This paper explores the narrative dimension of national imaginaries. Drawing on the link established by Paul Ricoeur between time and narrative, and on Hyden White's notion of 'metahistory' as the level from which intelligibility is conveyed to historical narration, the paper discloses the performative role of literary tropes in nationalist discourse and resorts to several examples from the Spanish American historiographical tradition in order to exemplify its case.
Nationalism; Identity; Narrativity; National imaginaries; Historiography