Leticia Neria PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText ...

point of view. This group makes reference to the peñas, youth groups who gathered to
listen to music and read poetry. 221 The name of the group is exaggerated since it is a
means both to label the members and also their activity: to complain. Los inconformes
wear patched clothes, some of them have long hair, live in a simple room of a roof, and
on the walls of their room there is a poster with an image of a guerrilla member. This
information narrows the group of young people that the images are referring to,
portraying ‘los inconformes’ as being similar to those who participated in the social
demonstrations of 1968. One of them is reading in the news about a wedding reception
organised by wealthy people attended by almost two and a half million guests, and
comments: ‘Mientras algunos tienen dinero de sobra, otros padecemos por no tener qué
llevarnos a la boca’ and Avelino, cracking up, replies: ‘Aparte de ser un prángana, eres
un pobre de espíritu. Sólo los tontos se atormentan’. 222 The news is exaggerated and
illogical, but Avelino makes fun of his friend’s point of view because he considers
himself superior in spirit. Avelino does not complain about the lack of material things,
although his friend is actually talking about not having enough food. However, the
friend shows less social concern when he states: ‘¡Estamos cansados de ser pobres,
necesitamos hacer una expropiación en un banco y repartirnos la lana!’ 223 This
statement reflects much less social idealism, and in fact is blatantly arguing in favour of
criminal behaviour.
We should also highlight the use of the word ‘expropiación’. As we remember
from chapter two, ‘expropiación’ was the word used to express thefts organised by
guerrilla or belligerent groups to get money to continue working underground.
However, in this case, the rationale is to share the money out among themselves,
221 They are portrayed as the jipitecas described in chapter two.
222 La Familia Burrón, 17195, p. 5.
223 La Familia Burrón, 17195, p. 8.
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