The Underdogs And Manuel Puig's Kiss Of The Spider Woman
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Latin America experienced adversities throughout the 20th century, with several countries toppling into war. In each instance, no matter the country, war materialized due to a repressive military government. In Mexico and Argentina, an overbearing government was the chief cause of their corresponding revolutions. These events resulted in creative inspiration in the writing of two novels: Mariano Azuela’s The Underdogs and Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman. Enclosed in each novel is a revolutionary leader ascribed a motivation for fighting against what they perceive as an oppressive government. Demetrio Macias, the lead protagonist in The Underdogs, leads a coalition of countrymen during the Mexican Revolution. Valentin Arregui Paz is…show more content… Reminiscing in prison, Valentin says it’s been “Almost two years. But I still think about her,” displaying his enduring faith for their relationship.
In comparison, the author of The Underdogs characterized Demetrio Macias with a wrinkled face. Demetrio was a masculine leader with military experience, who held wisdom and honor in his name. Demetrio’s motivation was clear from the beginning of the novel: his family. The Federalist armies were expanding across the country, ransacking each town they roamed through. When they came to Demetrio’s home in Limon, Mexico, the Federalists shot his dog, demanded food, and made his wife uncomfortable. Consequently, Demetrio ordered his wife to take their child and head to her father’s residence, while he commenced on the opposite path to assemble a group of insurgents. Furthermore, the clinching moment of following through with the revolution was when Demetrio glanced back after trekking for a few hours to witness flames and smoke billowing from his house below in the canyon.
Valentin's motivation for continuing the revolution, Marta, was resilient and aided him when he endured tough times in prison. When poisoned by the prison food, Valentin refused to move to the infirmary for medical attention. Advising Molina, Valentin uttered, “a political prisoner can’t afford to end up in an infirmary, ever.” In this Valentin regarded the notion of becoming addicted to the sedative and hypnotic drug seconal administered in the