Author Archives: NatalieCrawford

The Pongo’s Dream and Popular Culture: How do They Collide?

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José María Arguedas’ “The Pongo’s Dream” is striking in its portrayal of feudal power dynamics between lords and indigenous serfs shockingly present in Peru until the middle of the 20th century. After reading the short tale, I found myself struck by the dehumanizing ways in which the Pongo was treated by the lord. The words used to describe him- “meek”, “little”, “feeble” and “pitiful”,  convey both physical and intellectual discrimination, and powerfully reflect Euro-Indigenous colonial relations. The lord’s incessant orders for the Pongo to act like an animal exposed the ugly and humiliating nature of the treatment he, and other serfs like himself received from these estates, and further revealed Arguedas’ passionate anti-colonial sentiments. 

Knowing that Arguedas heard the story from a Cuzco peasant offers a valuable perspective to the message that runs through it- one that comes from a place of experience and offers insight to life at the bottom of such a rigid, racist and disparate class system. I wonder what role such a story would have played in the peasant movements of the 1950’s, and whether it ever circulated beyond the lower classes? 

I suppose what I am most intrigued by, is how these stories play into popular culture. Of course, undoubtedly, “The Pongo’s Dream” can be considered a vehicle for anticolonial protest and anger, but I am curious as to what extent Latin American folklore permeates culture and society today. If anyone has more experience or knowledge with folklore than I do, I wonder in what ways does it influence life in Latin America, whether that be in music, traditions, beliefs or customs?

Revolutionary Tears of Pancho Villa

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What struck me most about Andrea Noble’s chapter was the role played by cameras in the emotional depiction of early 20th century caudillo, Pancho Villa. An emotional Mexican revolutionary is one thing, but the “mediatization” (264) of his tearful displays throughout his life seemed to bring him to somewhat of a ‘movie star’ status, in my opinion. Not to say, of course, that the nature of his emotional expression was purely strategic or political, but rather to highlight its significance in a cultural context- its ability to attract cultural popularity, and, in a sense, unify both the popular and wealthy classes. The political and cultural power of emotion is not something I had spent much time considering before reading this piece, but because emotion is so fundamental, so ‘human’, it is undeniable the impact public displays of it, such as those of Villa, can have on bystanders or onlookers- an ‘affective’, revolutionary power. 

Most notably were the time, context and societal standards Pancho Villa and his tearful displays took place in. A transformative, and fragmented political period in Mexico, the early 20th century met Villa’s tears with both unifying amazement and discomfort. His tears, whether in defense for his life or in public mourning, were powerful displays of rejection for what constituted a socially acceptable ‘masculine’ code of conduct or expression, and it was this deviation or ‘shamelessness’ that distinguishes Pancho Villa from those standing beside him in black and white photographs. Crying, sobbing or weeping in front of a camera was something almost entirely unseen in Villa’s time, expressions of feelings that Noble argues were “the ‘glue’ that, however imperfectly, came to cement the fragments of the Mexican mosaic” (251). Whether they are observed, photographed, filmed or described in writing, the relationship tears have with culture depends on how they are portrayed and by who. My question is, what role do cameras play in our views and perceptions of public emotional expression? How does culture play into that?

 

Black Orpheus Reflection

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The beginning of Black Orpheus, set in Rio de Janeiro, transported me to a world of rhythm, colour, dance and vibrancy. As the woman, whom I presume is Eurydice, finds her way through the city and carnival, the richness of celebration is met with contrastingly ‘ordinary’ or ‘business-as-usual’ goings on as well. From the loud, bustling and expressive parades to empty squares and commuters strolling along sidewalks, it felt like there were two very different Rio de Janeiro’s presented in this opening scene. Observing Eurydice’s journey through the city, as she sets off to meet her cousin, the novelty and ‘foreignness’ of the celebrations evident in her hesitancy sort of reflected my own lack of familiarity with such a collective and immersive cultural experience. Though I have yet to experience the exciting and invigorating experience of carnival in many Latin American countries, I found myself vividly imagining the smells, sounds, and sensations of drum beats pulsing through the air.

As the film introduces Orpheus, a streetcar driver, and his fiance Mira, I quickly did a little digging on the original ancient Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice to familiarize myself with the framework of the plot. This, somewhat relevant, diversion had me considering the universality of some stories, and their ability to mold and evolve as different cultures offer their own interpretations. Admittedly, I only watched the first 20 minutes or so of Black Orpheus, but I am curious as to how the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, to put succinctly- a tale of love, loss and grief- changes and takes shape when set in a Brasilian culture and context? I feel as though such an interpretation offers such valuable perspective and cultural insight, and I wonder if anyone knows any other examples of Latin American interpretations of historical/widely-known stories?

 

Introductory Post!

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Hello everyone, my name is Natalie! I am in my third year at UBC, and I am majoring in International Relations. I’m from North Vancouver and have lived here all my life, but my parents are Scottish and Irish and I have always been passionate about travel and new experiences. I have taken quite a few Spanish classes in my time at UBC, but this is my first Latin American studies course, and I am excited to learn more about popular culture!