Outline
The Underdogs
Lecture 2, May 17-18
Bruce-Novoa
- The
novel's historical context can help place the action and development.
1910: Sept. Centenary
Celebration
Oct. Madero calls for revolt: regional fighting.
1st Phase of Revolution
1911: May, Rebels take
Juárez: Diaz
resigns the presidency.
Nov. 6 Madero becomes President
1912: Sporadic anti-Madero
rebellions
1913: Feb. Madero assassinated,
Gen.Victoriano Huertaà President
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
Constitutional Convention for October.
1914: Sept, Villa and Zapata reject Carranza as
leader.
Oct. Convention in Aguascalientes
elects 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. ***
Aug. Carranza occupies Mexico City.
Oct.
Carranza presidency recognized by foreign Governments.
1917: New Constitution
- Darmok Fallacy: Translation of shared stories anc miss
the details necessary to understand the specific meaning. The translation can capture the story,
but miss the art in which the true meaning of the story lies.
- Return to comparison of opening chapter
of The Underdogs and the painting by Saturnino Herrán with which we
ended first lecture.
- The novel is carefully structured
through a series of repeated scenes, with the difference from one to the
other constituting the development of the plot. See
Power Point slides 12 & 13.
Some examples are:
a. Reception: p. 14 “God bless you ...”
p. 114 “They don´t like us anymore
...”
b.
2 dead
men, p 13 vs 2 Dead p.51
c.
Home(s)
burning: pp. 8, 58, 79.
d.
Why we are in the Revolution à Why are we in the Revolution?
e.
Rev. As force that sweeps things away: pp. 38, 51, 109
f.
Rob & Kill à Rob & Kill à Rob & Kill
g.
Family gathered at start vs. Family at end.
h.
1st Ambush, pp. 20-15 vs. Last, pp. 116-118
i.
Demetrio:
Start, middle, end.
- The
novel includes architecture at the thematic level, with many structures
being destroyed and looted. It is
important to follow this line of development to find where it will end and
what it means.
- The
novel also has its own architecture that reflects the plot, but tells us
more about what is happening. (See
Chart slide 15)
- The
character of Solís, the disillusioned intellectual, plays a major
role. He will raise the question
about the goals of the Revolution and suggest how one might judge its
success. In the last chapter of
Part 1, Solís speaks as a man about to die, so his words can be read as
those of a prophet having an epiphany.
- Solís'
words can be read in the light of the discussion of architecture,
especially regarding Mexican architects' critique of Gothic
architecture. The novel's last scene
can be read as the realization of Solís' prediction of frustration.
- In the
face of the possibility that the Revolution might be seen as a failure or
a reactionary turn in Mexican history, the Government sought a way to
recast it in terms of "history."
That is, with a narrative line, meaningful development, and heroic
figures. The space in which this is
clearly seen is in muralism. We will
see examples drawn from Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco.
- While some of the murals suggest some
ambiguities in the revolutionary process, in the end the overwhelming
effect is positive. The muralists
allowed the Revolution to present a new version of the allegory of the
nation as a wealthy family.