The Old Gringo was definitely one of my favorite reads so far in this course. The book title really caught me off guard and I was surprised with how the storyline went. Knowing that the term “gringo” is used by the Latino community to describe a caucasian white male. If I may add, a caucasian that’s usually a bad person. However, this old gringo was a very respectful and wholesome man that volunteered to go to Chihuahua and aid in a civil war currently taking place. He felt at peace with his life and even kept insisting throughout the story that he was ready to pass on. The people from Mexico were very skeptical of this man and it seemed like they did not take the gringo seriously as he was already of old age and the fact that he was “different” from them. I liked how they tackled the animosity between South America and North America, and how this old man was proving the stereotype wrong and insisting on helping out with a conflict he does not need to be a part of. Like I mentioned, the old gringo seems at peace with his own world since all his family members are all gone, but not satisfied with the world around him so he probably came to a conclusion to discover the conflicts of the world.
The amount of knowledge the Indiana General shared and the stories he heard from the people in the community were truly inspiring, and this book really had that adventure, western-like vibe, especially his conversations with Arroyo. From the moment Ambrose hit that coin with his pistol, a special relationship formed with them and although it was mostly disagreements and butting heads, I sensed respect with them. This book expresses the concept of courage which Ambrose showcased with his fearlessness and heroic acts towards Arroyo’s soldiers and refusing to commit heinous acts while Arroyo kept trying to push his moral values. I felt like Arroyo felt envious of Ambrose and how “good” the gringo really is a person. With a person with nothing to lose, all he can do is gain. With retrospect to Arroyo, who had everything to lose and he seemed to definitely succumb to the pressure. It was only poetic that it was Arroyo who made Ambrose’s wish come true as he kills him. But at the end of the day, The Old Gringo found peace with himself, and probably hope after witnessing the Mexican revolution and trying to change the tide for the people struggling there.
My question is, Is Ambrose truly a good person in your eyes? Or do you think he is hiding some demons that we don’t know of?
-Xyrus Aparri