Native American versus the Spanish White

The Pedro Paramo story took place during the Mexican Revolution, a time of Indian Revolt against the White Mexican establishment. Actually, most Mexicans had got their blood mixed by this time. But darker and poorer, Indian by culture, having no social status, marked you as un Indígeno, and you knew which side you were on.

So Abundio kills Pedro Pàramo in the end. In the beginning of the story, Abundio reveals himself to Juan Preciado as another son of Señor Paramo, born on a petate on the floor. That probably means that he was not legitimate, as Juan Preciado was though his mother had been cast off.

Abundio's description of Sr. Pàramo was: "He's hate. He's just pure hate."

Portuguese Too

I worked on some Brazilian Portuguese this weekend. I have a long, long ways to go with it. Spanish will always be my first love, but this language holds a lot of importance, too.

Today I worked to finish reading a commentary (en castellano) on Cien Años De Soledad, and I intend to finish watching the Pedro Pàramo movie (en castellano) on You Tube.

Finished! In Less Than a Hundred Years

I finished Cien Años De Soledad (One Hundred Years Of  Solitude) By Márquez. All in Spanish. But I can't brag, because I didn't really absorb it the way I wanted to. I was so busy looking up words I didn't know that I tended to lose my train of thought. It will take a re-reading to truly get it into my mind, get the genealogy straight, etc. But I'm  not going to re-read it right away. Next, I am planning to read "Inquieta Compañía" by Carlos Fuentes. It is a collection of short stories that really interests me.

I apologize to anybody reading this blog who feels that I don't have my act together with reviewing these books. I have to go into this slowly. Remember it is the capturing the nuances in the Spanish language   that interests me the most, not the story lines of the literature, although they interest me, too.

Pedro Páramo Movie?

I found the old Pedro Páramo movie in Spanish on You Tube. I have only watched asmall part so far, but it is helping me to "connect" with the story.

Some Thoughts on Pedro Páramo

Juan Preciado travels back to Comala to meet his father, as his dying mother had requested. On the way he meets a man who says that this father, Pedro Páramo, was also his father, and that "He's hate. He's just pure hate." and that "we were born on a petate on the floor." (Not Juan Preciado, who's mother was legally married to Señor Preciado).

These quotes of from an English translation of Pedro Páramo by Lysander Kemp.