Table Of ContentSOCIAL ASPECTS IN THE WORK OF WO CONTEMPORARY ECUADORIAN
AUTHORS: D. AGUILERA MALTA AND JORGE ICAZA
A Thesis
Presented to
the Faculty of the Department of Spanish
The University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts
by
Ray H* Wilmore
August 1950
UMI Number: EP65437
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This thesis, written by
.........MX..H...WILMORE....................
under the guidance of h...IS. Faculty Committee,
and approved by all its members, has been
presented to and accepted by the Council on
Graduate Study and Research in partial fulfill
ment of the requirements for the degree of
.....MSm.OF.AETS....................
Date. AUGIJST.I95O.
Faculty Committee
Chairman
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. SOCIAL ASPECTS . . ....................... . ♦ 1
Problem . * • ................* ......... 1
Environment. ................... 2
II. BIOGRAPHIES .............. 51
Bemetrio Aguilera Malta • • • • • • • . • • 51
Jorge I c a z a ............................. 54
III. BOOK REVIEWS.......................... 58
Bon Goyo by B. Aguilera Malta . . . . . . . 58
Canal Zone by B. Aguilera M a l t a .......... 65
La Isla Virgen by B. Aguilera Malta . . . . ^71
Huasipungo by Jorge I c a z a • (^80/
En las calles by Jorge Icaza ........ 85
Cholos by Jorge I c a z a ......... 89
Media vida deslumbrados by Jorge Icaza . . . 9^
IV. CONCLUSIONS................................ 97
BIBLIOGRAPHY........................... 102
CHAPTER I
SOCIAL ASPECTS
I. PROBLEM
The basic problem of this thesis was to show the
social aspects of two contemporary Ecuadorian authors,
D. Aguilera Malta and Jorge Icaza* Social aspects was in
terpreted in this thesis to mean how Aguilera Malta and
Jorge Icaza depict social conditions that have been an in
fluence upon them as evidenced in their works, be it the
Ecuadorian soldier, the huasipun&o* animism, or foreign
capitalism* It was through the eyes of Aguilera Malta and
Jorge Icaza that this thesis took its cue* Therefore, a
problem was a problem in this thesis because Aguilera Malta
and Jorge Icaza looked at the situation in that manner*
There was no attempt in this thesis to historically justify
or criticize their beliefs and images; such justification
and criticism was subject material outside the scope and
problem of this thesis. Such material from sources other
than Aguilera Malta and Jorge Icaza was chosen and used as
it verified and amplified the manner in which Aguilera
Malta and Jorge Icaza see conditions* For instance, a
quotation from a work of Juan Montalvo’s1 is inserted in
1 Inf raT PP* 6-7.
2
in this thesis as it sounds like something that Aguilera
Malta might well have said about the underdogs of his
Canal That Aguilera Malta and Jorge Ieaza are
Z o n e
social propagandists will be quite evident. These two
men, both Socialists, desire better social conditions, as -
declare Socialists the world over. In this thesis Aguilera
Malta's and Jorge Icaza*s social realism was interpreted
to mean that they recognize that there are social unequali
ties in the world; just how much Aguilera Malta and Jorge
Icaza may exaggerate the life of the cholo or Indian was
not undertaken In this thesis. In an overall sense, this
is a thesis concerned with Aguilera Malta's and Jorge
Icaza's philosophy of life.
In addition to this chapter, concerned with the
social aspects, three other chapters follow, the biographies
of Demetrio Aguilera Malta and Jorge Icaza, book.reviews,
and a concluding chapter. These two authors were chosen
because they are the two most known contemporary Ecuadorian
writers; also, some of their works were available; and
lastly, these two were chosen as they exemplify the con
temporary trend of Ecuadorian literature.
II. ENVIRONMENT
The parachute jump into an almost unknown Ecuadorian
2 InfraT pp. 65-71*
environment by those of the United States of America begins.
This is Aguilera Malta*s and Jorge Icaza*s environment.
Ecuador has been the last of the Latin American
nations to hear the voices of the land. This earth-call
is the aesthetic spark which lights the way for the spirit
ual uplifting necessary for integrating Ecuador in the ranks
of nations which have already justified their world ex
istence.3
Latin American writers write not for the material
gain to be derived therefrom. Writing is not a profession
of subsistence in Latin America. They write because they
see the needs of their country. Their efforts are appre
ciated by their country and by foreign ers.21-
A bifurcated liberalism came into power in Ecuador in
1895.5 Since 1895 liberalism, in the form of Ecuadorian
Socialism, has been struggling to maintain itself with
varying degrees of success. Its main role has been that of
a disturbing element, which the feudal political hegemony
of the country turns to its own uses in the end. Jorge
Icaza In his Oho10s shows this influences
3 Arturo Torres-Rioseco, La novela en la America
hi spana, p. 236.
4 Jefferson Rea Spell, Contemporary Spanish-Amerlean
Fiction, p. 14.
5 Angel F. Rojas, La novela ecuatoriana, p. 142.
4
El mestizaje polftico escribio en el libro de la
Ley la abolicion del concertaje, y satisfecho de su
talento se contentd* con exhibir en vitrinas de opor-
tunidades, para provecho y usufructo de los que
podfan comprarla. °
(The mestizo politicians wrote in the law books
the abolition of concertaie: and satisfied with their
talents, they contented themselves with showy ex
hibitions of seeing that it was used for the advantage
of those who were able to pay a price*)
The seeds of liberalism are in the country, never
theless; and it extends into the literature of Ecuador*
This liberalism is exemplified in Oho los by Jorge Icaza*
At the conclusion of this book El Guagcho, the chold pro
tagonist, who had been as vile a persecutor of his own race
as any of the ruling class, has a social and humane outlook
toward the underdogs of Ecuadorian society:
El alba curiosa sorprendio* a los fugitivos en la
cima de una loma. El Guagcho se levanto* el ala del
sombrero en sehal de lucha, y el poncho del indio
flamed* como bandera sobre el fondo sangrante del
amanecer*T
(The probing dawn surprised the fugitives upon the
summit of a little hill* G-uagcho raised the brim of
his hat in a defiant gesture, and the poncho of the
Indian waved like a flag over the bbody background of
the dawn.)
With the cholo, Guagcho, in the middle, a white brother to
one side and an Indian brother on the other, the three ride
6 Jorge Icaza, Oholos. pp. 33-34
7 Ibid. , p. 301.
5
off into the dawn of a new era of understanding. Whereas
in politics the seeds sprout up, bloom, die, and then
repeat the process,, the literature of Ecuador has sprouted
and is now in full bloom. It remains to be seen %tfhether
Ecuadorian literature of today is going to be perennial or
whether the seeds are liable to be destroyed completely,
as may well occur politically."
Liberalism gave glasses through which the novel and
the story saw the social plight of the servile Indian.
These glasses showed a situation of frightful aspect.
Huasipun&o. by Jorge Icaza, perhaps the most famous of all
of the Ecuadorian novels, is the novel of the Indian slave.
The following quotation is from this great novels
En dos dfas se pudo probar todos los milagros del
alcohol. Fueron pocos los barriles de aguardiente j^
los doce pondos de guarapo; habla que traer mas, y mas
se trajo# Para secar dos kil£metros de pantano era
necesario ir graduando la dosis del entusiasmo hasta
llegar al equilibrio entre la pujanza heroica y la
borrachera semi inconsciente. Habia que llegar al
. maximo de embrutecimiento de masa con el maximo de
rendimiento bracero; en estos trotes, la Juana y el
Jacinto eran unas verdaderas hachas. Como habiles
conocedores de todos los estados de embriaguez se
encargaron de ir cebando la sed de la peonada.8
(In two days one could see all the miracles of
alcohol. The barrels of aguardiente and the supply of
guarauo was becoming exhausted; it was necessary to
secure more,.and more was brought* In order to drain
two swampy kilometers it was necessary to increase the
amount of enthusiasm to the point of equilibrium
8 Jorge Icaza, Kuasipungo, p. 61.
6
between heroic effort and semi-unconscious drunkenness.
It was necessary to achieve the maximum in stupefying
the mass with the maximum of submission by the laborers;
in such a business, Juana and Jacinto were without
equal. Like able experts of all the various degrees
of drunkenness, they took charge of stimulating the
thirst of the peons.)
This is an example of how labor is obtained to work on a
public project, the system of labor-gathering known as the
minka.
Socialism is the voice of the Indian, a plaintive,
demanding, and righteous voice* Socialism puts forth their
agrarian claims and defends them from the absorption of the
gamonalismo (bossism) yoke of the land. Socialism has not
failed to organize the Indians against the rapacity of the
landowners, or men who have subjected, for centuries now,
the Indian to slavery on the land that rightfully belongs
to the Indian. Feudal servitude still exists in Ecuador.
Landeta, a character of Icaza*s in his En las calles. is
seen in an attempt to organize unions; his efforts end in
death for himself*
Juan Montalvo says, in his El esnectador (The
Spectator):
El indio, como su burro, es cosa mostrenca, pertenece
al primer ocupante... El soldado le coge, pa.ra hacerle
barrer el cuartel y arrear las inmundicias: el alcalde
le coge, para mandarle con carta a veinte leguas: el
cura le coge, para que vaya por agua al rfo; y todo de
balde, sino es tal cual palo que le dan, para que se
acuerde y vuelva por otra. Y el indio vuelve, porque
esta es su condicion, que cuando le dan latigo, templado
en el suelo, se levanta agradeciendo a su verdugo:
