La Guadalupana entre imagen e imaginario: la Virgen popular de Rodolfo Usigli

Abstract

This paper analyses the relationship between the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe and the Mexican collective consciousness in Rodolfo Usigli’s Corona de luz (1963). The work speaks about the supposed apparitions of the Virgin on the Tepeyac hill and re-writes ironically the religious tradition as well as the historical sources. Even though the representation of the Virgin never appears explicitly, the audience/reader keeps on being in contact with the Guadalupe’s miraculous image thanks to the extraordinary power of the sacred icon, so deep-rooted into the Mexican cultural identity.