Introduction
In the 19th century, most Latin American countries were under pressure from European elites who established their colonies, defined the order for all native citizens, and determined personal freedoms. It was hard for young nations to protect their rights through the prism of international powers, and revolutionary activities were the only effective solutions. At the beginning of the 20th century, many countries, including Cuba and Mexico, made their first attempts to resist the government and demonstrate their hopes and intentions to change their lifestyles. The Mexican Revolution sparked in 1910 and lasted about ten years, while the Cubans revolted in the middle of the 20th century.
The documentary film “The Storm That Swept Mexico” by Alejandro Lopez and the poem “Tengo” by Nicolás Guillén reveal the revolutionary dimensions in Mexico and Cuba. These stories prove the importance of the struggle for democracy and the inevitability of disorder in a nation where most interests were neglected. The works by Lopez and Guillén depict the revolutionary ideas for social justice not only as a promise to improve the situation but as a burning necessity to maintain political and cultural transformations.
Revolutionary Dimensions in Guillén’s Poem and Lopez’s Documentary
The beginning of the 20th century was a critical period in the history of Cuba and Mexico, and the stories by Guillén and Lopez contribute to a better understanding of national struggles and democratic visions. Social instability, American interference, political corruption, and inequality provoked strikes and concerns that were difficult to manage.
Although in Guillén’s poem, attention is paid not to the precedents but to their outcomes for the Cuban population, it becomes clear what bothered people in the 1900s. The speaker is happy that “there are no rural police to seize me and lock me in a precinct jail, or tear me from my land and cast me in the middle of the highway” (Guillén). These lines suggest that Cuban peasants and ordinary workers faced severe injustice in their social relationships, and the power of the government was great but prejudiced. A similar situation was observed in Mexico, where people joined the revolution not out of their “brevity or pride but out of necessity” (“The Storm That Swept Mexico”). Society lacked multi-racial democracy in its basic needs, and the population felt obligated to change something.
In other words, the chosen authors show that the revolution was based not solely on the promises the government imposed but on the failures that the leaders could not improve. The historical conditions were not stable, and people had to adjust to continuous changes without a chance to identify their wants. Admiring the one-day revolutionary impact, “Juan with Nothing” became “Juan with Everything,” who had “the pleasure of going about my country” and “looking closely at what I did not and could not have before” (Guillén).
The film explains that the transition period was quick and impartial compared to the poem. The revolution had its price, and Lopez added many bloody images and cruel actions that brought the Mexicans their freedom (“The Storm That Swept Mexico”). The feelings of unity and reconciliation were recognized many years after the revolution when people were able to study, develop their reading and writing skills, and create artwork (“The Storm That Swept Mexico”). It was important to capture and share the experience and learn the most crucial lessons from the mistakes of the past.
Each author reimagined revolution as an armed struggle to support cultural and social transformations for people deprived of their inborn rights and resources. Many Mexicans were forced to leave their homes and change their lives, not because they desired a better living, but because they were forced to survive (“The Storm That Swept Mexico”). In Cuba, the revolution was inevitable as it made it possible to “have a place to work and earn what I have to eat” (Guillén).
Lopez provided even more devastating statistics, stating that most people had to work for nothing or “at the end of a whip for 25 cents” (“The Storm That Swept Mexico”). Thus, in the eyes of each author, transformations had their precedents, and political shifts were obligatory to create a solid basis for cultural and social shifts with time. People did not want to spend their lives serving their foreign invaders and colonists. They strived for respect for themselves and searched for some truth in their roots and origins. A revolution in any country was never simple or staid, with multiple victims, including men, women, and children.
Conclusion
In general, the format of stories about revolutions may be different, but the idea remains the same – to share people’s emotions, experiences, and reasons for supporting struggles to obtain the desired results. In Cuba and Mexico, revolutions took several years, and the populations got a chance to change their lives and protect their properties against foreign invaders. Lopez’s documentary effectively describes the conditions of people’s lives and retells real stories, while Guillén’s poem focuses on defining a person’s priorities. These works helped realize that revolution was obligatory for each country, and the outcomes made nations independent and open to new achievements based on social justice and cultural and political transformations.
Works Cited
Guillén, Nicolás. “Tengo (I Have).” Union Songs, Web.
“The Storm That Swept Mexico.” YouTube, uploaded by Alejandro Lopez, Web.