Eva Perón: the woman and the myth in the short story “Esa mujer”, by Rodolfo Walsh

Abstract

Historical reports, biographies, and records based on oral memory have built an expressive range of meanings relating to Eva Perón. Interpretations – recurrently passionate – attribute to that historical character the features of saint, prostitute, abnegated mother of her people, perspicacious strategist, woman with male personality etc. The literary narrative, setting out a dialogue with Argentina’s political contexto concerning the 20th century, also takes part in the process of construction of meanings assigned to Eva Perón. This paper aims at analysing the way Eva Perón’s myth is portrayed in Rodolfo Walsh’s short story entitled “Esa mujer”. For such purpose, we take as main theoretical references the writings of Gilbert Durand and Roland Barthes on imaginary and myths in contemporaneity. Furthermore, we take into consideration the poetics of the writer and militant Rodolfo Walsh.