Madness and Crime: Anguish Zone of Crazy Seven by Roberto Arlt

La locura y el crimen: Zona de angustia de Los siete locos de Roberto Arlt

This analysis focuses on Augusto Remo Erdosain, who is the main character of Crazy Seven and The flamethrowers. The introduction offers an approach to the literary artifice of Roberto Arlt from the zone of anguish. Here, 3 main axes are mentioned to understand the significance of the novel: (a) Urban daily life, where a hybrid language, a bureaucratic shield, a capitalist morality and a peculiar aesthetic are integrated; (b) the petty-bourgeoisie, is identified through cowardice, pathos and hypocrisy; (c) Marginality, all the reflectors point to this narrative niche because that is where the vanguard of the novel lies. The paradox of continuous humiliation refers to the adverse conditions from which the characters intend to emerge victorious, but end up facing circumstances of greater collapse. The second part of the article characterizes crime as a trivialized procedure, since Erdosain concludes: to kill someone, rob a bank or detonate a bomb, it is enough to become a courageous beast. The third phase constitutes the most provocative proposal of Roberto Arlt: madness as a piece of artistic exhibition. Consequently, Roberto Arlt not only transcribed the sensations, emotions and singularities of a gloomy city, his work ended up setting the themes of urban narrative.