Ernesto Che Guevara

2902 Words6 Pages

Che Guevara, a revolutionary in Cuba, has become an internationally recognized figure. While many people are familiar with his achievements of helping to overthrow and rebuild the Cuban government, his image has expanded well beyond his political success. Che’s picture has been seen all over the world, in every imaginable context. Many people associate Che Guevara with the very word “revolution,” while others remember Che as a brutal and ruthless guerilla. While everyone has their own interpretation of Che, others solely recognize his picture on clothing, the internet, books and artwork. His very image has become so widespread that some people believe it has lost meaning altogether. Different forms of imagery and media portray Che in various ways, which help to further create and expand myths surrounding Che Guevara. The four myths discussed surrounding Che’s image are: caring individual, brutal dictator, martyr with similarities to Jesus Christ, and part of popular culture.

Ernesto "Che" Guevara was born on June 14th of 1928 in Argentina. His initial goal in life was to become a doctor; he studied medicine at the University of Buenos Aires in 1948. However, his life was changed by a series of trips across South America. Starting in 1951, Che began to travel across South America on his motorcycle. The widespread poverty and oppression that he saw during these trips influenced Che and sparked his interest in communism. His writings on these trips later served as the basis for the movie The Motorcycle Diaries..

Che's most famous achievements occured during his time as a revolutionary leader in Cuba. Che became involved in the Cuban revolutionary struggle in 1955, when he met Fidel Castro in Mexico. He decided to join Castro'...

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...n. Lecture. Madison , WI . 3, March, 2007.

Guevara, Ernesto Che. “Guerilla Warfare.” University of Nebraska Press. 1960.

Guevara, Ernesto Che. “Message to the Tricontinental.” Lincoln, University Press, 1988.

Guevara, Ernesto Che. "The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey." Ocean Press. 2005.

“Jesus Ad Campaign ‘Not Blasphemous.’” BBC News. January 7th, 1999.www.bbc.co.uk.

Motorcycle Diaries. Dir. Walter Salles. Focus Features. 1994.

Sacrificio. Dir: Erik Gandini and Tarik Saleh. Documentary. 2001.

Sherman, Alfred and Marchante, Sir Herbert. “Reminiscing about Che.” Audio Clip. Archived source. 1950-2005. www.bbc.co.uk.

The Hands of Che Guevara. Dir: Peter de Knock. Documentary. 2005.

“The Killing Machine: Che Guevara, From Communist Firebrand to Capitalist Brand.” Llosa, Alvaro Vargas. The New Republic. July 11, 2005.

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