Throughout the novel, Cartucho, Campobello explores several prominent themes through vignettes and the recalling of memories during the Mexican Revolution. The themes throughout the novel include suffering, brutality, violence, and identity, and was written at a time of political, economic, and social turmoil in the country. Divided into three sections, and comprised of many short stories and descriptions of events that took place, the novel was written from a female perspective, at a time where male writers dominated. I think this adds a notable touch to the novel, as it helped to pave the way for other female writers to have a more prominent voice. It also provided a unique perspective, as many women may not have felt inclined to share their stories of tragedy.

Themes of human survival, suffering, and brutality were somehow depicted in a poetic way. Told half through the perspective of a child, and half through an adult, the recalling of memories of horrific events were described using highly descriptive language to provoke emotion in the reader. However, as stated in the novel, many children at this time recall much of the disturbing events with a sense of normalcy, as violence, tragedy, and death became a regular occurrence during the Mexican Revolution.

This poses the question of whether or not the utilization of poetry and brutality has something to do with the fact that the novel was written by a woman. Although what I am about to say is a stereotype and does not apply to everyone, in the past – and still today – women have been portrayed to be more emotionally sensitive and reactive than men. In my opinion, I believe Campobello wanted to story-tell in an emotionally charged way when depicting experiences of the Mexican Revolution, in order to get a reaction from the reader.

When thinking about last week’s book, Mama Blanca’s Memoirs, it’s interesting to note the contrast in similarities and differences that come up. Both books tell stories of childhood and recall memories of specific events and people. While Mama Blanca’s Memoirs bring up themes of childhood and nostalgia, Cartucho differs as it does not provide the reader with a sense of nostalgia, but rather a loss of hope for the future and the recall of tragic events that don’t want to be remembered.

My question this week is: Do you think the utilization of poetry and emotion in contrast with violence and brutality during this time is more prominent due to Cartucho being written by a female writer?