Los de Abajo

Mariano Azuela (1916)

First Mexican Revolutionary novelist
Written in the middle of the fighting, which lasted until 1920
Based loosely on historical events and accuracies, and many of the characters are as well, although Demetrio Mecías is a super-hero combination of Villa and Azuela’s own commander at the time
Azuela was a medical doctor, made his money that way, and did self-exile for a time in El Paso USA after the fall of Madero?
Demetrio’s rise from fame in the pueblos to coronel, also signifies his insertion into the official national battle revolution
Luis Cervantes: medical student, was a federal until a few months prior, found revolutionary god and converted to revolution even though he’s a curro (outsider, higher class, ‘better’ Spanish, read and write, ideals)

Key moments: start of the novel when Demetrio’s dog is killed, wife is threatened, we are introduced to Demetrio by a third person who states that this is the residence of the famous Demetrio Mecías, who doesn’t retaliate (yet) and scares the intruders off, injustice which sets him and his wife off to separate paths, she to his father’s house and he on to fight and lead men, turns back and sees his house burning…

Luis Cervantes joins the revolutionaries, they are weary and since he was a federal, want to murder him immediately, sharp clash between languages, styles, education, ‘humanity’, he gains Demetrio’s good will after cleansing his bullet-wound (their first battle resulted in 500 down for federales, 2 for them, and Demetrio wounded). Begins his role as right-hand intellectual leader man for Demetrio

Cervantes’ talk with Demetrio and convincing him to join the national scene with Natera’s troops, Demetrio tells Cervantes why he started to fight (to avenge injury suffered at the hands of don Mónico) and Cervantes says no, moves from the specific personal individual to the abstract national fighting for the rights of the poor ideals of nation rising up of proletariat…What are we fighting for? A question that gets asked many times, first stumps Cervantes, later Demetrio…Who uses the metaphor of a rock thrown off a cliff and rolling down the mountain, once it gets going…

Decadence of Demetrio and his crew, after winning battles and Demetrio’s rank they party, drink, fight, battle between Demetrio’s girl Comila and La Pintada (revolucionaria) heats up, will culminate with La Pintada getting thrown out with her man’s approval…but we can already see the move towards a foreboding future, even though things look bright there are dark references, Demetrio thinks something is going to happen to him, feels it, goes by instincts rather than thought many times

Retribution on don Mónico, Demetrio burns down his house but does so without pillaging it, holds back his people, does it with more respect, but we are coming full circle as now the villagers who once loved and respected Demetrio have come to fear him and the revolutionaries, more corrupt and barbaric, once relied upon their help and now must force it, what are they fighting for, returns home to his wife in the 3rd part

Demetrio votes blindly for Villa side, lose, Cervantes in the 3rd part writes a letter from El Paso so he is self-exiled and once again looking out for himself, form is of a letter

Demetrio returns and sees his wife and boy, wife who in 2 years of fighting looks like she’s aged 10 or 20, son who is replica of Demetrio but does not recognize his father and cowers under his mother’s dress in fear of him, final scene in which they fight and die (except Demetrio) in the same place where their first victory took place, they’ve now taken the place of the federales los de abajo and only Demetrio remains standing behind a rock, aiming and firing his gun, circular, mythological, a historical event mythical time sacred
--- “Y al pie de una resquebrajadura enorme y suntuosa como portico de vieja cathedral, Demetrio Macías, con los ojos fijos para siempre sigue apuntando con el canon de su fusil…”

In second chapter we get the only insight into the mind of Demetrio, a short monologue as he flees to the mountains and thinks about how the federales will be on their trail, but since they don’t know the trails well and no one will help them, Demetrio and his gang will have an advantage, thinking of which caciques will be of use to him, already plotting in his mind how to go about this…

Demetrio only wants to get peace in order to return to his house, but Cervantes and others use these people for loftier ‘goals’

“¿Pos cuál causa peleamos nosotros?”

Demetrio a Cervantes (y no contesta) – “¿Por cuál causa defendemos nosotros?
---Cervantes había dicho justamente antes que defiende la misma causa q ellos