Don Goyo: Analysis of Major Characters
"Don Goyo: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the intricate relationships and conflicts among characters in a narrative centered around the themes of tradition, exploitation, and identity. The story features Don Goyo Quimi, a 150-year-old patriarch who is revered among the cholos, a community of part-Indians. He grapples with the encroachment of white settlers, notably Don Carlos, who initially appears to support the local community but ultimately exploits them. The character of Cusumbo, a young highlander, adds depth to the narrative as he seeks redemption through love and labor, aligning his fate with the cholos’ plight.
Don Goyo's wisdom is symbolized through the mangrove trees, which represent both his people and their connection to the land. The narrative also highlights Gertru Quimi, Don Goyo's daughter, who navigates her relationship with Cusumbo amidst the sociopolitical tensions. The conflict escalates with Don Leitón, a mangrove cutter who challenges Don Goyo's authority, embodying the struggle between tradition and modernity. Overall, the character dynamics reflect broader themes of cultural preservation and resistance against external forces, making it a poignant exploration of identity and community resilience.
Don Goyo: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Demetrio Aguilera Malta
First published: 1933 (English translation, 1942)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Islands off the coast of Ecuador
Plot: Realism
Time: Undefined
Don Goyo Quimi (GOY-oh KEE-mee), the first inhabitant of the islands and founder of the town of Cerrito de Morrenos. He is a 150-year-old patriarch who commands the respect and obedience of all the cholos (part-Indians). Although he has heard unfavorable reports about the conduct of white men, he recruits cholos to help Don Carlos. When he sees that the cholos are being exploited, he convinces them to abandon Don Carlos to work for themselves again. The oldest mangrove tree warns him that white men have come to corrupt and rob the cholos. Don Goyo gives the cholos the message of the mangrove tree and tells them to stop harvesting mangrove trees. By cutting down mangrove trees, the cholos are cutting themselves down because they are made of mangrove. After the cholos indicate that they are going to resume cutting down mangrove trees anyway, Don Goyo disappears, then dies with the oldest mangrove tree. The cholos find him tangled in its fallen branches.
Cusumbo (kew-SEWM-boh), a young highlander who comes to the islands to escape prosecution for murdering his boss and his wife when he had caught them making love. As a highlander, he had worked for the landowner by cultivating rice, fishing, and caring for dairy cattle. After he comes to the islands, he fishes for a livelihood until he falls in love with Gertru, who insists that she will marry only a mangrove cutter. He becomes a mangrove cutter to please her and to make enough money to marry her. When he becomes infected with a venereal disease, he is cured by Don Goyo after hospital treatment is unsuccessful. He asks Gertru to marry him after they both witness an apparition of a triumphant Don Goyo after his death.
Gertrudis (Gertru) Quimi (hehr-TREW-dees), the sensible daughter of Don Goyo and his second wife, Doña Andrea. She resists Cusumbo's amorous advances at first because she wants a commitment from him. She accepts Cusumbo's marriage proposal after her father's death.
Don Carlos, a tall, blond, blue-eyed white man who settled on the islands with his family. He claims to want to improve life on the islands for everyone and solicits Don Goyo's help in securing the cooperation of the cholos. After providing some initial prosperity, Don Carlos begins to cheat the workers, and they fall into debt. Before Don Goyo's death, he plots the seizure of Don Goyo's island, trying to find out if Don Goyo has papers to substantiate his claim on the land.
Don Leitón (lay-TOHN), a mangrove cutter who leads the opposition to Don Goyo's sanction against mangrove tree cutting. After the cutters unsuccessfully try to earn a living fishing for a few days, he speaks up for the others and asks Don Goyo for permission to return to mangrove tree cutting.