In our Humanities class we were assigned to get into groups and each group got a book representing a revolution. My group got the Mexican revolution, which taught me more about my origins. In my Math/ Chemistry class we had to tie in our revolutions project, so we decided to build a dark room and create portraits; representing our revolution. We took the pictures with a 35mm and digital camera, and edited the photo with photoshop.
Without A Cause By: Ricardo Garcia, Angel Martinez, Angel Morazan, Talissa Ruiz, and Kassandra Urbina Photography and edited with Photoshop
Our picture represents what happened during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1940). After reading The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela, we decided to emphasize the role of the Mexican rebels. After the federal government failed to protect the country from foreign invaders, a small group of citizens decided to take political matters in their own hands, rebelling and starting a civil war. In the scene, one federal soldier is fighting with two women in the front, while in the background two Mexican rebels look on from a distance. This was true for a majority of the participating rebels during the revolution: most didn’t know the exact purpose of the war. They would start fighting for a small, insignificant reason and continue to fight just because they were so used to the violence. The two men in the back represent this idea; not knowing what to fight for, they ignore the brawl in front of them and keep to themselves. They just drink beer and have a good time. The beer specifically symbolizes that the Rebels were interested in better things than the war, and didn’t care about the fighting. Another prop our group used was the Mexican flag, to act as a clue that it was the Mexican Revolution. Lastly, the scene also conveys the message that women had an important role during this time, and they would participate in the war for the well being of their families. For the scenery, our group took pictures near a lake to mimic the wild territory of a war zone.
The Mexican Revolution was an outgrowth of resentment that had built up during Porfirio Diaz’s regime. Diaz looked out for the foreign people and admired European culture, social values, and its people. He believed that nothing came out of indigenous Mexican culture, when he himself was an Indian. Mexican people felt oppressed and betrayed, because he let foreigners dominate the economy. In the book The Underdogs, by Mariano Azuela states how the people participating in the revolution lost their purpose, after fighting so many years you forget what you’re fighting for.
The Start of a Revolution.
The Mexican Revolution officially started in 1910. Mexican Citizens wanting to over throw the Dictator Porfirio Diaz; which had been in office for more than 30 years.Since, all the benefits were for the rich; and his main concerns were foreign investment and stability. They weren’t satisfied; he let foreign investors dominate the economy. For example, bringing in, railroads, telephone, and electricity. But the Mexican people suffered because they were being poorly paid. He turned Mexico from being a third world country to an ideal developing country, but only rich benefited. Francisco Madero came and wanted to bring a democracy into Mexico to avoid a social revolution. Which sounded like a great start, but the consequences later would come. He went against Diaz for power, but the day of the elections he was arrested under Diaz’s orders. Diaz was declared winner, Madero called for a revolt on November 1910; the stat of a revolution. Everyone saw in Madero what they wanted to see (Fox). Campesinos saw in Madero their lost of a dream for a social revolution, but their dream of controlling their own land. Which Indians and peasants lost, but were yet to reclaim. Middle class and peasants were excluded from political process. They were given low wages, and deficient social services, which created the start of a revolt. The revolution was primarily the rise and fall of leaders, saying they would change the country. But, once in power they wouldn’t, like much of what happens today. Madero later won the election, and wanted to settle the country. He wanted a democracy, not a revolution.Therefore, people wanted massive changes which he himself could not promise. Madero, who opposed revolution, had uncorked the bottle of revolution, and Mexico would drink every drop (Fox). He was opposing social revolution, but yet created one, for promises he couldn’t commit too. People got tired of the rise and falls of leaders, he would promise change and none would be shown. The significance of this revolution was that not only the low class was fighting, like in every other revolt. It was all classes, including women and children; who were fighting to gain freedom.
El Simbolo.
In the book The Underdogs, by Mariano Azuela, he uses the main character Demetrio Macias as a symbol representing the people fighting in the war. At the beginning of the book, he is forced to side with the rebels, in order to save his family.This is the main reason why people start fighting for the most important thing; family.They’ve declared war to the death on the poor (Azuela 14). The federals of the country, stole the animals, food and women. Of the country men and workers and in the end they would leave them with nothing.As the rebels start suffering from defeats, Demetrio loses his self esteem and the purpose for fighting. “That’s exactly what I want, to be left alone to return to my home” (Azuela 35) Demetrio states but his colleagues have to reassure him.That he has to remember what he was here for, all the lives lost, the children and widows back home.He had to fight for them, and he could let people in power get rich and everything stay the same or worse. The poor had to save the country from falling into the hands of oppressors. “We are fighting for the sacred rights of the people” (Azuela 80) they tell him that this is another reason their there, fighting. And, they also say that you don’t ask for anyone’s permission, other wise what was the revolution for the fat cats, we are the fat cats. Stating that they were the ones in power and ruling they did not have to abide by the rules.
The Last Straw.
During the revolution people started to lose interest, because they didn’t see any changes happening. “I expected a field of flowers at the end of the road, and I found a swamp” (Azuela 50).Mexicans got disillusioned at the fact, of all the effort they put into fighting and nothing came of it. “The revolution is the hurricane, and the man who surrenders to it is no longer a man, he’s a poor leaf tossed in the gale (Azuela 51). This states that if you don’t keep fighting you end up with nothing. People got tired of fighting and did not want any part of the revolution for economy disaster, chaos, and danger. As a result, made them flee to United States for better working opportunities and a good life.
In the conclusion, the point I am trying to set that people got tired of fighting. People wanted the revolution to end, because it was more like a civil war then a revolution. People didn’t want to keep going, because the results weren’t drastic like they thought they would be. I mean there were changes there had to but not how they expected.They fled the country to have a better life somewhere else; they came to U.S because they always saw it as the land of opportunities.
