Alejo Carpentier was the first Latin American writer to receive the Cervantes Prize. He systematically elaborated the "American Baroque" style, proposed the concept of "marvelous realism," transformed the form of Latin American novels, and pioneered magical realism. The notion of "American expression" was first introduced by Enriquez Ureña, referring to the use of Western cultural achievements to articulate the spiritual and life sources of both Spanish and Indigenous traditions. In recent years, scholars have reinterpreted the meaning of "American expression," suggesting it implies dimensions of identity, difference, and belonging. Carpentier was the first to explore and practice "American expression," with his literary works and artistic ideas forming an interconnected whole. This article examines why Carpentier was committed to achieving literary "American expression," distills his reflections on its necessity and feasibility, and studies the two literary styles he sought to realize it—"American Baroque" and "marvelous realism." It elucidates his significant contributions to liberating Latin American literature from its "spoken-for" status and projecting its voice to the world, while also revealing the contemporary relevance of Carpentier's "American expression" and uncovering its potential to create new value in preserving and promoting cultural diversity.

"Our America"

During his exile in Europe, Carpentier began exploring "American expression," critiquing the Western perspective of surrealism on America and delving deeply into American cultures. Through his travels across the Americas, particularly Venezuela, he developed an "American perspective" and reexamined Western views of America through his interactions with Indigenous peoples. Carpentier believed that American Spanish was a powerful tool for practicing "American expression," as it preserved the expressive modes of Cervantes' era while incorporating Indigenous and African elements, making American Spanish richer and more flexible. He advocated for the use of American dialects and implemented this in his works. Carpentier inherited Martí's idea of "Our America," emphasizing the continent's "unity in diversity" and asserting that a shared language bound its nations and peoples into a cohesive whole. He dedicated himself to writing about American experiences in American Spanish, awakening its people to their unique and universal heritage.

"American Baroque": Symbiosis, Mutation, Vibration, Hybridity

In his literary pursuit of "American expression," Carpentier established "American Baroque" and "marvelous realism" as the stylistic vehicles for this articulation through both fiction and nonfiction. Baroque style was widely embraced among Latin American writers, and Carpentier attributed its prevalence in America to the continent's symbiosis, mutation, vibration, and hybridity, molding it into a distinctly American form. In Baroque and Marvelous Realism, he proposed that Baroque was a spiritual constant, characterized by a fear of emptiness and harmony, as well as the self-expanding power of patterns. Baroque literature flourished in 17th-century Spain and profoundly influenced Spanish-American literature. Carpentier viewed the diversity and hybridity of Spanish culture as prerequisites for Baroque literature's vibrancy, affirming its flourishing in America. He unearthed the inherent Baroque qualities of Indigenous cultures, using Baroque techniques to depict uniquely American subjects and assert the continent's subjective consciousness. Carpentier regarded the Americas as a Baroque world, one that could only be expressed in Baroque language. He advanced the concept of "American consciousness and identity," highlighting the uniqueness of American history, where racial collisions and mixtures forged cultural symbiosis. His definition of "Creole" identity transcended conventional meanings, aiming to construct a dynamic, hybrid cultural landscape formed by the fusion of diverse ethnic groups. By the late 20th century, creolization evolved into a global model of hybrid cultures, demonstrating the foresight of Carpentier's articulation and construction of American cultural identity.

The Chronicle of "Marvelous Realism"

This section explores Carpentier's concept of "marvelous realism," a key outcome of his quest for "American expression" and regarded as the cornerstone of magical realist literature. Carpentier distinguished "marvelous realism" from surrealism, arguing that America's marvels stemmed from myths deeply believed by African and Indigenous peoples, whereas surrealist fantasy was a literary contrivance. His masterpiece The Kingdom of This World, through the story of the protagonist Macandal, portrays the enslaved Africans' belief in the marvelous, which became a force for their liberation. Carpentier viewed the "marvelous" and the "real" as inseparable. His short story Journey to the Seed, by depicting shadows independent of bodies, recreates the reality before and after the great earthquake in Santiago de Cuba, illustrating the interplay between the "marvelous" and the "real." Carpentier's "marvelous realism" merges subjective and objective realities, serving both as a technique for representing reality and an aesthetic approach to perceiving and engaging with it. The "extraordinary" and "peculiar" inherent in this concept arise from America's unique social and historical composition. Carpentier regarded American history as a "chronicle of marvelous realism," laying the foundation for magical realism and inspiring contemporary Spanish-American writers to shape America through literature.

Joining the "Concert of World Nations"

This section discusses Carpentier's redefinition of America's cultural position in the world and how his literary works challenged Western-centric narratives. Carpentier rejected the notion of America as a "world without history," advocating that it should retain its uniqueness while joining the "concert of world nations." By questioning linear temporality and historical determinism and drawing on Indigenous mythologies' temporal narratives, he explored multiple forms of time to highlight history's synchronic structure. In his works, Carpentier showcased the diversity and distinctiveness of American cultures, such as his exploration of temporal forms in The Lost Steps and his revelation of the complexity and multiplicity of American historical development in Explosion in a Cathedral. Additionally, in his essays, Carpentier praised the creativity and individuality of American artisans while critiquing modern industrial civilization's suppression of uniqueness and style. In the short story The Prophet, he used flood myths from different civilizations to emphasize the equal standing of all cultures and satirize Eurocentrism. Carpentier's "American expression" not only gave voice to America but also advanced the ideals of cultural diversity and equality, exerting a profound influence on later writers.