The Old Man Who Read Love Stories - Character Analysis

The old man who read love stories. Characters

 Antonio Bolivar  Antonio originally moved to the jungle with his wife, Delores. Their relationship is not characterised by passion, with Delores instead suggesting that “Those kisses are sinful” . She does not manage to survive life in the jungle, dying two years after their arrival of a ‘burning fever’.

 The net phase of of Antonio’s life begins with his survival survival after being bitten bitten by a deadly sna!e " representing his being chosen by the gods. The Shuar, who ta!e him in, honour this survival by welcoming him into their world as# $You are not one of us, but you are like us”. They teach him to listen to the jungle and tread carefully in it, !illing prey with poisoned darts. Although he manages to live with them for forty years, Antonio is $ not one  as illustrated when he attempts to avenge %ushino’s % ushino’s death. &e is of us”  as epelled by the Shuar after failing to capture the courage of the fallen gringo " choosing to shoot him with a gun rather than the poisoned dart which will preserve his facial epression as he dies. $ How can I shrink that  head when in life it has been frozen in that ask of fear!”  Antonio returns returns to 'l (dilio, living on the edge of the village in his hut overloo!ing the river. river. &e cultivates the habit of reading, borrowing borrowing love stories from the mayor’s servant, )ose*na. During this time, however, Antonio’s life is in limbo. &e is haunted by his failure of %ushino and his spirit, and see!s redemption for this. +hen he is as!ed to join the hunt for the jaguar, it is this desire that entices him " he hopes to ma!e up for his failures and ma!e peace with %ushino through his dealings with the  jaguar.  jaguar. An interesting point# Antonio’s surname ‘olivar’ is the same as a famous South American revolutionary " Simon olivar. olivar. Simon olivar fought to free South America from Spanish colonial rule. • • •

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&ow is Antonio’s place in his society illustrated in the *lm'plain how he is viewed by the villagers of 'l (dilio. Antonio is freuently shot in the frame of a window " why do you thin! this is+hy does Antonio read- /uote from the *lm

 "ose#na  )ose*na is the mayor’s servant, who is used by him to ma!e ma!e $ ... a bit of oney on the side” " suggesting that she acts as a prostitute. The mayor treats her poorly, freuently shouting orders at her. (t is through )ose*na that Antonio is introduced to love stories . )ose*na acts as a !ind of moral compass to Antonio0 when his con*dence wavers, it is )ose*na we see reinforcing reinforcing the fact that he is not a fool. She is beautiful, strong and passionate " illustrated in her resolute attitude when leaving the mayor, stating $I a not your slave” . • •

+hat signi*cant gift does )ose*na give to Antonio )ose*na narrates narrates the initial seuence in the *lm " whywhy-

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+hat other signi*cant element of the story is she connected to'plain.

$ubicondo 1ubicondo is the travelling dentist who ends up stuc! in 'l (dilio for the rainy season after one of his a2airs is discovered. Although his morals are uestionable at best, he retains honesty about him " he !nows who he is and does not shy away from the fact. 1ubicondo freuently derides the mayor and is vocal about his distaste for ‘the government’. &e is a genuine friend of Antonio and they share a life on the edge of civilisation. •

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+hat does the need for a dentist in the jungle suggest about the ‘civilisation’ there&ow would you characterise him+hy does he freuently choose to help Antonio-

The %ayor &'liy toad(  The mayor continually discusses his superiority over others, suggesting that it is the result of his education. Despite this, he is unable to live in synergy with the jungle. &e is freuently ridiculed by the inhabitants of 'l (dilio. &is corruption is evident as he trades votes in the universal democratic election for bottles of 3rontera rum. 4ower is signi*cant to him, as he continually epresses concerns about people reading, becoming revolutionary or getting ideas as $ ...they )ust u*set the natural order of thin+s” . 5n the hunt for the jaguar, he is unwilling to listen to Antonio or the other villagers and it is his rec!lessness that prevents them from capturing the jaguar at Al!aselt6er’s hut. •

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Describe the physical appearance of the mayor. +hat does this suggest about him&ow does he behave in the jungle'plain what the use of his character suggests about ‘civilisation’.

ushino %ushino appears to be the leader of the group of Shuar tribesmen who ta!e Antonio in after his sna!ebite. &e freuently appears in 7ashbac!, moving through the jungle with ease. &e wal!s with an upright and digni*ed posture. Although he wants to shrin! the gringo’s head, he suggests that this is to save his spirit in the afterlife rather than to simply use as a trophy. %ushino appears to act as Antonio’s conscience, and it is his insights that Antonio re7ects on for guidance. • • •

At which signi*cant moments do we see %ushino in the *lm+hy does he !ill the sloth&ow does %ushino’s death change Antonio’s view of himself-

The "a+uar 

+hilst not a character in the traditional sense, the jaguar is given human characteristics. She is hunting the men who have $ ...urdered her babies” . She lures Antonio to her mate, so that he can put him out of his misery. After Antonio shoots the mate, we hear her howl of pain resonating through the jungle. The jaguar then proceeds to hunt Antonio, pissing on him when he hides under a canoe. Antonio ultimately !ills her with a poisoned dart and sends her body down the river.

Resources: Student tasks and materials

4ost89olonial %arrative 9olonialism is de*ned as the ‘establishment, maintenance, acuisition and epansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory’. Australia is a ritish colony and sovereignty was claimed over the land by the ritish. (n the case of 'l (dilio, Spanish colonists sought to build a civili6ation, ignoring the rights of any native peoples already living in that area. 5ften, the literature that arises during a colonial period portrays the native peoples as disorganised and inhuman savages. 4ost8colonial narratives arose to challenge these portrayals. Sepulvida’s novel, upon which the *lm is based, is a post8colonial narrative, highlighting tensions between colonial and native societies. (t eplores the issues of language, displacement and authenticity 8 aiming to present a clear illustration of the eisting cultures within an area. De &eer emphasises this throughout the *lm. (t is important to consider the portrayal of the colonialists " how well do they ‘*t’ with the land- Do they seem natural within their environment- +hat do they need to do in order to ‘*t’- De &eer is trying to tell us about the nature of the colonial past of 'l (dilio and challenge us to rethin! our views on the nature of civili6ation. :. Describe the di2erent ways that De &eer portrays the inhabitants of 'l (dilio. ;. &ow does the setting challenge their western ‘civili6ation’ove Stories ?ey /uotes 'l (dilio# “It was so reote that it i+ht be said it was at the end of the earth.”  Antonio# “...*ossessed the antidote to old a+e.”  “You are not one of us, but you are like us.”  @%ushino to Antonio “It was a kiss of i*assioned intensity, a kiss to reeber their lives by.”  @Antonio, reading the end of the *rst novel in the *lm#’ To love and to be loved’. “That is why you ust +o away soeties, so that we can feel the sadness of not bein+ able to talk to you.”  @%ushino to Antonio “The +ods have acce*ted you, Antonio Bolivar.”  @%ushino to Antonio “"ibaro don-t need the dentist. atin+ *lenty onkey eat.”  “The )un+le rots everythin+, even your eory.”  The mayor to Antonio “I a too old for the )un+le but at least I can read.”  “ot thinkin+ of startin+ a revolution, are you!”  The mayor to Antonio “Here is to +reat su/erin+ and ha**y endin+s.”  Antonio drin!ing the rum “ow, let-s +o back and work out what that all eans.”  Antonio, after reading the *rst line of ‘>overs of the 3orgotten Barden’.

$ A +rief0crazed )a+uar is ore dan+erous than 12 urderers *ut to+ether.”  “... in her sall, anial brain, we all urdered her babies. 3e all sell the sae to her.”  “... she-s +ettin+ subversive ideas. Ideas! Yes, Ideas. 3hat-s wron+ with ideas! They u*set the natural order of thin+s.”  “'he-s huntin+ en now. "ose#na! o, the )a+uar.”  “There is a set of 4c claws waitin+ for e in the )un+le.”  @Antonio to 1ubicondo “A an who reads love stories and adits it is less of a fool than a an who beats his wife thinkin+ she loves it.” @)ose*na “3e do not hunt the )a+uar... The white an hunter, carryin+ a +un, violates death with the *oison of *ain.”  @%ushino “Already done for, 5at6”  “The bible will rot your brain worse than the )un+le will.”  “$eadin+... soeties akes e for+et the barbarity of an.”  “veryone has his *rice, even you.” @The mayor to Antonio “You think it-s you she-s after.” 

“The words are clear to see, but the eanin+ is no ore revealed than without the +lass.”  “7nly heartache, hel*less love and ha**y endin+s” @)ose*na to Antonio and 1ubicondo “5oe 7ld %an, has fear #nally cau+ht you!”  “Here I a. I a Antonio Bolivar and I have *atience enou+h, y beauty.” @Antonio to the jaguar “You already are what you are. You are a thunderbolt... nobody can tie down a thunderbolt and nobody can take for his own the ra*ture of the other.”  “In the )un+le, the one who survives is the one who oves.”  “8or+ive e, y friend. That lousy +rin+o, he fucked us all u*.”  “Antonio Bolivar. You are like us, but you are not one of us. You should have killed hi with a *oisoned dart then all of his coura+e would have been ca*tured in his e9*ression. How can I shrink that head, when in life it has been frozen into that ask of fear and *ain! %y eternal isery.”  “I a Antonio Bolivar. I have coe to ca*ture your coura+e.”  “It was a kiss of i*assioned intensity. A kiss to reeber their lives by.” 

Useful Links:

 The Age review of the *lm# http#CCwww.theage.com.auCarticlesC;EC