Rquiem por un campesino espaol: Pages 85 87

_____________________________________________________________________ Summary Following don Valeriano's and don Gumersindo's return to the town, a group of seoritos - rich, young, fascist students - arri e! "hey first of all #eat up the $apatero, regardless of his neutrality and proceeded to %ill & peasants, four of whom are ca e dwellers' their #odies are left strewn along the highway #etween the town and the Carasol (p!)*-&+! ,osn ,ill-n criticises don Valeriano, who has #een made mayor #y the new arri als, for allowing the si. peasants to #e %illed without #eing gi en the chance to confess' he #egins to pray day and night! /n the 0arasol, they curse the seoritos, although la 1er2nima is still capa#le of moc%ing the $apatero for ha ing #een #eaten up' they as% after 3aco #ut he has disappeared and he was #eing hunted! Following her moc%ery, la 1er2nima is inconsola#le when the $apatero is found dead, murdered #y the fascists and left on the highway' he loc%s herself up for three days! 4he returns to the 0arasol in tears 5 something which had ne er #een seen #efore 5 declaring that she herself should #e the one to #e #eaten to death' she does howe er 'return to type', within a few days (p!)&+! Four more councillors are found dead, murdered #y the fascists! "he women of the 0arasol #egin to pray #ut turn to insulting the wi es of the rich, #laming them for the deaths! "he people of the town are confused, some saying that the $apatero had #een %illed for #eing a Russian agent, others that the seoritos would %ill anyone who had oted against the 6ing' there is still no news of 3aco or his wherea#outs (p!)7+! Notes Summary of notes from Rquiem por un campesino espaol, MUP, 1991 1. "his section descri#es the 8ationalists' riposte throughout 4pain at this time 2. 3aco's hubris referred to in the pre ious section is now clearly manifesting itself: a+ "he fascists ha e arri ed in the town' #+ 9e has had to flee, fearing for his life, don Valeriano pointing him out as :ringleader;' c+ "he ca e dwellers 5 those whom he had stri ed to help 5 are #eing murdered! 3. ,,'s reaction to the murders is significant: note that he does not criticise the act of murder in any way' after all, why should he, since the right-wing forces are re esta#lishing themsel es, his own position may soon #e more secure, etc!!' he merely points out that they were not gi en the chance to confess: the ' automatismo' referred to at the outset of the no el is once again in e idence here - it is his <o# to request for confessions #efore e.ecution #ut one would hope that the 0hristian compassion of a priest would also allow him to criticise the act of murder per se' it is, once again, the religious s! political ideals coming into play! 4. "he murder of the $apatero is significant since it is the first of the identified characters in the no el to #e murdered! (,uch within the no el is anonymous 5 including the title itself 5 for a good reason: 4ender is not descri#ing the life of one

particular peasant or situation in one particular town' he is descri#ing una historia de spaa at this moment in time+! >oth ca e dwellers and councillors ha e #een %illed #ut the $apatero is a main, secondary character - along with la 1er2nima - and this murder of a named character emphasises how close the fascists are to heart of the situation, i!e! the hero of the no el, 3aco el del molino! ?a 1er2nima's reaction to his death unites them as two main characters opposed to ,, and his iews as well as confirming their own intimate status - possi#ly lo ers!!! 5. "he a#surd comment that the $apatero has #een %illed for his Russian agent acti ities reinforces the notion that: a+ "he town people are confused, afraid and merely want to understand what is happening to them #+ "he fascists' limpie!a of Repu#lican support and opposition to right-wing ideals at this time in 4pain was irrationally and randomly e.ecuted!

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