Chasing Che by Elite Smith - Research Paper Example

? Chasing Che Chasing Che Chasing Che is a very inspiring story that goes to great lengths in explaining the wonders of the travels of one person on a self-mission. The young man goes by the name Che Guevara. Coming from a tough background, the characterization put in the story clearly defines the struggle through which he had to go through to survive some trying times. Very many themes clearly present themselves in the work and this is because of the high amount of energy that Che has while working on his mission. One of the major themes presented is that of revolution. This change is meant to be presented by Che in an effort to have a society that is free of violence and poverty and extend it to greater lengths where there is impunity and everyone actually dwells happily and in peace with each other. Another theme well presented in the book and one which will be focused on in the paper is the theme of poverty that is very widespread from the text and brings itself out on many occasions. Coming back from medical school, Che had had a very great life and enjoyed each day that he had spent studying. This was not only because he was very steadfast but also from the fact that everything that he had needed and was using was availed to him readily1. There was water in abundance and he used to have a very reputable and diet food. This was sure to keep him healthy and delighted all the time. However, the situation changed as soon as he was through with his education and went back to his home town. The area was a mess and he found it very hard to cope with the conditions there. The change was rather drastic for him and his friend and thus they sat down and devised a plan on how to get the conditions back on track. Che thought it through as he carried on his day to day activities back at home and with the help of his close friend decided to take a trip across the country in an effort to bring back the so much required revolution. The essence of the revolution was so as to get the economic condition of the country stable so that the adverse conditions of his village could reduce significantly if not come to an end2. The poverty in the country is brought to focus when the effects of having the fuel for the journey as quite a large hustle. This is clearly defined in the manner through which Che complains of lack of enough money to travel throughout the country. Che was a very instrumental man and had decided to give up everything for the success of his journey. The fact that as trained doctor he was having problems with finances was a clear indication of how deplorable the conditions of the country were. When he had left the hometown, he was very sure that with proper education he would gain employment but this was not the subsequent case. Fidel Castro was the leader of Cuba at the time. He was a very corrupt head and did not play by the book but rather went on his own way as he continued ruling the country3. His corruption was witnessed from the manner through which people from his country varied greatly economically. A section of people dwelt in palaces and expensive mansions while another section of the people actually survived in areas that were overcome by poverty and did not have all the resources that they required. The corruption was as much as he did not actually care anymore what the people thought but rather went on to live his life in a fancy manner. The people stated to be living lavish lives were close friends and family of the leader. The uneven spread of resources made other places become poorer than others and this was the major reason as to why Che set out on the journey in an effort to change this. Che decided to take a motorcycle ride all around the country without caring a lot of whether he would succeed or not but rather all that he wanted was to have in mind that he had tried his best. The theme of poverty clearly shapes itself from the first few kilometers that Che and his friend took while navigating the country. This was because of the vast amount of problems they had with the terrain and everywhere else that they passed through. They had a very difficult time while travelling and many are the times that they used to stop in an effort to try and get the motorcycle well on track. Che wanted a country that had impunity and did not have any form of corruption4. Though it was very difficult to attain this as a duo. They decided to give it a shot in an effort to see whether it would work. Che was very determined and this is witnessed from the manner in which he went to many people asking for their views on how the government was running the various programs that were meant to benefit the natives5. The extent of poverty was also identified from the fact that the country used to receive aid from international organizations but in real sense all the proceeds from the organization would somehow get embezzled by the government. This subsequently meant that the poor people would continue living low lives. At the greatest extent at which the government would assist these people would be by selling them the food rather than offering it to them free of charge as required by the international organizations6. In his travels, there is the revelation of a point where Che comes across an elderly couple. In this situation he tries very much to create or rather generate a clear and concise conversation with it. The couple looks ignorant of Che and his mate as it is not sure what kind of people they are. The hesitate a lot to talk to them because they think they are government operatives and at that time talking to such people would create more harm than good to them. After convincing the couple that they are on their side, the couple seemingly begin to open up. The couple surprises Che when it states that it is on the run and on the search for food as it cannot just sit back and relax while some of their people are actually dying back at home due to widespread poverty and hunger. At its age, it hit Che’s mind that the couple was supposed to be at home at least reaping the benefits of many years of hard work. However, the government had its own plans and did not even reward the couple for its service for the country. This was rather depressing as it was risky for it to be travelling around. The couple explained the extent to which poverty had hit them and that they needed to look for a place where they could get a job, even if it was cheap labor they claimed it was good enough for them because they did not actually require money for luxury but rather to purchase basic necessities7 There was also the point in their travels that Cheand his mate went to one of the richest areas in the country. It was some form of estate highly guarded and this was a clear indication of the lives that the people in that location had. It was very important to visit the location as it gave some form of comparison to contrast the lives of the rich and famous in society comparing them to those of the mere peasants that inhabited the other places in the country8. The area was very impressive and this was sure a factor that helped them understand where the rest of the money for all the poor people went. The infrastructure there was very reputable and this was in sharp contrast to the road that Che had used to get there. The factor that the guards were reluctant to let people in and out of the area was an indication that the inhabitants were not pleased by the efforts of people to get there. The guards must have been paid a lump sum deal of money to have the ability to bear the stories of the lavish lives that went on in such estates without telling people. This was also effective in that the money that the guards and other support staff were offered came from the money supposed to feed the poor people in society. Fidel Castro assumes this pressing issue in society by stating that his country is not poor but rather it is the inhabitants that are not hard working enough. Many people contradict this statement as it is common knowledge that it was a lie. This was from the fact that the people actually had the will to work hard so as to at least have a proper life. The number of people living in concentration camps was overwhelming. This was because the government had gone as far as occupying some of their lands to ensure that it benefited itself. The lands were used by the government to start up new offices and such non beneficial projects to society. Despite the widespread amount of poverty in the country, it is important to keep in mind that the people also had a role to play if they were to have normal lives again. If they just sat back, the government would be more reluctant to help them. It is for this reason that it was rather imperative for the people to follow in Che’s footsteps to ensure that they had a strong union that would at least advocate for the improvements of the conditions in the country. Bibliography Symmes, Patrick. Chasing Che A Motorcycle Journey in Search of the Guevara Legend. New York: Vintage eBooks, 2011. . Smith, Elite. “Chasing Che”. Beyond Chron: The Voice of the Rest. 2010. Retrieved on 2nd April 2012 from http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=1429 Castaneda, Jorge. The Life and Times of Che Guevara. New York: McGraw Hill Publishers, 2007. Print. Guerra, Ramiro. An Economic History of Cuba. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Print. Read More