Tale of a life in decay: Larsen's return to Santa María

(La Costanera, Asunción, photo taken by me)

 

First entry:

In traditional literature, the typical formula involves an event occurring, and the reader subsequently learns its significance. However, Onetti subverts this convention: the importance of an event is established, yet the author decides not to reveal the specifics, instilling a sense of uncertainty in the reader —we are not sure of the veracity of the story, because the characters themselves can only speak from their limited perspective and therefore, there is always an aspect of the story that remains unnacounted for.

This is clearly seen in the novel's first lines. We are introduced to a character named Larsen, also known as Junta by some, who previously resided in Santa María five years prior to the novel's events. He was subsequently expelled from the city under shady circumstances, and now, in the present, it is suggested he has returned to the city against his will. However, crucial aspects as his background, the origin of the nickname Junta or the intentions of his return remain unclear.

Following what seems to be an anonymous narrator's voice, we witness Larsen's reintegration to Santa María's social sphere. He wanders around familiar streets, meets old acquaintances who now act as if they don't know him, goes to have a drink at an old bar, and alludes to a topic that seems to be somehow related to his previous expulsion, but no further information is provided. Additionally, this serves as an early insight into the city and its inhabitants; drawing from Faulkner's characterization of puritan, isolated towns, Santa María's population appears as highly judgmental, driven by strict religious beliefs, and hostile to foreigners. This feeling of reject will last throughout the novel, tainting the characters' behavior with a sense of defeat that defines the story's overall mood.

Yet, Larsen decides to ignore the overall lack of meaning behind his return and takes a boat to a nearby town called Puerto Astillero. Through a very terse description, it is revealed that the shipyard that used to operate in the town is now facing bankruptcy, but despite that, it keeps functioning thanks to the owner's resolve—Jeremías Petrus, another character of dubious origins—to pay off its debts and restore its operations. By unexplained means, Larsen learns about this and determines to exploit the situation for his own gain. The mention of Petrus' daughter, Angélica Inés—crazy, unpredictable, still single in her thirties—seems to indicate an opportunity for Larsen to get to Petrus, but in the end, his intentions remain in the dark. It is the sum of all these apparently mundane yet somehow connected situations, never explained, that captivates me, for the lack of context makes me want to pay more attention to the narration to grasp what is going on.