Tell Them Not To Kill Me Literary Techniques

The short story “Tell Them Not to Kill Me” by Juan Rulfo is about justice and revenge. The story was in the 1900s mainly on a piece of land in the mountains called Palo de Venado. The main characters are Juvencio, Don Lupe, Justino and the Colonel. In the story Juvencio has been hiding out for 35 years after he killed Don Lupe because he wouldn’t let his animals use his pastures. He has now been captured by the Colonel, Don Lupe’s son. Juvencio is begging his son, Justino to tell them to not kill him. The story is narrated by Juvencio who is filled with fear, desperation and mercy. Rulfo’s style and techniques used throughout the story including literary devices like flashback, dialogue and imagery creates a sense of realism of the social situations depicted.

Rulfo used flashback in the story to reveal a past event affecting Juvencio and how it happened. After revealing the new information about him you get a greater sense of his character. He used stream of consciousness to help the reader understand why Juvencio is thinking and feeling how he did at that present moment. The flashback revealed when and why he killed Don Lupe, which told us why he has been hiding all his life, why he was captured by the Colonel and why he was scared and pleading for forgiveness. His use of that device took us back in time giving us a crucial backstory and tying

everything in as part of the plot.
He also uses dialogue to create the illusion of reality through conversation.

Dialogue enhances feelings and emotions. He connects those feelings back to the setting and environment showing you exactly what type of danger Juvencio is in. His pleading and repetition expresses his desperation to stay alive. He begs his son Justino to tell them not to kill him giving you a better idea of their relationship. The dialogue in the story revealed that Colonel was his capturer and also Don Lupe’s son explaining why he would have wanted him. The use of this device kept the story moving and interesting after everything came to

light.
Lastly Rulfo uses imagery to create realism. The story quotes “He began to feel that stinging in his stomach that always came on suddenly when he saw death nearby, making his eyes big with fear and his mouth swell up with those mouthfuls of sour water he had to swallow unwillingly. And that thing that made his feet heavy while his head felt soft and his heart pounded with all its force against his ribs.”. Imagery sets off visuals in our minds by invoking all five of our senses. He uses a strong and vivid choice of words to get his message across. Those very descriptive sensory details give depth to the narrative by enhancing the experiences and bringing the story alive. The use of the device generated an intense and graphic presentation heightening the senses and aiding the readers’ imagination to envision the characters and scenes in the story clearly.