I chose this book because I had heard about it before in a history class in my high school in Spain when we were talking about the Mexican Revolution. I had never read it and I didn’t know much about the story it told, but it always caught my attention due to its historical setting and theme.
The Underdogs is a novel written by Mariano Azuela, set during the Mexican Revolution, which took place between 1910 and 1920. The book narrates the story of Demetrio, a peasant who is fights in the revolutionary army. As he becomes more deeply involved in the war, Demetrio experiences the reality of the conflict. Something I really liked is how the book reflects through its main character about the impact of a war by using the Mexican Revolution, especially about how it impacts the life of poeple involved. Overall, I found interesting how the novel powerfully portrays the human costs of war in a very realistic, straightforward way.
The main characters in the novel are Demetrio, Luis Cervantes, and Camilla. The character of Demetrio is portrayed as a strong, brave, determined leader who is willing to fight for the rights of people. However, the author shows a more empathetic and compassionate side of him, especially through the thoughts on the character about the suffering of the people around him. Demetrio is deeply committed to the revolutionary cause who is respected and even admired by his friends and wife for his bravery and leadership skills. Although at some point of the book he begins to question the real significance and utility of the revolution, he continues to fight for the cause, motivated by his belief in the need for change.
Luis is a friend of Demetrio who is also recruited to fight in the revolutionary army. He is loyal, brave man who has a deep trust Demetrio and follows his ideas. Simlar to Demetrio, Luis is a very important character through which the writer also explains the suffering of the people affected by the revolution, both the soldiers and the general Mexican population. Finally, Camila is Demetrio’s wife in this story who is also depicted as a strong, firm woman who is willing to support Demetrio in his fight for the rights of the poor. She is also portrayed as a caring and loving, and it is shows hw she also emphazises with human suffering and supports his husband’s ideals and midset.
Since the personalities and ideas of the main characters is one of the main things that gives significance and strenght to the story and the political context of it, my questions are: Who is the character you liked the most and why? What similarities and differences would you highlight between Demetrio and Camilla?
“Demetrio is portrayed as a strong, brave, determined leader who is willing to fight for the rights of people.”
But is this why he joins the revolution? I’m not so sure…
NB please use the category “Azuela” and add some tags to indicate the themes or concepts you are highlighting in this post. Thanks!
(Plus I think you still have to approve a comment I left on your last post… please do that, as well as approving any comments anyone else may have left on your blog to date. Thanks!)
Hi! I like how you focused on the characters of the story, specifically Demetrio and how war changed his personality. However, I disagree on your reading of Camilla’s character. I don’t think she supports her husband, especially at the beginning when he forcibly took her away. Eventually she does choose to stay with him, but I’m unsure if that’s because she liked him or if she had no where else to go.
In regards to your question, War Paint is my favorite character because she actively tries to help Camilla get away from Demetrio.