Blog Post 11: "Advances"
Choose one of the following prompts to answer. Use at least three specific pieces of information no one has yet used in their blog posts and at least six specific pieces of information total, ONLY from Part 2 of The Underdogs, with a page citation for each; also, use at least 300 words in your answer.
1) Discuss three actions or violence, cruelty, or greed that you found particularly memorable to you in Part 2. For each act, discuss who did it, to whom did they do it, why do you think they did it, and how others reacted to it. What do these stories tell us about how having power other others without fear of consequences changes people, especially those who had been oppressed their whole lives?
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2) How do War Paint and Camila illustrate for us both the opportunities and limitations of women in the Mexican Revolution?
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3) Who do you think the three most interesting (not necessarily likeable) characters in this chapter are, and why? How does each character tell us something about the kinds of people who actually participated in the Mexican Revolution?
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ReplyDeletep. 100
ReplyDeletep. 107
In The Underdogs, Camilla and War Paint displayed both the opportunities and limitations of women in the Mexico Revolution. First, War Paint showed that women were limited in the Revolution when her and Demetrio went to the hotel. It was the same night they met and clearly, Demetrio handled her how traveling military men have. “Demetrio and the girl called War Paint staggered tipsily hand in hand down the center of the street, bound for the hotel” (77). War Paint also showed the opportunity to be “one of Demetrios’ men” when she started looting with them. “They pulled their empty hands out of the heap of paper, cursing. But War Paint was of sterner stuff; tirelessly she continued to unlock drawer after drawer without failing to investigate a single spot” (78). Despite being involved in looting like the rest of the men, War Paint naturally would have believed she was “equal” among them. Quickly, she was again limited when Blondie said “You forgot the stockings” when she appeared before the men in a dress (80). War Paint again was able to be given the opportunity to be apart of noble men she was near. “War Paint spurred her black horse and with one jump was abreast with Demetrio. She wore a gun at her side, a cartridge belt hung over the pommel of her saddle” (87).
Similarly to War Paint, Camilla was also given the opportunity to travel among the men. “Give Camilla the roan mare," Demetrio ordered Pancracio, who was already saddling the horses…Demetrio and Camilla brought up the rear. She was still nervous, white-lipped and parched; he was angry at their futile maneuver” (97-98). Again, mirroring War Paint, Camilla may have been seen to have the opportunity to be like the men but was again limited as Demetrios treated her like any other girl he has seen along the way. “"He lied to me! He lied! He came to the ranch and he told me, 'Camilla, I came just to get you. Do you want to go away with me?' You can be sure I wanted to go with him; when it comes to loving, I adore him. Yes, I adore him. Look how thin I've grown just pining away for him” (95). This quote showed that Camilla was able to ride along with the men, but that opportunity was limited due to her being a woman. Along the way, Demetrios said he was ready to be back with his wife again, showing the relevance of Camilla.
When War Paint killed Camilla, this showed the “opportunity” being indirectly involved with the Mexican Revolution (108). Not only did they ride with Demetrios and his men displaying opportunity but being around death revealed the Mexican Revolution was “spreading” amongst people who were not involved to begin with. Despite being able to ride along with the men, both women were limited with the Mexican Revolution because they did not actually fight. Women’s jobs during the war were to accompany/sleep with men on their journey and were therefore limited to do anything else besides that.
Haley Melita
DeleteThe first act of violence that I find particularly memorable to me was when the soldiers were out to dinner talking about how many men they killed, “I killed two colonels...They were so potbellied that they couldn’t even run” (73). Additionally, another soldier adds, “I had one of those real big shots get away from me...Oh, he was covered in gold, damn ‘im!” (73-74). I found this scene memorable because killing has become such an acceptable and normal topic of discussion that Demetrio and the other soldiers are discussing how many enemies they have killed while at dinner. Personally, I believe they did it because they are passionate about what they believe in and want to win the war. Also, the other soldiers think that this is a normal act to do during the war. The second act of violence I find memorable is when Demetrio and his men forcefully break into what they believe is Don Monico’s house, “Three blows with the butt of the rifle, and another three, but no one answers. Pancracio curses and no longer follows his orders. He fires, the lock snaps, and the door opens” (88). Here, the soldiers are using their weapons to invade Monico’s home, until they discover that several women are currently renting the house, “He is not here, senores...We just rent his house...We only know Don Monico by name...No senores, please...We will give you everything we have, and we will bring it to you ourselves. But, for the love of God, do not harm us. We are decent girls, all on our own!” (88). Again, I believe Demetrio and his soldiers did this to advance in the war. Also, despite Pancracio not fully following orders, the soldiers approve of these actions. Lastly, a third act of violence that I find memorable is when War Paint kills Camila, “War Paint stirruped hers at once and shot forward. Over taking Camila, she grabbed the girl by the hair and undid her braid. The pull made Camila’s mare rear back, and thr girl release the reins to get the hair out of her face” (106-107). Right after War Paint did this, Camila falls of her horse, “This made her lose her balance and fall off her horse, hitting her forehead against the stones. Laughing uncontrollably, War Paint galloped off very agilely to catch the runaway mare” (107). I believe that War Paint did this because she is jealous of Camila in many ways. Ultimately, this was an act of jealousy and others, especially Demetrio, are devastated over Camila’s death. Overall, I believe that the idea of not having consequences regardless of your actions encourages people to act violently, especially when they have been oppressed their whole lives. Additionally, I feel that people will try to take advantage of any opportunity they have to advance their cause even if that means using violence.
Tess Song
ReplyDeleteWar Paint walks in as a strong character as she asks the general, Demetrio if he was “the famous Demetrio Macias, the one who shone so brightly in Zacatecas?” (75). It lead me to see the pedestal that the men were put on during the Mexican Revolution for partaking in the war. However, War Paint was a strong woman who did not sensor her feelings or thoughts. In fact, Macias was unable to continue looking at her “provocative gaze” (75). This wording does sexualize women of the time, and it makes it to seem that women were just a mere object for the men to look at while they did the chores. Further on, when War Paint tries to continue on with the soldiers she is told my Demetrio that she was “not goin’ any farther with [them]” because of the remarks that Camila had made (107). There was no support between the women after War Pain had consoled Camila. This situation portrays the power men have over the women during the Revolution and the women just had to sit and take it. Although, War Paint was given the opportunity to ride with them and it was apparent that she was qualified due to her locksmith skills. Camila on the other hand plays a the role of woman who is emotional and does not speak her mind much. The only time she speaks to her thoughts is when she exclaims that the reason for her wanting to go home is because of War Paint. She tells Demetrio that she likes him “plenty..[but] what’s [been] going on...it’s that woman! (107). It is almost as if War Paint and Camila were made to be contrasting views of woman. Camila was a quiet, emotional woman while War Paint was a strong, outspoken one. The men allowed her to participate in their shenanigans. For example, the men complained about War Paint “always beats [them] to the best ‘advances’! (83). It just goes to show that she is allowed to play in the game with the men and she excels ahead of them for the most part. It almost hurts the manhood of the men a little bit. Finally, she responded well when a “bullet had whizzed past [her] head...she had not even flinched” (83). She represented the women who were unafraid during the revolution, but ready to take charge.
Towhead Margarito's behavior in Lagos is just one of many acts of cruelty and violence in this part of the book. When Demetrio's group rides into town, Towhead fires bullets at the ground, causing one to ricochet and hit an innocent bystander (111). "Completely indifferent" to the poor man's fate, he then turns his attention to a waiter from whose head he shoots tequila bottles, eventually shooting the man's ear off (111). Again, he does not care about what he has done and "jumps up on the counter and swings both of his arms about, knocking over all the cups, glasses, and bottles" (112). Throughout all of this Demetrio remains indifferent, despite being responsible for the group. He does not "laugh in earnest", which is why Towhead originally decided to terrorize the people of Lagos (110), but he does nothing to stop Towhead either.
ReplyDeleteWar Paint's murder of Camila is another act of violence which reflects very poorly on Demetrio's band of rebels to put it lightly. After being told she is being forced out of the group, she thinks Camila is the one to blame (107). Jealous and vindictive, she "reached down, usheated a sharp bright blade...and jumped on Camila." Demetrio is furious and originally orders War Paint killed, but changes his mind and lets her go. Towhead Maragarito, not caring for the girl who has just been murdered, mutters only "Thank goodness! I am finally rid of that pest [War Paint]" (109).
The third act of violence that stuck with me was Margarito's treatment of the man who came for his corn. The rebels had "cleaned him out", taking all that he had to feed the army (105). When he tells Demetrio he is a widower and needs to feed his children, Demetrio gives him a note to reclaim a few barrels of corn. But when the man takes it to Towhead Margarito, "he [Margarito] takes out his sword and starts beating 'im until the man's beggin' for mercy (106)." War paint finds this story hilarious, while Camila is outraged, especially after she asked that the old man be given the corn in the first place (104-106). I can see no real motivation for Margarito to have done this than cruelty for the sake of fun. Judging by War Paint's reaction, it seems he is not the only one who finds pleasure in causing other people pain.
All of these events give the rebels a horrible appearance, making them seem like cruel and greedy bandits rather than people fighting for their liberation. But it is not just their background that makes them this way, for Cervantes himself is responsible for the kidnapping of Camila (95). The fact that the acts of violence are committed by man and woman, peasants and the educated suggests that the situation that makes the rebels act this way. Hardly ever anything is done to stop the rebels from pillaging, committing violence, and kidnapping women. The only type of enforcement we see is when Demetrio considers killing War Paint for murdering his (kidnapped) companion Camila (107). Without any such law enforcement during the rebellion, and finally free from the oppressive reign of the Mexican government, the rebels are able to unleash their pent up anger and frustration on anyone they find. They can take whatever they want and kill whomever they want, and in a world in which all they have ever known is a government which has done the same, there is no model for a different kind of behavior. Given such circumstances, their behavior, while still deplorable, finally makes sense.
This novel and the Revolution is male driven. Overall, this time period is male dominated. Camilla and War Paint are two female characters in this novel that play a big role in part two. Camilla and War paint have two different roles in the revolution. War Paint is along side the men as a fighter (75). She has a strong personality as we can see when she got in a fight with Demetrio when he was drunk in the bar (84). I am assuming her strong character is why Azuela names her “War Paint.” On the other hand, Camilla is more behind the scenes. She is more of the domestic type of woman in war. She provides comfort and a woman companion to Demitrio (93), and she lets him push her around by agreeing to and following what he says (95). Both of these roles as a woman in the Revolution provide limitations and opportunities.
ReplyDeleteWhether actively participating in the Revolution, or staying behind the scenes, both gave woman an opportunity to be apart of the war. The jobs the woman had in the war are parallel to the jobs men had. This was an opportunity for women to fight for their rights and equality with men. War Paint had opportunities first hand in the war (fighting), and Camilla was given opportunities by caring for injured soldiers. Both are opportunities to earn money and equivalence to men in the war. War Paint showed her place at one point when she brought in the mare, and the soldiers were enthralled in envy at how she does this so well (83). In a society where women are supposed to be lesser and submissive to their husbands, War Paint changes the norm by being a leader among the soldiers: “Hey, go fetch me a bundle of alfalfa,” she exclaims to a male soldier (83). While the women who chose to play the domestic role in the revolution and offered out their homes to the soldiers gives an opportunity to be apart of the war and help out in general, it can also be seen as a limitation or burden. These women’s home was not necessarily their own home anymore. They had to work around the soldiers needs.
Nathalia Goncalves
ReplyDeleteIn Mariano Azuela’s “The Underdogs” part two, there are many acts of violence that illustrate the impact of the revolution on the Mexican people and the effects it had on the hierarchy present in society at the time. At the beginning of the chapter, War Paint expresses that “as soon as ya get anywhere all ya have to do is choose the house that best suits ya and ya go and take it, ya don’t ask no one,” explaining how the rebels felt entitled to do and take whatever they wanted, which was enough justification for their action with disregard for anyone that came between them and their objective (77). This quote is extremely important because it this mindset that sets the foundation for the violent, cruel, and greedy actions that are to come. While having a talk with Demetrio, Luis Cervantes agrees that “the day you wish it, we are off to get her for you, General,” referring to bringing Camila to be with Demetrio (93). Luis Cervantes pursues Camila to come with him by telling her that he has come back for her, taking advantage of the fact that she was in love with him, and also knowing that she would not come willingly if she knew that she was coming to be with Demetrio instead. While explaining to War Paint what had occurred, “Camilla’s eyes were swollen shut from so much crying,” insinuating the possibility that she was raped by Demetrio and tricked by the man she is in love with (95). This scene represents that cruelty of the men and the disregard for anyone else but themselves. When Venacio and the other man talk about what had occurred, “everyone broke into laughter” (94). Luis Cervantes’ greed for “the pocket watch with the gold chain and everything” was enough to lead him to carry on his actions, regardless of the impact it would have on Camila (93). Demetrio’s entitled personality also led to the devastating situation Camila had to endure. War Paint offered to help Camila out of the situation, but later on when War Paint was ready to carry on the plan to for Camila’s escape, Camila replies saying that “the thing is I’m startin’ to like’im somewhat, can ya believe it?” (97). This frustrates War Paint and she walks away from Camila. For the rebels, violence was something to laugh about. For example when altercation between Camila and War Paint occurred, War Paint “grabbed the girl by the hair and undid her braid… this made her lose her balance and fall off the horse, hitting her forehead against the stones” (106-107). Although Camila was injured, this still caused War Paint to laugh uncontrollably. After Demetrio told War Paint she was not going to be with them any longer, and everyone began embarrassing her, “the soldiers were all laughing, thoroughly enjoying themselves” (107-108). This caused War Paint to become even more angered and led her to kill Camila. Demetrio was sad, and as a response to this Towhead Margarito said to him that “as soon as we get to Lagos I will help you rid of that melancholy, you will see, General…there are many pretty girls there for us to choose from” (109). This quote represents the widespread mindset of the rebels in the revolution. Human life was seen as materialistic and disposable, and one’s ego and greed for power, control, and goods was enough justification for any action they committed. The lack of fear and the gain of power of these oppressed people led them to become exactly what they are fighting against. The once oppressed rebels, were now becoming the oppressors.
Katie Lebo
ReplyDeleteDuring the time of the Mexican Revolution, women had very small roles in society and usually spent most of their time in the homes taking care of their families. In the Underdogs, Camila and War Paint illustrate the opportunities and limitations that women faced in many ways. From the beginning War Paint is a strong female character and it’s shown when she first speaks. “Are you Demetrio Macias, then? asked the young women all of a sudden, bursting in from atop the bar, swinging her legs and tapping Demetrio on the back with her coarse leather shoes.” (75). War Paint wants to make her presence known by Demetrio and she climbed over the bar to make sure that happened. Even though he barely turned his head to answer her he eventually let her come along with him and join the fight. War Paint took this opportunity to make herself “one of the boys” and joined the fight of the Revolution. She becomes one of Demetrio’s men when she begins looting houses with them. “But the tireless War Paint continued breaking the locks off drawer after drawer, leaving no corner unexamined.” (78). War Paint thinks she is equal among the men, War Paint always gets “provocative gazes” (75) from the men and is being sexualized by them. War Paint defies the social norms during this time period, as she orders around the men sometimes, “Hey, you, Pancracio, go fetch me a bundle of alfalfa for my mare.” (83). On the other hand, Camila is more limited than War Paint. Camila did get the opportunity to travel with the men and comfort Demetrio when he needed (99). Camila was more limited in comparison to War Paint because Demetrio treated her like a child, “bringing up the rearguard, trotting along, were Demetrio and Camila (97). Demetrio saw Camila as his own and wanted to protect her in any way that he could so he wouldn’t let her do the things that War Paint was able to do.
In The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela there are many instances of violence, cruelty, and greed. There are several that come to mind from chapter three, but the three that stick out to me the most are when War Paint murdered Camila (pg. 108), when Towhead Margarito shot off the waiters ear (pg.111), and when Towhead Margarito beats the poor widower whose corn they had stolen (pg.106)
ReplyDeleteWar Paint murdered Camila outwardly because Camila request that they get rid of her (pg. 107). War Paint begs Towhead Margarito to come to her rescue, but he refuses which causes War Paint to lose it and kill Camila. Along the entire journey War Paint is jealous of the attention and special treatment that Camila receives. When Towhead, who plans on marrying her, refuses to help her she is pushed over the edge. People stay oddly calm during this. Demetrio, however, wants War Paint killed but he is unable to follow through and ends up just making her leave (pg.109).
Later in the story, Towhead Margarito is at a bar and decides to show off and try to hit a bottle of tequila off a man’s head. He attempts this twice. The first time he successful. On his second attempt, however, he ends up shooting the ear of the waiter who had the bottle on his head. He never apologizes to the waiter, he just gives him some money and acts like its no big deal. Once again the people around are indifferent to the situation (pg.111).
On page 105 a widower comes to the soldiers and request that they give him back the corn they stole from him. At first the soldiers make a joke out of this, but Camila convinces Demetrio to help the poor widower. Later in the story, Towhead Margarito decides to mess with the widower and instead of giving him his corn, he beats him mercilessly. Camila gets angry at Towhead Margarito for the way he treated the widower (pg.106).
In all of these instances, there were not harsh consequences for their actions. When people, especially people who have been oppressed their whole lives, do not have any consequences and power over others, they behave cruelly and carelessly.
Dalton Shettle
ReplyDeleteDuring the Mexican Revolution, many women were given opportunities, but they also had limitations that they had to follow as well. In "Underdogs", the women who are used to show the readers these opportunities and limitations are War Paint and Camila. One of the first opportunities that War Dog was given was to have a drink with the famous Demetrio MacÃas. On page 75 it says, "'come have a drink,' Towhead Margarito said to her. The young woman immediately accepted the invitation and impudently made room for herself to sit facing Demetrio. 'So ya're the famous Demetrio MacÃas, the one who shone so brightly in Zacatecas?'" (75). Another opportunity that War Paint was given, is on page 77 when it says, "'Where d'ya say ya was from? The days when soldiers stay in inns are over. Where'ya from? As soon as ya get anywhere all ya have to do is choose the house that best suits ya and ya go and take it, ya don't ask no one'" (77). Another thing that War Paint was able to do was excuse herself before Luis Cervantes's speech. On page 82 it says, "'H'm!' War Paint interrupted. 'Here comes the speech, and that always really bores me. I'm off to the corral instead, since there's no more to eat anyhow'" (82). Another opportunity that War Paint had was to ride alongside the men into battle. On page 87 it says, "War Paint snapped her black mare with her whip and in one leap was riding next to Demetrio" (87). An opportunity that Camila thought she was going to have was to go see Demetrio, but things didn't go as planned. On page 95 Camila says, "He lied to me, he lied! He came to the rancho and said: 'Camila, I've come back just for you. Won't you come with me?' H'm, and ya tell me if I didn't wanna go with 'im! Do I love 'im? I more than love 'im! I was so sick just thinkin' about 'im!" (95). A limitation that War Paint notifies Camila of on page 99 is that, "Hey, you, what kinda gossip are ya spreadin' to Demetrio? I love Towhead Margarito more than anybody in the whole wide world. Just so you know! And now I've told ya ... Whatever ya have against 'im, it's against me, too. Consider yourself warned!" (99).
During the novel there are many instances where Camila and War Paint portray the role of women during the Mexican Revolution. It is seen throughout part 2 of the novel that War Paint is a stronger and bolder character then Camila. “Hey War Paint! You around here? Come, get down from there, come have a drink, Towhead Margarito said to her. The young woman immediately accepted the invitation and impudently made room for herself to sit facing Demetrio.” (75) This quote just goes to show how bold War Paint was during this encounter. Also following this War Paint makes a comment “So ya’re the famous Demetrio Macias, the one who shone so brightly in Zacatecas?” (75). This just goes to show that men were given a higher regard and seen as superior in the eyes of most. This poses a limitation for women, where they are seen as less in comparison to men who are placed on a pedestal. Camila and War paint also show some opportunities for women during he Mexican revolutions alongside the many limitations. There were instances in the novel that showed the opportunities offered to both Camila and War paint to be apart of looting with the men. “But the tireless War paint continued breaking the locks off drawer after drawer, leaving no corner unexamined.” (78) This shows the War Paint working along side the men, which was a great step for her. Another instance was that shows her working with the men and gaining opportunity during the Mexican revolution was when they showed her riding along side Demetrio. “ War Paint snapped her black mare with her whip and in one leap was riding next to Demetrio.” (87). War paint was portrayed as a more bold character, but Camila was also involved in and gained opportunities during the Mexican Revolution. “The black mare’s for Camila, Demetrio ordered Pancracio, who was already saddling the horses.” (97). Camila was given the opportunity to be alongside the men just as War Paint. Another instance that showed that men were superior to women and they were limited when voicing their opinion was when War Paint exclaimed that Camila was too ill to participate. “ Camila can’t go, War paint said quickly. Who asked for your opinion? Demetrio replied harshly.” (97). War paint was immediately shut down, and her opinion was given no consideration at all.
ReplyDeleteThere is a large range of violence in the second part of this book. On page 73, when Demetrio and his men were sitting at tables in a tavern, they begin to tell stories. One of Demetrio’s men who was “fat” proudly said that he “killed two colonels (73).” He was chasing after them and making fun of them for not being able to run away fast enough. He told them to stop running because he did not want to inflict harm upon them, and then he shot them. Everyone around was eager to share their stories as well, “seizing the words from each other’s mouths (74).” Townhead Margarito is next to share his horrible story of violence. His interaction is with a waiter at a restaurant who was not quick enough to bring Townhead ice water. Townhead said that he did “not want any explanations” as to why he hadn’t gotten it yet (76).” Before the waiter had time to act, he had been slapped and “knocked down (76).” From this, he felt a release of anger and is ok with exerting it in this way. Following this story comes countless more of his fellow comrades hurting others just because of their “fiery temper (76).” This behavior is common and acceptable to all of these men and there are no consequences for their actions which makes them think it is ok. A lot of them have been in this environment for a long time and know no other way to behave. The clan then entered a city and began the “forcing open of doors (86).” After Demetrio and his men took all weapons and money from a household of ladies and children (88), he told his men to “burn the house down (90).” There was “black smoke” and “enormous flames” that engulfed the whole plaza (90).
ReplyDeleteThe first act of violence is at the beginning of part 2 on pages 73 and 74 when the rebels are all drinking and celebrating a win in the tavern. They are telling stories and I found it memorable when the “short fat subject in a gruff” exclaims “Don’t run so hard, like little conservative mongrels… stop running, I don’t like scared chickens” (Pg. 73). He is describing how the Federales troops were running away from them in fear. Another act of cruelty was from Towhead Margarito to the waitress when he ordered ice water and it took too long. “knocked down by a loud slap across the face” (Pg. 76). “Notice how I do not have a single hair on my face?... when I do not have anyone to let it out on, I pull my hairs until my anger dies down” (Pg. 76). Margarito is explaining his temper to general Macias after slapping the waitress. “War Paint stuck one of her legs between his, took leverage and threw Demetrio lengthwise, outside the room” (Pg. 84). War Paint grabbed his pistol and tried to shoot Demetrio after there was a disagreement in the bar. “Help! Help! She’s tryin’ to kill me!” (Pg. 86) said Demetrio. When Demetrio and his gang are riding to the house of Don Monico to have lunch with him as Demetrio exclaims he is an old friend. As they go to the residence of the Cacique, they realize the door is locked. “No, no Knock first” said Demetrio when a soldier puts the gun to the door to shoot it. After no one answers, Pancracio desides to not follow orders. “…But no one answers. Pancracio curses and no longer follows his orders. He fires the lock snaps and the door opens” (Pg. 88). The funny part about this is how they walk in seeing the kids and women running and Demetrio just demands “Bring me wine right here!”. The power these leaders show definitely has to do with their past and how they had no power coming from poor farmlands. They take advantage of finally being in power and tend to show little respect to others. This ties in with how the Government of Mexico had always been corrupt. The leaders would be overthrown by a poor, sometimes a peasant that has gained power through towns and villages and takes over as the president. The takes advantage of the power and takes money from the people for himself. It happened throughout many terms of different presidencies.
ReplyDeleteWhen War Paint is told she will not be going any farther with Demetrio’s and his men, she gets very angry. To make things even worse Towhead Margarito, the man War Paint loves agrees it is time for her to go. She was in shock and disbelief; the soldiers were all laughing and having a good time at her expense. In a blink of an eye: she reached in her stockings and pulled out a sharp bright blade and attacked Camila. Camila cries out and collapses, blood spurting everywhere. Demetrio yells “Kill her,” mad with rage. Some of the soldiers step forward but were unable to take her down. Demetrio tries to do the job but wavers and takes a step back. Then in a choked, hoarse voice, shouts: “get outta here! Now!” No one stops her then. I believe that War Paint does this out of jealousy and anger. (107-109)
ReplyDeleteMy Federale friend, I am going to kill you right now; you have suffered long enough. Towhead Margarito takes out his pistol, puts the barrel of his gun to his prisoner’s left temple, and immediately cocks the trigger. The prisoner goes pale as a ghost; his eyes glaze over. His breathing erratic, his body shaking uncontrollably. Towhead keeps his pistol in that position for several seconds. His eyes glowed strangely, his face lit up. As he pulls back his weapon he says, “I do not want to kill you yet. You will see whether my heart is evil!” then he winks maliciously to everyone around. Now he is just toying with his prisoner mentally. (98-99)
When Demetrio’s and his men go to Don Monico’s house eventually find him hiding in a large dresser. Monico jumps out with a rifle in his hands, and he pleads “Do not hurt me! I am your friend!” “My wife and children!” Demetrio’s has a flashback of his wife carrying his son in her arms, over the boulders of the Sierra at night, and his burning house. Demetrio’s tells everyone that he will not allow any looting. He orders all of his men and the townspeople to retire for the night. He then orders Luis Cervantes to “burn the house down,” when they get to their rooms. Cervantes carries out this order himself. After the deed was done, no one understood Demetrio’s strange behavior. I believe this is payback an eye for an eye. (88-90)
Without any real law during the rebellion, trying to break free from the tyrannical reign of the Mexican government, the rebels unleash their anger and frustration on anyone. They take whatever they want and kill whomever they want, and in a world in which all they have ever known is a government which has done the same, there is no moral compass for a different kind of behavior. Given the circumstances, their behavior, while still appalling, makes sense to their way of life.
The three characters I find most interesting in part two are War Paint, Towhead Margarito and Luis Cervantes. War Paint seems very impressed by Demetrio and his men. “So ya’re the famous Demetrio Macias, the one who shone so bright in Zacatecas?” War Paint asked him (75). She seemed to join in with them quickly and excitedly. She instructs the men to go into the town and take whatever house they wanted without asking anyone (77). As she spends time with the men, she becomes more hardened and joined in on the “advances” that were taken from the homes, most notably a black mare that she claimed for herself (82). At the end of part two, when Demetrios sends for Camila, she tries to befriend her; however, Camila thinks for herself and doesn’t follow War Paint’s instructions. This causes friction to rise between the two women (97). War Paint ends up on the wrong side of Demetrios and is sent away from the men after she kills Camila. She’s an interesting character because she became whatever the men needed her to be in order to benefit from their conquests.
ReplyDeleteTowhead Margarito is interesting because of his personality. He’s mean, hardened and thinks of no one but himself and impressing Demetrios (80). “That is how I am, General Macias...it is because of my fiery temper. When I do not have anyone to let it out on, I pull out my hairs until my anger dies down” (76). He is easily angered and will kill without warning. He comes across as a loud-mouthed troublemaker. I see him as being a typical “soldier” of the revolution. Mainly seeking the spoils of war and making others suffer.
Finally, Luis Cervantes, his character has changed since part one. He seems to be consumed with what he can acquire from raiding homes and continually convinces Demetrios of the importance of valuable trinkets and money. “…Listen, don’t come tellin’ me about all that...You got that little box, okay then. I got the pocket watch, and tha’s that” (78). It’s difficult to determine his motives, is he still fighting for the poor and oppressed or has he chosen to follow after attaining valuable items to improve his station in life? He seems conflicted. He stands out as having a different personality than Demetrios’ other men. They seem war-hardened and he seems to hold on to a higher idea of the revolution.
Carrolline Kickhoefer
ReplyDeleteHistory Since 1500
3/27/18
Blog Post 11
The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela there are many examples of how Camila and War Paint portray women during the Mexican Revolution. The Women are a given opportunities like Towhead tells War Paint to “ come have a drink” (75). Then, War Paint shows how bold she is, by saying “So ya’re the famous Demetrio Macias, the one who shone so brightly in Zacatecas?” (75). Another moment when War Paint is really bold around the men is when she gets a little bossy with then men and tells them what to do like on page 83 when she tells one of the men to “ fetch me a bundle of alfalfa for my mare.” While War Paint has a lot of opportunity, Camila does not. At one point Camila gets the chance to travel with then men (99) But Demetrio does not treat her the same as War Paint. I think he kind of treats her like she does not know as much as War Paint. Demetrio also keeps Camila close and protects her a lot because she takes the time to comfort him.(93). Camila shows the very reserved side of the women in the war. It seems like its one extreme or the other. They are either very outgoing and want to help in the war kind of like War Paint does. Then there are the women like Camila that kind of just get pushed around by the men and do whatever they tell them to do (95). So in conclusion, for the women there is as much opportunity as they give themselves or they can choose to be basically a housewife and do whatever they are told to. But I do think that its whatever they choose to do with it.
War often brings out the worst in society but it also tends to be tethered to the good. As illustrated in “The Underdogs,” the Mexican Revolution needed all hands on deck and allowed women to step up. This is not exclusive to this revolt, war efforts in the US also saw women become increasingly important to the function of war. It’s typical of full-blown war states.
ReplyDeleteIn the book, War Paint and Camila are the backbone of the shifting narrative and perception of women.
War Paint, in particular holds a powerful position in the story. She’s shown to be a powerful and confident woman that’s in the heat of battle. She essentially becomes one of Demetrio’s men, but of “sterner” stuff as displayed on page 78. War Paint confidently carries herself, bringing out both the good and bad of her character, and the good fully radiates around the rebels as she’s able to take charge and make orders (83). But she’s also caught in the heat of the moment when she kills Camilla, taking on what’d typically be seen as a masculine reaction (107).
The women have been treated much like their male counterparts, and not only for the better. As Camila’s death and Demetrio’s ordering of War Paint’s execution show, they’re punished and killed just as men are- as counterintuitive as saying “being killed shows equality” may seem.
Before she’s killed, though, Camila plays a vital role on the opposite side of War Paint. Her role as a caretaker isn’t just a social norm but becomes a backbone of the war effort. She helps tend to injured shoulders and Demetrio, and opens her home.
But because of how limited the role of women was before the revolution, quotes like Demetrio asking Camila “who asked for your opinion?” shows that this enhanced inclusion of women is simply out of necessity. The treatment is largely the same as before.
There were many acts of violence in this book due to the lack of consequences and any type of good order. Everyone seems to do only what they desire without having to worry about paying for their actions in a tangible way. In the first section of Part Two, a “A short, fat subject in a gruff guttural voice” (73) killed two men who were running away: “I killed two colonels...They were so potbellied that they couldn’t even run” (73). It seems as though he did it out of sport, just because he could. They were even running away and he told them he wouldn’t shoot and then he did it anyway. This can be seen the way he jokes about it, like it increases his caliber among the men to be this brutal: “They really fell for it, those...bang bang!” (73). The others just chimed in with their own stories of how those who they wanted to kill ended up getting away or other situations, just as if this action of violence was completely normal.
ReplyDeleteAnother act of violence (emotionally) and honestly pure insulting immaturity was when War Paint was not allowed in the group anymore. Once she heard they were against her staying with them, “War Paint proceeded to insult Camila, Demetrio, Luis Cervantes-- and everyone else she could think of--with such energy and originality that the troops end up hearing obscenities and insolences they had not even suspected might exist” (108). War Paint’s pride was hurt and she reacted to the news in the worst manner, instantly proving they made the right decisions: “And she kicked and screamed and made obscene gestures as she yelled this” (108). She ended up murdering Camila out of spite, because she thought Camila convinced the group to let War Paint go. The men reacted strongly against War Paint and almost killed her.
Lastly, Demetrio made an act of violence that was a little excessive: “But before he can cross the threshold, a gunshot makes him instantly collapse, like a bull stabbed by the matador’s dagger” (90). He ended up shooting a young man who disobeyed his orders to not ransack the house they had entered, only out of discipline. This shows that he thought in order to keep his leadership, he had to kill. This was because Demetrio was already irritated, “An irritated Demetrio repeats they are to retire” (90), and he had to demand the respect of his men.
Demetrio has definitely let this power in his head and it is causing damage to those around him. His reputation allows him to do whatever he pleases without consequence and it is making him revenge happy and honestly frightening.
War Paint and Camila illustrate the opportunities and limitations of women in the Mexican Revolution in many ways. War Paint is a very strong woman that views herself as equal to the men that she is fighting with in the revolution. In contrast, Camila views herself as an inferior to the men in the story. War Paint took initiative when she starting looting with the men and was the person that was “unlocking drawer after drawer” rather than standing on the sidelines observing the men do the work. (78) Another instance where War Paint shows feminine opportunity in this novel is when she finds the mare while the men were looking for loot in the house. The men state, “I don’t even know how this damned War Paint does it, but she always beats us to the best ‘advances’.” (83) This statement shows that the men view War Paint as a contender in their loot discoveries and know she has the smarts to find the better advances than they find. After War Paint finds the mare, she takes control and authority by instructing one of the men, Pancracio, to fetch her mare some alfalfa, which he does without questioning. (83) This situation shows that women in the Mexican Revolution can have authority from men and they listen and adhere to their orders just as some examples of authority of men we see as well in the novel.
ReplyDeleteCamila shows the limitations of women in the revolution more than War Paint does in many different examples. Women were often taken advantage of in the Mexican Revolution and treated like incompetent people or objects by the soldiers and generals. On page 94, some men were speaking about Camila and Demetrio and stated that if Camila ended up in Demetrio’s bed it was by accident and not out of love at all. They joked around about the matter and talked about Camila like she was some source of entertainment rather than a woman with feelings for Demetrio. (94) Another limitation that is seen in this novel for women is lack of a voice. Camila tells War Paint she wants to go home, but when Demetrio asks her what she wants in a sarcastic tone, instead of standing up to Demetrio, Camila says she will do whatever he wants her to do. (97) We also see many other instances where Camila just agrees with Demetrio’s statements rather than speaking her real opinion. (101) Lastly, we see the men treat Camila like she cannot do anything for herself. They do not even ask her if she wants to saddle her own horse and do not let her decide any of her our decisions because they believe she is incompetent and incapable of deciding on her own. (95)
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ReplyDeleteRyan McConnell
ReplyDeleteThere are many different and very interesting characters throughout part 2 of The Underdogs. Each has a different type of personality and different style of the way they do things and why they do those things. In the beginning of part a bunch of the military officers and soldiers express how they can barely control their "fiery temper" (76). A good example of this fiery temper can be seen through the character Towhead Maragrito when he "knocked down [the waiter] by a loud slap across his face" (76). I found Towhead interesting because he seems to have no regard for anyone else but himself. He depicts how the military at the time of the Mexican revolution was especially corrupt and unforgiving of the people they are supposed to protect. This just shows how they simple actions added fuel to the fire for the Mexican Revolution. Towhead is just one example of many cruel soldiers that lived during this time. Another interesting character in this part is Luis Cervantes. In this part he starts to increasingly face obstacles and it is interesting to see how he deals with this adversity throughout this part. That is the true test of a leader. How they deal with everything when nothing is going the way it was planned. In one part he is "uncertain what to do," after they are attacked, which is not what you want to hear from your leader (84). Even though he faced many difficulties in his journey he often handled them surprisingly well and everyone usually "applauded Luis Cervantes" for his endeavors (82). Cervantes is an example of the good ones during the Mexican Revolution. One of the people fighting for the liberty of the oppressed. Another interesting character was War Paint. Being a woman during this time period was extremely difficult but War Paint was able to overcome it. She is an extremely courageous character which can be seen through when a "bullet had whizzed past War Paint's head. But she had not even flinched" (83). She even "threw Demetrio lengthwise" (84). War Paint is an example of the brave and strong men and women who fought during the Mexican Revolution. The revolution needed heroes like her or it would have failed.
ReplyDeleteThe characters in part two demonstrate characteristics that we could expect to find in real life fighters of the Mexican Revolution. The first character I found interesting was Blondie. Blondie is an angry man to say the least. In one instance, Blondie gets heated with a waiter over an order of ice water, and ends up sending the waiter “wheeling to the floor with a heavy blow” (72). This act shows the audience what type of character Blondie is. Angry, most likely insane, he goes on to tell the tales of his murders in different situations where something so small has set him over his limit (72). Another example of his disturbed mental state is when he is very intoxicated, he announces that he is going to kill himself, and goes on to shoot his reflection in a mirror, barely missing hitting War Paint (80). I found Blondie interesting because it demonstrated how even someone with that mental state would fight in the revolution. The next character I found interesting is War Paint. War Paint is a female thug who is also a little loco. At first, she seems just like a flirty girl who shows interest in Demetrio (71). As the story goes on however, the audience Is shown the darker, more criminal side of her. Her and Blondie are almost a Bonnie and Clyde of this book with their disturbed actions. In one instance, when Blondie “kills himself” by shooting the mirror, Blondie tells War Paint not to move, and even after the bullet barely misses her, she didn’t even blink (80). The last character I found interesting was Demetrio. Since we have been following Demetrio throughout the whole story, we have a pretty good understanding of his character and morals. We see Demetrio’s temper break in one instance where he becomes annoyed and kills a recruit (87). Overall, these characters all demonstrate different aspects of people fighting in a brutal war.
The Underdogs is known for its barbaric and savage depictions from the perspectives of rebels during the Mexican Revolution. There were many acts of violence that had endured in The Underdogs, but the first one that I recognized in Part Two was in the first chapter as Demetrio and the rest of his men sat around drinking and bragging about their kills. (77-78) One man boasted about how he “killed two colonels” and many other soldiers joining in joking and making a mockery of these dying soldiers. (77) This made an impact for me as it expressed how not only was killing someone becoming a norm, but the fact that it was more of a celebratory thing. However, I feel that this celebration and talks of brutalities was more in celebration of the war that they’re fighting and temporarily excelling at and less about the actual killings, for the most part. This sense of being on top and having a glimpse of power is starting to take over their humanity. For instance, when the men started talking more about their kills concerning innocent villagers that weren’t their opposers, that struck a nerve for me. For example, when Blondie was talking about how he “killed an old lady who refused to sell [him] some enchiladas. She was angry, [he] can tell you; [he] got no enchiladas but [he] felt satisfied anyhow!" (79) The rest of the men, except one, felt encouraged to talk about their killings of the innocents. However, the exception was this one man that spoke against Blondie’s anger as he said, "It does you no good to go to pieces when you're angry,". (79) The second act of cruelty and violence as from Blondie in Chapter 11 and 12. In Chapter 11 he drug this prisoner he took captive and after the prisoner complains, he pulls out his sword and murders him openly. (98) These continuous acts of savage behavior from Blondies bleeds over into Chapter 12 Blondie lured this old man who complained about his corn and beat him senselessly until the man begged for mercy. (102) Blondie’s actions are just plain bloodthirsty and the only precedent reasoning behind is the fact that he was oppressed. Many found this action amusing such as War paint and Quail, but Camilla found this to be extremely hateful and sickening so when she expresses her displeasure, War Paint causes her to fall off her horse, leading to her gashing her forehead. This act leads into the third memorable act of violence, which was from War Paint. After Camilla fell off her horse and felt threatened by War Paint, she voiced her insecurity to Demetrio and after Demetrio told War Paint to take an exit she draws “a sharp, gleaming dagger from her stocking and leapt at Camilla,” killing Camilla in front of Demetrio. (107-111)
ReplyDeleteThe first action that stood out to me was the general distreament of peasants by the people in the tavern from part I. They are rebels (a.k.a. militiamen) who align themselves with Demetrio and they treat the laity with extreme contention (“I killed a shopkeeper in Parral ‘cause he slipped two bills from Huerta in with the change” (76) and “I killed a guy in Chihuahua… He really annoyed me!” (76)). They have an extreme level of entitlement deriving from their ‘outlaw’ nature and that of the sense of being within an army but also could stem from their idea of rising up above the laity as most of this militia were once common farmers and low-wage workers (“Formerly a waiter in the Delmonico restaurant in Chihuahua, he now proudly wore three brass bars” (80)). This feeling of entitlement is shared between the soldiers as, instead of condemning when one speaks of this egregious violence towards slight or even false injustices, they too share their story, with such vigor, of when they carried out similar acts.
ReplyDeleteAnother act of cruelty, sans the direct violence, is Towhead Margarito’s treatment of the Federale prisoner. He taunts the captive by nearly executing him until he decides that instead he will make the Federale, essentially, his pet (which had an effect of: “The prisoner had gone made. The only thing he did was make swallowing sounds…” (99)). The Federales are, of course, the direct enemy of Demetrio’s men, so possessing one in such a humiliating manner would be exhilarating for these rebels, and the deep passion harbored by them could manifest itself into the cruel torture of them. These acts are seen as wholly justified Demetrio’s men as when Camila speaks of these acts to Demetrio, his only reaction is that of “knit[ing] his brows but did not say anything in reply” (99).
Of course, the taunting of death isn’t the only thing we see of Towhead Margarito and his prisoner. Later on, he even goes a little too far past prisoner’s breaking point and ends up accidentally killing him (“‘He took out his saber and hit the poor wretch repeatedly…” (104) and then “Quail pointed out to him that the Federale was no longer moving, [Towhead Margarito] laughed loudly…” (104)). This killing was a killing ‘in the moment;’ while Margarito may’ve not meant it, the deep hatred that he harbors for the Federales is epitomized here as he just laughs it off when he kills his ‘pet’ (showing dehumanization of their enemies), and this act is meet with little resistance by Demetrio’s men, and his violence even shows up later when he beats up the peasants who ask for his stolen corn back (met with “War Paint … laughing so hard she nearly fell off her horse” (106)).
These ‘incidents’ show how the peasants, now militia, have a multiplicative effect on their hate of being oppressed into a new form of hate and vitriol. This new form, from the shared mentality of the group, ignores cause, and dishes out reaction who ever just happens to be in their way at the wrong time (ergo a sense of entitlement emerges from a common feeling). The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and the condensed hate just breeds contempt. These men know that, since they have a mutual alliance now, that they also aren’t held responsible for their actions (as who’s gonna stop them?) so why not release that built up anger? It’s hedonistic, yes, as it’s a short term solution to a systemic problem, but that’s where it stops for them: they can only see the direction consequences of their actions.
ReplyDeleteAshton Peckinpah
In the book the Underdogs, Camilla and War Paint both portray what is was like to be a women faced with adversity during the Mexican Revolution. First off, War Paint showed that women were limited in the revolution when Demetrio and herself went to the hotel. "Demetrio and the girl called War Paint staggered tipsily hand in hand down the center of the street, bound for the hotel" (77). It is obvious that Demetrio deals with the girl as though she is an object. War Paint then moves to try to be liked by Demetrio through being one of the guys. "They pulled their empty hands out of the heap of paper, cursing. But War Paint was of sterner stuff; tirelessly she continued to unlock drawer without failing to investigate a single spot" (79). War Paint believed that she was equal to them. However, the men constantly made that objective nearly unreachable. With comments like, "you forgot the stockings" (80). War Paint did not put up with it however. She would ride her black horse with a gun at her side; a cartridge belt hung over the pummel of her saddle even (87). Similar but different, Camilla travelled among many men. Demetrio and Camilla would mostly bring up the rear especially when traveling with many men (98). Mirroring War Paint, Camilla might of seen an opportunity to be like the men, however, she was limited since Demetrios treated her like any other girl her has seen along the way. Camilla believed Demetrio had lied to her since he invested so much into her before dropping her like she had meant nothing to him (95). Even though Camilla rode along with the men, she was still viewed and treated as a women was at the end of the day. Especially since Demetrio was ready to go back home to his own wife. Once War Paint murdered Camilla, it showed the chances of opportunity being redirected during the Mexican Revolution (108). The Mexican Revolution had a affect on all who were exposed to it, even if they seemed completed separated from it. Even as ride along, both of the women were limited in their ability to actually fight in the revolution. For the most part, a women's role in war was to sleep and accompany men on their journey. They were not given a privilege nor opportunity to do much else.