The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela - Essay Example

?The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela Introduction The novel begins on a dark night when a riotous group of Federals arrive in the rancho of Demetrio Macias, who had already gained recognition for displaying valor in the skirmishes of the Mexican revolution. This group was fighting from the side of the despicable Mexican military dictator, Victoriano Huerta, who formed an exploitive regime. In spite of the Federals’ oppressive characteristics, the sergeant in the group was filled with terror when he was confronted by Demetrio. Although, initially the intruders escaped, they later returned to set Demetrio’s house on fire, thus paving the way for the violent drama to unfold in Mariano Azuela’s historical fiction on the Mexican revolution, The Underdogs. Through a fiction story, Azuela has described the events that occurred during the Mexican revolution. He depicts the gruesome details of the war and at the same time brought forward the prevailing situation in Mexico during the revolution. It is said that the author had a cynical view of the war and this is the main theme of the book, where through sequences of events he puts together the impact of the revolution on Mexico. He depicts these themes through the fictional character of Demetrio Macias and his group of revolutionaries. They indulge in fighting the hostile forces along with the federal forces although they did not properly comprehend the principles or objectives of the revolution. Demetrio and his men had their own reasons to join the war and participated in destroying property and killing people at will. In the final section of the book, these revolutionaries start contemplating why they are fighting. Azuela captured the real picture of the revolution which although started with a promise to provide a better future for Mexico, became only a series of battles between opposing forces who all wanted to rule. Soon people who risked their and their family’s lives to fight the war became disillusioned, and this was reflected in the question “What are we fighting for”? (Azuela, 39) which was once asked by Demetrio to a journalist Luis Cervantes who had written an article supporting the revolution, and to which Luis had no answer. There are three parts in this novel that depicts three themes on the revolution. In the first part, Demetrio and his group of revolutionaries join the war each for their own reasons. Their excitement could be seen in the manner they prepare themselves to fight the opposing forces, although being ignorant of the ideals of the revolution. Demetrio started the fight after his house was set on fire by the Federals. The strong spirit of fighting could be seen in the men as their compared themselves with another revolutionary named Medina who supposedly had managed to defeat soldiers and police with just a dozen men equipped with knives sharpened on a grindstone. Demetrio and his men’s indiscriminate killing of soldiers was heightened by their incredible accuracy in shooting with their rifles: “A soldier fell into the water; at each shot, invariably a soldier bit the dust” (Azuela, 25). In the second part of the book, readers can see the impact of the revolution as Demetrio and his men proceed through the country. The effects of the war have been depicted throughout the book as Demetrio and his revolutionaries continued their journey across the country by indiscriminately killing people, ransacking towns and destroying property. This is also one of the war’s hypocrisies, where Demetrio joined the war although for personal vendetta, nevertheless for him becoming part of the army meant that there is no dearth of food, as he will be able to get anything by robbing individuals and houses. With this, readers get to see loss of conscience and inhuman tendencies as another impact of the war. Demetrio’s unconventional behavior was also reflected at one time when they reach a house inhabited by a couple of women and children. He first ordered his men to disband without looting the house, but a while later he ordered “Set fire to the house” (Azuela, 166), but accomplished the task himself. In the third and final part of the book, readers can see how Demetrio and his men have become disillusioned about the war and have begun to contemplate as to why they have joined the war in the first place. Towards the end of the novel, all of Demetrio’s men die thus portraying the futility of the revolution. Demetrio’s disappointment of everything that happened since joining the war was reflected in a song that he once sang to himself: “Someone plunged a knife deep in my side. Did he know why? I don’t know why. Maybe he knew, I never knew” (Azuela, 210). Further on when his wife asked him the reason why he is continuing to fight, he just frowns and throws a stone to the bottom of a canyon, and says “Look at that stone; how it keeps on going....” which symbolizes that a person who gets involved in a revolutionary war cannot stop fighting just like a pebble cannot stop falling once thrown (Azuela, 246). The Underdogs gives a vivid description of the battles fought by the revolutionaries. Very often they start fighting with lots of zeal and dreams in their eyes of a bright future, and almost always ends up with a feeling of disenchantment. Like any war, Mexican revolutionary war was also a serious of gory events that included merciless killings, plundering of houses and setting houses on fire. The novel provides a grim view of the Mexican revolution. Azuela criticizes the cruelty and extravagance of the underdogs. With two important characters, Demetrio Macias and Luis Cervantes, Azuela gives two different perspectives of the revolution. These two protagonists reflect the author’s regressive view of the war. As the story progresses, the readers can experience what a revolution does to a person and how some people twist it to fulfill their selfish needs. The entire history of the Mexican revolution is stemmed with hypocrisy, as is reflected in a statement made by Luis Cervantes: “The revolution benefits the poor, the ignorant..... who do not even suspect they are poor because the rich who stand above them, the rich who rule them, change their sweat and blood and tears into gold” (Azuela, 49). Conclusion Mariano Azuela, in his novel has succeeded in providing the real scenario of the Mexican war, and its impact on the nation and its people through fictional characters. His cynical view of the war has been portrayed throughout the story, ending with the protagonist’s disillusionment regarding the outcome of the war. Although the war started with golden promises, eventually became just a series of merciless killings of innocent lives. Reference 1. Azuela, Mariano, The Underdogs, The Floating Press, 2009 Read More