Narration der Resilienz – Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vacas Naufragios (1542/1749)

Abstract

Abstract This article examines the extent to which Cabeza de Vaca’s Naufragios display a specific textuality which can be described as a narration of resilience. The focus is on how Cabeza de Vaca portrays himself and his environment in retrospective, which events (for example, anthropophagy among Spaniards) he selects for his (micro‑)narrative(s), how he frames them and to what extent literary means are used. Of specific interest are possible models of affect and questions about the constitution of space and time. It will be shown that Cabeza de Vaca exhibits a manifest potential for adaptation, acting in the face of highly aversive living conditions. In the face of permanent threats, Cabeza de Vaca builds up the capacity for change – his relación is characterised by a high degree of resilience.