Why didn’t the flock scatter?
When I was reading “Deep Rivers”, I found the following quote, where the protagonist Ernesto observes the behaviour of the birds being shot at by the local townsfolk, to be a really apt metaphor for cultural survival, and existential assertion of identity amidst cultural loss.
“Why didn’t the flock scatter? Why didn’t they take off at the sound of the explosions, when they saw the wounded falling all about them? Instead they stayed in the branches, screeching, clambering, hopping from one tree to another”
I see the birds’ refusal to scatter despite being shot at to be a symbolic reflection of Peru’s Indigenous people’s attachment to their land and culture despite the destructive forces of colonization. The actions of the birds show a kind of existential persistence, a resistance to being dislodged or disconnected from their home. In existential terms, this behaviour speaks to the inherent struggle to assert one’s existence in a world that continually threatens it. the act of remaining is an assertion of being against the negation of what makes them them.
The vague ambivilance of Ernesto’s father when it comes to indigeneity is also rather important in understanding this quote as it is representative of how to reconcile the notion of colonial complicity and Ernesto’s own indigenous roots. The birds behavior, staying despite the danger, Mirror Ernesto’s own struggle with his identity. His fascination with the birds and his father’s conflicting ambivalence represent the tension between his indigenous heritage and the pressures of the world he inhabits. Let’s think back to a chapter earlier, with Ernesto’s interaction with the Inca wall in Cusco. The wall represents the enduring presence of indigenous history and culture in a post colonial world. For Ernesto, this was a tactile connection to a past that is alive and constantly shaping the present, a connection that his father is quick to dismiss. The physical touch of the wall connects him to a historical continuum where past and present intermingle, defying the linear, colonial perception of time that may seek to sever some indigenous connections to their history. To some extent, the birds’ refusal to scatter symbolizes his inner turmoil and his subconscious resistance to losing his cultural identity in a colonial world. The birds’ actions serve as projections of his subconscious resistance and a desire to remain connected to his roots, despite the overt pressures to conform to a “modern” (for lack of a better word) identity.
Hi Ben,
Thank you for bringing up a part of “Deep Rivers” that I was also deeply touched by! You always write such incredible blog posts, I’ve just never had a chance to comment on them. I was touched by Ernesto’s empathy for the birds; these more-than-human beings that the people around him seem to feel nothing for. I think this too is symbolic of Ernesto’s position as caught between two worlds. He holds onto a traditional reverence for nature — perhaps a conception of people as part of nature, rather than above or apart from it — rooted in his Indigenous Incan heritage, despite his “modern” education and life in a “modern” Peru. Thank you for identifying the birds’ refusal to scatter as metaphor for cultural survival, it’s such an insightful perspective that I hadn’t thought to consider!
Take care,
Cissy
Hola benjamin
Will u marry me
I don’t know how to weave …
New fav trip couple <3
Hola Benjamin
Thanks for sharing your insights on Deep Rivers. I appreciate your close reading of the text and I always find the conception of time through language to be so interesting.
“The actions of the birds show a kind of existential persistence, a resistance to being dislodged or disconnected from their home. In existential terms, this behaviour speaks to the inherent struggle to assert one’s existence in a world that continually threatens it”
I wanted to reflect on this quote in reference to the experience we had yesterday in Amaru. It seems that village was practicing that same resistance to disconnecting from their cultural practices while simultaneously participating in the transitive force: European/westerners showing up on their land. It’s interesting to me, supposedly our money went to preserving that village through the foundation. I wonder if our presence has an impact on the children of the community and does it promote western culture as something to aspire to or highlight it as something that threatens the fibers of the community?
Hi Ben! I have a blog post talking about the same quote with some similar thoughts! I like your take on the birds symbolism, as I too have still been pondering Arguedas intentions with the inclusion of that story