Compare the Book the Californios by L'amour Louis to the Actual History of the California - Essay Example

of Lecturer 22 September, Compare the book the Californios by L'amour Louis to the actual There are several similarities and differences that can be drawn between the book, The Californios by Louis L'Amour and the exact story that the author was trying to narrate. It therefore becomes pertinent to prepare a proper comparison and contrast essay on the book, The Californios with the exact history of events that we actually know. There are specific places that can actually be identified and there are reasons that these places are in the story and these are one of the things that this paper seeks to establish.

This paper would also show the extent at which L’ Amour teaches the readers of this great book about California of the nineteenth century. It therefore becomes imperative to state whether or not; this book has helped to enlighten the people on the past of California. “Men do not learn from history. Each generation believes itself brighter than the last, each believes it can survive the mistakes of the older ones” (L'Amour 69). Like any other writer, L’ Amour was influenced by some factors and these would also be discussed in this paper.

The Californios is actually the fictional tale of the discovery of gold in California and the ultimate effect this grand discovery had on the people of California. The fiction in the book could also be seen from a portion of the boom that says, “This is a fictional story of the Malibu coast.” (L’ Amour 211). In this regard, the book can then be said to be similar with the exact history that we know as it talks about the period that gold was actually discovered in California. The author of the book actually deemed it fit to talk about the effect that the discovery of gold had on a particular family.

The book tells us of how there was what could be described as a rush for gold by a particular family, the Mulkerins. It was not long that gold was unearthed in California that it increased the Mulkerin’s thirst for wealth. At this juncture, there is now a clear contrast that could be drawn from the book and the exact history that we know. While the story focuses on a particular family and the effect that the discovery of gold had on this family, the exact history is wider in scope as it is more general than the narration in the book by Louis L’Amour.

While the history deals with more than one family, the book vividly describes the story of a particular family. Thus, the story could be said to be more specific, while the exact history could be said to be general. In this regard, what could have possibly influenced L’Amour’s decision to write on a particular family could have been due to the fact that he preferred to use individual characters and by doing that, he had to be more specific, instead of presenting a general description of the whole situation.

Louis L’Amour also describes the event that took place when gold was discovered on a particular plot of land and how there was serious strife by some individual characters over the ownership of the land and this was on the plausible reasons that Louis L’Amour had to be more individualistic in his description. It is known in the book of history that, during the period that gold was discovered in California, people from different parts of the America had to migrate to California. “They had come far for it.

” (L’Amour 104). Thus, the historical perspective is that, there was great migration in the American history due to the discovery of gold in California and this was actually one of the greatest migrations in American history. History has it that, over 200, 000 people migrated to the city in order to get their own share of the national cake as the case may be. These people also wanted to have their own inheritance in the rich land of California. California now became a land that was flowing with milk and honey and it was a paradise of some sort to some people and this was actually due to the discovery of gold in the region.

Thus, a clear similarity between the details in the book and the history that we know is that the two accounts actually let us know that, the mass migration of people into the city of California actually transformed the city that was hitherto a countrified region into a developed city. Thus, the transformation of California was well represented in the book and this is actually similar to the history that we know. The hustles and bustles that result when there are a large amount of people in a particular community actually contributed to the events that take place in California.

As a result of the search for gold and the need to enrich their pockets, there were certain individuals of questionable characters that were more like a menace to California. These rogues actually frustrated the efforts of the indigenes as they robbed them of their goods. This is actually what the history that we know about California tells us and these were also elaborated in the book by L’Amour. Thus, these events are also a clear example of the similarity that exists between the exact history of California and the description in the book by L’Amour.

L’ Amour also introduces a notorious character in the person of Zeke Wooston. L’Amour makes readers aware that Wooston is a different character in Malibu and outside Malibu. Wooston was seen as a character that hid under his true self. He was somebody that lived under his shadows as some people could actually be deceived that Wooston was legitimate in his dealings, but in the real sense, he was fraudulent. These were the things that L’Amour made readers aware of, whereas the history that we know might not really expose us to these details.

At this juncture, it is pertinent to note that, the story reminds its teeming readers that some parts of the United States of America were actually dominated by rogues and hooligans after the immigration of people from England into the New World (America). A good book such as The Californios deserves commendation as L’Amour does a great job in bringing the events of the gold rush in California back to life, even if there were several elements of fictions in the work. It is clear from the manner at which the author describes the story that, one could have a glimpse into nineteenth century California by flipping and reading through the pages of the novel.

The book makes reader aware that, before the discovery of gold in California, Malibu was a highly ruralized environment and that, and it was the discovery and the exploration of gold in the city that transformed the place into an urban region (L’ Amour 109). The book also made readers aware that, the fact that the place was ruralized did not change the fact that, it was a land that had potentials. The author tries to explain that, Malibu was actually a place that had great scenery and had great gifts of nature.

Thus, the discovery of gold in California was actually not surprising to some people as the potentials of the region were actually clear for all to see, even before the discovery of gold in the region. In the process of describing the situation of life in California during the nineteenth century, The Californios also tries to expose his teeming readers to the present state of life in the Californian society. However, it is clear that L’Amour actually focuses more on nineteenth century California than about his own time.

Taking a critical look at the events that were described in the book, it is clear that the book was probably influenced by the author’s interest in the tussle for land ownership that took place in nineteenth century California. Though, people usually have different interpretations when it comes to issues like this, but the fact remains that, The Californios is actually pleasing as it is a delight to readers that loves the integration of fiction with reality. However, the fictional details in the book are actually what add to the glamour of the book as it makes it all the more interesting.

Work Cited L'Amour, Louis. The Californios. New York: Bantam Books. 1985. Print