Arturo, the Most Brilliant Star by Reinaldo Arenas
"Arturo, the Most Brilliant Star" is a poignant short novel by Reinaldo Arenas that explores themes of identity, oppression, and the struggle for self-expression within the context of Cuba's repressive political landscape during the early 1960s. The narrative follows the character Arturo, a young gay man who becomes a victim of police raids targeting homosexuals in Havana. These raids result in his imprisonment in a labor camp, where he witnesses and experiences the brutality inflicted upon fellow inmates, creating a stark portrayal of the violence inherent in such totalitarian regimes.
As Arturo navigates his grim environment, he grapples with his social rejection and the expectations placed upon him by both fellow prisoners and the guards. His journey of self-discovery leads him to become a skilled female impersonator, reflecting the complex dynamics of survival and conformity under duress. The novel not only addresses the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals but also serves as a critique of the ideological indoctrination imposed by the Cuban government.
Arenas’ work is notable for its candid exploration of homosexual themes, which were often considered taboo in Latin American literature. Ultimately, "Arturo, the Most Brilliant Star" is a significant contribution to queer literature, offering a voice to marginalized communities and shedding light on the intersection of sexual identity and political repression. Through Arturo's imaginative escape, Arenas invites readers to reflect on the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
On this Page
Arturo, the Most Brilliant Star by Reinaldo Arenas
First published:Arturo, la estrella más brillante, 1984 (English translation, 1989)
The Work
Reinaldo Arenas’ commitment to resist and denounce Cuba’s indoctrination practices is evident in his short novel Arturo, the Most Brilliant Star. This work is also significant in that Arenas links his political views on the Cuban Revolution with his increasing interest in gay characters. The plot was inspired by a series of police raids against homosexuals in Havana in the early 1960’s. The process was simple: The police picked up thousands of men, usually young men, and denounced them as homosexuals on the grounds of their wearing certain pieces of clothing commonly considered to be the garb of gay men. Those arrested had to work and undergo ideological training in labor camps.
Arturo is one of the thousands of gay men forced into a work camp. He becomes a fictional eyewitness of the rampant use of violence as a form of punishment. The novel’s descriptions of the violence coincide with eyewitness accounts by gay men who have made similar declarations after their exile from Cuba.
Arturo faces the fact that a labor camp foments homosexual activity between the prisoners and the guards. A dreary and claustrophobic existence prompts some men to do female impersonations. If caught, those impersonators become a target of police brutality. Arturo, a social outcast, suffers rejection by his fellow prisoners because initially he does not take part in the female impersonations. Partly as the result of verbal and physical abuse, he joins the group at large and becomes the camp’s best female impersonator. His transformation, especially his fast control of the female impersonator’s jargon, reminds the reader of the revolutionary jargon forced upon the prisoners, which at first they resist learning and later mimic to ironic perfection.
Arturo’s imagination forces him to understand his loneliness in the camp. In order to escape from the camp, he strives to create his own world, one that is truly fantastic and one of which he is king. The mental process is draining, and he has to work under sordid conditions that threaten his concentration, but he is successful in his attempt and his world grows and extends outside the camp. The final touch is the construction of his own castle, in which he discovers a handsome man waiting for him on the other side of the walls. In his pursuit of his admirer Arturo does not recognize that his imaginary walls are the off-limits fences of the camp. When he is ordered to stop, he continues to walk out of the camp, and he is shot dead by a military officer.
Arenas’ novel represents the beginning of a literary trend in Latin America that presents homosexuals as significant characters. It also focuses on the sexual practices of homosexual men, something that was a literary taboo.
Bibliography
Schwartz, Kessel. “Homosexuality and the Fiction of Reinaldo Arenas.” Journal of Evolutionary Psychology 5, nos. 1-2 (1984): 12-20.