La vorágine (1924) – José Eustasio Rivera

Sobre el autor y la obra

-          José Eustasio Rivera

o   Life: 1888-1928

o   Colombia

o   Was a lawyer

-          Work is one of best known Latin American regional novels

Comps Example Question

-          The regional narrative (novela telúrica), with its variants (criollismo, novela de la tierra, de la selva, etc.). Authors: Gallegos, Güiraldes, Rivera, Quiroga. Some suggested, secondary readings: Alonso.

Political/social context

-          Set during the rubber boom of Latin America (1879-1912), in which some countries in the Amazonian region went seriously crazy over some rubber (extraction and commercialization). It was an economic boom that attracted wealth and encouraged growth, but had some devastating effects on the indigenous population due to unfair working conditions. (Wikipedia)

-          Regional novel – reflects the growing interest in areas outside the cities, the lower social classes that live in these rural areas, and their difficult lives. The interest in the lower class is contextualized in a regional setting.

Summary (Wikipedia)

This novel relates the adventures of Arturo Cova, a hot-headed proud chauvinist and his lover Alicia, as they elope from Bogotá, through the flatlands and later, escaping from criminal misgivings, through the tropical jungles of Colombia.

In this way Rivera is able to describe the magic of these regions, with their rich biodiversity, and the lifestyle of the inhabitants. However, one of the main objectives of the novel is to reveal the appalling conditions under which workers in the rubber factories toil. La Vorágine also introduces the reader to the tremendous hardship of enduring the overwhelming and adverse environment of the rainforest, as the protagonists (Arturo Cova and Alicia) get lost and are unable to be found. As the book says: ¡Los devoró la selva! (literally, "The jungle devoured them!").

What Cambridge Latin America says (Chapter 2, by Brian Gollnick)

-          Best-known regional novel set in the jungle (46)

-          Rivera – Columbia, life: 1888-1928 (46)

-          Most experimental telluric novel (46)

-          Use of a first-person narrator, Arturo Cova, to tell his own story as a dissolute socialite who feels Bogotá with his lover and ersatz muse, Alicia (46)

-          Novel presents a dramatic condemnation of chaotic development in the region between Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil (46)

-          Jungle as a no man’s land inhabited by a rapacious cast of international figures intent on getting rich and leaving (47)

-          Lack of social controls – suggestion of absence of nation as a political entity capable of defining and managing its interior spaces; no state has sovereignty at end of novel, and the jungle territory is a wild semi-independent zone (47)

-          Cova is an unreliable narrator (47)

-          Efforts to channel nature’s power seem a thin façade for violence and self-gratification (47)

-          The reader has to question whether Cova’s cause is just or not (47)

-          Novel exemplifies a growing awareness that far from the promise of abundance and prosperity, the region’s natural resources represented a great weakness for societies that lacked strong nation-states to counter foreign interests (47)

-          Presentation of nation-state as a presence felt primarily through domination; this process is allegorized as the control of nature (47)

-          Central theme of gender relations (49)

What Franco says (Chapter 7)

-          This was the prototype of the new regionalist novel of the 1920’s (208)

-          Story of a young poet, Arturo Cova, and his mistress, Alicia, from Bogotá, and from the restrictions of middle-class life which are a bar to their marriage (208)

-          Brief summary – pg. 208-209

-          Major theme of the destruction of the Romantic personality (208)

-          Depiction of nature as cruel and death-dealing, in contrast with the nature that is idealized in Romanticism (209)

-          Depiction of horror of what nature is and what man can be reduced to without the super-ego (210)

-          Possible message that nature is more powerful than civilization in Latin America (210)

Personajes

-          Arturo Cova – protagonist

-          Alicia – Arturo’s lover

-          Pipa – cattle thief and troublemaker

-          Fidel Franco – cattle rancher

-          Griselda – Fidel Franco’s wife

-          Narciso Barrera – Arturo’s rival for Alicia; the man who recruits laborers for the jungle rubber exploiters

-          Don Rafo – older man, Cova and Alicia’s guide in the plains

-          Zubieta – old man who owns some cattle and a gambling camp

-          Correa – Franco’s young/adolescent mulatto servant

-          Heli Mesa – one of Franco’s men who travels with Cova and Franco in jungle

-          Clemente Silva – old rubber worker that helps Cova and Franco

-          El Cayeno – important rubber manager

-          La Madona Zoraida Ayram – female rubber manager

Temas/ideas importantes

-          Estilo de escritura

o   Cova is an unreliable, first-person narrator

-          Regional novel (de la selva)

o   Vivid description of land and nature that distinguishes it

o   Use of dialect/regional language

-          Depiction of nature (and its cruelty)

o   Desire to overpower/conquer nature

o   Vivid, detailed description of plant and animal life, with correct names (almost scientific)

o   “The jungle protects itself against its opponents, and at length it is man who’s defeated.”

o   “The jungle has swallowed them” (epilogue)

-          Civilization vs. barbarie

o   Bogotá vs. la selva/the plains

o   Lack of authorities around the plains/jungle – men can get away with whatever they want as long as they’re strong enough

o   Indians are depicted as rather barbaric and ignorant

§  “those primitive, nomadic peoples have neither gods nor heroes nor country, neither past nor future”

o   “the jungles change men. The most inhuman instincts are developed; cruelty pricks like a thorn”

-          Gender relations

o   Idea of masculine power expressed in overpowering nature

§  Barrera, working in the jungle

§  Men that break in a horse at Franco’s ranch (Chap. 3)

o   Cova is a womanizer, but he’s not really a “manly man”

§  Doesn’t love Alicia but has relationship with her anyway

§  Flirts shamelessly with Griselda despite relationship with Alicia (Chap. 4)

-          Racism

o   Indians are depicted as rather barbaric and ignorant, but with some capacity for good

o   Bad treatment of the Indians in the jungle

General notes from the text

Prologue

-          Sets a frame for the story: Rivera addresses the “Minister” in a brief letter, saying he’s giving him Arturo Cova’s manuscripts (as if Cova were a real person)

Part One: The Plains

Chapter One

-          Cova’s love for Alicia – they are lovers but don’t want to marry so they run away from Bogotá. He doesn’t really love her and gets annoyed with her quickly; they’re unhappy.

-          As Cova enters wilderness outside of Bogotá, he’s not scared but determined to conquer it (desire to overpower nature)

-          In their journey, they meet a cattle thief (Pipa) who steals one of their horses

-          Alicia and Cova travel: “For she also traveled as I, a vagrant seed in the breeze, not knowing where she went, and fearful of the land that awaited her.”

-          They enter the plains of Casanare with an old guy named Don Rafo as their guide. “This land encourages one to enjoy it and suffer it.” The fierce sun. They go for water and don’t get any due to a huge snake. (dangerous power of nature)

-          Cova realizes that Alicia is preggers. Oh great!

Chapter Two

-          After more than a week of travel they arrive at Fidel and Griselda’s cattle ranch.

-          Excitement in the area over Narciso Barrera, who’s looking for workers for rubber in the jungle. He’s winning everyone over with idea of economic opportunity and his generosity with material goods. Don Rafo usually sells goods from the city, but Barrera’s men threaten him – Barrera doesn’t want any competition.

o   One of Barrera’s men: “Above me is only my hat. The earth is large, yet it’s beneath my feet.” (manly man, power over nature)

-          Barrera and his men are ruining everything in the area. Because of them, there are “no cowboys [anymore] but only men bent on enjoying themselves”

Chapter Three

-          Cova’s bad dream about Alicia, Barrera, and the jungle – foreshadowing.

-          Cova and Alicia meet Barrera. He’s very suave. Implications of Cova’s imminent competition with Barrera over Alicia. Cova’s jealousy.

-          Everybody watches while some of the men (Franco and a mulatto) break in a horse. (manly act)

Chapter Four

-          Cova shares some sexual innuendos with Franco’s wife, Griselda, but I don’t think they actually ever have sex… (womanizing)

-          The men plan to make some business deal with the old man Zubieta for the capture and sale of some cattle. Cova daydreams about future economic success and popularity amongst his old friends; he is obsessed with the thought of riches.

-          Talk about the Indians, who are a menace in the area

Chapter Five

-          Don Rafo, Franco, and other men leave the cattle ranch to go see about the business deal.

-          A young mulatto comes to the ranch to spy for Barrera; Cova wins him over and talks with him about Barrera.

-          Cova is insanely jealous – thinks Alicia and Barrera might have something going on. He goes a bit crazy. He goes over to the old man Zubieta’s camp (where Barrera is staying too) and gambles angrily; a fight breaks out when Cova catches Barrera cheating. Cova gets injured, and an old medicine man type dude helps him recover. (regionalism, belief in magic, superstition).

Chapter Six

-          Cova obsesses over Alicia and whether she cheated on him with Barrera or not. He’s still injured and staying at old man Zubieta’s camp.

-          Barrera writes a letter of apology to Cova for their fight over the gambling game; Cova gets mad at his manipulation and wants revenge. Sets some of Barrera’s cows free.

-          Cock fight (masculine)

-          Franco comes and finds Cova at Zubieta’s camp.

Chapter Seven

-          Franco goes out to round up some cattle/bulls from the plains. Cova goes after him a while later with a young mulatto servant (Correa); he wants to be a cowboy too! (to impress Alicia). During the journey they run into some judge who is apparently looking for Cova; they lie and send him the wrong direction. They also weather a storm and lose their extra horses.

-          Roundup of the cattle and bulls (manly men!). Cova’s horse gets killed by a bull because he’s inexperienced. One of Barrera’s men is killed and beheaded by a bull. (nature vs. man)

-          The men run into some Indians and there they find Pipa, the same cattle thief from Chapter One.

-          Franco and Cova return to Zubieta’s camp to find out that he is dead, and Cova and Franco are accused (by Barrera) of having killed him. Cova freaks out just wanting to know where Alicia is; everyone says that she’s gone off with Griselda. Franco goes and burns his own house down in anger.

Part Two: The Jungle

Chapter One

-          Franco and Cova hide from the law that unjustly blames them for Zubieta’s death. They continue traveling with Pipa the cattle thief and Correa the mulatto, and head towards the jungle, going by way of a river.

-          Pipa shares his life story. He lived many years with Indians.

-          Cova has mixed feelings about Alicia. He misses her but tries to convince himself that he shouldn’t; “she’s just one woman of many, not that special.”

-          The men are able to make money for their journey by selling heron’s feathers gathered by a swamp.

-          Cova and men often run into Indians and stay with one tribe a while. Brief snippets about their customs and behavior; some superstitious aspects to their beliefs. They have some big party and Pipa is drugged.

Chapter Two

-          Description of land’s hostility as they progress in journey towards jungle

-          Cova is becoming desperate and considers suicide; he’s becoming more criminal (effect of hostile environment)

-          They run into someone they know who gives them news about Barrera, who’s gathering up rubber workers and has both Alicia and Griselda with him.

Chapter Three

-          Cova starts having hallucinations.

-          The Indians that Cova and the men are traveling with don’t want to continue any further because they’re getting closer to rubber groves, where Indians are often enslaved.

-          The river gets horribly rough and some Indians end up drowning when the canoe wrecks. Cova admires their rapid, poetic death and Franco is horrified and he and Cova quarrel.

-          At some point Pipa has bailed on them.

Chapter Four

-          Cova and his men find a camp of some rubber workers, protected by one old sick guard – Clemente Silva. The guard gives them information and food.

-          Description of the horrible life of the rubber worker.

-          Cova and men make friends with the old guard Clemente since they’re all from Colombia. They make a plan for Cova and the men to get into the rubber working areas.

-          Explanation of how the rubber workers are controlled by overseers – “new kind of slavery”

Chapter Five

-          The old guard Clemente shares his story. His daughter allowed herself to be dishonored, his wife died of grief, and his son ran away to the jungle. He has spent several years in the jungle seeking his lost son.

Chapter Six

-          Clemente’s story continued. His work with a French scientist in the jungle, who tried to expose the injustices and then disappeared. The visit of a official inspector who is completely manipulated by the rubber managers.

Chapter Seven

-          Clemente’s story continued… He gets sold to an important female rubber manager and makes it to some city, where he wants to seek justice. But, he can’t hack life out of the jungle. He finally learns that his son was killed by a falling tree. (He wants to get his son’s bones).

Part Three: The Vortex Triumphs

“I have been a rubber worker, I am a rubber worker. And what my hand has done to trees, it can also do to men.”

Chapter One

-          Cova wants to help Clemente, who wants to get his son’s bones to give him a good burial.

-          They continue deeper into the jungle. Sense that trees are alive. “Where is that solitude poets sing of? Where are those butterflies like translucent flowers, the magic birds, the singing streams? Poor fantasies of those who know only domesticated retreats!” (Against romantic vision of nature)

-          “it is civilized man who is the champion of destruction”

-          Clemente’s memory of an attempt to escape with six other rubber workers, but they got lost and separated.

Chapter Two

-          They arrive at some rubber settlement and they go in to try and make some sort of deal to get what they want done, through manipulation. There, they meet La Madona, a female rubber manager.

Chapter Three

-          Cova finds someone he knew as a youth at the settlement, Ramiro Estévanez. They catch up on the misfortunes that have brought them both to the jungle.

-          Cova sends don Clemente away with the mulatto Correa to try and get Clemente’s son’s bones. He and the other men will stay on at the settlement as rubber workers, counting on Clemente and Correa sending to free them later.

Chapter Four

-          Cova is recording their adventures in the jungle.

-          Colonel Fúnes, who gained power through corrupt means; the horrible events in San Fernando – Fúnes managed a huge murdering spree

-          “Slavery in these regions is lifelong for both the slaves and the masters: both must die in the jungles… Those who escape, even if they go to the cities, carry the curse with them. Withered, aged, disillusioned, they have only one aspiration: to return, to return, knowing that if they return they’ll perish.”

-          Cova’s sexual relations with La Madona, even though he’s disgusted by her

Chapter Five

-          Cova sees that La Madona has Franco’s wife Griselda’s emerald earrings – he knows that Barrera must be nearby somewhere

-          They see that a group of Indians is stealing rubber and smuggling it out, directed by La Madona; Griselda is helping on the barge. Cova manipulates La Madona to get info and have the upper hand.

Chapter Six

-          Cova meets with Griselda. He asks for news of Alicia – she and Griselda were separated.

-          Cova learns that Alicia was never unfaithful to him and is still pregnant, and he’s desperate to find her again. “maternity has sanctified her”

-          El Cayeno shows up and kills some people and scares the crap out of everybody. He then demands to see where the stolen rubber is. He gets on the barge with Griselda, Cova, Franco, and Mesa, and they kill him.

-          They continue on the journey down the river in search of Alicia and Barrera. They find them; Cova kills Barrera, and Alicia goes into labor and gives birth to a son.

-          They receive sparse notes left behind by don Clemente; he’s going ahead because there’s an influenza plague about, gotta keep moving.

Epilogue

-          Although Clemente sought them, he never found Cova & co.

-          “The jungle has swallowed them”



Miscellaneous notes 

- set in the jungles of Colombia during the Rubber boom.

- relates the adventures of Arturo Cova, a hot-headed proud chauvinist and his lover Alicia, as they elope from Bogotá, through the flatlands and later, escaping from criminal misgivings, through the tropical jungles of Colombia. (historia de pasión y venganza enmarcada en los llanos y la selva amazónica a donde los dos amantes huyen de la sociedad)

La novela se divide en tres partes marcadas por tres escenarios distintos y claros puntos de giro. La primera parte narra la huida de Arturo y Alicia desde Bogotá hacia los llanos orientales. La segunda parte cuenta la estancia en los llanos y la separación de Alicia y la tercera relata la incursión en la selva amazónica en busca de ella.

El cuerpo principal de La Vorágine lo conforma el relato en primera persona de la aventura de Arturo Cova quien huye de las convenciones sociales de la estrecha sociedad bogotana de principios del siglo XX. Esta huida lo lleva a los llanos orientales, donde se separa intempestivamente de Alicia, su compañera. La búsqueda de Alicia lo llevará a la selva de la Amazonía colombiana, donde Arturo será testigo de la penosa esclavitud de los trabajadores que extraen el caucho.

De forma paralela se presenta el testimonio del cauchero Clemente Silva, que emprende un éxodo desde la ciudad de Pasto, tras las huellas de su hijo, encontrando solamente la esclavitud en las caucheras.

Uno de los escenarios y personajes principales del relato es la selva, que mediante alucinaciones, enfermedades y plagas ataca hasta la muerte al hombre que la explota, en un ciclo de destrucción mutua. Esta selva enclaustrante, húmeda y malsana, contrasta con el escenario inicial en la llanura que representa la libertad y esperanza perdidas.

-main objective of novel: reveal the appalling conditions under which workers in the rubber factories toil.

- also, tremendous hardship of enduring the overwhelming and adverse environment of the rainforest, as the protagonists (Arturo Cova and Alicia) get lost and are unable to be found. As the book says: ¡Los devoró la selva! (literally, "The jungle devoured them!").

- elegant and refined prose, full of metaphors and prosaic poetry, that shows the beauty and exotism of the virgin rainforest.

- seminal novel of Latin American modernism, the "jungle novel", and recognised as one of the best novels written in Colombia.

-associated with Latin American Modernism and also costumbrismo  for the pictoric descriptions of rural cultures

- La Vorágine sigue la estructura narrativa del mito clásico greco-latino, de forma similar a la historia de Orfeo, La Eneida de Virgilio o La Odisea de Homero, en donde el héroe emprende un viaje iniciático, y tras descender a un mundo laberíntico e infernal, alcanza un final epopéyico. En el caso de La vorágine el poeta desciende al "infierno verde" en busca de su amada, sin embargo, oponiéndose al modelo tradicional, su protagonista no regresa al punto de partida. Este final abierto o de cierta forma inconcluso, constituye una de las características más importantes de la novela moderna. ¹

- aspecto innovador en Rivera fue la superación del argumento con un solo plano narrativo. De este modo, la narración se ve fragmentada por diversas "historias" como las de Fidel Franco, Clemente Silva o Helí Mesa.

- La vorágine es la primera novela de denuncia social en la literatura colombiana mezclando la ficción y la realidad.

 The Book

Prologue

-begins as a letter to Señor Ministro (from the author) who wanted Arturo Cova’s manuscripts published.

-also begins with a fragment of a card written by Art in which his destiny le lanzó a las pampas so that he would roam around and go out like the wind without leaving a trace.

Part One:

Recalls his freespirited times and then, his easy enamoramiento de Alicia.

Originally, she was supposed to marry an old terrateniente, though she had wanted to marry a cousin of hers.

Ends up with Arturo. (they are “acuñadores de monedas…) and they flee “en busca de las llanura intérminas.”

They’re also with Don Rafo (70 y.o., friend of Art’s dad). As they go along…”el regocijo de nuestras lenguas fue cediendo al cansancio.” Bugs are out…nature!

Art confesses that acting like a “rendido galán”, he won over many women and thereby felt less lonely.

They arrive at some house with tropical plants, lifelike dialoge (¿Se le volvió a olvidá el cuaerno?)

Indios guahibos: shoot the cows with arrows, take the women and kill the men. Narrator asks: So, what should we do with the fundación? Defend it and kill the indios!

They go out into the woods…it’s night time. One of the rubber trees seems like Alicia and asks him, Por qué me desangras? Yo soy tu Alicia y me he convertido en una parásita. (This was a dream…)

The people who own the house where they’re staying tell the story of another couple; the mujé wanted to leave because she heard a story of a man who got stabbed.

Art confesses to commited un “desaguisado”, and woos the niña Griselda “con éxito escandaloso”. Con desdén hidalgo, puse en fuga la tentación. At this time, his relationship with Alicia isn’t exactly going perfectly. (Griselda is pregnant? or maybe it’s Alicia futura maternidad?)

Alicia leaves Art and Don Rafa to chat while she takes care of their baby Rafael.

The couple becomes rich… “ella seguía enclaustrada en su misterio...”

They ask the mulata where she’s from… “yo soy únicamente llanera…Para qué más patria, si son tan bellas y tan dilatadas?”

Don Rafo leaves; Art feels a vague sadness and an ominous sense of “males próximos”

A man comes by the house with the saddle that had been robbed from Art in another town. Art threatens him to tell him where he got it or else!

Then, Art has a little spat with Griselda, and wants to kill Barrera. Art expresses a desire to leave with Alicia from that place, that maldad.

BUT, he’s also a moody Judy, because the next minute he curses the child Alicia is pregnant with and tells her to run off with whoever she wants and he doesn’t give a dime.

He goes to where Barrera is, who promises to return the gold he stole from him. Art stays around, plays dice, is winning at the beginning but then thinks the dice are false, gets man…there’s a shot in the room.

Mauco comes by. “Sabe de medicina” Y sabe muchas oraciones para todo-for lost cows, for burials, etc. He has come because Art is sick. A woman named Clarita takes care of him for a while. He revisits his actions with Alicia and thinks he should’ve been more authoritative with her.

Barrera writes Cova a letter, apologizing to him for acting a fool while drunk. Clarita reveals that Barrera had shot him (so, he’s not sick, but injured)

Art plans on tricking Barrera, who had made some deal with a neighbor to lend him some livestock to make it seem like they were doing business. Art is going to let thm loose. In the process, several animals ie of course.

Feels bad about his spat with Alicia, but “cuán dulce era el pensamiento de la reconciliación”

Art thinks that perhaps his “fuente de poesía” is in the secret of los bosque intactos.

La Clarita offers to Art to flee together.

-There is a strong storm. (Harsh reality of life in the middle of nowhere). They almost run into some indios! No rest, no rumbo, no abrigo…

Some descriptions of cowboy work. One man dies in a bad cow-nfrontation. 

Then, Alicia is gone! La niña Griselda took her away. Art cries; he’s devastated….Dios me desamparaba y el amor huía. En medio de las llamas empecé a reír como Satanás!

Part Two.

Begins with an apostrophe to the forest:  “Oh Selva, esposa del silencio, madre de la soledad!”

- Prisionero en tu cárcel verde

- catedral de la pesadumbre

-pareces un cementerio enorme donde te pudres y resucitas

Now, they’ve witnessed a crime and they’re fleeing. They feel totally forgotten; no on is chasing them.

Mentions a tribe “semidomada” that lives in their area who agreed to [help? feed?] them as long as they keep their guns away.

The tribe has “achocolotada cutis y hercúleas espaldas.”

They come to a riverside and they’re a little worried about an ambush, but nothing happens.

Mentions el dueño del hato, who’s lived in the selva for more than 20 years. Con las tribus, asaltó siempre las rancherías de los sálivas y las fundaciones in the area.

Art feels sad about Alicia, wonders why he can’t just move on with another woman. Besides, she wasn’t really that special.

The aboriginies were mansos, astutos, pusilánimes and seemed like fruit from the same tree. They speak with them in a libre plática en gerundios y monosílabos castellanos.

The old women of the tribe arrived a few days later…”seniles, repugnantes, flácidos senos”…

Symbolic sentence?: De aquí en adelante, no tendremos otro caballos que la canoa.

Mentions all the local flora and fauna.

Though he’s not really into it, they’re allowed to “have a woman” so long as they show their masculine fuerza by first chasing her into the forest until they surrender.

After some incident with ducks, Art is considered by the locals to be un ser sobrenatural, dueño de almas y destinos.

Some of the indios go for some merchandise (fish hooks, etc) , but they are estafados…”sucumbieron a su ignorancia”

Mentions the psychotropic plants.

The solitude creeps in; Art has suicidal thoughts. Why torture myself if death is inevitable and hunger moves slower than my firearm? But then, Heli Mesa arrives and says he’s seen Alicia. The man brings news of an attack/capture/enslavement. Art imagines Alicia’s condition (NOW he cares that she’s preggers)

Mentions the threats in the forest-tigers that linger nearby, etc.

Someone tells the story of the indiecita Mapiripana, la sacerdotista de los silencios (creation-myth-type story)

When a missionary came to rid the indios of superstitions, he wanted to capture this [mythical?] woman and burn her like a witch. He ended up getting lost in the woods, imprisoned in a cavern. He ends up mating with this woman who gives birth to a vampire and a lechuza. He tries to escape, but it’s no use, so he goes back to the cavern and pleads clemency…Pero ¿Quién puede librar al hombre de sus propios remordimientos.? Anyway, man dies…sees a blue butterfly, which is the last sight of people who die of fever in these areas.

Art gets catalepsy, can’t move, is really nervous. Dream-like state.

There’s a shipwreck and Art tries to save people, but Franco says, “Why do that? Let them die and envy their death!”

Art makes a speech to his compañeros: Come with me if you want, but death is certain. Later, he almost kills an old man, but shows pity when he remembers his own father.

Man comes by, has terrible bites on his legs from leaches from working on the rubber trees. “La selva se defiende de sus verdugos….La selva trastorna al hombre, dearrollándose los instintos más inhumanos.”

Class difference b/t the peon and the empresario (who gets drunk for entire months and goes out with white women)

Explaining the workings of the rubber plants: Personnel made up of indigenous and “enganchados” (who can’t change owners before two years elapse). El empresario está en guardar el modo der ser siempre acreedor. “New type of slavery, transmissible to the next generation.”

Don Clemente tells a sad story of his wife and child.

Another story about trying to serve petrol to the indios in a punch bowl. Though they don’t fall for it, a man throws the gas on them and then lights them on fire.

Then, another man goes looking for his son, who was sold off at some point. Goes into the selva for 6 months, living on wild yucca while looking for him. He makes friends with a Frenchman (“un amigo y un protector”) who buys him and his son out of slavery.

Stories of trees that scar you and ladybugs that produce pústula.

More explanation of the abuses…workers harvest load of rubber and receive pennies and have to pay for exhorbitantly priced clothes. They are just creating a system of inequality. Even a man who worked in the rubber for a long time, once in the city, still doesn’t feel free…he had debt, needed a job, a roof, some food.

Part 3

His negative thoughts about being cauchero, how difficult things have been, and how little he has to show for it.

¡Así el árbol y yo, co tormento vario, somos lacrimatorios ante la muerte y nos combatiremos hasta sucumbir!

Someone tells him, “Es que algunos árboles son burlones.” (Humans acquire animal qualities, nature acquires human qualities)

‘Es el hombre civilizado el paladín de la destrucción.”

Killing someone becomes an almost acceptable way to ‘solve’ conflicts. “Y por este proceso-¡oh selva!- hemos pasado todos los que cameos en tu vorágine.”

You go into the selva with the ilusión de libertad, llenos de risas y proyectos….but it ends up being a road to misery and death.

They get lost…(and being lost means being closer to death). Somehow, they get saved, each attributing it to their own prayers….but reality is: “La Muerte debió reírse en la oscuridad.” (Lots of personificaction of feelings-desolation, etc. e.g p. 156)