El matadero

"El Matadero" is a short story written by Argentine author Esteban Echeverría in the 19th century. It serves as a critique of the political and social climate in Argentina during the era of Juan Manuel de Rosas. The story is set in a slaughterhouse and uses its brutal imagery to symbolize the oppression, violence, and tyranny of Rosas’s regime. Through vivid descriptions and allegorical elements, Echeverría highlights the struggles for freedom and the moral decay within society, making it a significant work in Argentine literature and a reflection on authoritarianism.