I think the historical background of this novel is a bit difficult to understand for readers who do not know the history of the United States and Mexico, so I also read the events of that period while reading the book. Carlos Fuentes’ depiction of the desert is almost treasured, as if I, too, am referring to the place where no grass grows, watching vultures circle, flying sand, and a dying old man travelling alone to his death.

Old Gringo doesn’t even have a name. In the eyes of those commenters, “old gringos” are a group of people who cross the border with indistinguishable faces. “I’m afraid that each of us carries the real frontier inside.” In the first part of the article, I thought that the core vocabulary was still the frontier. In order not to cause too much trouble, the old man went to Mexico with a simple heart and a Don Quixote novel. And he himself, like Don Quixote, is a contradiction, just like his pursuit of death is a very absurd behavior, so that he has a very good performance after joining the army because he is not afraid of death.

From the old man’s conversation with General Tomas Arroyo, we know that the old man fought in the Civil War fifty years ago. And when this old man shows up in Mexico, it’s rotten, just like in Chapter 5. He complains that Mexico makes him sick and his diet is full of rotting worms, just like the people of Mexico are going through.

Ironically, the protagonist’s identity is not revealed until the end of the novel, which is by the American writer Bierce. His end is sad, but it can still be told by Harriet Winslow’s recollection of his experience. I like the author’s description of the experiences of different characters; as if General Arroyo is like a newspaper and the old man is history, they exist in different ways. It’s like the diverse methods of thinking about sensitivity and love in different places and nations, notably the United States and Mexico, when combined with the position of female instructor Harriet Winslow. For this general in Mexico, his relationship with the old man is a bit like competition. He may have some inferiority complex towards this old gringo from a country that creates nightmares for Mexicans, and the old man regards him as a son.

This novel’s tale is enthralling, full of voices and time. Flashbacks are included in the story’s structure as well.

So my question is, in the end, the old man died, and how do we, as viewers, see his death, and what did his death bring?