Cabrera Infante and Parody: Tracking Hemingway in 'Tres Tristes Tigres'

This article analyses the operatives and the function of parody as the concept emerges through the novel Tres Tristes Tigres of Guillermo Cabrera Infante. In defence of the literary theorists who view parody as a complex, worthy and at times necessary art (Linda Hutcheon, Margaret Rose), this article adds the dimension, based on an analysis of the parodies of Ernest Hemingway within the novel, that parody operates for Cabrera Infante, both as a vehicle for humour, and as a means of overcoming the influence of Hemingway upon his own style, and upon the style of his contemporary Cuban writers. In light of the ongoing interest in the influence of Hemingway in Cuban letters and general culture (Padura Fuentes’ recent novel concerns a revision of Hemingway’s Cuban biography), this article focuses on a contemporary and polemic issue, charting the development of the argument from the sixties to the present day.