The “Homilías” of Tomás Carrasquilla. The Region as a Starting Point of the National Imaginary

Abstract

This article aims to interpret Tomás Carrasquilla’s work through nationalism and regionalism, with the goal of identifying his ideas on national identity. We will focus on the literary criticism known as “Homilías,” published by Carrasquilla in 1906 in the magazine Alpha. Through a critique of the influence of European modernism on the writers of his generation, the Antioquia author defended the inclusion of indigenous or regional elements in the creation of a national literature. This purpose will be achieved through two main points: first, by examining Carrasquilla’s firm rejection of modernism, and second, by defining the concepts of environment, region and national soul. We will conclude that in proclaiming a literary July 20, Carrasquilla exposes the features of a thought that oscillates between regionalism and nationalism. To explore the foundations of national identity in Carrasquilla’s work, we will draw upon the canonical definitions of nationalism and national identity from authors such as Benedict Anderson, Ernest Gellner, Anthony D. Smith, Claudio Lomnitz and Gilberto Freyre. Finally, methodologically, this study will be conducted as a documentary research project with an interpretative level.