Disappear/Disappeared

While this word may be understood literally in each of the few instances it occurs in Tropico, it holds historical significance as well. In “Trying to Retain Oral Histories,” the narrator asks, “Have your teeth been disappeared?” ¹ 1 Huerta, Marcela. Tropico, Metatron, 2017. p 47.   Notice the use of the passive voice and how it makes this line feel pointed. Hundreds of thousands of Chileans fled or were forced into exile, and tens of thousands were outright killed, tortured, and imprisoned during Augusto Pinochet’s rule. Additionally, at least 1,200 people disappeared. ² 2 Salinas, Eva. “How the Chilean coup forever changed Canada’s refugee policies.” The Globe and Mail, 6 Sept. 2013, https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/escape-from-chile/article14176379/.  The narrator’s question thus takes on a double meaning, as they address the urn that holds their father’s ashes as well as the devastating atrocities committed against the Chilean people.