Liana LaskinEnglish 48B
"The Squatter and the Don" by Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton
February 6, 2009
"While birth gave María Ruíz de Burton a sense of family, regional, and national identity, migration and marriage determined citizenship, social status, and access to a variety of social strategies in the United States." (Point of view of Rosaura Sanchez and Beatrice Pita, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Ruiz_de_Burton)
Summary:
Set in San Diego, the once wealthy Mexican landowner Don Mariano is suffering from the effects of the Land Act of 1851. Not only is he losing pieces of his land to "squatters" or poor white men, but he is also losing cattle that are being "corralled" or killed. Since he does not have too many options, he decides to make a deal with the men who are taking parts of his land to grow grain. The Don's idea is to have them all grow fruit trees and split the cattle he has left because in the long run, more money will be made than if the other men just grow grain and leave a good harvest up to nature (in the past years the weather has not been so kind). The men reject this plan because they believe it will take too long and they will not be able to make enough money quickly enough to support themselves.
Response:
I had to read this story twice to even begin to really understand what was going on. I think it was harder to follow because it was a chapter from the middle of Ruiz de Burton's book, so not having the first four chapters to have as reference made it a slightly harder read. It was interesting to contrast this to the Jewett reading because it was so different (not just because both stories are set on different sides of the country). This story reduced nature, animals, and women to mere things, focusing on what the men were doing and how much they could gain from having a good harvest or many heads of cattle. I also like how the issue of class was portrayed (while not taking one side or the other). Personally, I thought that both sides were not that great because the squatters were stealing land (even if they were American and were allowed to) and Don Mariano, although he is probably being robbed of his land and cattle unfairly, is living in the United States and has to accept the fact that times have changed and the life he was living will have to change as well.
20 points. "This story reduced nature, animals, and women to mere things, focusing on what the men were doing and how much they could gain from having a good harvest or many heads of cattle." Great point -- and how interesting that it's still a woman doing the writing!
ReplyDelete20 points. "Personally, I thought that both sides were not that great because the squatters were stealing land (even if they were American and were allowed to) and Don Mariano, although he is probably being robbed of his land and cattle unfairly, is living in the United States and has to accept the fact that times have changed and the life he was living will have to change as well." I see your perspective, but want to make sure you understand that under the original 1848 treaty signed between Mexico and the U.S. (and ratified by the U.S. Senate) the Don and all other Mexican landowners would have retained full title to their land. It was only under the Land Act of 1857 that the terms of the treaty were amended/ignored (without the consent of the Mexican government or Mexican American citizens, of course). Also consider that Ruiz de Burton herself made "accomodations" with the new Anglo power based -- as witnessed by her marriage to an American Army General and her writing in English, for example :)
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