By Night in Chile Lesson Plan

How does Bolaño employ Urrutia's experiences during the Pinochet years to critique the role of criticism and the responsibilities of artists and intellectuals in the face of societal atrocities?

Urrutia's memories of the Pinochet era starkly underline his culpability in being associated with the regime. He persists in his political obliviousness, writing his reviews and advocating for a revival of classical art, even though his words fall on deaf ears.

In this depiction, Bolaño offers a critique of the act of criticism itself. He prompts readers to consider the worth of art when people are enduring suffering without reflection. He questions the value of a critic who...