Peruvian writer, anthropologist and ethnologist. He is the author of novels and stories that have led him to be considered one of the three great representatives of the indigenous narrative in Peru, along with Ciro Alegría Y Manuel Scorza. The fundamental question that arises in his works is that of a country divided into two cultures (the Andean of Quechua origin and the urban one of European roots), which must be integrated into a harmonious relationship of a mestizo character. The great dilemmas, anguish and hopes that this project raises are at the core of his vision.
His work as a social researcher has not been widely disseminated, despite its importance and the influence it had on his literary work. His study of Peruvian folklore, particularly of Andean music, stands out; In this regard, he had a very deep contact with singers, musicians, scissors dancers and various dancers from all regions of Peru. His contribution to the revaluation of indigenous art, reflected especially in the huayno and dance, has been very notable.
Arguedas was orphaned at two years of age. Due to the little presence of his father -who was a diligent and traveling lawyer-, and due to his bad relationship with his stepmother and his stepbrother, he took refuge in the affection of the Indian servants, which made him delve into the language and customs Andean women who shaped his personality.
He studied at the University of San Marcos. There he graduated in Literature, and later studied Ethnology, receiving a bachelor’s degree in 1957 and a doctorate in 1963. He suffered prison due to a protest against an envoy of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Parallel to his professional training, in 1941 he began to work as a teacher, first in Sicuani, Cusco, and then in Lima. He also served as an official in the Ministry of Education, demonstrating his interest in preserving and promoting Peruvian culture, especially Andean music and dance.
He was Director of the House of Culture (1963-1964) and Director of the National Museum of History (1964-1966). In the field of higher education, it was Professor of Ethnology at the University of San Marcos (1958-1968) and in the La Molina Agrarian University (1962-69). Succumbed by emotional conflicts, he ended his days by shooting himself in the head.
His narrative work descriptively reflects the experiences of his life gathered from the reality of the Andean world, and is represented by the following works: Water (1935), Yawar Fiesta (1941), Diamonds and flints (1954), The deep rivers (1958), Sixth (1961), The agony of Rasu Ñiti (1962), All the bloods (1964), The dream of the pongo (1965), The fox above and the fox below (published posthumously in 1971).
All his literary production has been compiled in Complete works (1983). In addition, he made translations and anthologies of Quechua poetry and short stories. However, his anthropology and ethnology works make up the bulk of all his written intellectual output, and they have not yet been reassessed.