Carlos Fuentes Macías (November 11, 1928 – May 15, 2012) was a Mexican novelist and essayist. Among his works are The Death of Artemio Cruz (1962), Aura (1962), Terra Nostra (1975), The Old Gringo (1985) and Christopher Unborn (1987). In his obituary, The New York Times described Fuentes as “one of the most admired writers in the Spanish-speaking world” and an important influence on the Latin American Boom, the “explosion of Latin American literature in the 1960s and ’70s,” while The Guardian called him “Mexico’s most celebrated novelist.” His many literary honors include the Miguel de Cervantes Prize as well as Mexico’s highest award, the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor (1999). He was often named as a likely candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature, though he never won. (Wikipedia)
Fuentes, Repetition, and History
The power of writing has little to do with whatever meaning it may convey, subject to interpretation, but rather with the book as fetish object, the materiality of paper.
See also: Fuentes Videos.
- Fuentes, Carlos. The Old Gringo. Trans. Margaret Sayers Peden and Carlos Fuentes. London: Picador, 1987.
Fuentes Videos
Carlos Fuentes interview by Charlie Rose, Friday November 24, 2000:
The Old Gringo – Carlos Fuentes BOOK REVIEW:
The Mexican Revolution (LAST100 wk 8):
Tequila is a liquor made by distilling fermented juice taken from the agave plant, mostly in the state of Jalisco, west of Mexico City. It has become a symbol of mexicanidad or Mexicanness, especially after the Revolution, as the country sought a new national iconography. Advertising and popular culture associated the drink particularly with Pancho Villa, an image that was picked up and turned around by the US media, who depicted the revolutionary general as a drunken bandit. (In fact, Villa barely touched alcohol, and outlawed it in his home state of Chihuahua.) In The Old Gringo, however, the only characters who are shown drinking tequila are the foreigners, Winslow and the old gringo himself, who bond in their shared Americanness over this most Mexican of libations: Winslow is described as “a North American woman [facing] the prospect of a comforting glass at dusk with a fellow American” (64-65). It is as they consume Mexican difference that the two of them can best see what they both have in common.
- Bierce, Ambrose. The Unabridged Devil’s Dictionary. Ed. David E. Schultz and S. T. Joshi. Athens, GA: The University of Georgia Press, 2000.
- Freud, Sigmund. Beyond the Pleasure Principle. Trans. James Strachey. New York:
Norton, 1961. - Marx, Karl. The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte. Marxists Internet Archive.
- Sade, The Marquis de. Justine, Philosophy in the Bedroom, and Other Writings. Ed. and
trans. Richard Seaver and Austryn Wainhouse. New York: Grove, 1965.
Fuentes Questions
- What is the effect of the repeated line, “Now she sits alone and remembers”? Does it mean the same thing to us at the end of the novel as it does at the beginning?
- The repetition may suggest that the story told here is essentially circular. Do you agree?
- Why is the main story told in flashback? What effect does this structure provide?
- How do each of the central characters’ pasts affect their present? How are they trying to rectify or correct errors from the past? Do they succeed?
- How would you describe the Old Gringo’s relationship with Harriet? And how does Harriet view the Old Gringo?
- Do we sympathize with Arroyo? How does Harriet view him?
- Why does the Old Gringo burn Arroyo’s papers?
- What does the book have to say about writers and writing?
- What does the book have to say about revolution, as an ideal or in practice?
- What is the book’s approach to history? How and why does it take a true story and expand it, or fill in its gaps?
The following questions are taken from your blog posts…
On Fuentes:
What did you think of Fuentes’ prose? How do you think time, perception, and/or culture impacts the narrative?
Did you enjoy this novel? Could you relate to any of the characters?
Why do you think Fuentes chose to base his character on a real person instead of creating a complete fictitious one?
What do you think of the dreamlike way in which the book is written? Did you find it frustrating and lacking context, or was it a fun way for you to get lost in the story?
On Ambrose Bierce:
Why do you think Fuentes used Ambrose Bierce’s story as a point of view for the Mexican revolution?
Why do you think Fuentes was inspired by Ambrose Bierce?
Why do you think Fuentes chose to fictionalize this story, and how true do you think it is?
Is Ambrose truly a good person in your eyes? Or do you think he is hiding some demons that we don’t know of?
In your opinion, do irony and fantasy take away from or add to the historical narrative of Ambrose Bierce’s life?
Do you think that The Old Gringo would be able to exist as a novel if Bierce’s motivations were different? To further elaborate upon this question, do you think that it would be possible for this novel to exist if Bierce did not want to die?
On the End and Expectations:
Did the book play out how you expected it to?
Did you predict the ending of the novel or did you expect something different?
In the end, the old man died, and how do we, as viewers, see his death, and what did his death bring?
What are your thoughts on the old American’s decision to take part in a Mexican Revolution for no reason other than to die a glorious death?
On Mirrors:
Mirrors are objects used to see a reflection of oneself, as we are all aware, but how does this play into the reality of the story? What do you think the significance of this question/trope was and do you think it sheds light onto the stories of these characters and how they are intertwined?
On Death & Life:
What did everyone else think Arroyo and the Gringos’ reasons were for wishing for death? How are life and death in the novel the same? How are they different?
How do you think The Old Gringo’s perspective on life evolved throughout the novel? Do you think his loving somebody gave him back purpose in life?
Are you able to sacrifice yourself in order to save another person?
Is there any circumstances in which you can imagine yourself doing what the old man did, in terms of going to Mexico to die in a “blaze of glory” or does that seem like something you would just hear of in a book or movie?
What do you think drives one to a death wish?
Do you think Bierce, Winslow and Arroyo all got what they hoped to get in their life?
What do you think would be the most important lesson Winslow learned from her experience?
What aspects of the old man’s life made him ultimately decide the way he wanted to die? Was there anything specific to it?
What do you think could have driven the gringo to seek his death in Mexico?
On Relationships:
How did you view the relationship between The Old Gringo and Harriet? Did you view it as more paternal or romantic?
Why is there so much physical detail added later in the article when describing Arroyo and Winslow’s love? Do these details help explain the overall vibe of the relationship?
Do you think Harriet viewed the old gringo as a father figure or as a love interest?
Do you think Harriet impacted him (the old gringo) in an actual, real way?
Do you think that had Harriet disagreed to be with Arroyo that Ambrose would have ended up dead? Or do you think that Arroyo would keep him alive still because he is clearly talented and therefore and asset to the team.
What did you think of the romance between The Old Gringo and Harriet? Did you see them more as a father – daughter relationship or more as lovers?
What are your thoughts on the relationship between the Old Gringo and Harriet? Did you read it as more of a paternal relationship or a romantic one?
Would Winslow have fallen for Arroyo if Pierce was not involved?
On Repetition:
What do you guys think the meaning is of the repetition of “Now she sits alone and remembers” is, and who maybe is the one remembering?
What other forms of repetition did you notice? What is the significance of repetition in literature, or to you?
Do you think the meaning of repetition, in this story more specifically, conveys a deeper meaning or do you believe the author felt like the line fit in more than one place?
On Cultural Difference:
What does the novel suggest about the cultural difference between the United States and Mexico?
What did you think of the contrast between the two nations?
On Don Quixote:
In extremely basic terms, Don Quixote is on a quest of chivalry, but his delusions and unrealistic approach often finds him in impractical situations. What is the significance of this and how does it connect to the story of the old gringo?
On Reading:
What is your favourite way to read?
