Benjamin Subercaseaux (1902–1973)

The author argues that the sea of Chile is the country's vocation and future, though this challenge has not taken hold in the collective consciousness, culture or politics. He traces the maritime vocation to the pre-historic people who inhabited this land (Chilli: where the land ends in Aymara). The only epic of this vocation the author finds are the naval campaigns which Chile has historically been successful at, especially in the "War of the Pacific" in 1879, but not otherwise. The author's thesis is that there is a struggle between the maritime and the terrestrial destiny the country confronts but does not resolve. The author indicates that by the year of this work Chile was experiencing a great "decadence" in what pertained to its relation to its vast sea, and hopes such an era will be followed by "The Great Awakening."… (meer)