The Feast of the Goat

Historical Context and Significance

"The Feast of the Goat" by Mario Vargas Llosa is not merely a literary interpretation of Rafael Trujillo's dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, but a deep exploration of the nature of power, fear, and memory. The novel, like a mosaic, assembles from the destinies of its characters a tragic panorama of a country torn apart by cruelty and betrayal, where the personal is inseparable from the historical. Llosa masterfully exposes the mechanisms of totalitarianism, showing how fear and violence seep into the very fabric of society, turning people into hostages of the past. The book has become a major voice in Latin American literature, reminding us of the price of freedom and the fragility of human dignity. Its influence extends far beyond the Dominican Republic, inspiring readers and scholars worldwide to reflect on the nature of evil, collective responsibility, and the necessity of remembering history's lessons so as not to repeat them.