The reenchantment of the world and the expanded field in literature

an analysis of Amor Originário – Aline Kayapó and Edson Kayapó

Abstract

This article seeks to engage with the theory of ‘expanded field’ in literature, as advocated by Argentine professor Florencia Garramuño in her work A Experiência Opaca: Literatura e Desencanto (2012). To do so, it delves into the indigenous tale of the Mebengôkré Kayapó people known as “Amor Originário”, narrated by indigenous storytellers Aline Ngrenhtabare L. Kayapó and Edson Kayapó. The aim is to reflect on how the indigenous tale engages its reader in imagination, in the world, and awakens them to other senses such as listening to the written word. According to Garramuño (2012), the expanded field relates to a ‘euxistenciateca do real’ where fragmented and discontinuously archived human experience can be observed. In literature, the expanded field serves as a dynamic and constantly evolving space, where interpretation and reinterpretation are essential for grasping the complexity of life and artistic expression. Here lies the reenchantment of the world; to think of this moving literature, which does not always work within the same frames and can expand its own concept by engaging its reader through sound, listening, and transporting them to new realms. The analysis of the tale is nuanced by observing how the narrative moves slowly, unfolding, elongating, whispering, echoing, and vibrating in silence.