Bulletin of Hispanic Studies

Mariano Azuela's Los de abajo: Patriarchal Masculinity and Mexican Gender Regimes under Fire

Bulletin of Hispanic Studies (2010), 87, (6), 645–666.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3828/bhs.2010.50
Language
English
Pages
22

Abstract

Mariano Azuela's Los de abajo has long been recognized as the quintessential novel of the Mexican Revolution. Its subject matter and its numerous machista characters have frequently been read as signs of a masculinist narrative discourse. Reading against the grain, this essay provides a detailed gendered reading that argues that Los de abajo is open to other interpretations. Drawing on Connell's theory of gender as a structure of social practice and hooks' account of patriarchal masculinity, the novel is interpreted in this article as a critique of patriarchal masculinity and of three patriarchal gender regimes: the Huertista army, the Villista revolutionary troop and Demetrio's family. Each gender regime is represented in the novel as both destructive and self-destructive. At the same time, this essay argues that although Connell's theory provides a workable model for interpreting literary representations of Latin American masculinities, her typology of masculinities needs to be extended to include 'patriarchal masculinity' and 'feminist masculinity'. In addition, the theoretical framework requires the incorporation of a concept coined in this study: 'patriarchal affect'.

Desde hace años, se reconoce Los de abajo de Mariano Azuela como la novela por antonomasia de la Revolución Mexicana. Con frecuencia su temática y sus personajes machistas se han interpretado como signos de un discurso narrativo masculinista. En contra de la tradición crítica vigente, este ensayo ofrece una lectura nueva detallada y feminista para demostrar que Los de abajo se puede interpretar de forma distinta. A partir de la teoría del género como estructura de prácticas sociales de Connell y también de las ideas de hooks sobre la masculinidad patriarcal, en este artículo se analiza y presenta esta novela como una reflexión crítica sobre la masculinidad patriarcal y sobre tres regímenes de género: el ejército Huertista, la tropa revolucionaria Villista y la familia de Demetrio. Cada régimen de género se representa en la novela como destructivo y autodestructivo. Al mismo tiempo, este ensayo demuestra que, aunque la teoría de Connell nos ofrece un modelo válido para la interpretación de las representaciones literarias de las masculinidades latinoamericanas, es imperativo extender su tipología de masculinidades para incluir 'la masculinidad patriarcal' y 'la masculinidad feminista'. Por añadidura, el marco intelectual requiere la incorporación de un concepto nuevo, acuñado en este trabajo: 'el afecto patriarcal'.

Access Token

FormatArticle

£25.00
References Full TextPDF
If you have private access to this content, please log in with your username and password here

Azuela, Mariano, 1999. Los de abajo (Madrid: Cátedra). Los de abajo Google Scholar

Bradley, Diarmuid, 1979. 'The Thematic Import of Azuela's Los de abajo: A Defence', Forum for Modern Language Studies, 15: 14–25. The Thematic Import of Azuela's Los de abajo: A Defence Forum for Modern Language Studies 15 14 25 Google Scholar

Bradley, Harriet, 2007. Gender (Cambridge: Polity). Gender Google Scholar

Butler, Judith, 1990. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (London: Routledge). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity Google Scholar

Connell, R. W., 1987. Gender and Power (Cambridge: Polity). Gender and Power Google Scholar

Connell, R. W., 2005. Masculinities, 2nd ed. (Cambridge: Polity). 2nd ed. Masculinities Google Scholar

Connell, R. W., and J. W. Messerschmidt, 2005. 'Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept', Gender & Society, 19.6: 829–59. Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept Gender & Society 19 829 59 Google Scholar

Fuentes, Carlos, 1990 [1962]. La muerte de Artemio Cruz (Mexico City: Fondo de Cultura Económica). Google Scholar

Griffin, Clive, 1993. Azuela: Los de abajo (London: Tamesis). Azuela: Los de abajo Google Scholar

Gutmann, Matthew C., 1996. The Meanings of Macho: Being a Man in Mexico City (Berkeley: University of California Press). The Meanings of Macho: Being a Man in Mexico City Google Scholar

hooks, bell, 2004. The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity and Love (New York: Washington Square Press). The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity and Love Google Scholar

Ladeira, Antonio, 2009. 'Patriarchal Violence and Brazilian Masculinities in Clarice Lispector's A Maçã no Escuro', Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, 86.5: 689–705. Patriarchal Violence and Brazilian Masculinities in Clarice Lispector's A Maçã no Escuro Bulletin of Hispanic Studies 86 689 705 Google Scholar

McKee Irwin, Robert, 2003. Mexican Masculinities (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press). Mexican Masculinities Google Scholar

Martin, Gerald, 1989. Journeys through the Labyrinth: Latin American Fiction in the Twentieth Century (London: Verso). Journeys through the Labyrinth: Latin American Fiction in the Twentieth Century Google Scholar

Melgar Pernías, Yolanda, 2008. 'Nociones de masculinidad en "La historia de María Griselda" de Maria Luisa Bombal', Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, 85.1: 63–78. Nociones de masculinidad en "La historia de María Griselda" de Maria Luisa Bombal Bulletin of Hispanic Studies 85 63 78 Google Scholar

Millington, Mark, n. d. 'On Guilt, Ethics, and Metropolitan Views of Latin America', available at http://www.postcolonialweb.org/poldiscourse/casablanca/Millington2.html Google Scholar

Murad, Timothy, 1981. 'Foreshadowing, Duplication, and Structural Unity in Mariano Azuela's Los de abajo', Hispania, 64: 550–56. Foreshadowing, Duplication, and Structural Unity in Mariano Azuela's Los de abajo Hispania 64 550 56 Google Scholar

Paz, Octavio, 2008 [1950]. El laberinto de la soledad, ed. Anthony Stanton (Manchester: Manchester University Press). Google Scholar

Rutherford, John, 1971. Mexican Society during the Revolution: A Literary Approach (Oxford: Clarendon Press). Mexican Society during the Revolution: A Literary Approach Google Scholar

Stevens, Evelyn, 1973. 'Marianismo: The Other Face of Machismo in Latin America', in Female and Male in Latin America, ed. A. Pescatello (Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh University Press), pp. 89–101. Marianismo: The Other Face of Machismo in Latin America Female and Male in Latin America 89 101 Google Scholar

Stoltenberg, John, 1989. Refusing to be a Man (London: Fontana/Collins). Refusing to be a Man Google Scholar

If you have private access to this content, please log in with your username and password here

Details

Author details

Harris, Chris