Shoeshiners and Tortilleras: Subaltern Perspectives in «Cipotes» by Ramón Amaya Amador

Abstract

This article analyzes the Honduran novel Cipotes (1963) by Ramón Amaya Amador using the lens of subaltern studies. By creating a narrative that emerges from below, the author gives visibility to the working class of 1960’s Tegucigalpa. Moreover, the author writes from the point of view of two orphaned siblings that put shoes on for the first time in their life. By analyzing social realism, colloquialisms, symbols, and its current relevance, this article explores the subaltern epistemologies of cipotes (kids) that have to work from a young age.