The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela

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Recommended: The significance of federalism

Author Mariano Azuela's novel of the Mexican revolution, The Underdogs, conveys a fictional representation of the revolution and the effects it had on the Mexican men and women who lived during that time. The revolutionary rebels were composed of different men grouped together to form small militias against the Federalists, in turn sending them on journeys to various towns, for long periods of time. Intense fighting claimed the lives of many, leaving women and children behind to fend for themselves. Towns were devastated forcing their entire populations to seek refuge elsewhere. The revolution destroyed families across Mexico, leaving mothers grieving for their abducted daughters, wives for their absent husbands, and soldiers for their murdered friends. The novel's accurate depiction also establishes some of the reasons why many joined the revolution, revealing that often, those who joined were escaping their lives to fight for an unknown cause.

The Underdogs' protagonist, Demetrio Macias, joins the fight against the Federalists after his house is burned and his dog is shot, as a result of a quarrel he had with Don Monico, the boss of his town, Moyahua (48). Macias "spit on his beard because he wouldn't mind his own business...Then just because [he] did that [Don Monico] had the whole...Federal Government against [him]" (Azuela 50). Many rebels, like Macias, joined the revolution in search for a better life, free from persecution by local caciques. The rebels were unhappy with the way government officials treated the poor, by stealing their pigs, chicken and corn, burning their homes and carrying off with their women (Azuela 17). Others were running away from the law, for crimes they had committed. In The Underdogs, one of Ma...

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...a significant event for the men and women of Mexico, comprising a large portion of their lives. Many joined the fight in search for a better life, others wanted revenge, and some were running from the law. Together they formed disorganized and unfocused militias where many lost their lives. During the revolution hundreds were forced to leave their homes and belongings in search for a safer place. Families were torn and separated for years at a time, and women were left to support their houses and children. Eventually, the rebels begun to act like the Federalists, by looting, drinking, and at times killing their own men over money related brawls. The men became accustomed to the violent lifestyle, and although they did not know why, they continued to fight without an end in sight.

Works Cited

Azuela, Mariano. The Underdogs. Trans. E. Munguia, Jr. New York: 1996.

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