverifiableand unverifiablestatements
and stories,between the confession and the excuse as self-justification,
gives way to nocturnalilluminations:Father Urrutia's unattainablebut
praiseworthyattemptsto invalidatethe establishmentof several degrees
of (his) guiltand complicityin relationto everydaylife events as well as
in major historicaljunctures.Nocturnalilluminationsmay be understood
as blindingluminosity, artificialor natural,thatfrustrates
theproductionof
insights, narrativestrategies that both to
bring light and obscure theliterary
critic'simplicationin specificdaily-lifeand historicalevents.
The referenceto nocturnesin Bolaño's titlealludes to theintimateand
sentimentalbutoftenobscure characterof thesepiano compositionsmade

Nocturnal
Illuminations: in Bolaño'sNocturno
FatherUrrutia de Chile 9
famousby JohnField and FredericChopin. Generallyshortcompositions

in thestyleof serenadesand suggestiveof nightcalm, nocturnesare often
somewhat gloomy as the pieces developed by Chopin show us. David
Rowland, in "The Nocturne:Development of a New Style," outlines the
contributionsmadebythetwocomposersmentionedabove: "Takentogether,
theseearlynocturnesbyChopin demonstratethathe was notcontentmerely
to follow Field into his dream world. There is more drama and a greater
intensityhere,movingawayfromtherelaxed,almostimprovisatory character
of the early nocturne"(48). Nocturno combines both modes: a tranquil
improvisatory exercise of memory,self-promotion, and self-lovein which
the addressee is God; and the obscure and intensemomentsof reflection
thatdisquietthepriest.The styleand therhythms ofBolaño's Chilean song,
in which FatherUrrutia'ssolo flows nonstopuntilthe last sentence,also
imitatea tranquilmusical compositionthatoccurs at nightand combines
differentmoods in orderto presentthe last words of a troubledpriestand
thepredicamentof a country.9
Nocturnal Illumination I: Salvador Reyes, Ernest Junger,and the

Guatemalan Painter
A keystorynarratedby FatherUrrutiaduringhis deathbedconfession

was toldto himat a partyin Santiago de Chile, and is presentedto thereader
as thesecond cuadro rightafterthevisitto Là-bas. 10The eventstake place
in Paris whereChilean diplomatand writerSalvador Reyes participatesin
social gatheringswithfascistfriendsduringWWII. Accordingto thepriest,
Reyes also tells of his visitsto a Guatemalan painterdyingof hungerand
trappedduringtheOccupation,ofhow he and ErnstJungerwere introduced
by a beautifulItalian princess at a party,and how the two writerslater
coincided at the attic room of the melancholic painter.Salvador Reyes
bringsthepainterfood fromtheChilean embassy in Paris and Junger,the
aristocratwriterpar excellence, is known forsocializing with artistsand
intellectualsduringhis administrative posts.
The cuadro temporarilyhelps Father Urrutia's repression of his
questionable past because he excuses himselfand is able, at least in this
part,to proceed withhis deathbednarrationwithoutconfronting his ethical
crisisdirectlybutthroughothers.It illuminatesthereader's understanding
ofFatherUrrutia'sconflictsbutobscuresthepriest'sselfevaluation.Father
Urrutiais aware of the ethical problems raised by Reyes' story,as will
be demonstrated,but does not make any connectionsto his own past or
questionable acts. During Reyes' firstvisit the Guatemalan paintersits in
silence by the window contemplatingParis in a stateof deep melancholy.

Review
Salvador Reyes also contemplatesuntilhe is able to partiallydiscoverthe

targetof thepainter'sgaze, but cannotgo any further:
Y cuando los ojos de nuestroescritordescubrieronla línea

transparente, el puntode fugahacia el que convergíao del
que divergía la mirada del guatemalteco,bueno, bueno,
entoncespor su alma pasó la sombra de un escalofrío,el
deseo inmediatode cerrarlos ojos, de dejar de mirara
aquel ser que mirabael crepúsculotremolantede París,el
impulsode huiro de abrazarlo,el deseo (que encubríauna
ambición razonada) de preguntarlequé era lo que veía y
acto seguido apropiárseloy al mismo tiempoel miedo de
oír aquello que no se puede oír,las palabras esenciales que
no podemos escuchary que con casi toda probabilidadno
se pueden pronunciar.(43)
The painter,functioningsimilarlyto thejoven envejecido in the novel as

anothercriticalforcethatin thiscase indirectlywarnsthe priest,remains
focused on this terrifying vista while Reyes avoids it, cuts it. The scene
clearlysuggeststhehorrorsand thecatastrophecreatedby WWII butalso
worksas a defensivemonologueand confessioninwhichFatherUrrutiatries
tojustifyand excuse theway he has lived by indirectlyprovidingthisstory
as a precedentforhis own indifferent and pusillanimousbehavior.In reality
Reyes and FatherUrrutiaare one and the same, each other's double. The
precedentcan be tracedfurther if one examines theparitybetweenFather
Urrutia'svisitto Là-bas- whereFarewell as hacienda owner and leading
literarycriticwelcomes him to his powerfulcircle while both ignorethe
problemsand suffering of thehacienda workers- and Reyes' and Junger's
functionas writersand functionaries of thestatewho also have powerover
the process of canon formationand interpretation, and at the same time
ignorethepressingissues raised by themelancholicpainterand by WWII
itself.As PierreLópez notes: "Jungeres de ciertomodo la representación
de la actitudde Urrutiaen un ámbito y tiempo distintos.[...] Urrutiase
hace el desentendidode las represionesde la dictadurade Pinochet,[. . .] tal
como Jungerno ve ni le interesavera la represiónnazi en el París ocupado"
(78)" . The Germanwriteris also one ofFatherUrrutia'sdoubles and serves,
like Reyes, to providean example of othersinvolved withtheinstitutions
of cultureand the state while behaving indifferently towards those who
are suffering.The repercussionsof Pinochet'sdictatorshipin thelifeof the
priestwill be the subject of thenexttwo sections.
During the second visit to the painter,when Jungerand Reyes run

Illuminations:
in Bolaño'sNocturnode Chile 11
into each other,the general becomes curious about a paintingof Mexico

City and asks the painterif he spenta lot of time in theAztec capital. He
respondsthathe was only therefora week and thatthepaintingwas done
duringhis timein Paris,withoutremembering muchabout Mexico Citybut
based on a Mexican mood ( sentimiento mexicano).FatherUrrutiadescribes
thepaintingas follows:
El cuadro mostraba la Cuidad de México vista desde

una colina o tal vez desde el balcón de un edificio alto.
Predominaban los verdes y los grises. Algunos barrios
parecíanolas. Otrosbarriosparecíannegativosde fotografía.
No se percibían figureshumanas pero sí, aquí y allá,
esqueletos difuminadosque podían ser tantode personas
como de animales. (44)
In his analysis of Paisaje de la Ciudad de México una hora antes del

amanecer, Jungertalksabout thepainter'sclosed wells of memory(pozos
ciegos de la memoria) thathad suddenlyreopened in orderto capturethe
painter'sunconsciousimage ofMexico City(47). Salvador Reyes disagrees
in silence and interpretsthe paintingfor himselfas an altar of human
sacrificesand weariness,the acceptance of the painter'sindividualdefeat
(48). It gives himgoose bumps,butas ithappenedbefore,whenhe was able
to approachthepainter'sgaze duringthepreviousvisit,Reyes ignores.these
suddenrevelations,minimizesthemas thepersonalsituationof thepainter,
and immerseshimselfagain in thetheoreticaldisplayof thegeneral.Reyes
thinksof thisas a partof the painter'sindividualtruthbut FatherUrrutia
as narratorof Reyes' storylinksitto a morecomplex and collective reality
beyond the painter'slife as if capable of looking "tras la cara visible del
poder" ( Estudio 28). The priestbecomes politicallyand morallyaware of
"la derrotade la culturaeuropea briosamentedispuesta a incinerarsea si
misma" ( Nocturno48); "pues a nadie se le escapaba que muchos miles de
personas no iban a llegar vivas al inviernosiguiente"(Nocturno49). But
Father Urrutia,afterthese critical and lucid statementsreflectingon the
realitiesof WWII, and of Reyes' and Junger'sindifferent behavior,goes
back to his elitistreflectionson literaturewithoutmakingany connections
to his own disturbingsituationand links to political repression(50-51):
constantlyputtinghis literaryambitionsabove his moraland religiousduty
as a priest;his indifferent
behaviorduringhisvisittoLà-bas; hishomosexual
experiences; teachingMarxism classes to Pinochet's Junta;participating
in Canales' tertulias; ignoringthe warningsof his subconscious; and the
obscured guilt expressed several times duringthe novel, sometimes via

Review
directconfession,butmore oftenas uncertainrevelationswhich thepriest

chooses to ignoreand repress.12
But besides Junger's and Reyes' analysis of the painting, the
descriptionof Paisaje, the unburieddead bodies and the photo negatives,
invitesunderstanding of thepainter'smelancholyas tiedto thequestionof
mourningor burialof thedead. Mourningwork,accordingto Freud,takes
place when the lost object is buried but also remembered,represented,
measured,and thereforesuccessfullysubstituted.13 The filmnegativesas
spectralpresences in the painting,and the unburieddead bodies seem to
reassure an importantrealityand the melancholic disappointmentof the
painter,as opposed to the cover-up stories or nocturnalilluminations.
In the painter'scase mourningwork is rejectedand we are leftwithfilm
negatives instead of clear narrativesof the event, with unburiedbodies
insteadof mournedbodies. Instead of tryingto get out of his melancholy,
to cure himselfby tellinghis storyor truthas in therapyor confession,the
painterrefusesthefallacyof nocturnalilluminations,refusesto give up a
realitythatSalvador Reyes cannotfullyaccess or attestto butwas close to
whenhe saw a glimpseof thepainter'sgaze. Moreover,thepainterand the
paintingof Mexico City standfortheeventor thecrisisnotto be forgotten
and formourningworknot to be substitutiveor an erasureof theoriginal
loss, whichinthepainter'scase takestheformofa profounddisappointment
thatavoids facileexplanationsand adoptsa continuoussearchfora "possible
verdad-moral."As Espinosa notes, Nocturno "es una novela que asume
numerososriesgos, pero de cada uno se dispara una reflexiónponderosa
que apuntaa no transarcon el quererentender"{Estudio 30). The storyof
Salvador Reyes partiallyhelps to illuminatethereader's understanding of
FatherUrrutia'sdark implicationswithculturaland political institutions
via theparallels withthetwo diplomats.The nextstorywill make explicit
theseimplications.
Nocturnal Illumination II: Pinochet's Junta Learns Marxist Theory.
The deathbednarrationincludestwointerventions byOdeim and Oido

( Miedo y Odio ) ,mysteriousagents of theCIA who manipulatethepriestand
expose his lack of courage and his complicity with political repression.14
During theseinterventions thepair expose theirties to Pinochet's military
junta and ask thepriestto bringthegeneralsup to date on Marxisttheory,
a job thathe cannotrefuseand thathas to be kepta secret.La junta wants
to learn the philosophyof the enemy,but membersattendclasses very
irregularly and oftenfall asleep. The classes are a distractionbutalso lead
him back intoa directself-questioningof his actions and moral values:

Nocturnal
Illuminations:
FatherUrrutia
in Bolaño'sNocturno
de Chile 13
¿Lo he hecho bien? ¿Aprendieronalgo? ¿Enseñé algo?

¿Hice lo que teníaque hacer?¿Hice lo que debía hacer?¿Es
el marxismoun humanismo?¿Es una teoría demoníaca?
¿Si les contara a mis amigos escritores lo que había
hecho obtendríasu aprobación? ¿Algunos manifestarían
un rechazo absoluto por lo que había hecho? ¿Algunos
comprenderíany perdonarían?¿Sabe un hombre,siempre,
lo que está bien y lo que está mal? En un momentode
mis cavilaciones me eché a llorar desconsoladamente,
estiradoen la cama, echándoles la culpa de mis desgracias
(intelectuales) a los señores Odeim y Oido, que fueron
los que me introdujeronen esta empresa [...] No podía
aguantarmás el peso, o tal vez sería más adecuado decirel
movimiento,las oscilaciones a veces pendularesy a veces
circulares,de mi conciencia." (113)
WhilediningwithFarewellhecannotkeepthesecretanylongerandconfesses
his teachingdutiesand theremorsethathe feltat thetime,as if lookingfor
some kindof approval. But Farewell is more concernedwithaskingabout
Pinochet'spersona,and thenatureand consequences of thepriest'staskas
instructorof Marxism is dilutedintoan interestborderingon gossip about
Pinochet.The classes are necessary,as FarewelljustifiesUrrutia'sactions,
oras Pinochettellshim:" Váyase con la concienciatranquila,me aseguró,su
trabajoha sido perfecto"(112-13). Soon thenews abouthis classes spreads
and FatherUrrutiasits awaitinga confrontation withthe general,Odeim,
and Oido, but nothinghappens:
Después, con estupor,me di cuenta de que a nadie le

importabaunpepino.Las figurashieráticasque poblaban la
patriase dirigían,inconmovibles,hacia un horizontegrisy
desconocido en el que apenas se vislumbrabanunos rayos
lejanos, unos relámpagos,unas humaredas[...]. Ninguna
discusión, ninguna investigación [...] Problemas éticos,
algunos. Problemas estéticos,ninguno.Hoy gobierna un
socialista y vivimos exactamenteigual. (120-21)
FatherUrrutiabrieflytransports
us to Chile post-Pinochet,theChile of the
concertación,and describes the so-called transitionfromdictatorshipto
democracyin termscomparableto thosedeveloped by Chilean sociologist
Tomás Moulian in Chile Actual: Anatomíade un mito(1997). In thistext
Moulian opposes mechanismsbased on blanqueo : theerasingofthememory

Review
of boththedictatorshipand thepowerof theleftistmovementsthatelected

Allende's socialist governmentin 1970, in favorof the la concertación,
the neoliberal consenso,15the apparenttransitiontowards democracy.A
troubledFatherUrrutiasummarizestheproblemin thesentence:"Derecha,
centro,izquierda,todos de la mismafamilia"(120). Moulian speaks in very
similarterms:
Al principiodel gobiernode Aylwin,para algunospolíticos

constituía un problema moral aparecer departiendo
amablementecon quienes los habían perseguido y eran
culpables de asesinatos masivos. Después se hizo común
el intercambiode sonrisas,luego de gestos amistosos,de
conversaciones,de fotos en los diarios compartiendola
vida social. [. . .] El poderlos iguala.Amargamentese puede
decir"son todos lo mismo." La políticaaparece como una
confusiónde lenguas. (64)
The maingoal oftheblanqueo was toturnChile intoa clean,safe,trustworthy,

andvalidneoliberalmodel:"Lo que en realidadse buscaba eraresituara Chile,
construirlocomo país confiabley válido, el Modelo, laTransiciónPerfecta"
(Moulian 33) .Blanqueo, transiciónandultimately consensonamea superior
formof oblivion,an absolute oblivion,especially regardingcontradictions
and theestablishment ofan imaginaryharmonythatsubstitutes thediscourse
of theopposition,an oblivionthatallows theemergenceof thesame Chile,
"Chile actual"orChilepostpinochetista : "El ChileActualviveen unatensión
discursiva, en una especie de contradicción que afecta la autoexpresión
de sí [...] la reproductibilidadde Chile pinochetistaes la tarea de los que
fueronadversariosdel dictador" (Moulian 53). Behind this reproduction
standswhat Moulian calls tecnificaciónde la política, or the cancellation
of debate and deliberationsabout finalities(59), and thedesideologización
(61) of politicalpartieswhichbecome "privateassociations" dedicated to
attainingpower.16FatherUrrutia'sdeathbedmeditationsat thispoint,after
an extensiverevisingof his past, are close to Moulian 's critique.The fact
thatno one cares about his task as instructor of Marxism,or about Chile's
situationunderthedictator, encourages him todisregardhisethicalquestions
(113) and to pointout thepoliticsof consenso and reconciliationpracticed
in Chilean societyas his excuse:
Los comunistas [...] los democratacristianos,los

socialistas, la derecha y los militares.O al revés ¡Lo
puedo decir al revés! ¡El orden de los factoresno altera

Illuminations:
de Chile 15
el producto! ¡Ningún problema! ¡Sólo un poco de fiebre!

¡Sólo tresactos de locura! (121)
La vida seguía [. . .] como un collar de arroz en donde
cada grano lleva un paisaje pintado [...] y yo sabía que
todos se ponían el collar en el cuello pero nadie tenía la
suficientepaciencia o fortalezade ánimocomo para sacarse
el collar y acercárselo a los ojos y descifrargrano a grano
cada paisaje, en parteporque las miniaturasexigían vista
de lince [...] en parteporque los paisajes solían deparar
sorpresasdesagradablescomo ataúdes,cementeriosa vuelo
de pájaro, ciudades deshabitadas,el abismo y el vértigo,la
pequeñez del ser y su ridiculavoluntad[...]. (123)
The questions regardinghis involvementwith Pinochet (113) are erased

once more,thistimewiththeexcuse of a certainpoliticalpragmatismand
ethicalrelativismas we have seen: "respiréel aire de Santiago con el vago
convencimientode estar si no en el mejor de los mundos,sí en un mundo
posible, en un mundo геаГ (122). During his deathbed monologue as
duringhis life FatherUrrutiaexperiencesa variantof what Moulian calls
tecnificaciónde la política: a tecnificaciónofpersonal,cultural,and political
actionssustainedbycomplicity,fear,excuses ,and a collectivedepositoryof
guilt.The resultsof thistecnificaciónare inevitablyexpressedas delirium,
remorse,nightmares,despair,and the hostile voices thatreemergeduring
Nocturno(i.e. Jovenenvejecido,Sordello,PadreAntonio)butthatthepriest
manages to keep undercontroluntilthefinalday.As thefinalityof deathis
approachingFatherUrrutiawillbe forcedtofacethequestioningofthejoven
envejecido,who has been ignoredfora long time.As thepriestcomments
fromhis bed: "Me parece estarviendo el rostrodel joven envejecido [. . .]
y el joven envejecido tiemblay retiemblay arrugala nariz y después salta
sobre la historia.Pero la historia,la verdaderahistoria,sólo yo la conozco.
Y es simple y cruel y verdadera[...] (124).
Nocturnal Illumination III: María Canales' Basement
The centralfigureof thisintenseand crucial cuadro towardstheend

of Nocturnois Maria Canales, an upcomingChilean writerand "anfitriona
perfecta"(131) marriedto NorthAmericanJamesThompson. During the
militaryregime her house was a gatheringplace for literaryand artistic
tertuliasafterthe curfewenforcedby the dictatorship,and also a torture
and interrogation
centermanagedbyThompson.Bolaño borrowsone more
time fromthe annals of recentand presenthistoryin orderto transform

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the DINA (Directorateof National Intelligence) agents Michael Vernon

Townley and Mariana Callejas into Canales and Thompson. As Adriana
Castillo has pointed out, Callejas' memoirsSiembra Vientos: Memorias
(1995) musthave been one of thekey sources utilizedby Bolaño in order
to writethis cuadro (37).17 In NocturnoBolaño brieflysketchesMichael
Townley's resume18 butfocuseson Callejas. She tookpartin theseactivities
whileremainingactive as literaryhostessand creatorblossomingunderthe
culturaland political dictatorship.19
This fictionalcuadro, as theentirenovel, will underlineand intensify
thequestionofhow is literature made inChile byexposingthelinksbetween
terrorand literarycreation.FatherUrrutiaattendedCanales' gatheringsand
was suspiciousaboutwhythepolice neverintervened inanyofthesemeetings
(135) or whyCanales' son- Sebastian, whichis also FatherUrrutia'sfirst
name- was so sad and didn'tlook like eitherof his parents(127, 129). The
priestdescribes and discusses the scene of the tertuliasand, as he often
notes,his supposedly limitedparticipation.These suspicious momentsof
regardingthelinksbetweenthetertuliasand thecalamitous
criticalreflection
events takingplace in the country,are interrupted but supplementedby a
nightmare: Bolaño thoughtfully a
inserts long and useful dreamsequence in
whichFatherUrrutiasees thepriestfromBurgos or FatherAntoniocrying
(136), and his falconRodrigo poised in a Judastree.
The dreamsequence partiallyrecoversthefourthcuadro or thestory
of his researchtripto Europe orderedby CIA agentsOdeim and Oido, and
once again underscoresFatherAntonio'sethicalproblems:"cuyas mejillas
estaban mordidaspor las dudas y el arrepentimiento a destiempo [...] y
el Padre Antoniome vio y tratóde levantarseapoyándose en un codo, tal
como yo haría años más tarde" (89-90). This timethe scene goes beyond
allusions to thehistoricaldebate betweenchurchconservativesand liberals
or betweenrightwingpolitics and progressivepolitics.20Certainlypresent
beforeas partof Nocturno's birdimagery,the indirectdreamreference,if
one examines the dream in the contextof Canales' story,is to Operation
Condor21and theactivitiesofthisinternational anti-marxist, and
anti-leftist,
anti-communist organization in which Townley and Callejas participated
as membersof theDINA. FatherUrrutia'sdream and previousactionstie
him to thiscoalition of dictatorshipsbuiltby Pinochetand thehead of the
DINA, GeneralManuel Contreras.The priest'sresumeincludesparticipation
in internationalresearchoperationsin Europe as we have seen, as well as
local effortsteachingMarxism for anti-marxistpurposes, both activities
underthedirectordersof Odeim and Oido. The linksbetweenCIA agents,
OperationCondor,and theDINA are well knownalthoughunclear.Odeim
and Oido can certainlybe a fictionalallusion to any of the formergroups

Nocturnal
Illuminations: inBolaño's Nocturno
FatherUrrutia de Chile 17
and their multiple forms of collaborations. As Berchenko notes, their

referentiality "remitea las acciones secretas de la CIA desde la primera
campaña presidencialde E . Frei en 1964 hastala dictadurade Pinochet[ . . . ]
la campaña que hizo la oposición durantesu gobierno(Allende's) bajo el
slogan "juntemosodio chilenos" (19).22
The dreampauses butadds toCanales' storybyalludingtohisprevious
activities:thepriestunconsciouslyunderlineshis extensiveparticipationin
activitiescomparablenotso muchto thetertuliasbutto thosethatCanales
and Thompson practicedin theirbasement or otherDINA-related tasks.
This comparisondoes nothold at thelevel of violentacts perpetratedsince
FatherUrrutia'sviolence and immediateinfluenceis non-physical;itmostly
functionsat the level of intellectualsupportof the regime,even if laterit
createsorcontributes topossibleactsofpsychologicaland physicalviolence.
FatherUrrutia'sparticipationas an instructor of Marxism draws a parallel
to thisstorybecause bothdeliverto thereadermomentswhen the literary
criticfailed to act or acted wrongfully. As Espinosa notes,FatherUrrutia:
"ha traspasadolas coordenadas del poderconvencionalatribuibleal crítico
literario.[...] tieneuna misiónde servicioa la patria[ . . .] mediantela práctica
de una críticaque opera de acuerdo con la misma lógica de la dictadura"
(Crítica 47). As a literarycriticand instructor of Marxismthepriestreveals
hisdeep concernsaboutthemoralconsequences ofhis activitiesbutremains
inactive,andnow,as a tertulista, revealsthecommonsenseknowledgeamong
Chileans, and thereforethe concealment,of the conditionsand privileges
thatallowed Canales' tertuliasto take place. The militarysupportedboth
thetertuliasand thetortures.
At this point in the narration,Father Urrutia's actions and his
involvementin the events he triesto cover up reach a climax. His dream
combineshisguiltyconscience,expressedvia FatherAntonio'sinconsolable
cryingand criticismof falconry,with the vision of Rodrigo the falcon
posed in a Judastreeas an image of treason(136): a betrayalof thevalues
of a society thatsupportsthe wellbeing of its people. While his treason
and guilt are clearly expressed in the dream, later and now wide awake
he realizes thatnot only he but also Chile, as the novel argues, "se había
convertidoen el árbol de Judas,un árbol sin hojas, aparentementemuerto,
pero bien enraizado todavía en la tierranegra,nuestrafértiltierranegraen
donde los gusanos midencuarentacentímetros"(138). The dreamservesto
excuse his own actionsas Chilean actions,butat thesame timeis a belated
confessionof his participationand failureto act. Suddenlythenovel returns
toCanales' storybutnowduringthedemocraticperiod,andtothenewsabout
Thompson's torturecenter."¿Por qué nadie, en su momento,dijo nada?"
(142). FatherUrrutiaasks himselfwhy no one testifiedto these atrocities

Review
and the answer is implied in the image of a Judastree.Anotheranswer is

because theywere scared or because theyfell preyto routine(142). The
priestreemphasizestoo manytimesthathe was not afraidand could have
said somethingabout Thompson's activitiesbut he didn't know anything
at the time.23The unverifiability and ambiguityof statementsof thistype
whichpermeateNocturnois partiallywhatprovidesthedarkaspect of the
narration.Confession and excuse play a game of mutabilityand mutual
fertilizationthatleads to its own neutralization.
FatherUrrutia'slast visitends but not beforeCanales inviteshim to
see thebasement,to go down there(Là-bas), and he refuses."De mi casa,
dijo María Canales, no quedará memoriaalguna [...] así se hacía literature
en Chile," (145-46) and FatherUrrutiatellshimselflaterthatthat'stheway
literatureis made everywhere(147). The house of Maria Canales, thefloor
of literarytertulias,and thebasementof literaltorture, as ruinswill also be
buried,erased, and something else will replace them veryfast,emulatingthe
rapidtransition -
ortheblanqueo perhaps itis better
to saytransaction- from
dictatorshipto democraticgovernment.Once again Nocturnoexposes a
literaryfiguretangled between her artisticaspirationsand the dominant
and repressiveforcesthatare criticalforsuccess: she is FatherUrrutia's
femininedouble and the novel's directlink to the catastrophescreatedby
theauthoritarian regime.
Closing Remarks
A discussionof a controversialessay,"El pasillo sin salida aparente,"

in which Bolaño recountsa dinnervisitto Diamela Eltitand JorgeArrate
in Chile, seems appropriate.Towards the end of the essay Bolaño adds a
quotefromPedroLemebel's "Las Orquídeas Negrasde Mariana Callejas ,"a
telephoneconversationwiththeauthor,andthestoryofTownleyandCallejas .
The combinationof thesenarrativesand thecommentsabout Eltit's menu
and complex literarypracticescreate an uncomfortableincidentin which
sensibilitiesare hurtand Bolaño adds to his reputationas provocateur.But
"El pasillo" has littleto say about Eltit- besides Bolaño's markeddistrust
of the actions and customsof empoweredleftists- and focuses on Arrate
and his ties to the neoliberal project.24The critique focuses on Arrete's
participation in thegovernments oftheconcertación,whichNocturnooften
and stronglycriticizes.Bolaño also commentson Arrete'sbrandofbravery:
"Valiente a la manera de los antiguos compañeros de Allende. Es decir,
resignadamente valiente.Peroeso no se lo digo" (76). "El pasillo" thenoffers
as alternativethe radicalityof Lemebel's writingand his ethico-political
positions:"'¿Pero quieres saberlo que menosme perdonan,Robert?No me

Illuminations:
de Chile 19
perdonanque yo no los haya perdonado.' [...] Tengo la impresiónde que

Lemebel y JorgeArrateno se entenderían"(77). The oppositionis, on one
hand,betweenLemebel marginalpositioningand bravery- a key value in
Bolaño's ethicalspectrumas thereferencesto Sordello show- as opposed
to Arrate's social statureand privilegesas partof theculturaland political
establishment;and, on the other,betweenArrate'sreconciliatorypolitics
of consenso and neoliberalismand Lemebel's radical non-forgiveness and
remembering.
Towards the end of "El pasillo" Bolaño repeats the veridical story
of the couple discussed in the previous section, Callejas and Townley.
This time and withno significantchanges, the storyof the DINA agents
leads to a long Lemebel quote from"Las orquídeas," which underlines
the complicity of those who participated in these cultural events and
ignored the visible connections to the calamities. Bolaño quotes a very
ironic section: "Seguramente nunca supieron del otro baile paralelo,
donde la contorsión de la picana tensaba en arco voltaico la corvatura
torturada."ThroughoutNocturno''s transatlanticjourney Father Urrutia
suffersfromthe same convenientblindness thatLemebel points out and
sustains as inexcusable: acts that in the present must not be resolved
by the politics of consenso or, in Moulian's words, by the tecnificación
of politics thatcharacterizes the concertación, and thathas its fictional
correlatives in Bolaño's image of Chile as a Judas Tree, or as a long
hallway withoutexit.
Nocturno's finalcuadro takes FatherUrrutia'smemoriesback to Là-
bas, givinga cyclical structure to thenovel, and recoveringtheallusion of
a journey towardsthe inferno.This time thereis none of the ceremonial
respectshownto thepriestduringthefirstvisit;he is completelyignoredby
a hacienda worker."¿Tiene esto solución?" asks FatherUrrutiarepeatedly,
referring to all theproblemsand conflictsbetweenthe literaryand ethico-
politicalscenarios whichNocturnohas photographed. "¿Tiene estosolución?
Así se hace literaturaen Chile, así se hace la granliteraturade Occidente.
Métetelo en la cabeza, le digo" (148). The joven envejecido or Urrutia's
superego responds with a "no inaudible" (148). No, as a rejectionof the
separationbetween aestheticsand ethics implied by Urrutia'saffirmation
(así se hace) and behaviorthroughout Nocturno.FatherUrrutiaquestions
himselfagain:
Y entoncesme pregunto:¿dónde está el joven envejecido?,

¿por qué se ha ido?, y poco a poco la verdad empieza a
ascender como un cadáver. Un cadáver que sube desde
el fondodel mar o desde el fondode un barranco.Veo su

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sombraque sube. Su sombravacilante. Su sombraque sube

como si ascendiera por la colina de un planeta fosilizado.
Y entonces,en la penumbrade mi enfermedad,veo su
rostroferoz, su dulce rostro,y me pregunto:¿soy yo el
joven envejecido? ¿Esto es el verdadero,el granterror, ser
el joven envejecido que gritasin que nadie lo escuche? ¿Y
que el pobrejoven envejecido sea yo? (149-50)
The joven envejecido is the trace and the recordof all thevictims,all the
forgotten cadavers, a forgotten memoryof the injustices.The finalfailure
and non-solutionof his nocturnalilluminations,theemergenceof thejoven
envejecido and thefinalbreakdown,is inevitable:"Y después se desata la
tormenta de mierda"( 150) . Nocturnalilluminations ,understoodfiguratively
as the uncertainand temporaryatmospherecreatedby artificialor natural
sources of lighting,are thestoriestold by theCatholic priest,thecover-up
operations,and theideas thatworkto suspendthepossibilityof legitimately
interrogating and illuminatingtheprocessor attemptat transition fromguilt
and culpabilityto justice and new life. During mostof the narrationthere
is no transition,but an oscillatingconsciousness at work. FatherUrrutia
does eventuallyfaces his culpability,he is clearlyguiltyof severalheinous
and unredeemabledeeds, buthis deathand inabilityto rightwrongsin time
revealsNocturne'simage of Chile as thatof a countrythatremainsstuckin
thepast: timecannotadvance because thepast is present,thepast is never
overcome.This impasse, sustainedin all the storiesnarratedin Nocturno,
establishes the immeasurabilityof the wrongs committedby direct and
marginalparticipantsin the events thathave led to today's Chile. Father
Urrutia'sChilean and certainlytransatlanticstories,emerge as an eternal
presenceof thesame (in) Chile, a countrywithoutthepromiseof change.
NOTES
1Farewelland FatherUrrutia alludeto Hernán

(H. Ibacache)respectively
Díaz Arrieta(Alone) andJoséMiguelIbáñezLanglois(IgnacioValente).Ibañez
Langloiswas theleadingand forthemostparttheonlyliterary critic("el crítico
único")duringthedictatorship andespeciallytheyearsoftheapagóncultural.He
workedforthenewspaper El Mercurio, theofficial
newsoutletofthemilitary junta.
Farewell/Alone,accordingto Espinosa,also alludesto othercriticssummoned in
thefigure ofAlone(Estudio29).
2The most relevantforthis
studyare the quartetformedby Salvador
Allende's PopularUnitygovernment (1970-73),AugustoPinochet'scoup d'état
anddictatorship
( 1973-90),la transiciónfromPinochet's
dictatorshiptodemocratic

Nocturnal
Illuminations: in Bolafío'sNocturnode Chile
FatherUrrutia 21
governments aftertheendofthemilitary regimein 1990,and la concertation or

coalitionof centerand center-left democraticpartiesthathas functioned as the
nucleusofla transition , andthathas governedChileduringthelasttwodecades.
Theroleofcultural andpoliticalhistory inthenovelis crucialbecausetheseevents
mustbe contextualized in orderto reachbeyondthemereanecdoticor moralistic
readingofthestoriestoldbyFatherUrrutia. Bolañocombineshistory andfiction
withcultural andtextualcriticism, inordertoanalyzememory as a technique, as a
meansofrecovery andreprocessing, andas a problematic mediator intheprocess
of self-evaluation organizedbythepriest.
3 an interview Bolañodeclareshisunsuccessful
During plantofinish a trilogy
includingNocturno ,, Amuleto(1999), and the neverwrittenCorrida.Bolaño
describesthesenarratives as: "novelasmusicales,de cámara,ytambiénsonpiezas
teatrales,de unasola voz,inestable, caprichosa, entregada a su destino,en diálogo
con su destino,y talvez [. . .] en diálogocon la tridimensionalidad que es partede
nuestro destino(Braithwaite 115).
4 For a valuable
analysisof Nocturno'sstructure as it relatesto ethical
concernssee Andrews.
5The discardedtitleis ofcoursea reference to ErnstJunger 's StormofSteel
anditsglorification andaesthetization of war.
6MichaelFoucaultdefinesconfessionin termsof and
powerrelationships
possibilitiesfortransformation: "One confesses -or is forcedto confess"(59).
And: "[...] a ritual[confession]in whichtheexpressionalone, independently
of itsexternalconsequences,producesintrinsic modifications in thepersonwho
articulatesit;itexonerates, redeems, andpurifies him,andpromiseshimsalvation"
(62). Thisdefinition outlinesa conception ofconfession as a completeprocessthat
endsbyproducing essentialmodifications.
7See for
exampleDino Plaza: "La melancolíaque imperaenel texto[. . .] no
es másque unaconstatación del estadoexistencialde Urrutia Lacroix[...] (101);
or Paula Aguilar:"Al explorarlos diferentes significadosde la melancolíacomo
metáfora centraldel textose iluminanlos hilosde unatramasincopadaque narra
el reversode unaliteratura optimista o de tintesheroicosy evidenciaunanarrativa
de finde sigloatravesadaporel fracasode los grandesrelatos[. . .1" (128).
8
Espinosahas suggestedthat"refundación literaria
y refundación nacional,
son dos gestosque operande modoconjuntoen el hacercríticode H. Ibacache
protagonista de Nocturnode Chile" ( Crítica41).
9Bolañomakesreference tothenovel'smusicality inthesameinterview with
RodrigoPinto:"Hayunaestructura [. . .] que es básicamente musical"(Braithwaite
116). The termnocturno , alongsidetheeventsnarrated in thenovel,also makes
reference tothe"apagóncultural" orperiodofcreative andcultural sterility
especially
duringthefirst decadeoftheChileandictatorship (1973-1979),a phasedominated
bycensorship as wellas physicalandideologicalrepression.
10The confessional accountin Nocturnobeginswitha briefdeclaration of
purposethatpromptly introduces readersto Farewelland transports themto his
estate-Là-bas. FatherUrrutiadescribeshimselfas notbeingin peace and in

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needof sayingmanythingsagainsttheaccusationsofthejoven envejecido:"Así

que me apoyaréen un codo y levantaré la cabeza,minoblecabeza temblorosa, y
rebuscaré en el rincónde los recuerdos aquellosactosque mejustifican" (11). The
visitto Là-bas, or downthere,recountsFatherUrrutia'sbaptismin theworldof
Chileanlettersas well as theearlydevelopment of his conflictedconsciousness
exemplified by his indifferencetowards the poorpeasants he meets at Farewell's
estateandhisreverence towardsFarewellandNeruda,as wellas hishomosexual
encounters withFarewell.
11 ve al objetode fascinación
López also pointsoutthat:"En Junger, Urrutia
y en él se proyecta a sí mismo como 'hombre de letras,'poeta,y no recupera
la anécdotapara ahondaren la situaciónpolíticay social de la represión.[...]
El desfaseentreReyesy Junger en Parísse proyectaen Chile,entreFarewelly
Urrutia; éstesigueebriopor su fascinación porlos 'grandes'de la literatura y por
supropiaproyección comovate.Farewell,entonces paterputativo delfuturo crítico
literario, le adviertesobrelos estragosde la fascinación;'sobreel temael temade
los héroeshabíamuchafascinación'(p.51),fraseque darálugara la historia de la
Colinade los Héroes"(79).
12Some of theeventsenumerated herewillbe revealedlaterduringFather
Urrutia'sdeathbedconfessionbuttheyare relevantat themoment, as proofof
theheavyload of sin thathe carriesduringthisnightof delirium, and in order
to understand themechanism behindhis cover-upoperation.ChrisAndrewshas
pointedout thetwo mainmanifestations of Urrutia'sbehavior:"Personifica la
complicidadcon el mal activoy las trampasde la mala fe.A sus obrasles falta
valory compasión.Ha seguidolas órdenesde los señoresOdeimy Oido, y no
ha queridoverquieneseran.[...] La literatura y la religiónle hanservidocomo
coartadasparano ver,y la historia de MaríaCanaleses la ilustración alegóricade
estafunción"(141).
13As Freud is regularly thereaction tothelossofa loved
explains:"Mourning
person,or to thelove of someabstraction whichhas takentheplace ofone,such
as one's country, liberty,an ideal,and so on. [...] Reality-testinghas shownthat
thelovedobjectno longerexists,anditproceedstodemandthatall libidoshallbe
withdrawn fromitsattachments tothatobject"("Mourning andMelancholia"243-
44). "In melancholia, theoccasionsthatgiverisetotheillnessextend[. . .] beyond
theclearcase of loss bydeath,and includeall thosesituations of beingslighted,
neglected ordisappointed, whichcanimport opposedfeelings ofloveandhateinto
therelationship orreinforce an alreadyexistingambivalence"(251).
14Thefirst timetheyintroduce themselves-duringcuadronumber four-as
foreignbusinessmen (74) and intervene by sendingFatherUrrutiato Europein
ordertoconducta studyaboutchurchpreservation. Some aspectsofthisresearch
tripwill be addressedin thenextsection.As Berchenkohas explained:"Ellos
personifican la manipulación-realizadadesde el extranjero-de las emociones
y de las pasionespolíticas(odio y miedo)que permitieron desestabilizar la vida
políticaen Chile"(19).
15Moulian explains:"El consensoes laetapasuperior delolvido.[....] Consenso

Nocturnal
Illuminations: in Bolaño'sNocturnode Chile
FatherUrrutia 23
es la enunciación dela supuesta, dela imaginaria armonía. Los desacuerdos respecto

a lascaracterísticas deldesarrollo socioeconómico impuesto porla dictadura militar
aparecen desvaneciéndose ,desde el momento mismo que la banda presidencial pasó
de las manosde Pinocheta las de Alywin.[ ]E1 consensoes un acto fundador
del ChileActual"(37).
16Moulian notes:"En el ChileActualla políticase ve enfrentada a unadoble
restricción la
que asfixiay que conspiracontraella. La primerarestricción es la
ausenciade espacio culturalpara ideologíastransformadoras [...]. La segunda
es la voluntadtecnificadora que emana del neoliberalismo hegemónicoy que
aleja lo políticotantode los representantes comodel ciudadanocomún,a menos
que se tratede asuntosde índolelocal dondeno se ponenen discusiónlos fines
esencializados"(60).
17As Castillo notes:"El
episodio sobre María Canales en Nocturnode
Chileplasmaunprocedimiento de logradísima transtextualidad. SiembraVientos .
Memoriases el hipotextoque nutreel episodiode María Canales. El juego de
citasocultasprovenientes de esas Memoriasrefuerzael hipertexto. Repulsivoy
fascinante a la vez,el librode Callejases sobretodounalegatoy autojustificación
de los actosterroristas cometidosporMichaelTownley(Jimmy Thompson)y ella
mismaentre1972 [...] y 1978."
18 habíaviajadoa Washington
"Jimmy y habíamatadoa unantiguoministro
de Allendey de paso a una norteamericana. Y que habíapreparadoatentadosen
Argentina contraexiliadoschilenose inclusoalgúnatentadoen Europa"(141).
The reference is to theassassination of OrlandoLetelierin Washington DC and
thatofCarlosPratsinBuenosAires,andtothemultiple conspiracies andattempts
organizedbytheDINA againstChileanexilesandtheirsupporters in Europe.
19
Dingesdescribesone of theirmissions:"Townleyand Marianahad been
waitingforhours.He saw Pratswas notalone,buthethought itwas nowornever.
The carturned, itcame around,itslowedat theintersection andthenspedon to
enterthegarage.AllI couldseewasthebackofthecar.We'retalking nearmidnight.
Theillumination downthestreet I thinkwasbad,'hetestified. [. . .] Townleygrabbed
thedevicefromhiswife,quicklyswitchediton,andpressedthebutton"(77).
20The historicalreferences mentioned above are fromthefourth cuadro:
IbañezLanglois,FatherUrrutiain Nocturno , was sentto Roma in 1986 in order
tojoin an International TeologicalCommittte presidedoverby CardinalJoseph
Ratzinger (current Pope Benedict XVI) and in chargeof overseeingCatholic
doctrine.Conservatives(falcons)and liberals(pigeons) were the core of the
Catholicpolemicbetweentheconservative forcesleadedby CardinalRatzinger,
and theprogressive pigeons,supporters of Liberation theology. FatherUrrutia's
successwhilein Europecomments on thevictory oftheconservative forces.The
allusionto falconsand pigeonsalso pointsout theconflictbetweenrightwing
politicalforces(falcons)andprogressive leftistpigeonswho"pese a sus cagadas
erancriaturas de Dios" (89).
21As
Dingesnotes:"Becausetheenemywas international inscope,Pinochet
devisedan underground, international schemetodefeatthem.To thisendPinochet

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createda secretalliancewithothermilitary governments- Uruguay,Paraguay,

Bolivia,Brazil,andArgentina. It was called 'OperationCondor'-named forthe
majesticcarrioneaterthatis Chile'snationalbird"(4).
22Thenocturnal pairofagentsFearandHateclearlyresonates withparamilitary
groupsorganizedby theCIA in order destabilizethecountry avoidSalvador
and
Allende'svictory(i.e., Ordeny Libertadand ProtecciónComunaly Soberania)
to whichTownleyhas been linkedas an organizer. In NocturnoFatherUrrutia
workedundertheirordersbeforeand afterAllende'sgovernment. Townley's
involvement withtheCIA is quitelikelybuta subjectthatgenerates confusion and
Both
disagreement. Townley and theCIA deny he was an agent. In The Condon
YearsDingesdescribestherelationship betweenTownleyandtheCIA as a failed
attempt by theformer to becomean agent(73) althoughrecognizing thatthere
was a connection.
23Mouliannotesthat"el sentimiento demiedoexistióefectivamente enla masa
[...]. Perola elitedecisoraactuóinspiradaporotraestrategia, la del 'blanqueo'de
Chile.Estuvomovidaporunrealismofrióy soberbio,carente de remordimientos
porquedecía (¿o creía?)interpretar el 'biencomún'la necesidadde Chile"(33).
FatherUrrutia falls,ofcourse,inthesecondcategory. Hisremorse isonlysignificant
at theendofhislife.
24Arratewas a leftistministerandambassadorduringvariouspost-Pinochet
governments whoalso servedunderAllende.He remains a keyfigure intheChilean
politicalscene.
WORKS CITED
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la postdictadura chilena."In Bolaño Salvaje. Eds. EmundoPaz Soldánand
GustavoFaverónPatriau.Barcelona:Candaya,2008. 127-143.
Andrews, Chris."Estructura y éticaen Nocturnode Chile." In La memoriade la
dictadura.Coord.FernandoMoreno.Paris:Ellipsis,2006. 135-143.
Berchenko, Pablo."El referente chilenoenNocturno
histórico de Chilede Roberto
Bolaño. In La memoriade la dictadura.Coord.FernandoMoreno.París:
Ellipsis,2006. 11-20.
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y discursos(1998-2003). Ed. Ignacio Echevarría.Barcelona:Editorial
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. Nocturno de Chile.Barcelona:EditorialAnagrama, 2000.
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Coord.FernandoMoreno.Paris:Ellipsis,2006. 31-40.
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Nocturnal
Illuminations: in Bolaño'sNocturnode Chile
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Espinosa, Patricia."Crítica literariay autoritarismo en Nocturnode Chile de
RobertoBolafío."La memoriade la dictadura.Coord.FernandoMoreno.
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la obrade RobertoBolaño. Santiago:FrasisEditores,2003. 13-32.
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NOCTURNAL ILLUMINATIONS: FATHER URRUTIA IN BOLAÑO'S "NOCTURNO DE CHILE"

Author(s): FRANKLIN RODRIGUEZ

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

A mí no me perdonan que tenga boca, Robert,me dice

Nocturno de Chile (2000) narratesthe life of two Chilean literary

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

of González Lamarca, his literaryfatherand predecessorbetterknown as

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

and purposelyrelatesto a broaderhistoricalcontext.Nocturno's subject is

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

leads to the priest'sdownfall,7thisreadingsuggeststhatmelancholyas it

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

famousby JohnField and FredericChopin. Generallyshortcompositions

Nocturnal Illumination I: Salvador Reyes, Ernest Junger,and the

A keystorynarratedby FatherUrrutiaduringhis deathbedconfession

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

Salvador Reyes also contemplatesuntilhe is able to partiallydiscoverthe

Y cuando los ojos de nuestroescritordescubrieronla línea

The painter,functioningsimilarlyto thejoven envejecido in the novel as

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

into each other,the general becomes curious about a paintingof Mexico

El cuadro mostraba la Cuidad de México vista desde

In his analysis of Paisaje de la Ciudad de México una hora antes del

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directconfession,butmore oftenas uncertainrevelationswhich thepriest

Nocturnal Illumination II: Pinochet's Junta Learns Marxist Theory.

The deathbednarrationincludestwointerventions byOdeim and Oido

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¿Lo he hecho bien? ¿Aprendieronalgo? ¿Enseñé algo?

Después, con estupor,me di cuenta de que a nadie le

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of boththedictatorshipand thepowerof theleftistmovementsthatelected

Al principiodel gobiernode Aylwin,para algunospolíticos

The maingoal oftheblanqueo was toturnChile intoa clean,safe,trustworthy,

Los comunistas [...] los democratacristianos,los

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el producto! ¡Ningún problema! ¡Sólo un poco de fiebre!

The questions regardinghis involvementwith Pinochet (113) are erased

Nocturnal Illumination III: María Canales' Basement

The centralfigureof thisintenseand crucial cuadro towardstheend

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

the DINA (Directorateof National Intelligence) agents Michael Vernon

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

and their multiple forms of collaborations. As Berchenko notes, their

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

and the answer is implied in the image of a Judastree.Anotheranswer is

A discussionof a controversialessay,"El pasillo sin salida aparente,"

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perdonanque yo no los haya perdonado.' [...] Tengo la impresiónde que

Y entoncesme pregunto:¿dónde está el joven envejecido?,

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sombraque sube. Su sombravacilante. Su sombraque sube

1Farewelland FatherUrrutia alludeto Hernán

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governments aftertheendofthemilitary regimein 1990,and la concertation or

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

needof sayingmanythingsagainsttheaccusationsofthejoven envejecido:"Así

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

es la enunciación dela supuesta, dela imaginaria armonía. Los desacuerdos respecto

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM

createda secretalliancewithothermilitary governments- Uruguay,Paraguay,

Aguilar,Paula. "Pobrememoriala mía.Literatura y melancolíaen el contextode

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.185 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:33:34 PM