Prof. Juan Bruce-Novoa Dept. Spanish & Portuguese

Prof. Juan Bruce-NovoaDept. Spanish & Portuguese

Historical Context: The UnderdogsThe Underdogs 1915)

1910: Sept. Centenary Celebration Oct. Madero calls for revolt.

1st Phase of Revolution Nov. 20 Revolution begins1911: May, Rebels take Juárez: Diaz resigns the presidency. Nov. 6 MaderoPresident1912: Sporadic anti-Madero rebellions 1913: Feb. Madero assassinated, Gen. Victoriano HuertaPresident

2nd Phase of Revolution 1913: March, Carranza declares Revolt. Fighting in provinces.1914: June 23, Villa takes Zacatecas *** July, Huerta resigns presidency. Carranza calls for a Convention for October. to set up new government.

1914: Sept, Villa rejects Carranza as leader. Gen. Zapata rejects Carranza. Oct. Convention in Aguascalientes Eulalio Gutiérrez President***

3rd Phase of Revolution Nov, Carranza rejects Gutiérrez.1915: Civil war Jan. Gutierrez flees Mexico City April 6-7. 13-15: Battles of Celaya, Villa decisively defeated by Carranza’s army. *** June 3, Villa defeated in Silao June 4-5, Villa defeated in León Aug. Carranza occupies Mexico City. Oct. Carranza presidency recognized by foreign Governments.1917: New Constitution

March 1908

Francisco Madero’s Campaign Crisscrossed County 1909-10

Pancho

Villa

Victoriano Huerta, President of Mexico 1913-14

Venustiano Carranza, Leader of Constitutionalist RevoltAgainst Victoriano Huerta; President 1917-1920

Pancho Villa Pánfilo Natera

ZACATECAS

1914

Zacatecas 1914

Translation? The Darmok FallacyWe make sense through shared stories—Yes & No.

Get story, but lose the art = only half of the story.

i.e.: The Underdogs = Los de abajop. 5: “A man squatting . . .eat . . . three folded tortillas . . .

“hombre . . En cuclillas yantaba . . . Tres tortillas en taco . . .

p. 117: “open fire with their machine guns... fall like stalks of wheat”

“desgrana sus ametralladoras . . . caen como espigas”

LOSE SUBTLITIES OF CHARACTERIZATION.

p. 12: “Get the ones down there! Down there!” yelled Demetrio.

—A los de abajo. . . A los abajo—exclamó Demetrio.

LOSE KEY TO NOVEL´S MEANING!

Demetrio MacíasDemetrio + Wife,

baby, dog.“I tell you... Listen ...

Palomo’s barking.” (wife)

“federales?” replied a man. squatting...corner...bowl in his right hand... 3 folded tortillas...finished eating... gulped

down water. Then he stood up.

rifle...yoke, plow, cane rod & other farm tools...old adobe mold used for a bed... Child was sleeping there...

Cartridge belt...Tall, powerfully built . . .

...dog...whine...barked no more

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Fire/Flee Fire/Flee Fire/Flee

I killed I stole

Die Die

SURPRISE

SURPRISE

Straw-hut Village

Ambush

Ambush

Skirmish

BATTLE

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why?? ? ?

Solís:What

If?

TRUE

TRUE

TRUE

Revolution: Swept Away

Rebels against Huerta’s Federal Gov. Rebels against Rebels Villa

L.C.Redefines

RebelCause

Recep.

Recep.

Repetition + Change MessageSituation Repeated: message in the difference.

i.e.: Reception: p. 14 “God bless you ...”

p. 114 “They don´t like us anymore ...”

2 Dead, p 13 vs 2 Dead p.51

Home(s) burning: pp. 8, 58, 79.

Why in Revolution Why in Revolution?

Rev. As force that sweeps things away: pp. 38, 51, 109

Rob & Steal Rob & Steal Rob & Steal

Family gathered at start vs. Family at end.

1st Ambush, pp. 20-15 vs Last, pp. 116-118

Demetrio: Start, middle, end.

Novel about Architecture?

Novel As Novel As ArchitectureArchitecture

??

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Rebels againstHuerta’s Federal Gov.

Rebel vs RebelVilla vs Carranza

Villa Defeated byCarranza

Skirmish

Ambush

Zacatecas

Celaya

Ambush

Urban Homes

Straw-hut VillageHOME

Church

City&Fort

Demetrio’s FamilyAdobe Home Cave

Solís: Prophetic Epyphany

1st Part, Final Ch.Wait...until there are no more combatants...the pleasures of pillaging;...psychology of our race... Condensedin two words: rob and kill ...

How frustrating...if we who’ve cometo offer all our enthusiasm, our verylives to overthrow a murderous tyrant,turned out to be the architects of a pedestal enormous enough to hold a couple of hundred thousand monsters of the same species!

“Ah,” he cried suddenly, “now I understand!” p. 58

2nd Parte, Framing Chs. ¨I killed” ¨I stole¨

3rd Part, Final Ch.At the foot of an enormous chasmgaping open as sumptuously as theportico of an old cathedral, Demetrio Macías, his eyes fixed inan eternal stare, keeps on aimingdown the barrel of his rifle . . .

Eternal silence of death?

¿The GOTHIC?The 19th Century

style seen by Mexican liberal architects as inappropriate for

Mexico since it represented a

return to repressive Catholicism: Devolution

How frustrating...if we who’ve cometo offer all our enthusiasm, our very

lives to overthrow a murderous tyrant,turned out to be the architects of a

pedestal enormous enough to hold a couple of hundred thousand monsters

of the same species!

At the foot of an enormous chasmgaping open as sumptuously as the

portico of an old cathedral, Demetrio Macías, his eyes fixed inan eternal stare, keeps on aimingdown the barrel of his rifle . . .

Prophecy Realized

Revolution as Reactionary?

Victorious Government develops

Rhetorical Response

To Repackage the Revolution

As History of Order and Meaning:

Narrative and Heroes in

MURALISM

Mexican Allegorical Family Restored to Health

At Home in the Halls of the National Government