Who Is The Narrator In Pedro

432 Words1 Page

At the beginning of the novel, the narrator, a Peruvian writer, visits a small gallery and wanders upon a photograph of a tribal storyteller. The narrator had originally visited Firenze to forget Peru and the Peruvians, but unexpectedly made an appearance back into his vision. “but it was three or four photographs that suddenly brought back to me the flavor of the Peruvian jungle…Naturally I went in. With a strange shiver and the presentiment that I was doing something foolish…” (3). The point of the narrators trip away from his country was to forget his country for awhile, but as he passes the exhibit he could not resist the temptation. The narrator examines every photograph he passes until he sees a certain photo. “I stooped, brought my face up very close to the …show more content…

I kept looking at it, smelling it, piercing it with my eyes and imagination…” (6). As the narrator comes across this picture, he examines it very carefully, believing he knows the storyteller in the photograph. He does not see the storyteller as an Indian, but as an old school friend. After this encounter, the novel rewinds back to the time of the narrator meeting his old school friend, Saul Zaratas. As the narrator begins regaining the memories Saul Zaratas, he begins to imagine the transformation of Saul from a modern to a member of the Machiguenga tribe. “He uses them, of course. But at least he doesn’t despise them. He knows all about their culture and is proud of it. And when other people try to trample on them, he protects them. In the stories he told me, Saul’s enthusiasm made the most trivial happening…” (19). The language within the narrator and Saul Zarata differs in the two accounts because the narrator is flashing back to the memories. During the memories taking place, the narrator has not spoken to Saul since school. The narrator is imagining the mystery of the identity and the journey of Saul Zarata’s

Open Document