Diary of the War of the Pig: Analysis of Major Characters

Author: Adolfo Bioy Casares

First published: Diario de la guerra del cerdo, 1969 (English translation, 1972)

Genre: Novel

Locale: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Plot: Social satire

Time: The near future

Don Isidro Vidal (ee-SEE-droh vee-DAHL), an elderly widower, the novel's protagonist. Small and slightly built, he has a sharp fox's nose and a mustache. He is obsessively proud of his new set of false teeth. Don Isidro is the leader of a social group of elderly men, the “pigs” referred to in the novel's title, who are under attack and are being murdered by a group of young men. He is a compassionate individual who has faith in the fundamental brotherhood of humanity.

Isidorito Vidal (ee-see-dohr-EE-toh), Don Isidro's son. His meager earnings support both his father and himself. When the gang of youths begins to terrorize the town, Isidorito tries to placate both sides. He participates in the group's activities but sometimes warns the old men when they are targeted as victims. He is murdered by the group when he tries to save his father's life; they consider Isidorito a traitor.

Nélida (NEH-lee-dah), the young woman who falls in love with Don Isidro. She is engaged to a young man but breaks the engagement to be with Don Isidro, to whom she is increasingly drawn, as he is to her. When he fears for his life and attempts to hide from the youth group, she shelters him in her apartment.

Arturo Farrall (ahr-TEW-roh fah-RRAHL), the leader of the gang of youths, the “Young Turks,” whose death squads terrorize and murder the town's elderly citizens. The reasons he gives for the “war on the pigs” is that the population is growing too large and that the elderly are becoming a burden on society.

Néstor Labarthe (NEHS-tohr lah-BAHR-teh), an elderly friend of Don Isidro. He is the first of Vidal's group who is murdered. He is thrown over the stands and trampled at a soccer match. His brutal murder, in the presence and possibly with the consent of his own son, causes a serious split in the Young Turks between those who attempt to avoid danger by conforming and those who try to rebel against the terrorism of this youth-oriented society.

Leandro Rey (leh-AHN-droh ray), a Spanish-born elderly friend of Don Isidro. He is nicknamed “The Thinker” by the group of aging men. Unlike the others in the group, he is not retired: He works as a baker. He is described as cold, self-centered, tightfisted, and a formidable adversary in business or at the card table. He is also a terrible glutton.

James (Jimmy) Newman, a member of the group of elderly men. He is also called the “M. C.” because of his quick mind and lively manner. Of Irish descent, he is tall and ruddy cheeked, and he has a plump face. He always speaks in deadly earnest. He is kidnapped by the youth gang for a time and allegedly turns informer to obtain his release.

Dante Révora (DAHN-teh REH-voh-rah), a member of Don Isidro's group who tries desperately to look young by dyeing his hair. He has a reputation for being an educated man. He is terrified for his life and thinks that he can escape death by attempting to look younger than he is.

Lucio Arévalo (LEW-see-oh ah-REH-vah-loh), another member of Don Isidro's group, formerly a newspaperman. He is described as being extremely ugly. Usually ill-shaved, he has cigarette-stained hands and flecks of dandruff on his poncho. He is the picture of an asthmatic, ailing old man. Don Isidro considers it strange that no member of their group has ever set foot in Arévalo's house. Because of his longtime affair with a teenage girl, he ends up in the hospital, kicked and beaten by a gang of youths.