Analysis Of The Underdogs

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The Downfall of Camila With the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution, many individuals took this opportunity to expand their standings within society. Men sought to overthrow the tyrannical government and redistribute the land evenly amongst all Mexicans. Mariano Azuela in The Underdogs describes the adventures of a successful rebel group who undergoes a mission to eliminate Federales forces. Women, on the other hand, sought to expand their rights with society and to break the norms established. The women who decided to join the combat roles were referred to as Las Soldaderas. Their primary mission was to establish equality amongst men and to gain more rights. Contrary to popular belief, many famous rebellion leaders such as Pancho Villa were Pre-Revolution, women were expected to work “in the home and in the fields with their men and wielding little political, economic, or social clout” (Minster). During the Mexican Revolution, women typically chose to either fight in the conflicts to advance their rights or to take a submissive role and accept status quo. Azuela portrays her as an innocent, sweet girl, who would lower her eyes when addressing the men. The author also portrays Camila as the cultural norm provided by Gloria Anzaldua. In Borderlands La Frontera, Gloria Anzaldua states, “The [Mexican] culture and Church insist that women are subservient to males” (39). Camila, like many other women within the conflict, took the role as a support figure with her refusal to join the battles. These women typically were submissive to their male counterparts and provided medical attention to soldiers, carried equipment for them, cooked meals, and gathered supplies for the missions (Fernandez 56). Azuela portrays Camila as an easily manipulated character who is forced to become Demetrio’s woman and to bed with him. She eventually accepts her fate and plays her role as Demetrio’s woman. Eventually Cervantes convinces Camila to join him in going back to the rebel forces Azuela shows these impacts by the progression of Camila, from a sweet innocent woman, to joining the rebel forces, and lastly to being killed. Symbolically, Azuela kills off Camila almost immediately upon her rise to power and drops her from the novel’s plot. This shows the how insignificant of an impact that women had on the battles, and how easily they were forgotten after death. Women still struggle today with gaining equal rights and treatment within the Mexican culture. It has taken nearly 70 years for women to gain equality with men in the workforce, gaining rights such as voting, and having a shared family responsibility with the male figure (Global). Unfortunately, many women within the working-class household still suffer from the traditional norms and values regarding the roles of men and women. In addition, these women were often subjected to control, domination, and violence by men” (Global). This validates Azuela’s stance on how women should stay within their traditional roles because fighting for equality has been ineffective even still

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