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Retórica fantástica en la narrativa seropositiva de José Ricardo Chaves

Una lectura de la novela Fujirazú (2023)

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Abstract

This essay analyzes the (neo)Gothic elements in the novel Fujirazú by Costa Rican writer José Ricardo Chaves. These elements are used to criticize the homophobic policies enacted by the Costa Rican state during the 1980s that contributed to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The novel denounces the abuses suffered by the LGBT population at the hands of various state apparatuses, primarily the Ministries of Security and Health, the police, and the public health system. Rather than being a mere accusation or pamphlet, Fujirazú is a fantasy novel with Gothic overtones that is populated by ghosts, dragons, haunted houses, possessions, and ideas drawn from Theosophy and Buddhism. This imaginative framework serves as a form of resistance against the discrimination faced by those affected by the disease.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: Feb. 18, 2025 | Accepted: May 20, 2025 | Published Sept. 9, 2025 | Language: es

Keywords Fantastic rhetoric • Homophobia • Costa Rican literature • HIV-positive novel • HIV epidemic

Copyright © 2025 Karen Poe Lang. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-939-9/002


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