I found this novella quite unusual and compelling as it tries to narrate through an unusual character the story of a country and the state of Latin America’s literary talent and tradition in an unconventional and dreamlike voice.

Auxilio Lacouture, whose first name comes from the Latin “auxilium” and as mentioned in Dr. Jon’s video, means “help”. She is a very interesting and eccentric character and seems very passionate about poetry and emphasizes the great talent and admiration of her idols. When she hides in the bathroom of her university, this seems to be the moment when she feels the most alive and aware of life’s impermanence. Her inner reflections on literature, friends, and life become necessary in order for her to tell us facts about her present and future. Despite being a foreigner, she seems herself at the heart of Mexico’s emerging literary talent. She is at a liminal place where history is being made in real time (the siege of the university) while at the same time seeing herself transcending space and time because she is not directly taking part in the event but shuttered in the bathroom. Being in this liminal space, she is able to observe, narrate and participate all at once, and her account is both clear and enigmatic as she tells us about her friend Elena, Arturo Belano, and her story about how she rescued a boy from sexual slavery.

I found this quote to be so poignant and true:

“Life is full of enigmas, minimal events that, at the slightest touch or glance, set off chains of consequences, which, viewed through the prism of time, invariably inspire astonishment or fear”

This brings to mind how World War I started, by a minimal event–the assassination of one man, Archduke Franz Ferdinand–that lead to a “war to end all wars”. Or the 9/11 events that lead to unjustified invasions of several countries that lead to the deaths and displacement of millions.

The narrator’s poetic account helps the reader discern the true nature of events happening in Mexico City. Her friends Elena and Arturo symbolize hopelessness and missed opportunities and it is as though Auxilio wants to tell us the truth through these people, events, and objects, and what we get is an account that is unusual as everything in her microcosm is reflected in the macrocosm. She makes interesting predictions and becomes a sort of oracle and the bathroom a temple where she is able to see into everything more deeply and is more keenly aware of the true nature of the situation than anyone else.

This novella may not be for everyone, however, it is a very distinctive and unique way of conveying one of the most violent chapters in Mexican history.

“…those who can see into the past never pay. But I could also see into the future and vision of that kind comes at a high price: life, sometimes, or sanity”

Question for discussion:

Do you think the account would have been narrated differently had the narrator been a native Mexican? Would it have been less eccentric, and more clear and direct with more relevant observations? The narrator does pay tribute to Latin America’s literary ambition and tradition in a great way, but I wonder how Mexicans who directly participated in the siege see this account.