Jean Franco\'s Argument Jean Franco

Jean Franco's Argument

Jean Franco has argued that in Rulfo's stories, the "feminine...articulates the qualities of survival, love and common-sense which have been destroyed by machismo." This paper argues in favor of this statement, and looks at two stories written by Juan Rulfo i.e. "Macario" and "Tell them not to kill me!" Juan Rulfo's story, Macario, is told by and from the perspective of a simple-minded Mexican boy whose age is unclear. The fact that the main character is also the voice of the narrator allows the narration itself to become very intimate and personal. The boy is caught between two very strong feminine figures. Although opposite, his Grandmother and Felipa represent the two figures in his life, but also a cause for tension and conflict in Macario's mind because despite the fact that he does not realize the opposition, he feels it. The Grandmother represents authority and discipline as she runs the household. The Grandmother's moral code of behavior is dictated by the Bible; she is very religious, and uses fear hoping to correct and control the boy's sinful behavior. The other feminine influence on Macario is Felipa, who, on the other hand, is gentle and nurturing.

Felipa is the character which possesses the qualities of survival and love which help Macario in his struggle with his fears: "Felipa used to come every night to the room where I sleep, and snuggle up to me, leaning over me, or a little to one side" (Rulfo: 5). The hunger that Macario refers to on several occasions is in fact, nothing more than a hunger for love and comfort which he says can never be satisfied: "They say a person does get filled up eating, but I know very well that I don't even though I eat all they give me" (Rulfo: 3). Food is a mere metaphor for his desire to be loved and accepted both by his Grandmother i.e. authority, and by the villagers i.e. society. However, the only love and nurturing that he receives is from Felipa who seems to possess all of the qualities that the other characters lack completely. Macario's mind operates in a simple manner which gives the narration a very clear tone and language as he unfolds his life to the reader while sitting by the sewer. The character-narrator uses a very suggestive comparison in order to illustrate the opposition between the Grandmother and Felipa by comparing the latter's eyes with a frog - which Macario notes that is good to eat, whereas the Grandmother's eyes remind him of a toad, black and bad to eat.

In the case of the story Macario, Rulfo opposes the qualities of Felipa, the archetype of femininity, to those of the Grandmother who illustrates the authority and harshness of a role that has been traditionally associated with that of the father. The kindness and gentleness of Felipa seem shattered under the weight the Grandmother's strictness and evilness as Macario fears the latter, and obeys her orders. However, one cannot imagine Macario's life without the protection and comfort offered by Felipa. In fact, although the boy is sitting by the sewer waiting for the frogs to come out i.e. complying with his Grandmother's order to get rid of the animals because they are too noisy and she cannot sleep, his thoughts run to Felipa, and the comfort she could offer him: "What I would really like to do is take a few swallows of Felipa's milk, that good milk as sweet as honey that comes from under the hibiscus flowers-" (Rulfo: 8).

Tell Them Not to Kill Me!" is a story about revenge. An old man pleads to his own son, Justino, to intervene on his behalf, and try to save his life. Another son, colonel, has come back and orders the old man to be shot - years ago during a drought he had killed the colonel's father: "There he was, slumped down at the foot of the post. His son Justino had come and his son Justino had gone and had returned and now was coming again." (Rulfo: 289). Fear is the main feeling driving the old man; he begs for his life and struggles to survive in every way he can think of. His fear of dying is opposed to the colonel's coldness and decisiveness as he does not change his mind despite the old man's begging and crying. In the case of this story, machismo is not the trait of superiority of men over women, but the superiority of man over man.

Fury and the thirst for revenge engulf any other feelings. Love does not exist. It is not the love of a son that is fueling the colonel's thirst for vengeance, but hatred. Although the colonel himself has lost his father who had been cruelly murdered, he does not find it in his heart to forgive the old man who was responsible for the murder. However, the colonel does show some mercy when ordering his men to make the execution as painless as possible for the old man: "Immediately the voice from inside said, 'Tie him up and give him something to drink until he gets drunk so that the shots don't hurt him.'" (Rulfo: 289). The old man, on the other hand, admits to his crime and is aware of its implications. His is not so much a struggle to survive but one not to be killed. That could perhaps account for the fact that he begs his son to go and talk to the colonel on his behalf, and try to convince the latter to spare his life.