The Underdogs by Azuela didn’t follow Mama Blanca’s memoirs very well. This is not to say that it is a bad book, because it certainly had interesting characters, good perspectives on the revolutionary war, and good character dynamics, but it lacked depth within the female characters and smooth writing style. This could be due to the translation from Spanish to English, but since Mama Blanca’s was so visual and complex, I feel like this limitation could be avoided. Overall, it was a good read, just a more simple text.
One character I found particularly interesting was Louis. Louis’ introduction into the story gave the text a deeper dilemma than most of the actual conflicts the crew of characters went through. His development with the other characters, from a captured “spy”, to an influential doctor, gives the text a lot more of a dynamic progression than if it had continued with only characters that would be considered the base image of a revolutionary soldier.
I also enjoyed how the text took a couple opportunities to be written in the 1st person. When it came to the scene describing a government officer, Campos, sending his troops out in an attempt to be promoted to general, which subsequently led to the story of his and his crew’s death, I couldn’t help but appreciate the perspective change, even if it was mostly to make fun of the enemies of the protagonist. Both short excerpts, though, the text is primarily conveyed through the 3rd person
Comparing the perspective of the Campos compared to the perspective of Demetrio on leadership, I found there to be more contrasts than comparisons. While Demetrio knew many of his fellow officers, and had a strong bond with the soldiers he led, Campos simply saw his soldiers as pawns, and looked at sending out scouting units as a way to brag about his military victories. I also saw a connection between the success of Demetrio’s unit and the cohesion and brotherhood of it. Even in its strongest, at the end of the book, Demetrio’s team found defeat, as they didn’t have the cohesion they had in the beginning.
Finally, some criticism then my question
Camilla and War Paint, the two female characters with romantic interests, lacked any other characteristics. Their only function seemed to be a romantic conflict for Demetrio, Louis, and Blondie, and with each other. They certainly wouldn’t pass the Bechdel test. Additionally, the sentences and paragraphs can feel quite broken, even when it seems intentional. The flow of the text does have nice visualizations, and good metaphors, but still feels a bit clunky
Question: Which Character did you feel to be most impactful on this story, and why?
“They certainly wouldn’t pass the Bechdel test.”
Fair enough. This is indeed on the whole a very male affair. The women are tokens in more than one sense: both ciphers, and items of exchange. And yet it seems to be important that they are there. Why?
Oh, and do add the category “Azuela,” and tags to indicate the concepts or themes that you’re highlighting. Thanks!
Hello! I really enjoyed reading your post. I completely agree with what you argued about Camilla and War Paint, I had a similar though while reading the book! Answering you final question, in my opinion, the most impactful character in the book is likely the protagonist, Demetrio. He is a leader of a band of guerrilla fighters during the Mexican Revolution, and his actions and decisions impact significantly both the course of the story and the other characters.
Great post! My favourite character would have to be Demetrio for his morally grey qualities. Although he is made sympathetic as the protagonist, the violent side of him is an interesting psychological delve into the soldier’s psyche.
Although I do agree that comparing this novel with Mama Blanca’s memoirs we will certainly find this text more simple, but maybe this simplicity is what makes this book so good, as there is the balance of simplicity in language yet such a big complexity in themes (such as the ones you noted in your blog). Regarding your question, I think that my favourite character would have to be Demetrio, as I found him very relatable and not a character so out of reality, someone who portrayed a complex set of morals and uncertainty about is reason for which he is fighting.
Hey Felix, great post! I definitely agree with what you say about Camila and Warpaint and they’re not passing the Bechdel test, it would’ve been nice for them to have a bit more dimension as characters. To answer your question, I think Cervantes was the most impactful, at least in my reading of the novel. I thought his almost full-circle way of joining and then leaving the cause according to what best serves him is important to think about when it comes to assessing people’s characters and personalities.
Hi! I thought this was a great post that highlighted the shortcomings of the book in relation to the women. Even still, I found my favorite character was War Paint simply because she tried to stand up for Camilla and get her out of the horrible situation she was in. What you said about Louis though made me appreciate his character and personality more.