Fact or Fiction? Narrative and Reality in the Mexican Telenovela

摘要

Telenovelas are to Mexico what soap operas are to England—an essential ingredient in the tradition, culture, and history of the country. As a television genre in a constant state of process, telenovelas represent an important element of television programming in Mexico, with as many as ten to twelve different productions being shown at any one time on the two main channels run by Televisa and TV Azteca. This article will attempt to show that there is a mixture of fact and fiction in the narrative structure of the Mexican telenovela, that the resemblance to the world in which we live is recognizable but is more a likeness than a replica, and that the new tendency to feature a narrative style incorporating a more socially realistic treatment takes us closer to reality while keeping us firmly in the world of fantasy and illusion.