Octavio Paz

Labyrinth of Solitude

Lecture One

The Back of the Book• Literature, History (Mexico)• “The Labyrinth of Solitude is essential to

an understanding of [Mexico] and, by extension, Latin America and the third world.”-- The Village Voice

• “The Labyrinth of Solitude,” a beautifully written and deeply felt discourse on Mexico’s quest for identity that gives us an unequaled look at the country hidden behind “the mask.”

• “Written in a lucid, rich prose . . . “ Commonweal

The Aztecs

• Part of “Chichimec” intrusion into Toltec culture (from early 12th century)

• Found Tenochtitlan in 1325

• Religion centered on Huitzilopochtli

• Montezuma II, 9th Aztec king, (1502-1520)

The Conquest• 1517 Coastal Spanish Expeditions

begin• 1519 Cortes, Malinche, destroys

ships, arrive in Tenochtitlan• May 1520, Massacre at Great

Temple, Spanish confined to quarters• June 27 or 28, Montezuma dies• November 25, Cuitlahuac dies of

smallpox; Cuauhtemoc becomes new Aztec ruler

• May 30, 1521 Beginning Siege of Tenochtitlan

• August 13, 1521 Capture of Cuauhtemoc

Reasons for Spanish Success

• Cortes’ ability to persuade and intimidate

• Indians’ confusion about the Spanish

• La Malinche• Disease• Spanish Weapons

Colonial Period, 1701-1821• Spanish war of succession

(1701-1713), Bourbons replace Hapsburgs

• 1784 Charles III creates 18 “intendancies” to improve economy

• 1812 Constitutional Monarchy established

• Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a parish priest in Dolores, led revolt beginning Sept. 16, 1810

• Treaty of Cordoba officially ends Mexican dependence on Spain, Aug. 24, 1821

Mexico in the 19th Century• 1829 Spanish Invasion to retake the territory

• 1824-35 Political Chaos, i.e. 16 Presidents in eleven years.

• 1836 Texas Rebellion threatens loss of northeastern border region.

• 1846-48 U.S. Invasion: Lose 50% of its territory to the U.S.A..

• 1856-63 War of Reform between Conservatives and Liberals.

• 1863-67 French Invasion to impose an Austrian prince as Emperor.

• 1876-1910 Under Don Porfirio Diaz Mexico had stability and peace that allowed it to developed at the expense of the poorest classes. (“Pax Porfiriano”)

The Mexican Revolution• Feb. 14, 1911, Madero crosses

border near Juarez• May 25 Diaz resigns; Zapata (et al)

refuse to disband• Feb. 1913 Huerta overthrows

Madero government• 1914 forces led by Zapata, Carranza,

Pancho Villa (et al) unseat Huerta• More fighting among revolutionaries,

Obregon defeats Villa by April 1915• Constitution 1917• Partido Revolucionario

Institucional

A Mexican History?

A Mexican History?Aztec? Toltec? Chichimec?

A Mexican History?Aztec? Toltec? Chichimec?

Spanish? Cortes? Colonial?

A Mexican History?Aztec? Toltec? Chichimec?

Spanish? Cortes? Colonial?

And what about the “sexual” legacy of the conquest . . . Malinche?

A Mexican History?Aztec? Toltec? Chichimec?

Spanish? Cortes? Colonial?

And what about the “sexual” legacy of the conquest . . . Malinche?

Consider the challenge of “national history” in the 20th century . . .

A Mexican History?Aztec? Toltec? Chichimec?

Spanish? Cortes? Colonial?

And what about the “sexual” legacy of the conquest . . . Malinche?

Consider the challenge of “national history” in the 20th century . . .

And consider the problems of “ethnic” identity following WWII . . .

Octavio Paz• March 31, 1914 Born in Mexico City

– Father’s family is Mestizo– Mother’s family is Spanish

• 1931 Begins publishing poetry• 1937 Attends 2nd International

Congress of Anti-Fascist Writers (in Spain)

• 1944 Goes to U.S. on Guggenheim Fellowship

• 1945 Goes to Paris• 1950 Publishes El liberinto de la soledad• 1990 Wins Nobel Prize for Literature• April 19, 1998 Dies in Mexico City

1. The Pachuco and Other Extremes

• On adolescence (pp. 9-11)

• The Pachuco (pp. 13-17)• The bougainvillaea and

bugambilia and bougainvillea (pp. 18-19)

• Perfection vs. redemption (pp. 23-24)

• Mexican masks (p. 29, 32, 33)• “macho” (p. 31”)• Form imposed on the woman (p. 35,

– Spanish Heritage (p. 36)– Pre-Columbian influence (p. 37)– cf. North America (p. 37)– respect (p. 38)– the mala mujer (p. 39)

• “Love is . . . “ (p. 42)

3. The Day of the Dead

• The fiesta (pp. 51-52)• Death

– as mirror (p. 54)– modern death (p. 57-

58)– cult of life (p. 60)

• Death as Nostalgia (p. 62-63)

4. Sons of La Malinche

• On history (pp. 71-72)• On bad words (p. 74)• “Hijos de la chingada!”

– chingar (pp. 77, 78)– chingada v. puta (pp.79-80)– “Who’s your daddy?” (p. 80)– Solitude and guilt– Christ and Cuauhtemoc (p. 83)– Virgin of Guadalupe (p. 84-85)

• Malinche and Malinchistas (pp. 86-87)

Jose Clement Orozco, 1926

5. The Conquest and Colonialism

• “Toltec,” Aztec, and Catholic impositions

• Conquest as “the will to unity” (p. 100)

• Baptism (pp. 101-102)• Sor Juana (p. 111-116)

– First Dream – Reply to Sor Filotea