Memories of the after: towards a hermeneutics of testimony in political prison

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore the boundaries of the testimony in its textual dimensions based on a hermeneutic framework. Particularly, the article reviews how important is the narrative style of the testimony in its meaning if we consider the aesthetic level as a valid piece to this kind of texts. Research questions include the possibility of the interpretation of testimonies of political prison; how relevant is the narrative style of the testimony in its meaning and what is the role of an hermeneutic approach in this field. The work analyze two testimonies from Argentina- Nora Strejilevich’s “Una sola noche numerosa” (1997) and Susana Jorgelina Ramus’s “Sueños sobrevivientes de una montonera” (2000). The analysis results reveals that there are narratives styles from the literary tradition that operates in these testimonies not only as an aesthetic frame from the traumatic experience but also as a bracket for the meaning of what is remembered.