(Studies in German Literature Linguistics and Culture) Rolf J

PARIS ON THE AMAZON?
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world of crime. He always admired Guina: “Thunderous motorbike . . . ,
fashionable girls . . . , brand new clothes . . .” In flashes the song evokes
the most important moments of the protagonist’s life.
Flashback 1: Assault on a bank, when he killed one of the guards. At
that time he felt a sensation of power never known before: “For the first
time I saw the system at my feet.” Now he feels a strong pain in his completely
dried-out throat, and he swears: “If I get out of here, I’ll change
my life.” Then the refrain: “I Hear Somebody Calling Me.”
Flashback 2: Assault on a mansion, followed by murder. And a flashback
in the flashback: remembering Guina’s childhood. “A mixture of
hate, frustration, and pain.” His father was an alcoholic, completely
ruined; his way to school was an everyday humiliation. So he entered the
school of crime. Admission exam: assault on a bus; final exam: assault
on a bank. Now he is no longer an underdog. “He had a certain ability
to command, / intelligence, and personality, / skills for occupying a
good position / perhaps in a multinational company.” Flashback to the
speaker’s present: “What am I doing here?” Lately he had nightmares and
hallucinations, and he got the message that somebody wanted to kill him.
He no longer feels his arms and abdomen. Breathing difficulty. Refrain:
“I Hear Somebody Calling Me.”
Flashback 3: The protagonist was then 17 years old, and he had to
“survive in hell.” Six years ago, his first crime: assault on a gas station,
when he shot someone. Now he wants to quit. But there is the rumor
that he has squealed on Guina, who is in prison, and the paranoia that
his accomplices will take revenge. For a moment this fear is overcome by
joy because of the birth of his nephew: “He shall study! / As to me, the
Devil guides my destiny.” It was hot tonight. Let’s hop to the bar, buy
some cigarettes. “It will be quick, no need to take my gun.” Two youth
come toward him: “Hey, brother, this is what Guina is sending you.”
Four shots. He hits the ground, the bloody clothes stick to the body. “If
I get out of here, I’ll change my life.” And the refrain: “I Hear Somebody
Calling Me.” The sound of the electrocardiograph, which was heard in
the background during the whole time, disappears.
This analysis has meant to show what the meaning of “hell” is in
postcolonial times for inhabitants of the periphery of Third World megacities.
As we saw in Benjamin’s texts, madness, delusion, and hell are
components inherent to the historical project of the bourgeoisie. Whereas
Benjamin shows them basically from the outside and often confines himself
to denounce them, we have heard some voices from the South-American
periphery who make us perceive madness, delusion, and hell from
the inside. As such states are located also in ourselves, we should learn to
engage in a dialogue with them, including in this dialogue the inhabitants
of the periphery, as shown in the songs of the Rational Masters of Ceremonies.
It cannot be the “rational” historical project of middle classes to