Integration

“I already know what to call him. I call him ‘son’.” (Hellboy 2004)

I chose to watch the movie Hellboy for one of the movies by a Latin American author. I’m not sure what I think about the movie. I enjoyed the effects, as well as the idea. But I wasn’t too fond of the actors. One thing I did really like though is the theme of accepting who you are. Both Hellboy and “Sparky” had to become comfortable with themselves, and accept that they would never be able to blend into regular society.

During Hellboy’s journey, he must ask himself whether he is part of our world, or whether he will become the creature he initially was. I loved his father’s attitude toward Hellboy. Not as an adopted creature, but as his son, no different from his own self. This is important in every similar occasion, not just with crazy fantastical creatures, but with normal people who may be a little different than us. Perhaps because of race, or because of mental capacity, or simply because they are from a different place. Hellboy is a great lesson for both learning who you are and accepting other people as they are.

What causes us to be so unaccepting of people who are different from us? Is it just part of our nature? And if so, WHY? There have been so many instances where someone or a group of people are cast out of the majority’s group just because they don’t look the same or believe the same: Mormons, African-Americans, and in a fictional example—mutants (X-men).

How can we get rid of this tendency to stay in our own little groups? Take in every outsider, welcome them, and treat them as your own. Just like Hellboy’s father did, make them part of your family, and they will become so in their own mind.

Nature's Gift

“Four [trees] who reach and do not forget to reach. Four whose only reason is to be and be.” (Cisneros 75)

My favorite chapter from The House on Mango Street was “Four Skinny Trees.” This short description of four trees that are in her neighborhood: “four who do not belong here but are here.”  Every single sentence in this section struck me as an important statement describing Esperanza’s life, feelings, and maturity.

The description of these four lone trees and comparison to herself encouraged me to think about the nature that surrounds me. What can I see that connects to my own soul and personality? I wonder, what is it that draws us to nature? Why do humans feel so connected to it? I just barely read in my other class a letter written by the poet Petrarch, in which he described his journey up a mountain. When he reached the top, his journey and the view both contributed to inspiration on his life and his purpose. Just as he found out new things about himself, Esperanza found out new things from those four trees that she walked by probably every day. When she is feeling down, those trees show her what is possible and perhaps desired, “to be and be.”

I love the quote that I began with, because I do feel as if this should be a goal that we can strive for. To always be reaching for something, never letting ourselves become just a stump, without progression. I want to be something, and continue to be something even after I’m gone. I want to be and be, reaching for something better until I've become it.

Have you ever seen a creature, a plant, a landscape, and realized something about yourself? I imagine there are few who haven’t. What was it for you? What gives you the most inspiration?

In the Past

This semester in Latin American Humanities was fantastic! I loved all of the works that we read, but there were definitely some that I enjoyed more than others. My favorite movie was Black Orpheus, while I also really enjoyed reading Bless Me, Ultima.

The reason I enjoyed Black Orpheus the most is because not only was it a great story, but I loved what the director did with the fact that it wasn’t just a new version of Orpheus, but instead that story still existed. The symbolism was very interesting, and fun to look for. Also, while other people may not have liked how slowly the story went, with so much dancing and moments without any movement in the story-line  I enjoyed it! It did a great job of showing the atmosphere of the festival, as well as the lifestyles that the people lived every other day of their life as well.

In Bless Me Ultima, the comparisons with Jesus Christ were very obvious. The only way a reader wouldn’t have noticed is if they didn’t know the story of Christ’s crucifixion. The story itself was a great example of author’s life, but whenever a reference to Christ’s story appeared, I wasn’t sure whether to consider it a good thing, or sacriligious. Other symbolism throughout the story was not so easy to see. Ultima, the owl, the river, it seems as if everything and everyone in the story could have a hidden meaning. But I wasn’t able to pick up on them so well. I’m still trying to figure it out. However, that didn’t make me enjoy the book any less.

I’m also very excited for the things we are doing the rest of the class. Like watching the Prisoner of Askaban. I’m curious to see what differences I can see between the Harry Potter that was written by a Latin American director. Will it be obvious?

Innocent until Guilty

“My father had tried to keep his land holy and pure, but perhaps it was impossible. Perhaps the llano was like me, as I grew the innocence was gone, and so too the land changed.” (Anaya 167-168)

The concept of losing one’s innocence throughout the book Bless Me, Ultima really interests me. When I was thinking about what stories were written about a young boy’s journey to becoming a man, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn came to mind. I thought it very interesting that both main characters, Antonio and Huck, had a black and white view on the world. Antonio was a completely pure child, just as all start out as, until he began to witness what the world did to people: rage, death, and carnal desire. And yet, even after witnessing these, he’s still innocent, although he doesn't see himself so. He believed either you were completely innocent, or you were doomed to destruction: a completely black and white view.

Like Antonio, Huck Finn also viewed the world similarly, but from a contrasting perspective. Huck is much older than Antonio, and has seen a lot more sin, in a sense raised by it. Yet, he’s still innocent, because his knowledge of right from wrong was a child’s. He had no religious education until his foster mother taught him. But everything about religion made little sense to him, resulting in this passage suggesting men are either completely clean or damned:

“…I would take up wickedness… for a starter I would go to work and steal Jim out of slavery again; and if I could think up anything worse, I would do that, too; because as long as I was in, and in for good, I might as well go the whole hog. (Twain 26)

Why, even coming from completely different mindsets—one knowing he was “wicked” and the other wanting to stay innocent—do these two boys see only the black and white? What does this say about childhood? Does there even need to be a grey? 

A Lovely New View

“Thank you Eurydice. Thank you for this new day.” (Orpheus in Black Orpheus)

                 The film Black Orpheus was a fantastic movie. After thinking about the plot, I realized that it was very similar to A Walk to Remember. Or I guess I should say that A Walk to Remember is similar to Black Orpheus. In both movies, it starts with a boy, confident and popular, but shallow and unfaithful. And then, he meets a girl.. the girl that will change his life. She gives him a purpose, and he learns about himself in the process of learning to love her. In the end, the girl passes away, and the boy- turned into a man- is left with a new perspective.

                 

The ending scene when Orpheus has his monologue, speaking of what he now believes. (1:42:00)

                 

Very similar to the ending scene when Landon reflects on what Jamie taught him.

                 Both men were changed by love, love that was unexpected. It can even be argued that it was unwanted. What is it about these stories that strikes our own hearts so strongly? Is it true? Can love really change a person’s character so quickly and so completely? I believe that it can. In fact, it may be the only way that one’s heart can truly be changed from a cold and distant heart to a warm and giving one. Love is able to sneak into the small cracks of a stone heart. Orpheus had a hard heart, aware that he was able to get away with doing whatever he wanted. Landon was the same way, but in a high school sense, able to do whatever he wanted to the other students because of his popularity. Why do you think love is so powerful that it can change how someone thinks, not only about the one they love, but also about their whole view on life?

Pursuit for Greatness

“But man's greatness consists in the very fact of wanting to be better than he is. “ (Carpentier, Kingdom of this World)

The book that this quote is taken from, Kingdom of this World, was a hard book to get through— not only because of the wording and style of writing, but also because of the actual subject material. The confusing story-line was full of base actions, tyranny, and horror. And yet in the middle of all the chaos, there’s this line, speaking of man’s greatness. Man, great? After all they've done and are doing? Yes, even after all of the sin. This book attributes greatness not to actions of the past, but to those that are planned for the future.

Often, a man’s life is analyzed by his actions, who he affected, etc. If he didn't know too many people, touch anyone, or accomplish anything great, then he is often deemed a failure. However, "The Pursuit of Happiness" with Will Smith is a great example of how untrue this is. The main character had an honest life, but it was unsuccessful. His wife left him for hopeless and he was stuck trying to take care of his kid without a job. According to the quote by Carpentier, this does not matter. The fact that this man wanted so badly to take care of his son and be a better father made him a great person.

And yet, is merely wanting to be better enough? I certainly can want to do a lot of things, but until I put desires to action, how can it count toward anything? I can think that someone is exceptional, desire for them to know it, and yet if I don’t tell them so, they can never feel the confidence-boost.

So, what makes a human great? Man’s greatness is more than a desire, it’s when we work toward our better self. Should we be looking at our past actions for judgment or just for guidance?

Who's Future

“Everything is there: the minute history of the future, the autobiographies of the archangels, the faithful catalogue of the Library…” (Borges 83)

This short story, “The Library of Babel,” was AWESOME. Immediately after reading it, as well as during, I thought of the episode of Dr. Who in Season four: “Silence in the Library.” These two stories are incredibly similar. Both stories have an infinite number of books and these books are people— their story, their very essence. In these libraries, there was every single book ever written and that ever would be written. A quote from Dr. Who to match Borges’: 

“Spoilers. These books are from your future. Don’t want to read ahead, spoil all the surprises.” 

What I want to dig into is the idea of knowing one’s future. Is it good or bad? Desirable or not? I think that in order to come to an answer, we have to figure out what reasons cause the want to know, both as an individual and as a society. There are countless examples of human fascination with the possibility of knowing one’s future. With fortune tellers, visions, and claimed spiritual visitations, humanity tries to imagine that the future is something tangible that we can look into. In the Library of Babel, the people kill each other in their search for the one book that tells of their lives, expecting to find an object that will just give all the answers.

The fascination with one’s future may be because humanity seems to fear the unknown. Perhaps it is a part of our nature, an instinctual feeling. Humans study things, probe, and experiment, all in order to find out and record all that we can. Unlike Socrates, we are not satisfied with knowing that we do not know. The need to know is what drives us, and our future is something that can never be discovered by probing with a stick. So, are there cases when knowing your future could help you? Or would it destroy you?

Here is the scene from Dr. Who showing the library. While it doesn't have hexagonal galleries as in "The Library of Babel," it gives you an idea of what such a library could be like.

Who is Maria?

In the movie Maria Candelaria, the priest was the only person in town that respected Maria for who she was, and did not accuse her for what her mother had done. A very important line that he spoke to the people of his town can perhaps show the whole message of the movie.

"You accuse this woman, but who accuses you? Because you, all of you, murdered Maria Candelaria's mother by saying she brought shame to this town with her bad behavior." (Maria Candelaria 1944)

To tell the truth, the connections that were made in class between Maria and the Virgin, or Lorenzo Rafael and Christ are not so apparent to me. I can see how it is possible, but really cannot seem to accept that this is what the main point of the movie was. Rather, the first thought that came to mind when I finished the movie was how Maria Candelaria seemed to represent Mexico as a whole and their relations with the rest of the world.

Especially in today’s society, it seems as if the indigenous people are often viewed as the bad guy, or people that do not deserve complete acknowledgement. In the United States illegal immigration is often a topic of conversation and jokes, and anyone from Central or South American descent is lumped into one category, without any separation between the different countries or cultures. It could be argued that becoming successful and socially accepted into high positions is much harder for Americans that come from these southern countries. This is similar to Maria, who was shunned because of her background, and not because of anything she herself had done.

I believe that Maria Candelaria is a representation of racism not only against Indians in Mexico, but also against Hispanics in the world. How else could this movie be interpreted? What makes this film a success? And why is Maria Candelaria such a hero?

Simple Complexity

I would like to discuss an oil painting by Tarsila do Amaral: Central Railway of Brazil. In the Latin American art book it stated,

"The [city themes] have the flat facades of modern buildings, and no perspective, although space is constructed by overlapping and diminution of scale... The cityscapes, railways, etc. suggest a kind of industrial primitivism." (Ades 134)

The thing that caught my attention most when i first studied this painting was the way Amaral was able to portray a complex scene with simple shapes. Just as the quote states, there seems to be an oxymoron: “industrial primitivism.” Amaral showed the complex world of industry to look like a primitive society.

This made me wonder, is our world that much different from earlier societies? Even with all our gadgets that men have created in order to satisfy wants, humanity still has the same base desires as any other time period. Societies are still looking for the best way of living- for the most profitable lifestyle, whether physically, mentally, or spiritually.

Take government for example. Philosophers from as early as Greek or Roman time periods (Aristotle specifically) searched for the most just form of government. As much as we have excelled in technology, it seems as if the ideal government has still eluded us, although we have reached a couple steps closer.

Technology did not further understanding. The more we know about the universe and the physical properties, the more the complexity of it all seems to baffle us. The more humanity knows, the more it is aware that it does not know. While our landscapes have become full of tall buildings, airplanes, etc. the inside emotions and thoughts, as well as our problems, seem to have stayed roughly the same.

What makes society different than the societies of the past? Or what makes us more complex? Did the Central Railway of Brazil capture the truth of the industrial world?

More than Halloween

“The only things that interest me are those that are not mine.” (Ades 312)

I've got a bike, a laptop, a good place to live, etc. and yet I want a car, a new television, a bigger living room... As a typical human being, I am confident that I am not the only one that is unsatisfied with what I have. Even the people that average citizens would consider lucky, rich—maybe even happy—are constantly searching for more. 

An example of that annoying desire that always seems to accompany us, the desire for something different, is illustrated in the movie A Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack Skelllington is the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, loved and praised by all. He is terribly good at what he does, and yet he becomes bored, an actor sick of the act. Here is Jack’s lament over his current life (you don’t have to watch all of the videos, unless you love the songs like I do):

And then, Jack comes across Christmas Town and likes what he sees. Think about how Jack represents us, and Christmas Town is everything that we don’t have.

Why is it that humans always seem to be searching for something more? What are we searching for? Perhaps it is love; perhaps it is religion. And all the little things that we think we want are just objects to take the place of those which are most fundamental. Seeing someone else’s happiness strikes us with jealousy, and we want what they have. And yet very few people that society would deem as “happy” are truly satisfied. 

Are you happy? Am I? That may be one of the end results that we should strive for in life: the state of wanting nothing. Until we have acquired perfect content with who we are and what we have received, we cannot be happy. 

Up until Forever

“The deeper the root in the earth, the harder it is to withdraw the plant. Each step Iracema takes on the road of farewell is a root which she plants in the heart of her guest.” (Iracema 57)

This quote is a wonderful representation of the longing that accompanies goodbyes. As Iracema travels with Martim to the end of her land he declares this, trying to get her to turn back, to let him go on alone with Pato. The longer Iracema was with them, the harder it was for Martim to say goodbye to her.

Another quote that shows this heartfelt longing to stay together is in The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks: 

“The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected.”

This has the same idea that one person is attached to the other, whether it be by roots in the heart or their souls, it all is the same.

So why is this a fantastic way of viewing love? All of us have felt this in some way. Our most valued friend has planted their roots inside of us with each word, each act—even just their presence has been another tendril growing, making it harder for their presence to be completely removed from our life. When saying goodbye to someone we care deeply about, a question that many have is whether they would want a quick goodbye, or a long one? Martim, when speaking to Iracema, realized that prolonging the inevitable was only making it harder. Everything she did and said pierced his heart with a new root.

Goodbyes are never easy, and the more roots that are connecting two souls together make pulling the tree out much harder. Thus, cutting the trunk is often the only way to say goodbye—an abrupt end. But the roots still remain with the memories and the feelings. A part of their soul remains in your own. 

Living in a Memory

Here are words spoken by a man full of guilt and regret for allowing a beautiful people and their Catholic priests to be massacred:

Altamirano: "So, your Holiness, now your priests are dead, and I am left alive. But in truth it is I who am dead, and they who live. For as always, your Holiness, the spirit of the dead will survive in the memory of the living." (The Mission 1986)

This statement stuck me as something that I had heard before, an echo that is heard repeatedly in works throughout history. This sorrowful declaration is full of truth, truth that may be hidden in the back of the mind, until it is brought to the surface when reminded.

The spirit of the dead survives in the living. Humans are full of memories. That is how we learn, that is how we live. And that is how we die. Using the past as a guide for our future, whether it be our own or the past of others, is how we become the best we can be—the ideal human. We live to give others an impression, to leave our mark on the world. We live to put our own memories into another. And we cannot feel completely ready to die until we know that we will be remembered – that we will go on living in another’s mind.

Altamirano’s thought also requires a closer look at the speaker himself. "It is I who am dead” may show that this man truly felt remorse for what he did, that he would not feel alive again until he received redemption from his sin. Is this a sign that he deserves forgiveness? If a man causes hundreds of innocent deaths, can he be saved? This question has been asked throughout religious ages. Who can be saved? Who is damned forever? The Mission may have been addressing this very question. However, I believe that is a question that cannot be answered by a fellow human being. Altamirano was not dead yet; he still could become his ideal self. Neither is anyone done living after a mistake.

We all have the chance to become the best we can be, and leave our legacy behind, further helping the generations after become even better than ourselves.

Worship Zeus or Be Electrocuted

When reading Victors and Vanquished, it told of an Aztec leader that was asked for help by the Mexica people that were being attacked by the Spaniards. This leader refused to help his brothers in the fight, saying,

“Why would strangers come without cause? A god has sent them, that is why they came!” (p. 188)

This idea, that God or the gods determine what happens, is found in many cultures. The mentioned leader claimed that they were being defeated because they hadn't worshiped the gods in a sufficient way. Why would a culture believe so strongly that their gods play such a large part in their lives?

When thinking about this, I remembered reading something like this for my other class, Western Humanities. The tie together was perfect, because I’ve been studying about another war in Greek times, told by the Iliad. The Greek culture also put great importance in their gods and throughout the story there are multiple times when the gods intervene and help whoever they prefer to win, often when that person would not have won otherwise.

Tying these two cultures together – the Greek and the Aztec – also helps in thinking about other cultures and how they have the same views. Even in the Latter-day Saint mind, blessings and consequences play a huge part in our reasoning behind what happens to us in this life.

I guess this stood out to me because I wonder why humans want something to blame when things go wrong, and to praise when things go right. Maybe it’s our inner desire for a bigger picture, and a need to know that we aren’t just on the earth by chance. We want a larger being to be in control, even if that larger being is selfish, punishing, and worship-hungry. Trying to please a god gives something to live for, and something to die for. Believing that hardships come from disobedience gives hope that life can get better. 

Darth Vader tactics

As I was reading "The Sons of La Malinche," written by Octavio Paz, I came across this quote:

"The phrase 'I am your father' has no paternal flavor and is not said in order to protect or to guide another, but rather to impose one's superiority, that is, to humiliate." (65)

Immediately, I was reminded of the well-known line from Star Wars, when Darth Vader tells Luke Skywalker that rather than killing Luke's father, he WAS Luke's father. Now I'm not a Star Wars fan, but there's no way this scene would not come to mind when the words "I am your father" are ever said. But in this case, I believe that the movie-scene fits perfectly with the quote. Let's analyze.

When Paz stated that the phrase is not said in order to protect or guide, that can clearly be seen in Darth Vader's motivation for telling Luke who he was. Vader was definitely not trying to have a touching moment with his son. Protection? He just finished cutting off Luke's arm. Guidance? Yes, come to the dark side Luke. I think we can safely assume that Darth Vader was not having a change of heart and did not really care much about the fact that he was fighting against his own child.

With this in mind, we can begin to decipher exactly what the motive was for telling Luke this life-changing fact. As Paz said, "I am your father" says "I am your superior" and effectively lowers the other's status, thus humiliating them. Take a look at the movie clip and pay attention to just how humiliated and horrified Luke is (and try not to laugh).

Luke's rival, the one he has been trying to defeat, has just told him that he was fighting against a fantasy, a lie. If that's not a life-changer, I don't know what is. Darth Vader's offer for them to join together and fight together was in a way even more humiliating. He is offering Luke to not only give up all that he has ever believed, but fight against. it. In telling Luke that he is Luke's father, Darth Vader has degraded Luke to someone even less than he is. He is saying, you came from me, you are a product of my actions.

I think this is a perfect example of what Octavio Paz was saying. Anytime someone says "I am your father," it is in such a way that the child now feels as if they are in a shadow. They have to somehow break past what their "father" is, and become something better.

The Beginnings

Blogging. I've always admired those who were able to keep up a blog, not to mention when they were able to capture attention, hooking any reader. But anytime I considered making one, my mind instantly rebuked the thought. What interest would my life be to anyone? What insight could I give? I'm not even that humorous, however much I try.

In spite of all that, here I am, writing my first blog post. And what finally got me to start? Well, to be honest, an assignment for my Latin American Humanities class at Brigham Young University. Yes I know, I'm so courageous, finally starting a blog merely because if I didn't I would fail. I’m extremely excited about it though, for multiple reasons:

1. As said before, I've always wanted to start a blog
2. I’ll actually have readers, even if they don't necessarily want to
3. This blog serves in the place of big papers and projects, which rocks
4. I love studying humanities and can't wait to learn more about Latin America

The purpose of the blog is to write about an idea or quote I found interesting in the class readings and examine, compare, think critically about it, etc. So that will be the basis of this blog, although I may decide to include other random posts that don’t have to do with class. We will see. J

To start off, I read in Octavio Paz’s “Dialectic of Solitude” this quote: “To live is to be separated from what we were in order to approach what we are going to be in the mysterious future.” This statement immediately caught my attention. The fact that we cannot live a full life without change, without becoming a completely different person, is sometimes intimidating. But then as I think more about how much I have changed just in the last three months, it makes complete sense. No one would be able to live even one week without coming upon some event that changed something about their character. In fact, it would be very hard to NOT become a person very much different from a few years earlier.

I also love the term used to describe our future. Mysterious is a wonderful word; it implies adventure and climax. What a promising future that is! I personally cannot wait to find out what lies ahead for me, but then of course once I do find out, it will no longer be my future any more. Here’s to the fantastic stories that lie in wait, ready for us to live them.