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Nellie Campobello’s Cartucho was a fascinating read. The text was structured in the exact way that I think memory often operates: short, vivid pictures of vague people and experiences. Reading Cartucho, I felt I was actually experiencing and reflecting on these snapshots of the Mexican Revolution with the narrator. The text had an unsettling contrast between […] read full post >>

Mama Blanca’s Memoirs by Teresa de la Parra was truly a joy to read. Her description of social interactions and relationships, in particular, made profound of the otherwise mundane. It’s difficult not to quote the entire text for this purpose, but one passage in particular that I think illustrates this talent is about Mama Blanca’s sisters, […] read full post >>

After reading the rest of Nellie Campobello’s Cartucho I am left with a pretty dark impression of what it was like to grow up during the Mexican revolution. She provides us with vignettes of short stories about the people in her life and their involvement in the revolution. I think two major things this book …

Continue reading "Cartucho"

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 I was not sure what to expect from this book based on what I would presume a novel of this type to be like that is assembled from various recollections from the time of Campobello's young life. The many short stories felt as though I was reading ... read full post >>

 I was not sure what to expect from this book based on what I would presume a novel of this type to be like that is assembled from various recollections from the time of Campobello's young life. The many short stories felt as though I was reading ... read full post >>

After finishing The Underdogs (Los de Abajo), I came to the conclusion that there are two ways to read and interpret this book. The first way is to read the book from the descriptions and explanations given to us throughout the character dialogues in all three parts, and to read the book quite literally as […] read full post >>

Before I watched the lecture video for Cartucho, I was feeling very overwhelmed of the book. I found the book easy to read, but very difficult to comprehend and follow, if that makes sense. But after watching the video lecture, I felt a sense of ease when Professor Beasley-Murray said that the book being difficult […] read full post >>

I really enjoyed Azuela’s, The Underdogs, as I found both the progression of the story and the psychic development of the main characters to be very interesting and insightful in understanding the context of the conflict and struggles presented. I really enjoyed seeing what motivated the characters in the book to fight and take part […] read full post >>

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 […] read full post >>

 Mariano Azuela's "Underdogs" was an interesting novel. Touted as "the" novel of the Mexican Revolution, I can kinda see why. Personally, I'm not too familiar with the specifics of the Mexican Revolution, but I do know about other revolutions so I... read full post >>