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Fuentes, Guzmán,
and the Mexican Political Novel
Lanin A. Gyurko*
* Lanin A. Gyurko: *1942; Ph. D., Harvard University, 1969; has taught Spanish
and Latin American literature at Yale University; Professor of Spanish at the
University of Arizona since 1978, where he has also served as Head of the
Department of Romance Languages; address: Department of Spanish and Por-
tuguese, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA.
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546 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 547
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548 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 549
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550 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 551
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552 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 553
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554 Lanin A. Gyurko
Both Aguirre and Villa are betrayed by their own followers, and
slain on their own home ground. Aguirre has sought sanctuary in
Toluca, the party stronghold and site of its Convention. Villa,
although pursued for months by Pershing, was never captured.
Instead he died in a hail of gunfire in Parral, cut down by men on his
own home territory, the signal for his assassination given by a candy
vendor whom Villa had known and trusted.4
Extending over the mysterious Caudillo himself is another shad-
ow from the past - that of Porfirio Díaz, who like the Caudillo also
was a hero of myriad battles, fighting for the liberal cause against
the intervention in Mexico of the French forces under the command
of Bazaine. But just as Diaz, initially a follower of the great reform
leader Benito Juárez, and elected under the motto of "sufragio efec-
tivo, no re-elección" held power for more than thirty years, success-
fully thwarting the democratic process, so too does the Caudillo,
who had risen to power under the banner of revolution and consti-
tutional reform, seek to perpetuate that power, in effect to return to
the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz. In the words of the Caudillo
attempting to quiet the anxiousness of the nation after the massacre
of Aguirre and his followers, are echoes of the Pax Porfiriana :
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The Mexican Political Novel 555
The shadow time and again seems to acquire a sinister life of its
own in this narrative of Guzmán. Just as the Director General in La
cabeza seems to breathe death, so too does Jiménez seem to gener-
ate shadows from his very person:
En el acto mismo de estrecharle Aguirre los dedos, que él tendía apenas,
se hizo más torva su catadura: se le acentuó el ensombrecimiento de las
miradas bajo la curva defectuosa de los párpados, bulbo sobre el ojo.
(67)
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556 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 557
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558 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 559
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560 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 561
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562 Lanin A. Gyurko
6 See Hugh M. Hamill, Jr., The Hidalgo Revolt: Prelude to Mexican Independ-
ence (Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 1966, p. 209).
7 Hamill ([n. 6], p. 208).
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The Mexican Political Novel 563
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564 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 565
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566 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 567
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568 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 569
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570 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 571
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572 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 573
But despite the power of the speech, the aura of spiritual union that
is generated is quickly dissolved. Ibáñez, who is also temporarily
moved by the speech, attempts to garner the approbation of the
masses for himself, hypocritically and histrionically usurping the
recognition due to Axkaná by embracing him in a pseudo-display of
fraternal unity. The fatalistic words of Axkaná are brought to mind
- in the tumultuous world of Mexican politics, those who embrace
as friends one day will on the next turn against each other as mortal
enemies. Here, in the very moment of apparent unity, of the brief
awakening of the political conscience of Ibáñez, is also the shadow
of future betrayal, as Ibáñez, governor of the state in which Elizon-
do is the commander of a division, will work hand and glove with
him, behind the scenes, to destroy Aguirre in order to gain the favor
of the Caudillo:
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574 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 575
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576 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 577
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578 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 579
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580 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 581
Guzmán:
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582 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 583
The extreme rapidity with which the arrest of Aguirre and his fol-
lowers occurs also underscores the diabolic fatalism of the narra-
tive. Aguirre is led to believe that Elizondo is sending him an escort
for his protection against Ibáñez, but this escort suddenly places
him and his men under arrest. Here, at the end, the gesture of drink-
ing, of lifting the cup to his lips, which so often has been expressive
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584 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 585
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586 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 587
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588 Lanin A. Gyurko
Y tal era su ardor, que a Axkaná le impresionó como algo nuevo. Aquel
no le parecía el Aguirre sólo vicioso e inmoral, sólo inteligente y cínico,
de la víspera. El de hoy se mostraba hasta ingenuo, hasta sensible al cho-
que de lo noble con lo innoble. (61 f.)
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The Mexican Political Novel 589
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590 Lanin A. Gyurko
The same irresolution that Aguirre has all along manifested regard-
ing his candidacy he also reveals in regard to entering into armed
rebellion. One of the reasons why seasoned and crafty generals like
Elizondo ultimately betray Aguirre is precisely because of this vacil-
lation, this unpredictability. Discontent with the absolutism of the
Caudillo, which deprives them of the power they feel they deserve,
having fought for it on the battlefield, Elizondo and others want a
sure thing, or at least a decisive leader. For them to follow the
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The Mexican Political Novel 591
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592 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 593
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594 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 595
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596 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 597
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598 Lanin A. Gyurko
Ironically, at the very moment when they are arrested, they are still
dreaming of victory over the Caudillo within a month. Here, at the
end, are the fatalistic echoes of their dialogue of drunken bragga-
doccio at the very outset of the narrative:
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The Mexican Political Novel 599
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600 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 601
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602 Lanin A. Gyurko
El taxi se detuvo frente a un mercado. Félix lo vio todo en rojo, los largos
cadáveres de reses sangrientas colgando de los garfios, los racimos de
plátanos incendiados, los equípales de cuero rojo, maloliente a bestia
recién sacrificada y los machetes de plata negra, lavada de sangre y ham-
brienta de sangre. (121)
Underscoring and indeed conveying the tension present in La
sombra del caudillo is the emphasis placed on short, clipped phrases
and the utilization of dialogue over description, particularly at
moments of conflictive encounter. Taut and tense and laconic at
times, through his stylistic economy, his tremendous control, Guz-
mán raises the dramatic tension to a heightened pitch. Thus, for
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The Mexican Political Novel 603
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604 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 605
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606 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 607
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608 Lanin A. Gyurko
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The Mexican Political Novel 609
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610 Lanin A. Gyurko
Resumen
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