Brief retelling of the Mexican. Jack London - Mexican

19.09.2020

A surly, thin, swarthy gringo who appeared at the beginning of the story. To the reader, he seems to be an episodic character. In one of the revolutionary headquarters, where all the goals are for the sake of liberating the humiliated and insulted, an atmosphere of alertness and suspicion reigns. New person came himself, without demanding money, takes on the dirtiest work. The author deliberately exacerbates antipathy towards the 18-year-old boy, emphasizing his "poisonous, snake-like in black eyes." But the fact that Felipe Rivera is a real hero will not be revealed immediately.

In retrospect, John London reveals the reasons for Rivera's unusual behavior: the death of his parents from the bullets of the gendarmes, the thirst for revenge and the willingness to make any sacrifice for the sake of revenge. "This is for the revolution!" the guy says, cleaning out the spittoons. It's hard to love such a character. But the author does not aspire to this.

Love the winner. Circumstances can turn everything upside down. The crowd's favorite champion boxer Dani Ward needs to be beaten in the ring by a youngster and it will happen, even Rivera is destined to stand in the ring for 17 rounds. The referee counts to nine. You have to get up and fight. This is how money was raised for the revolution.

The background of the plot about the boxer River

The uprising of 1910 was massive. The unrest was supported by patriotic latifundists. The confrontation between the government and the masses was caused, first of all, by the increased interference of the Americans in the internal affairs of Mexico (an agreement was signed on the establishment of a US Navy base in the Mexican bay of Magdalena). The protracted rule of the 83-year-old dictator Porfirio Duarte hindered the reform of society. Duarte's election victory in 1910 was considered fraudulent. The third reason was the outflow of peasants from the villages as a result of a crop failure in 1910. Hunger gave rise to unemployment, vagrancy, and banditry.

Porfirio Duarte emigrated from Mexico to France in June 1910, an opposition led by Francisco Madera came to power. The long journey of the Liberal Party of Mexico, founded in 1901 (in 1906 renamed the Liberal Junta), was crowned with success.

The boxing match described in Jack London's story may have taken place after the events of June 10, 1910, when the customs post of Ciudad Juarez on the Mexican-American border was taken by the rebels. The way was opened for the supply of weapons. But arms dealers had to be paid.

Riots, coups and wars continued until 1920. The revolution claimed the lives of 2 million people in a country of 15 million people. In 1917, on February 5, the Mexican Constitution was adopted - the most progressive set of laws in the world in the first half of the 20th century. Operates to this day.

Political views of Jack London

Socialist Jack London could not but respond in his work to the events of the Mexican Revolution. John Griffith Cheney (the writer's real name), who took part in the march of the unemployed on Washington in 1894, carries out orders for the Socialist Party of America (from 1901 to 1914).

Main character The "Mexican" helps the revolution by becoming an uncomplaining floor washer in the newspaper's office. This is how Jack London himself earned his living after a 30-day sentence in prison for participating in a demonstration. After being released, Griffith Cheney, being 4 years older than his classmates, sits in school, delivers ice, serves in a bowling alley, having time to study and feed himself, his mother and sisters. Written in the story about Felipe Rivera, “put a thousand two-cent marks on the desk of May Satby” - a picture from the author's biography.

London did not participate in boxing matches, but he worked as selflessly as the hero of The Mexican. Especially when preparing to enter the University of California. The future student is ridiculed by classmates for his ragged appearance. In the 96th, Jack becomes a university student, writes a lot. There is no free time, it is spent on penny earnings. Thirst for quick enrichment promises "gold rush". Having left the university, Jack London and his comrades drag equipment to the headwaters of the Yukon River. But the land was empty.

Writer's success

Fortune smiled at the writer after writing a series of stories. Writing enriched no less than gold mines. The former hard worker turned into an oligarch, began to listen to the voices of the once “enemy side”.

Jack London at the end of his life (1916) became an adherent of centrist views. Contemporaries even testified to the pro-racist statements of London.

The story "Mexican" in the context of world literature

The short story "The Mexican" by London was included in the collection "Born in the Night", published in 1913 - two years later after writing, but still remaining relevant. Because of the strife between the parties, the revolution either calmed down, or flared up more strongly. Jack London, who served as a war correspondent during the Russo-Japanese War, could speak vividly about the confrontation of forces with an accurate description of the theater of operations. But the writer narrowed the conflict down to a fistfight. As a result, the revolution has become an extremely personal matter, a physiological need, a form of struggle for survival. Wounds, blood, pain and fainting are described in a naturalistic way - all that the author himself experienced more than once.

Brought up on refined works for the bourgeois Englishman Kipling, the American London learned a lot from the works of his idol. London imbibed, in the words of Boston's critics, "Kipling's power of imagination and dramatic rolling." With the difference that London has a special "admiration for heroism."

False feelings, far-fetched plots of America at the end of the 19th century bored readers and editors alike. The American public has new idols: O. Henry, Dreiser, Jack London. In 1921, the star of the American painter George Bellows flared up. The themes of the paintings are portraits of workers, strikes, boxing matches.

"Petrel of the Revolution" Maxim Gorky visits the USA in 1906. The literary elite liked the poetic style of the author of The Song of the Falcon, and Jack London was delighted with the novel Foma Gordeev. Gorky follows the work of London, writes reviews of the works of an overseas like-minded person. Both tend to romanticize reality, even if reality is the bottom. The once revered Kipling came under attack, even from Jack London. But in the "Mexican" the Kiplinian is clearly heard:

“... Know how to put, in joyful hope,
On the map everything that has accumulated with difficulty,
Lose everything, and become a beggar, as before,
And never regret it!"
(R. Kipling, The Commandment, published 1910)

One day, a new person appeared at the headquarters, as yet unknown to anyone. His name, as he soon quickly introduced himself, was Felipe Rivera. He also said that he wanted to work very hard for the good of the revolution, and therefore asked to be accepted into their community.

But at first, no one wanted to believe this guy, because they thought that he was a real detective and agent of Diaz. And even the fact that the guy turned out to be very patriotic, loving his homeland, no one loved him for it. Since he was gloomy, and not only in appearance, but even more in character. It seemed as if in the eyes of the guy who was half Indian and half Mexican, there was a hidden, quiet, but very passionate anger that, like a snake, could sting at the most inopportune moment.

To work for the revolution A guy named Felipe started from the Junte office, that is, where all the participants were located, very patriotic. Where this strange guy slept - they did not know, and where he ate - they also did not know. The junta has always needed money, and the more they had, the better for the revolution. So when this half-Mexican guy paid a whopping sixty dollars in gold coins, they were very surprised. But, despite the fact that he continued to lay out his big money for various needs of the Junta, no one was able to love him again.

Turns out this guy loved boxing. He even participated in boxing fights, and always won, because although he was skinny, he was still strong and very quick-tempered. And therefore, with such a character, he always had the strength to beat with all his might. He had already been offered to be a boxer, but Felipe was only interested in the revolution. That's where he got his money from boxing.

A picture or drawing of a Mexican

The background of the plot about the boxer River

Political views of Jack London

The protagonist of The Mexican helps the revolution by becoming an uncomplaining floor washer in a newspaper office. This is how Jack London himself earned his living after a 30-day sentence in prison for participating in a demonstration. After being released, Griffith Cheney, being 4 years older than his classmates, sits in school, delivers ice, serves in a bowling alley, having time to study and feed himself, his mother and sisters. Written in the story about Felipe Rivera, “put a thousand two-cent marks on the desk of May Satby” - a picture from the author's biography.

Writer's success

Jack London at the end of his life (1916) became an adherent of centrist views. Contemporaries even testified to the pro-racist statements of London.

The story "Mexican" in the context of world literature

“... Know how to put, in joyful hope,
On the map everything that has accumulated with difficulty,
Lose everything, and become a beggar, as before,
And never regret it!"
(R. Kipling, The Commandment, published 1910)

Jack London

Mexican

Nobody knew his past, and the people from the Junta even more so. He was their "little riddle", their "great patriot" and in his own way worked for the coming Mexican revolution no less zealously than they did. It was not immediately recognized, because the Junta did not like him. On the day he first appeared in their crowded premises, everyone suspected him of a spy - one of Diaz's paid agents. How many comrades were scattered throughout the civil and military prisons of the United States! Some of them were shackled, but even shackled they were transported across the border, lined up against the wall and shot.

At first glance, the boy made an unfavorable impression. It was really a boy, no more than eighteen years old, and not too tall for his age. He announced that his name was Felipe Rivera and that he wanted to work for the revolution. That's it - no more words, no further clarification. He stood and waited. There was no smile on his lips, no hello in his eyes. Tall, impetuous Paulino Vera shuddered inwardly. This boy seemed to him closed, gloomy. Something poisonous, snake-like lurked in his black eyes. A cold fire burned in them, a huge, concentrated malice. The boy looked from the revolutionaries to the typewriter, on which little Mrs. Satby was busily tapping. His eyes rested on her for a moment, she caught that look and also felt a nameless something that made her stop what she was doing. She had to reread the letter she had typed in order to get back into the rhythm of her work. Paulino Vera looked questioningly at Arellano and Ramos, who in turn looked questioningly at him and then at each other. Their faces expressed indecision and doubt. This thin boy was the Unknown, and the Unknown, full of menace. He was an incomprehensible riddle for all these revolutionaries, whose fierce hatred of Diaz and his tyranny was, after all, only the feeling of honest patriots. There was something else here that they didn't know. But Vera, the most impulsive and determined of all, broke the silence.

Great," he said coldly, "you said you wanted to work for the revolution. Take off your jacket. Hang it over there. Come on, I'll show you where the bucket and the rag are. You see, the floor is dirty. You'll start by giving it a good wash, and the other rooms too. The spittoons need to be cleaned. Then take care of the windows.

Is it for the revolution? the boy asked.

Yes, for the revolution, Paulino answered. Rivera looked at them all with cold suspicion and began to take off his jacket.

Okay, he said.

And nothing else. Day after day he came to work - sweeping, scrubbing, cleaning. He raked the ashes out of the stoves, brought coal and kindling, made fires before the most zealous of them sat down at his desk.

May I sleep here? he asked one day.

Aha! So they showed up - the claws of Diaz. To spend the night in the premises of the Junta means to find access to its secrets, to lists of names, to the addresses of comrades in Mexico. The request was denied and Rivera never renewed it. Where he slept they did not know; they also did not know when and where he ate. One day, Arellano offered him a few dollars. Rivera shook his head in denial. When Vera intervened and began to persuade him, he said:

I work for the revolution.

A lot of money is needed to raise a revolution in our time, and the Junta was constantly in cramped circumstances. The members of the Junta were starving, but spared no effort for the cause; the longest day was not long enough for them, and yet at times it seemed that to be or not to be a revolution was a matter of a few dollars. One day, when the rent had not been paid for the first time for two months and the landlord was threatening to evict, none other than Felipe Rivera, a scrubber in miserable, cheap, worn clothes, deposited sixty gold dollars on May Satby's desk. This began to repeat itself in the future. Three hundred typewritten letters (appeals for help, appeals to workers' organizations, objections to newspaper articles that misreported events, protests against judicial arbitrariness and persecution of revolutionaries in the United States) lay unsent, waiting for stamps. Gone was Vera's watch, an old-fashioned gold repeater watch that belonged to his father. Gone, too, was the simple gold ring from May Satby's hand. The situation was desperate. Ramos and Arellano tugged hopelessly at their long mustaches. Letters must be sent, and the post office does not lend stamps. Then Rivera put on his hat and went out. When he returned, he deposited a thousand two-cent marks on May Satby's desk.

Isn't that the damned gold of Diaz? Vera said to his comrades. They raised their eyebrows and said nothing. And Felipe Rivera, who washed the floor for the revolution, continued to lay out gold and silver for the needs of the Junta as needed.

Yet they could not bring themselves to love him. They didn't know this boy. His habits were quite different from theirs. He did not indulge in frankness. Rejected all attempts to call him to talk, and they did not have the courage to question him.

Perhaps a great and lonely spirit... I don't know, I don't know! Arellano spread his hands helplessly.

There is something inhuman about him,” Ramos noted.

Everything has dulled in his soul,” May Satby said. - Light and laughter seem to be burned into it. He is a dead man, and at the same time you feel some kind of terrible vitality in him.

Rivera went through hell,” Paulino said. - A person who has not gone through hell cannot be like that, but he is still a boy.

And yet they couldn't love him. He never talked, never asked about anything, never expressed his opinions. He could stand motionless - an inanimate object, except for his eyes that burned with a cold fire - while the debate about the revolution grew louder and hotter. His eyes pierced the faces of the speakers like red-hot drills, they embarrassed and disturbed them.

He's not a spy," Vera said to May Satby. - He is a patriot, mark my words! The best patriot of all of us! I feel it in my heart and head. And yet I don't know him at all.

He has a bad temper, said May Satby.

Yes, - answered Vera and shuddered. - He looked at me today. These eyes cannot love, they threaten; they are evil, like a tiger. I know: if I change the case, he will kill me. He has no heart. He is merciless as steel, cruel and cold as frost. It is like moonlight on a winter night, when a person freezes on a lonely mountain peak. I'm not afraid of Diaz with all his killers, but I'm afraid of this boy. I'm telling the truth, I'm afraid. He is the breath of death.

And, however, Vera, and no one else, convinced his comrades to give a responsible assignment to Rivera. Communication between Los Angeles and Baja California was interrupted. Three comrades dug their own graves and were shot on the edge of them. Two others in Los Angeles became prisoners of the United States. Juan Alvarado, commander of the federal troops, turned out to be a scoundrel. He managed to destroy all their plans. They lost touch with both the longtime revolutionaries in Baja California and the newcomers.

Young Rivera received proper instructions and departed south. When he returned, communication was restored, and Juan Alvarado was dead: he was found in bed, with a knife hilt deep in his chest. This exceeded Rivera's authority, but the Junta had accurate information about all his movements. He was not questioned about anything. He didn't say anything. The comrades looked at each other and understood everything.

Year of publication of the book: 1911

Jack London's short story "The Mexican" was published in 1911. Two years later, he entered the author's collection entitled "Born in the Night." In 1955, based on the work, a feature film of the same name was shot. Today Jack London's short story "The Mexican" is included in the school curriculum together and is considered one of Jack London's most famous short stories.

The story "Mexican" summary

Once in the premises of the Junta, which was preparing a revolution in Mexico, a young guy of eighteen years old appeared. No one knew whether to trust him, some revolutionaries even suspected him of a spy from the dictator Diaz. However, everyone noted the power of the look the guy has. Power and calmness were read in his eyes at the same time, so he instilled a sense of fear in many.

And only one of the most courageous representatives of the Junta, Paulino Vera, decided to speak to the young man. The newcomer, as it turned out, is called Felipe Rivera. He was not verbose. All that the people of the Junta managed to get out of him was that he had come to work for the revolution. From the very beginning, he was entrusted with a simple job - Felipe had to thoroughly wash the floor in the room. The young man set to work without further ado.

So several days passed. Throughout this time, Rivera came to the revolutionaries as if to work, and regularly swept and washed the floor. Once he asked to stay overnight in the building, but the people of the Junta did not trust the young man enough to leave him with a bunch of classified information. None of them knew where Rivera lived or what he was doing besides preparing for the uprising. Rarely began to receive offers to follow the young man, but there was no one who would dare to become the same. All the revolutionaries noted that Felipe had the breath of death and that he probably went through something that made a still young boy become so merciless and cruel.

Later in Jack London's story "The Mexican" summary says that the preparation for the revolution required not only a lot of strength, but also a lot of money. The junta did its best. The rebels repeatedly turned to trade unions and various organizations with a request for financial assistance. But all to no avail. All members of the Junta donated what they could - they sold jewelry, pawned valuables. But the day came when the revolutionaries did not even have money to pay for the premises in which their base was located. Then Felipe gave them sixty dollars for rent. Later, the organizers of the revolution again needed a certain amount. Upon hearing this, Rivera left the premises and returned with the money in his hands. No one knew how such a young guy had such sums. Some even again began to suspect him of collusion with the enemy. But Felipe's behavior was so impeccable that it was simply impossible to convict him of something vile.

Time passed and the people of the Junta began to trust Felipe more. Once Paulino Vera entrusted a young man with a responsible mission. Rivera had to go south to re-establish contact with the Baja California revolutionaries, broken due to the betrayal of Commander Alvarado. Felipe immediately went to carry out the assignment. After that, in the work of Jack London "The Mexican" short description says that after a couple of days he returned with good news - the connection was restored, and Juan Alvatado was found dead. This made many of the Junta fear the youth even more.

In addition, some began to notice that Rivera often appears at the headquarters with bruises and scars. It was clear that he was constantly getting involved in some kind of showdown. It even happened that a young man could disappear for several weeks, and then appear, as if nothing had happened, holding packs of dollars in his hands. No one dared to find out what Felipe was doing after working with the Junta. Just like no one knew where he got so much money from.

Everything was ready for the uprising. Revolutionaries from all over the country were gathered and were simply waiting for the order to act. The only thing holding back the Junta was the lack of money for rifles and ammunition.

When Felipe heard this news, his face changed. Now the young man understood that all that separated them from carrying out large-scale revolutionary actions was a certain amount of money. Rivera had never been so close to fulfilling his plans. He knew for sure that for the sake of the revolution he would do anything and be able to get any necessary amount. The young man told everyone that he would get five thousand dollars in three weeks. So they can safely order rifles and cartridges. There was nowhere to put it off. The people of the Junta were surprised by Felipe's statement, but no one said anything. Full of determination and desire to do everything possible to fight the dictator, Rivera got up and walked away.

Further in Jack London's story "Mexican" we can read about the owner of an office that organizes fights without rules, named Kelly, was very upset by the events taking place in his life. The fact is that he planned a grand fight between two famous fighters - Dani Ward and Bill Carty. However, the last of them ended up in the hospital with a severe fracture and could not enter the ring in time. Kelly had no idea who to replace, he turned to many lightweights, but they already had contracts and could not work with strangers. It was then that Rivera came to his office. He said he could beat Ward, which Kelly didn't believe, of course. This is because Felipe's fragile physique did not imply that he would make a worthy opponent for such a fighter as Dani.

But time was running out and Kelly decided to invite Roberts, who, as was known, had previously dealt with Rivera. He showed up drunk, but with full confidence claimed that Felipe was ready for battle like no other. And, even if he cannot win (and such a probability is quite high), the battle will still turn out to be spectacular and will be appreciated by the public. Roberts described Rivera as one of his major discoveries. A small boy with nerves of steel, who did not know the feeling of fear, could become a real star in this area. Kelly listened to the coach and decided that the fight would still take place.

Then Roberts decided to tell the audience the story of how he found Rivera. It happened about two years ago when he organized a fight with the most ruthless man named Praine. No one wanted to be in the same ring with him, and the coach was already desperate to find a strong opponent. Then he met a hungry young boy from Mexico. Roberts brought him to the gym, where in a short time he was able to teach all the rules and techniques. Then Rivera was so in need of money that he was ready to fight for half a dollar and some food. The coach took advantage of this moment. He made an excellent fighter out of Felipe, who won against quite strong opponents more than once. The young man could become famous in this area, however, it was clear that he was not interested in the fight - he was engaged in it solely for the sake of money. Recently, he often began to disappear and performed much less frequently in the ring.

Later in Jack London's The Mexican, a summary describes how Danny Ward entered the room. He was in good spirits and cheerfully greeted everyone present. Only Rivera did not react in any way to such a display of friendliness from his opponent. A discussion of the details of the fight began, and Ward started talking about winning. He offered to share the sum - eighty percent to give to the winner, and twenty to the one who was defeated. In this case, if Felipe lost, he would receive about a thousand dollars, and if he won, about three thousand. This alignment did not suit the young man, and he offered to give the entire amount to the winner. After much debate, Kelly agreed to such a deal.

When it came time to step into the ring, Rivera wasn't afraid for a second. Entirely and completely he focused on the upcoming fight. The audience, however, did not greet him with applause - on the contrary, as soon as Felipe appeared, silence reigned in the hall. He had to wait a long time for Ward. The young man understood that the fighter was deliberately delayed, hoping that the enemy would lose his balance and calmness. But Rivera always remained cool, so such a trick could not work with him.

Before appearing at the headquarters of the revolutionaries, Felipe did not fight for money - he was not interested in it. Once he got to the Junta, he realized that this way of earning would benefit everyone and would bring the inevitable uprising closer. Sitting in the ring, Rivera began to recall his carefree childhood - a mother who, despite work, always found time for her son and father - a strong, but at the same time kind Mexican. But other memories lived in his head - endless hunger, exhausted workers and constant fear for himself and his loved ones. Felipe also remembered how he once found them dead along with a bunch of other fellow villagers. All of them were killed on the orders of Diaz. Since then, he knew that, as in the book, he would definitely take revenge.

Then Danny Ward stepped into the ring, and the audience screamed and clapped their hands, as if waking up from a dream. Everyone was sure of his victory. Even the seconds of the battle were on his side. Ward appeared in his repertoire - smiling and cheerful, he greeted the crowd, which, by the way, still did not react to Felipe. As soon as the fight began, Danny immediately began to attack the enemy. He delivered so many powerful blows that anyone in the place of the young man would not have stood on his feet, but Rivera held on with all his might. There was a strong desire inside him to help the revolutionaries get rifles.

Felipe was covered in blood and bruises, the audience was already ready to applaud the winner, when the young Mexican knocked Ward to the ground with one blow. When he got up, the fight became even more fierce. Danny attacked Rivera mercilessly, but Rivera managed to dodge the blows time after time. At some point, the audience began to annoy the behavior of the Mexican. They all expected the fight to end much sooner.

At some point, Felipe overheard Kelly telling Roberts that if Ward didn't win, he would lose a lot of money. But the young man did not react to these words and continued the fight. In between rounds, Kelly approached Rivera and begged him to give in. In return, he promised the Mexican that in the next fight he could win and get his money. However, Felipe remained steadfast. At the end of London's story "The Mexican" we can read how the stamina and composure of the protagonist brought him victory - in the seventeenth round he was able to knock out Ward. He was extremely tired and fell down from the blows. But there was joy in my soul that the revolution would take place.

The Mexican short story at Top Books

The story of Jack London "The Mexican" is so popular to read that the work took a high place in ours. In many ways, this consistently high interest is due to the presence of a story in the school curriculum. Therefore, in the future, we predict that Jack Lodon's story "The Mexican" will appear on the pages of our website.