From its earliest origins, the literature of Latin America has been marked by the presence of its indigenous communities, the representation of which has been constantly evolving. Throughout the nineteenth century what we find is that these texts tend to give an outsider's perspective of indigenous culture. It isn't until the first half of the twentieth century and the appearance of Magic Realism that we really get a glimpse of these cultures from within. Of these early magic realists, perhaps none has captured the social reality of the indigenous better than the Guatemalan, Miguel Angel Asturias. However, despite his obvious intentions to accurately portray indigenous reality, bring to light the social challenges they face and improve the conditions in which they live, many critics have questioned Asturias's portrayal of indigenous culture, some going so far as to accuse him of racism.

The predominant theoretical model being applied to the rereading of Asturias's works has been without question that of Postcolonial studies. But does his literature lend itself to such analysis? Are those theories applicable to the social realities of Guatemala? Many researchers believe this to be an oversimplification taken out of its historical context. It is out of this debate that this thesis takes shape. The objectives of this study are to examine the applicability of such models to Asturias's works as well as to analyze the image of the indigenous created in his literature through his use of Mayan imagery, mythology, language and literary devices.

This study focuses on some of Asturias's earliest texts such as his graduate thesis, journalistic articles and works of fiction to analyze the way in which Asturias has represented the indigenous populations of Guatemala. This analysis concludes that far from the racism of which he has been accused, Asturias is completely committed to bettering the conditions of Guatemala's indigenous population. Furthermore, it concludes that Asturias has represented through his employment of Mayan imagery, mythology, syntax, lexicons and literary organization, a favorable image of the indigenous; one who's cultural contributions are necessary for a better Guatemala.