What I’ve Been reading Lately…/Lo Que He Leído Recientemente

“El gesticulador,” Rodolfo Usigli

   "El gesticulador" or “The Impostor” is a play about a failed history professor named Caesar Rubio, and his encounter with a Harvard professor in his small Mexican town that will change his life. Rubio happens to have the same name as a famous general (and hero) of the Mexican Revolution, and for a fee sells his papers to the Harvard professor pretending to be the general. Things are fine until he begins to forget who he really is and accepts a nomination to run for political office, and the truth comes out.

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   "El gesticulador" es un teatro sobre un profesor fracasado de historia llamado Caesar Rubio, y su encuentro con un profesor de Harvard en su pueblo mexicano que cambiará su vida. Por casualidad, Rubio tiene el mismo nombre como un general famoso (y un héroe) de la Revolución Mexicana, y por un precio vende sus papeles al profesor de Harvard fingiendo a ser el general. Las cosas van bien hasta Rubio empieza a olvidar quien es realmente y acepta una nominación a postularse, y la verdad se presenta.

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“El reino de este mundo,” Alejo Carpentier

   "El reino de este mundo,“ or "The Kingdom of this World” in English, follows black slave Ti Noel in the time before, during and after the Haitian Revolution. Lost by his master to another during a game of cards, Ti Noel is taken to Cuba and eventually saves up enough money for his freedom. Upon his return to his old plantation in Haiti after the revolution, he finds that one of the black slaves has taken up as king and is forcing darker blacks to be his slaves, forcing Ti Noel as well. After he is defeated, another former slave takes control and forces the mulattos to be his slaves. At the end of the novel, Ti Noel is seen crying up to the heavens and berating slavery of any kind, as he has been exposed to too many different kinds.

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   "El reino de este mundo" sigue el esclavo negro Ti Noel en el periodo antes, durante y después de La Revolución haitiana. Perdido por su amo durante un partido de cartas, se lleva a Ti Noel A Cuba, donde eventualmente ahorra suficiente dinero para su libertad. En cuanto retornó a su plantación anterior en Haiti después de la revolución, descubre que uno de los esclavos negros se hizo el rey y obliga a los demás esclavos a  continuar como esclavos para él, incluyendo Ti Noel. Después de la derrota de él, otro antiguo esclavo toma el control y obliga a los mulatos para ser sus esclavos. Al fin de la novela, se ve Ti Noel gritando al cielo y regañando la esclavitud de alguna forma, como ha sido él expuesto a demasiados tipos.

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