My discussion question: What is the profile of the men fighting for the revolution?
As the article from class you gave us stated and which readers can observe in the novel, the men on the revolutionary side tended to be poor, rural, workers, and farmers. However, obviously there is some diversity in this which can be seen in the characters of the novel. For example, Demetrio Macías is “a poor, illiterate Indian, is forced to join the rebels in order to save his family” (back cover). Later he shares how he had a house, cows, and “small piece of land to sow” (Azuela 39), all which he was very content with. He represents the typical farming peasant who was fighting in the revolution. Another character, Venancio, is a barber who pulls molars and “applied caustics and leeches” but wanted to become a doctor (15, 34). He had to stop his studies because of the death of his parents, but the men look up to him. He represents someone who was unable to achieve his dreams/full potential. At the same time, there is Luis Cervantes who is a medical student and a journalist (20). He comes from a different class and was drafted by the Federales. When they offend him, he deserts and joins the other side. At first, he experiences some ill-will from Demetrio’s men, but they eventually come around to him. He represents someone who was forced by conscription and soon becomes disillusioned, willing to give up his privileges of his class to join the revolution until he moves to the U.S. These characters play into the prototypes of the people who joined the revolutionary and highlight the diversity of motivations and reasons people fought for the revolution.
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