ESTUDIOS - Literatura hispanoamericana y sus valores
The consequences of searching for utopia in El mundo alucinante
The aim of this article is to interpret the novel El mundo alucinante by virtue of criticism of totalitarian regimes which are formulated by its author Reinaldo Arenas. Using the concepts of parody, satire, and allegory, which are typical of postmodern literature, the warnings of searching for a collective utopia are formulated. We arrive at the conclusion that a collective utopia inherently leads to a totalitarian and antidemocratic state and, at the same time, it puts modern democracy at risk.