The Comparison of Yzur and Talpa There are many fascinating stories in the collection of Contemporary Latin American Short Stories. Pat McNees, the editor of this book, has put together great short stories that catch many readers’ attention and interests. Two stories that caught my eye and that I believe have many themes in common, are “Talpa” and “ Yzur”. These two stories have many ideas and thoughts, that both authors share. I recognized many similarities between these two stories concerning, success for their their loved one through hard work and suffering. For example, in the story Yzur written by Leopoldo Lugones, the narrator is conducting a study on a chimpanzee named Yzur, who he grew to love. He does everything he can to make Yzur talk, just like any human being. Therefore, he put many years into trying to teach Yzur to talk, believing someday he will. When Yzur finally had the strength to talk, the researcher was upset that he couldn’t repeat what he said in english and beat him. Yzur got sick because of his depression and later died. The researcher had become successful by achieving his goal, to help Yzur talk, but abused it by killing him in the long run. In this case, the researcher was successful through his hard work, but didn’t have enough proof that it was successful. In the story of “ Talpa”, written by Juan Rulfo, the success of Natalia’s loved one, Tanilo, came by saving his soul. She and the narrator, Tanilo’s brother, had struggled to take their very sick relative to see the Virgin of Talpa, who at that time was performing miracles. Through their hard work of traveling for days, through the heat of the sun and the freezing nights, they had finally arrived at their destination. When arriving, Natalia and Tanilo’s brother felt a sigh of relief knowing that their loved one will be successful. By being with the Virgin of Talpa, Tanilo’s soul can be saved. But like “Yzur” this success has a downfall, death. This leads to another theme that is shared in both stories, death and suffering. As I had explained above, both Tanilo and Yzur suffered and died. Tanilo had a very deadly disease, that caused his corpse to smell like a dead body and made him suffer tremendously. His suffering was saved by his beautiful death, in front of the Virgin of Talpa.
Malintzin was an indigenous woman of Nahua who, despite all odds, thrived throughout the Spanish conquest of the Americas. The story of Malintzin is beautifully and elegantly portrayed in Camilla Townsend’s novel, Malintzin’s Choices. Townsend discusses the life of Malintzin and debunks the myths associated with the era of conquest, as well as signifies the grandeur manifested within her time period. In determining Malintzin’s unique characteristics which allowed her survive and prosper throughout the conquest of mexico, one must assess the social, political, and psychological feats depicted through Malintzin’s journey. The traits that led to Malintzin to her uttermost success prevailed through: her intelligence, her charm and beauty, her loyalty, and her courage. Thus, the life of Malintzin does, in fact, represent a story that should inspire and exhilarate those who espouse for the ideals of growth and prosperity.
The story “Tumba,” by Mira Canion, is about a boy named Alex, who lives in Ciudad, Mexico. He is very nervous about the upcoming holiday, Dia de los Muertos because his Abuela speaks to spirits, which come out during Dia de los Muertos. The story follows him and his friend, David, as they explore the Day of the Dead traditions and even meet some of the ghosts his abuela talks to. Alex es inteligente y simpático. Le gusta arte. David es Alex’s amigo. Él es atlética y paciente. Le gustan deportes. Alex’s Abuela es reservada y misteriosa. Le gusta música. Alex’s hermana, Nora, es atrevida y sociable. Le gusta sus amigos. Sergio es cruel y agresivo, no le gusta Alex.
To begin with, I will begin with a brief summary of both stories in order to better
In Edgar Allan Poe’s works, there are many similarities between them and his life. There are plenty similarities to find when only focusing on two of his stories, The Tell Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado. When paying close attention, it is easy to notice the similarities and differences between Poe‘s life and his stories..
Junot Diaz’s “Otravida, Otravez” postulates a perspective of life where one’s present and future always reflects their past in some way. Diaz incorporates symbolic figures to convey how a person’s past can be carried into the future. Diaz’s use of symbolic figures includes the dirty sheets washed by Yasmin, the letters sent by Virta to Ramon, and the young girl who begins working with Yasmin at the hospital. These symbolic figures and situations remind the readers that the past will always play a major role in one’s present. Additionally, Diaz’s word choice, where Spanish words appear in many different parts of the reading, suggests that indirectly, one’s past habits are not easily broken.
Edgar Allan Poe's short stories, "The Telltale Heart" and "The Masque of the Red Death" are two very different stories. One is about a simple man, perhaps a servant, who narrates the tale of how he kills his wealthy benefactor, and the other is about a prince who turns his back on his country while a plague known as The Red Death ravages his lands. Yet, there are some similarities in both. Time, for instance, and the stroke of midnight, seem to always herald the approach of impending death. Both are killers, one by his own hand, the other by neglecting his country. One seeks peace, the other seeks pleasure, but both are motivated by the selfish need to rid themselves of that which haunts them, even at the expense of another's life. However, the point of this critique will show that their meticulous plans to beat that which torments them are undone by a single flaw in their character - overconfidence.
Torres, Hector Avalos. 2007. Conversations with Contemporary Chicana and Chicano Writers. U.S.: University of New Mexico press, 315-324.
Death, despair, and revenge, these three words form a treacherous triangle to any reader who dare enter the mind of Edgar Allen Poe. In many of his works these expressions seem to form a reoccurring theme. Comparing the works "The Mask of the Red Death" and "The Cask of Amontillado", we will discuss these themes while analyzing the method behind Poe’s madness.
Family is one of the most important institutions in society. Family influences different aspects of a person’s life, such as their religion, values, morals and behavior. Unfortunately, problems may arise when an individual’s belief system or behavior does not coincide with that of family standards. Consequently, individuals may be forced to repress their emotions or avoid acting in ways that that are not acceptable to the family. In the novel The Rain God, written by Arturo Islas, we are presented with a story about a matriarchal family that deals with various conflicts. One major internal conflict is repression. Throughout the novel the characters act in strange ways and many of the family members have internal “monsters” that represent the past that they are repressing. In his article, “The Historical Imagination in Arturo Islas’s The Rain God and Migrant Souls”, Antonio C. Marquez’s implicitly asserts a true idea that The Rain God is a story about repression. Marquez’s idea can be supported from an analysis of secondary sources and a reading of the primary text.
Throughout the life of Edgar Allan Poe, he suffered many unfortunate events and endured several difficult situations. Some speculate that it was these experiences that helped to formulate the famous writing style of Edgar Allan Poe. His dark tales such as "The Masque of the Red Death" and "The Tell-Tale Heart" are horrific, and his poems such as "Alone" and "The Raven" show evidence that his life experiences influenced their dreariness. Poe's story plots and his own life are undeniably related and this relationship is intricately defined in many of his works.
Within the works of “Fiesta, 1980” it takes us in the lives of a Latin American family. We are described a traditional style Latino family were there is a dominate father figure, a submissive mother, and obedient children more or less. There are two boys the eldest Rafa and the youngest Yunior and their younger sister Madai. During the transgression of the story it is conveyed through the eyes of Yunior. And like any typical family it has its own story to tell.
In a psychological perspective, the author’s life is linked with the behavior and motivations of characters in the story. The author’s name is Edgar Allan’s Poe who portrayed his self in his writing. The miserable life of Poe can be measured through “The Cask of Amontillado” in which character named “Montressor” showed indifferent feeling towards his victim. After burying Fortunado alive, Montressor felt bad after burying his victim alive but then he attributes the feeling of guilt to the damp catacombs. To the character and to the author, it seems that ghastly nature murder and the immoral approach of treachery is merely an element of reality. This story is a true representation of author’s anguish and torment nature.
Both narratives compare as timeless tales of reputable heroes. They both include similar plots of long journeys back home. The main characters’ flaws are arrogance which is the source of many of their troubles.
de la Cruz, Juana Ines. "Hombres Necios." A Sor Juana Anthology. Ed.Alan S. Trueblood. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard UP, 1988.
The struggles both characters face demonstrate character development and contribute to the themes of the stories. Both short stories prove to be literally effective in that they disclose the main themes at the outset of each story. Although the themes may alter over the course of the stories, they are clearly defined in their respective introductions.