FRACTURE AND RESISTANCE IN SOME MISSIONARY STORIES BY HORACIO QUIROGA

In addition to portraying the complicated life of the countryman, Horacio Quiroga's (1878-1937) Misioneros short stories depict the condition of the countryside. It is, indeed, a hostile, untamed place that plays a significant role in the absurd accidents and tragic deaths of the main characters. These short stories not only indicate the state of the countryside and its inhabitants, but also alert the readers of the unforeseeable future facing this society. In effect, the narrative of Misiones seems to suggest that the fate of this nation depends exclusively on the condition of nature. To clarify this stance, this article explores how the Argentinian modern life disrupted the natural order of the countryside, causing an irreparable rupture between the countryman and his natural surroundings. Despite of Quiroga ' s pessimistic views, we can find characters with strong critical attitudes which represent combative acts of resistance and confrontation to modernity.