The Search of an Identity: The Symbolism in Chac Mool by Carlos Fuentes - Book Report/Review Example

The Search of an Identity: The Symbolism in Chac Mool by Carlos Fuentes The purpose of this work is to analyze the symbols used in the story of “Chac Mool.” This short story is told from a complicated perspective in that it is started by an individual only ever introduced as ‘I’ and then shifts into the monologue of a dead man’s diary leading to the final days of his life. The narrator seems surprised that his friend, Filibert, would have tried to swim a long distance which led to his drowning while Filibert’s diary seems to indicate either a slow progression to madness or, what seems more likely given what the narrator finds when he arrives at Filibert’s house, possession by an ancient Mayan god by the name of Chac Mool, the god of rain. This type of narrative itself is a form of symbolism, suggesting to the reader that they should perhaps attempt approaching the story from more than one perspective. The trouble with this is the difficulty most people have in escaping their own inner perspective. One way to break out of the single viewpoint and examine the story in more detail is to examine the symbols used in the story, such as the characters Filibert and Chac Mool and the relationship that exists between them, to explore ideas of identity. Filibert is introduced in the story as a 40-year-old man who drowned while trying to swim across the Acapulco Bay at midnight but as his story is told, he becomes a symbol of the Spanish conquerors of Mexico. He apparently had a decent job in an office with people working under him, taking a position of superiority in the world of European business. Further clues indicate that Filibert was a quiet, solitary man who preferred staying in his parents’ old home, itself a symbol of Spanish domination, rather than taking a more comfortably-sized apartment in town. His connection to the conquerors is revealed in Pepe’s observation that Filibert is Christian because he is a product of the Spanish system. This idea is also shown in his attitude about collecting “indigenous Mexican art” clearly not to worship them, as he is a professed Christian, but instead seems to be for pride of ownership – he even makes reference to the need to keep the stone statue in his basement until “I reorganize my trophy room to make space for it” (Fuentes 3), demonstrating his power over the ancient gods in his choice of language. These important characteristics make him a strong symbol for the conquering worldview of the Spaniards over the ‘indigenous’ Mexicans. However, it is clear from his early diary entries that Filibert envisions himself as a symbol of the past world like the statue he collects. His connection to the past is manifested in his dislike of the modernized world he finds around him, “With the café that I almost didn’t recognize, with the city itself, they had been chiseling themselves out to a rhythm different than mine. No, they no longer recognized me” (Fuentes 2). Although he identifies himself with the past world of his statues, his statue makes it clear to him that he has no conception of the past. A footnote to the story introduces the Chac Mool as the ancient Mayan god of rain, an important deity for an area that frequently experiences drought. Thus Chac Mool is truly representative of the ancient world of Filibert’s forgotten ancestors and the true beliefs of his people. Again, there are numerous elements of his character that build him as a symbol of the ancient peoples. After the statue awakens, Filibert writes “The room smelled of horror, of incense and blood” suggestive of the ancient religious practices. He further links the god with his land in categorizing the god’s stories: “He knows fantastic stories about monsoons, equatorial rains, the punishment of the deserts; every plant derives from his mythic paternity: the willow, his long-lost son; the lotuses, his spoiled ones; his mother-in-law: the cactus” (Fuentes 5). In taking the shape of an ancient spirit, Chac Mool thus comes to symbolize what psychologist Carl Jung termed the collective unconscious: “You could call it your ‘psychic inheritance.’ It is the reservoir of our experiences as a species, a kind of knowledge we are all born with. And yet we can never be directly conscious of it. It influences all of our experiences and behaviors, most especially the emotional ones, but we only know about it indirectly, by looking at those influences” (Boeree, 2006). As a god associated with water, considered a connective force between all living things, Chac Mool becomes material manifestation of this greater human experience. In his search for a connection to his past, Filibert inadvertently opens the door to this collective unconscious to manifest in his life. This developing relationship between Filibert and Chac Mool thus becomes another symbol, this time as an illustration of connection to the unconscious. When Filibert brings the statue into the house, he places it in the basement while he sleeps in an upstairs bedroom. This physically reflects his concept of their social hierarchy. Due to his European schooling and knowledge, he unconsciously connects the symbols of the ancients as of lesser significance and lesser validity than the concepts of his newer religion. As a god, though, Chac Mool is a symbol of real power, the collective unconscious that cannot be denied. As a creature come to life, he forces Filibert out of control as illustrated in the way that he pushes Filibert out of his bed and ignores Filibert’s requests to keep the hall dry. Before long, Filibert is a slave to the god in much the same way as Filibert once felt the statue should serve him. “My original idea was different: I would dominate the Chac Mool, like one dominates a toy; it was perhaps, a prolongation of my infantile security … The Chac Mool is accustomed to being obeyed, always; I, who have never needed to command, can only submit” (Fuentes 6). Through the relationship he develops with the Chac Mool, Filibert is forced to see the depth of the uncontrolled elements of his own unconscious and drowns in the realizations he reaches. By delving into the various symbolic elements of the characters, the deeper psychological elements of the story rise to the surface. The first clue that there is more to the story than what is seen at first is given in the complicated narrative structure. Understanding that the story is operating on many levels at once in the narrative causes the reader to naturally be more attentive to the various levels of symbolism in the characters themselves. It is then possible to understand that while Filibert sees himself as a symbol of the old ways, a preserver of the indigenous treasures, the reader is able to understand how he is truly representative of the conquering Spaniards with their European training, method of business, style of architecture and attitude of superiority and dominance. As he encounters the Chac Mool, though, Filibert discovers a symbol of primordial connection, something older, deeper and vastly more experienced than he at what he does. The Chac Mool is more than an ancient god of the Mayans, he is a visible sign of the collective unconscious that links all living things and he recognizes his power. Like the unconscious mind, he is uncontrollable and untamed. The god is impossible to escape and Filibert discovers very quickly that he is now a prisoner to what he had thought to imprison. His drowning in Acapulco only solidifies his growing connection to the spiritual plane he’d been serving. Works Cited Boeree, C. George. “Carl Jung.” Personality Theories. (2006). April 26, 2010 Fuentes, Carlos. “Chac Mool.” Trans. Jonah Katz. April 26, 2010 Read More