Dolores Gil’s ‘Part of Happiness’ Explores Grief, Memory, and the Enduring Connection to the Departed

Argentine writer Dolores Gil’s memoir, Parte de la felicidad (Part of Happiness), delves into the profound impact of loss and the complex process of mourning, sparked by a childhood tragedy. The book, published in 2021 by Vinilo Editora, examines how we grapple with the memory of those we’ve lost and the importance of keeping their stories alive.

A Tragedy and Its Aftermath

Gil’s work centers around the accidental death of her sister, Manuela, in 1992. The author recounts realizing she had begun to forget the sound of her sister’s voice, a realization that prompted her to write the memoir as an act of remembrance and healing. This loss became a “scar” in her life, a wound that demanded more than just passive grieving.

The Act of Remembering as Healing

Gil frames the writing process itself as a form of “treatment” – a deliberate act of care and attention towards her sister’s memory. She describes writing the book in a “trance,” engaging in a dialogue with Manuela and mourning with each word typed. This echoes the philosophy of Belgian philosopher Vinciane Despret, who argues that the deceased are “machines for generating stories” and that the living have a responsibility to preserve their memory alive.

The Danger of Forgetting

Despret’s work, cited by Gil, suggests that allowing the dead to fade into nothingness is a form of a second death. The author emphasizes the importance of actively maintaining a connection to those who have passed, ensuring they continue to exist beyond our memories. Gil’s fear of losing her sister’s voice underscores this point, highlighting the urgency of preserving these intangible connections.

Vallejo’s Influence and the Call to Remember

Gil draws inspiration from a poem by César Vallejo, specifically poem III of Trilce, noting how the childhood invocation in the poem subtly transforms into an adult’s lament, a reclaiming of lost siblings. She recognizes a parallel between the poem’s longing and her own desire to reconnect with her sister, to give her a voice and a space within her life once more.

The Enduring Impact of Loss

Part of Happiness is presented not merely as a recounting of grief, but as an exploration of how the deceased continue to shape the lives of those who remain. Gil’s memoir serves as a powerful reminder that mourning is not simply about letting go, but about actively caring for the memory of those we have lost and allowing them to continue to exist within our lives.

Author: Dolores Gil. Title: Part of happiness. Editorial: Transit.