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The Underdogs

By Denice Perez

+Characters

Main Characters

Demetrio Macías

Luis Cervantes

Quail,

La Cordoniz

Lard

The Indian

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"The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution," by Mariano Azuela

+Supporting Mexican Revolution

"The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution," by Mariano Azuela

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+Demetrio Macías

leads a group of men fighting against the federal forces of Victoriano Huerta.

Many poor peasants he meets throughout his journey protest against the Federales because they burn their houses, take their wives, their stock, and their animals

famous for his marksmanship and his ability to lead men in battle.

poor men joined Macías in the fight against Huerta’s troops

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"The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution," by Mariano Azuela

+Luis Cervantes

The newest member of Demetrio's band of rebels.

He was conscripted to fight in the Federale army but deserted when he was offended.

He is a medical student and journalist. Towards the end of the novel he flees the country to go to the United States.

His story is similar to the author's.

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"The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution," by Mariano Azuela

+Summary

Some of them are prototypes of the sort of people that would be attracted by a revolution, like Luis Cervantes, who is an educated man mistreated by the Federales and therefore turning on them, or Güero Margarito, a cruel man who finds justification for his deeds in the tumultuousness of the times.

With a concise, unsympathetic tone, Azuela takes us along with this band of outcasts as they move along the hills of the country, seemingly struggling for a cause whose leader changes from day to night. The rebels, not very certain of what or whom they are fighting for, practice themselves the abuse and injustice they used to suffer in the hands of the old leaders.

the Mexican people, as the title of the book hints, are always the “ones below”, no matter who runs the country. In the end, Macías has lost his lover and most of his men, and reunites with his family with no real desire or hope for redemption or peace.

He has forebodings of his destiny, and the last scene of the book leaves him firing his rifle with deathly accuracy, alone and extremely outnumbered by his enemies.

"The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution," by Mariano Azuela

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