Paratextual Polyphony: The Creation of a Collective Testimonial Voice in Nosotros los humanos: testimonios de los quechuas del siglo XX (1992) by Ricardo Valderrama Fernández and Carmen Escalante Gutiérrez

Abstract

This article diligently examines the concept of ‘testimonial polyphony’, as introduced by John Beverley in the 1980s, arguing that the effect is consciously constructed during testimonio’s production process. Using Nosotros los humanos: testimonios de los quechuas del siglo XX (1992) as a case study, the article demonstrates how paratextual features can be utilized in such a way as to affect the narrative voice, and frame it as collective in nature. Extensive analysis is undertaken regarding the title, Nosotros los humanos , and the images printed alongside the narrative, to gauge the influence of paratext on the source’s message and style. The article argues that the inclusion of a bilingual title and a wide array of images and diagrams is indicative of a strategy followed by the testimonial editors to grant the source an overarching effect of polyphony.