Locos de atar o de expulsar: la inversión de la locura en La ciudad que el diablo se llevó

Abstract

This article analyzes the motif of the ship of fools as represented in La ciudad que el diablo se llevó by David Toscana. In this novel, the conventional connotations associated with the motif are reversed. The representations of ships of fools have an extensive tradition that can be traced back to Plato’s Republic and are, generally, depictions of foolishness. The main characters in David Toscana’s novel still drink, sing, and celebrate, but they embody sensibility, rationality, and judgement, which sets them apart. This unconventional depiction is sustained by the constant humor of the novel.