Reframing Latin America: A Cultural Theory Reading ... - BGSU Blogs

250 reframing latin america
figure 14.5 Che shakes hands with lepers without wearing gloves in The Motorcycle
Diaries
linger on the images of these people who look directly back, the apparent
intent is to show their humanity, to turn them into real people whose lined
faces, modest clothing, and graying hair make the viewer sympathetic with
their daily struggle for survival. The imagery, especially the use of blackand-white
fi lm, reminds us of Soy Cuba and its drawn-out scenes of people
and places intended to capture Cuba’s national essence. Similarly, these portraits
in The Motorcycle Diaries seem to be saying that the humble people
depicted in them are the soul of Latin America and that Che is on their side.
It is not coincidental that the fi nal image is that of the face of a Communist
whom Che and Granado encountered while in Chile’s northern desert and
who told his tale of suffering and abuse at the hands of greedy capitalists and
their defenders in the government and military. The determined look on this
man’s face begs the obvious question as to how long it will be before some
great person comes along to lead them to a brighter future. That someone, of
course, is Che Guevara.
Introduction to Alma Guillermoprieto’s “The
Harsh Angel”
Alma Guillermoprieto is one of Latin America’s foremost essayists, journalists,
and memoirists. She was one of the millions of Latin Americans