And the Earth Did Not Part by Tomás Rivera
"And the Earth Did Not Part" by Tomás Rivera is a significant work in Chicano literature, focusing on the experiences of a young boy growing up in a Mexican American migrant family. The novel employs a unique structure, comprising a series of disjointed narratives, including twelve stories and thirteen vignettes, each narrated from different perspectives. This fragmented storytelling reflects the disruptive reality of migrant life, where constant movement and poverty create a sense of disconnection and loss of identity. Central themes include the struggles of migrant farmworkers, the search for self amidst cultural conflict, and the burden of poverty, all of which are explored through the boy's journey into adulthood. The narrative touches on profound subjects, such as sin, faith, and the impact of social injustices, while also providing glimpses of beauty and hope. Ultimately, Rivera's work captures the complexities of existence for those living on the margins, making it both a poignant and accessible exploration of the Chicano experience. The novel has enjoyed multiple reprints and adaptations, underscoring its lasting impact on readers and its contribution to literature.
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Subject Terms
And the Earth Did Not Part by Tomás Rivera
First published:. . . y no se lo trago la tierra/ . . . and the earth did not part, 1971 (also as This Migrant Earth, 1985; . . . and the earth did not devour him, 1987)
The Work
And the Earth Did Not Part, Tomás Rivera’s only published novel, exerted a great influence on the blossoming of Chicano literature. The book explores the psychological and external circumstances of a boy who is coming of age in a Mexican American migrant family. The novel is a collection of disjointed narratives, including twelve stories and thirteen vignettes, told with various voices. This unusual structure evokes impressions of a lifestyle in which the continuity of existence is repeatedly broken by forced migration, in which conflicting values tug at the emerging self, and in which poverty creates a deadening sameness that erases time.
The story begins with “The Lost Year,” which indicates the boy has lost touch with his identity and with the reality of events. Several sections portray the dismal, oppressed condition of migrant farmworkers. “Hand in His Pocket” tells of a wicked couple—immigrants who prey on their own people. In “A Silvery Night,” the boy first calls the devil, then decides that the devil does not exist. Religious awakening continues in the title chapter, in which the boy curses God and is not punished—the earth remains solid.
The nature of sin, the mystery of sex, and the injustices and tragedies visited upon his people are all confusing to the boy. Brief moments of beauty are eclipsed by injuries and horrible deaths. A mother struggles to buy a few Christmas presents for her children and is thwarted by the disturbing confusion and noise of the town. In a swindle, a family loses their only photograph of a son killed in the Korean War. Bouncing from place to place in rickety trucks, the workers lose all sense of continuity. The boy becomes a man, hiding under his house. The final scene offers a glimmer of hope, as he climbs a tree and imagines that someone in another tree can see him.
The simple language and humble settings make the book accessible, but the novel’s unique structure and symbolism present challenges to the reader. And the Earth Did Not Part has been reprinted several times, and a retelling in English (This Migrant Earth, 1985) was published by Rolando Hinojosa. A film version, And the Earth Did Not Swallow Him, was released in 1994.
Bibliography
Casañeda-Shular, Antonia, Tomás Ybarro-Frauto, and Joseph Sommers, eds. Chicano Literature: Text and Context. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1972. A helpful resource for information on Mexican American intellectual life, history, criticism, and literature and on Rivera’s place in the Chicano literary canon.
Grajeda, Ralph F. “Tomás Rivera’s Appropriation of the Chicano Past.” In Modern Chicano Writers: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Joseph Sommers and Tomás Ybarra-Frausto. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1979. Grajeda does an excellent job of analyzing and putting Rivera’s novel into historical context.
Kanellos, Nicolas, ed. “Thomás Rivera.” In The Hispanic Literary Companion. Detroit: Visible Ink, 1996. Includes criticism of Rivera’s novel, a biography, and his short story “Zoo Island.”
Olivares, Julian, ed. International Studies of Tomás Rivera. Houston, Tex.: Arte Público Press, 1986.
Olivares, Julian, ed. Tomás Rivera: The Complete Works. Houston, Tex.: Arte Público Press, 1991.
Rivera, Tomás. The Man and His Work. Edited by Vernon E. Lattin, Rolando Hinojosa, and Gary D. Keller. Tempe, Ariz.: Bilingual Review Press, 1988.
Tatum, Charles M. “Contemporary Chicano Novel.” In Chicano Literature. Boston: Twayne, 1982. Beginning with early Chicano novels such as José Antonio Villareal’s Pocho (1959), this chapter places Rivera’s novel at the forefront of modern Chicano literature.