The distribution of the sensitive in Laura Restrepo's Delirio

Abstract

Various Columbian novels about drug trafficking suggest that people do not have much freedom in choosing their own path, even though they are characterized as living in a postmodern society. This is especially the case in novels which include Pablo Escobar as a character. These novels present a society where different social classes conform to strict rules. In this article we will approach this theme from the perspective of the distribution of the sensible as it was theorized by Jacques Rancière (2014), focusing on the novel Delirium (2004) by Laura Restrepo. Indeed, a large part of the novel is about norms and values which are represented as an important motive for the violence perpetrated by Escobar and for the madness of Augustina, the principal character of the story. The distribution of the sensible regulates and controls the public life of the nation and the private lives of the individuals.