Abstract

KALMAN, Judith. La corona, la cruz y el corazón. Alianzas y rebeldías en cartas a san Antonio de Padua. Enunciación [online]. 2021, vol.26, n.2, pp.188-206. ISSN 0122-6339.  https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.14483/22486798.18780.

The owners of a restaurant in central Mexico placed a figure of Saint Anthony of Padua, standing on its head. Shortly after the establishment’s inauguration, the owners began to find letters taped to the surface of the saint. Writing letters to Saint Anthony is a popular custom among his followers, so the proprietors decided to place a lectern with a hardcover oversized notebook where diners could write their messages. This space is loaded with religious motifs and joyous mockery, and it provides an extraordinary context where the sacred and the profane meet, a contrast the guests’ letters readily reveal. The purpose of this article is to examine a selection of letters and explore the similarities and differences between them in their structure, tone, use of language, and speech. A fundamental part of the analysis includes the insertion of the letters in their socio-historical context. The findings illustrate how the differences can be explained by the coexistence of diverse social positions and practices present in the current world of the authors.

Keywords : Writing; Mexico; social practices; Catholicism; parody; prayer.

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