The blog contribution requires a small bit of additional reading in one of our texts, The House of the Spirits (HoS). This novel is essentially an historical autobiography. The character in the book named Alba is the author, Isabelle Allende, but Alba comes late in the book. The history covered in The House of the Sprits (HoS) runs from 1925 to 1975. Therefore, it begins at the tail end of the neocolonial period and runs into the heart of the Cold War.
I have an edition of the book published in 1993. You have an edition published more recently. Because of that, the page numbers in my edition may not correspond to those in yours. So, what I want you to do is find the last seven pages of chapter 4. In my edition those are pages 134-141. I want you to read those seven pages which begin with this sentence:
“Esteban Trueba entered a very prosperous period.”
That paragraph very quickly describes the way neocolonial wealth was made. The book is a history of Chile, one of the only countries in Latin America that traded in both temperate agricultural goods and minerals. Be sure to look back on the geography map to know where Chile lies. After you read that paragraph go back to MLAH, p. 129 and read the second paragraph. Note the following sentence:
“A sharp price rise on the international commodities markets triggered national euphoria; a sharp fall spelled national disaster.”
Then go on in HoS to read about the “exanthemic typhus” that struck Chile in the aftermath of a price drop in nitrates on the world market (1932). Keep reading about how the characters in the book cope with the disaster by consulting psychics. Clara and Blanca are the two main characters in this scene and they take to the streets to help the poor, sick and dying. Clara explains the following to Blanca,
“This is to assuage our conscience darling. But it doesn’t help the poor. They don’t need charity, they need justice.”
Read on from there to learn how the character Esteban Trueba reacts to the idea of justice. His argument corresponds to the notions of evolution and progress embraced by Latin American elites in this period as described by E. Bradford Burns in our Reading in MLAH pp. 134-140. These are the notions of Social Darwinism and Positivism that constituted the spine of white ideology in this time period. Keep the paragraph in HoS handy to better understand what Burns is talking about.
As you read the following five or so pages in HoS to the end of chapter 4, you will be introduced to the interplay of characters who favor justice and are called Socialists, Communists and Bolsheviks versus Esteban Trueba, the patron (Spanish for boss), who looks at justice from an elite perspective.
It is at this juncture that I recommend you do the MLAH Reading (pp. 129-151) and Response (questions 1&2, p.130). After you have done that, then go to the blog and post 100 words (more or less) providing your interpretation of the story told at the end of chapter 4, HoS, about the fox and the chickens. The story is metaphorical. What is it about (not just chickens and a fox) and how do you feel about it? Post by 5 pm, Saturday March 19.
The blog assignment will be posted on the blog as Assignment 3 on Friday at 5 pm.
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ReplyDelete[23]After reading the story about the fox and the chickens, every reading assigned, and topic discussed so far has all come together. This story explains that a fox goes into the chicken coop at night and eats the eggs and baby chicks. The hens get tired of it and group together and peck the fox until it runs away. This can be taken in several different ways. The time period that we are focusing on gives me an idea of what the real meaning of the story is. I feel like the grandfather was trying to explain to the children what was going on in their country and will happen in the future. The fox is a representation of all the dominant countries that are influencing and controlling Latin America, such as France, England, Germany, and the United States. The hens are obviously the Latin American countries that are being control by these forces because they are seen as weak like the chickens in the story. The grandfather is predicting that Latin America will eventually group together and defeat the fox that is stealing from them. The story shows me the passion that the natives to those countries have and how much they care about their homelands. I feel like this is a just way of thinking and I also can see where they are coming from and why they would feel that way. After having a bigger force breathing down my neck, controlling what I do, and attempting to make me just like them, I would fight back at some point too.
ReplyDelete(I apologize for all the reposts, I kept forgetting to add my class number.)
[21] After reading the passages in Problems in Modern Latin America History, I relate the fox and chicken story to that of the African Americans and Indians during the neocolonialism era in Latin America. The reason I relate it to this is because of what Blanca says after she hears the story. She says, "it was impossible, because hens are born stupid and weak and foxes are born astute and strong." In other words, the chickens could never had pecked the fox and scared him away because they do not have the ability to do that. This is exactly what the whites in Latin America believed of the African Americans and Indians. They followed the Europeans view that they were born a lowly people and would never succeed in life. They believed they could never help towards the progress of becoming a civilization, since they are an uncivilized people. The fox, which would be the European lifestyle mimicked by Latin America, would never stand for such abuse from a chicken (African American or Indian). To me, it is a great metaphor that reflects and relates to that certain time period of neocolonialism.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the fox/chicken story it is obvious to me that the metaphorical relationship between the two is comparable to that of the relationship between Latin American countries and foreign incursions/influence by western countries like the US, France, etc. Many Latin Americans countries view themselves as the weaker of the two in many relationships and that they are often bullied or strong armed into situations they do not wish to partake. It is easy for less endowed countries to view themselves as victims in diplomatic relations and this is seen throughout the passages assigned.
ReplyDelete[24] After I read the different excerpts that were assigned to us. I see that the fox and the chicken story relates to the relationship that Latin America has with the other countries. They have pecked at and been down played so much that they fought back. This proves a lot about the countries in Latin America. The chicken and fox story also relates with what the other countries felt about the countries of Latin America, they thought they were weak and easily defeated - which is exactly how the story goes. I see why this reading was assigned to us now because it helped to people the actual situations in Latin America in a metaphorical sense.
ReplyDelete[6] After reading the pages assigned in Problems in Modern Latin America and the reading assigned in The House of Spirits, I think the metaphor regarding the chickens and the fox can relate to two different aspects of Latin American culture. Firstly, the metaphor could relate to the hegemony of the various European and North American countries that controlled Latin America during the neocolonial age in its history. The people of Latin America were the chickens of the metaphor, and the dominant powers such as the United States, England, France, and Germany symbolize the fox in this metaphor. The dominant countries poked and meddled in Latin American affairs, looking for any kind of immediate gratification; these countries failed to care what they destroyed in their attempts to gain such gratification. The eggs in this metaphor probably refer to the various exports, such as raw materials and agricultural commodities, and other valuable items that Latin America exported and possessed. The “fox” postulated that the “chickens” were inferior, childlike, and weak, thus being easy pickings to exploit. However, the “chickens” in the metaphor were tired of being oppressed, abused, and living in fear. They proved that there really is strength in numbers when they rallied together to expel the “fox” from their territory. The metaphor could also refer to the internal strife and inequality of the Latin American social classes. The chickens could also represent the African slaves and the Indian population that inhabited the area. The white and usually elites of Latin American society symbolized the fox. The whites viewed the other two aforementioned races as easy targets to manipulate to their benefits because these races hindered progress in the elites’ opinions. The suppressed races desired justice and refused to tolerate the “fox’s” hegemony over their domain. So, the “chickens” banded together to form the rebel opponents, and they initiated a revolution that strove to achieve social equality by means of eliminating the “fox”. I think this metaphor accurately summarizes the perceptions each country had of the other and of themselves. Because the fox is higher up in the predatory hierarchy and the chicken is so low in the same hierarchy, this metaphor really emphasizes the extremely bias viewpoints held by the respective countries previously mentioned. It also showcases the struggle of a developing nation that desires to adapt to its “new” environment by means of emulating the dominant species. [I apologize for the verbosity of the response, but I could not explain it in 100 words.]
ReplyDelete[5] The story of the fox and the hens is about neocolonialism in that the fox is the foreign nations and the hens are Latin American nations. The story shows how foreign nations are able to steal from Latin America’s raw materials and natural resources and for the most part get away with it. The story further goes on to depict, that even when the foreign nations get in trouble or are attacked by Latin Americans, in an attempt at revolution, the foreign nations are able to survive and continue their activities of neocolonialism.
ReplyDeleteThis story makes me feel hopeless. In a sense, it makes me feel like a Latin American during the time period our readings are based off for this week. You see, if you’re the hen, you want change; you don’t want to constantly be bullied by a fox, or a foreign nation, by having your resources stolen. For Latin Americans, because of the foreign nations, their ability to become a stronger power in the world is severely hindered due to ever-present foreign nations pretty much getting away with stealing Latin American resources.
This story of the fox and the hens could also be about hope. Hope dealing with the economic crises that strike the Latin American nations when “a sharp price rise on the international commodities markets triggered national euphoria; a sharp fall spelled national disaster.” The disaster in the story of the fox and the hens is when the hens attack the fox, but the fox gets away with the tail between his legs.
In this case, this story makes me feel hope. For this case, this story makes me feel like a Latin American, during the late nineteenth century, who is unemployed, and while I know that times are currently tough, I know that an increase in international commodities means a job and a life of bliss for me.
[9] The story of the Fox and the Chickens is an inspiration example of one standing up for themselves and overcoming the negative forces that surround or are projected on them. Perdo Garcia’s use of this story to Blanca’s and Pedro Tercero’s eyes played a pivotal role in illustrating how their futures would play out. This story has been told a billion times in many different situations. I’m sure each of us can relate it to situations we find ourselves in today, although with a twist. We have been taught not only to stand up for ourselves like the chickens, but to also NEVER underestimate the power of others, a lesson learned playing the role of the wolf.
ReplyDelete[10]In the reading from the House of the Spirits of the fox and hens, it makes me look back a few pages to what Esteban Trueba said while he was fighting Clara and he said “It’s not a matter of richer or poor, it’s the matter of strong and weak.” The fox thought he was stronger than the hens, he considered them week, however they banded together and were able to overtake the fox and scare him out of their home. When comparing this story to the readings from MLAH, I compare it in two ways. One is in the way of Latin America as the hens and the rest of the world as the fox. The second is taking a look at the Latin American elites who saw themselves as the superiors in Latin America over those who they thought were weaker within their own borders and sought to remold their population to make them a stronger nation.
ReplyDeleteReading the part in The House of the Spirits about the fox and the hen connects with the neocolonialism that was mentioned in MLAH. The fox represents the European countries that influenced Latin America while the hens represent the Latin American countries. The European countries were using the Latin American countries for their abundance of natural resources. They would come in a try to control the Latin American countries as well. I think the story is about the Latin American countries (hens) joining together and breaking free from the control of the European countries(fox). This ties together with the neocolonialism that was mentioned in MLAH because the Latin American countries were breaking away from their "mother countries" giving them more economic and political freedom instead of their mother countries pulling all the strings.
ReplyDelete[17] The fox and the chicken story has a much deeper meaning than simple farm animals. It goes far beyond the chickens standing up to the fox. The symbolic meaning I interpreted from the story was that even though someone maybe more powerful than you, one can still rise against him/her and defeat him/her with the proper determination. The chickens were tired of the fox picking on them so, as a group they decided to show the fox who was boss. This was a huge risk for them because the fox could easily kill any one of them. However, with all of the chickens against one fox, there was not a good chance for the fox. This story definitely relates back to Latin America’s relationships with other countries. Latin America is the chickens that need to rise up against the other countries to receive the fair treatment they deserve.
ReplyDelete[7] After completing the assigned readings in both the HoS and MLAH I pieced together what I believed the parable about the fox and the chickens represent. My primary interpretation was simply that the chickens in the story represented the oppressed Latin American citizens, while the fox portrays the elevated economic powers, like the US. The “fox” would meddle in the business of the “chickens” trying to steal their eggs and fledglings, which too are representative of the Latin American commodities that the larger countries would attempt to profit from. Eventually as the parable goes the chickens are fed up with the fox ravaging their coop and finally stand up to him. One night the chickens peck the fox till he flees. This story ends by the grandfather predicting that Latin American citizens will stand up to the “Fox” and the commodity based oppression their undergoing. In summary I believe the Latin American citizens are justified for their decisions to rebel. It would be exhausting to always be delegated under some higher international control, as the chickens were to the fox.
ReplyDelete[22]. I think that the story about the fox and the chickens has a very powerful meaning behind it. The chickens are most likely used to represent the countries of Latin America, and the fox exemplifies the other countries, namely Europe and the United States, that try to oversee and control the countries in Latin America. The chickens get tired of the fox stealing all of their eggs, so they band together and come up with a plan to get rid of the fox. Like the chickens, the Latin American countries are fed up with countries in other parts of the world trying to rule over them. The grandfather predicts that eventually, they will phase these countries out of the picture and become independent from them.
ReplyDelete[18] In The House of the Spirits, the fox represented the dominant political and economical influences of the neocolonizing nations such as the U.S. and various European powers. Also in the book, the hens represent the suppressed people of Latin America who were controlled by foreign nations until they achieved independence during the 20th century. The story of the fox and the hen correlates to neocolonialism because it states that the powerful fox suppresses the hens as the dominant European nations and the U.S. suppressed the people of Latin America. The story is an inspiring tale that galvanized the power of unity and suggests that effective solidarity can persevere oppression.
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ReplyDelete[11]In The House of Spirits, the political situation of the country contributes to the symbolic meaning of the story of the “Fox and the Hens” in the way that the socialist party overcame the influential power of the conservatives. The Conservative party ruled the country for many years oppressing the people and preventing them from voting for the socialists. Additionally, The story of the “Fox and the Hens” besides symbolizing force through union, portrays an abuse from a more powerful force to a weaker one.
ReplyDeleteAfter completing this weeks reading assignment, I have a better understanding of how the reading relates to the relationship that Latin America has with other countries. I feel like it really symbolizes how someone or something can stand up to another person or thing that is stronger than them. In this particular situation, the chicken from the story would represent Latin America, and other countries such as France would represent the fox. Just because someone seems to be stronger than you, it doesn't mean that you don't have the will power to be stronger than them. If Latin America stood together as a whole, they could be just as strong as the other countries just like the chicken could to the fox. That is what I got from this story and what it represents.
ReplyDelete(14) The story symbolizes neocolonialism and what the colonies under control have to endure. The chicken would be the Latin American countries and the fox would be the Spanish, French and later the Americans. The fox could stay in control because he could manipulate the chicken and use the weaknesses of the chicken to the fox's advantage or to the "parent" countries advantage. However, if the chickens band together or the Latin American countries feed off one another after a successful try at independence, they could defeat the fox through their new found strength.
ReplyDelete[3]I found the reading assignment for this week quite interesting. After reading about neocolonialism in MLAH, it was evident that foreign nations such as England, France, and the United States had significant influence and control in the countries of Latin America. The controlling mother nations abroad used the resources of Latin America for their own benefit by exploiting their inferior technology and economic backing with their far superior systems and capital. The story of the fox and the hens is a great metaphor to describe the situation. The Fox represents the powerful nations and the group of hens represents the Latin American countries. The story tells the idea that the Latin American nations had the power to stop the bullying of the foreign nations if they had banned together.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this, it appears that the grandfather in a very loving way is trying to explain to his grandchildren that things are going to change in their country. He is explaining that as the hens, they too must band together and no longer let the "foxes" of the world take advantage of them. It is quite obvious how strongly he feels that the future of Latin America will be in the hands of the younger generation and the fault of the current situation lies with his generation. He picked the perfect metaphor to describe the situation of the country during this time period. It truly made Pedro think. In this time frame, it would be Pedro more than the girls to band together to "take the country" back from the "foxes".
ReplyDelete22.The story of the fox and chicken relates to Latin America and the neocolonialism perfectly. It is a metaphor of Latin America being the chickens and other foreign nations such as the U.S. and Germany being the fox. During the time of our readings for this week, Latin America was somewhat being bullied by other nations because like Blanca said the chickens were seen as weak, and so was Latin America. It was almost easy for the fox to steal the chicken’s eggs because he thought that they wouldn’t fight back. The same is for Latin America, other countries thought it was easy to just take what they want from them and that they wouldn’t fight back. However, the chickens came together and fought back leaving the fox to go pick on other chickens that he saw as weak. I think the grandfather was trying to tell a story of Latin America and how he thought one day the country will get tired of getting bullied and come together and fight back.
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