I, the Supreme: Analysis of Major Characters
"I, the Supreme" explores the complex character dynamics within the regime of José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, the supreme dictator of Paraguay. Francia is depicted as a democratic idealist whose noble intentions are compromised by the realities of governing an uneducated populace amidst external imperialist pressures. Over time, he succumbs to the allure of absolute power, retreating into isolation while grappling with the decay of his ideals and his legacy.
Accompanying Francia is Policarpo Patiño, his fearful and sycophantic personal secretary, whose incompetence and ignorance often lead to both comic and tragic outcomes. In contrast, Juan Parish Robertson, an opportunistic English adventurer, initially enjoys Francia's hospitality before betraying him for personal gain, revealing the unpredictability of foreign alliances. Pilar the Black, Francia's servant, embodies rebellion and identity confusion, ultimately leading to a tragic confrontation with his master.
General Manuel Belgrano, an Argentine adversary turned friend, contrasts with Antonio Manoel Correia da Camara, a treacherous Brazilian envoy. The character of Sultan, Francia’s dog, serves as an idealistic reflection of the dictator's failures. Together, these characters illustrate the intricate interplay of power, loyalty, and betrayal within a tumultuous historical context.
I, the Supreme: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Augusto Roa Bastos
First published: Yo, el Supremo, 1974 (English translation, 1986)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Asunción, Paraguay
Plot: Historical
Time: 1800–1840
José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (hoh-SEH GAHS-pahr rrohd-REE-gehs deh FRAHN-see-ah) the supreme dictator of the newly formed Republic of Paraguay. Although he is fundamentally a democratic idealist and believes in the models provided by the United States and France, his experience with the recently liberated population of Paraguay has frustrated his enlightened intentions. Because of his compatriots' lack of education and the imperialist pressures from other emergent republican states such as Argentina and Brazil, he finds himself forced to assume increasingly greater dictatorial powers. Eventually, he succumbs to the seduction of absolute power, assumes the direct control of all areas of government, and withdraws into the secure isolation of his palace. He spends the majority of his time dictating orders to his subordinates and attempting to justify his betrayal of his own ideals. The last few weeks of his life are filled with a sense of decay and disintegration into absolute impotence and fear for his image in posterity.
Policarpo Patiño (poh-lee-KAHR-poh pah-TEEN-yoh), the dictator's constant companion and personal secretary. Essentially a fearful, obsequious, hypocritical mouse of a man, preoccupied more with his creature comforts than with great ideals, Patiño transcribes Francia's dictation and listens to his monologues on a variety of topics. Terrified of the dictator and his tempers, he spends his time contradicting himself in an effort to placate and ingratiate. He is also fond of narrating long tales taken from local superstition and gossip that both interest and enrage his master. He is ignorant and uneducated, and he consistently makes mistakes in the written text of Francia's discourse. At times, his ignorance borders on the comic, as he transposes letters in words to form unconscious plays on words and vulgarities. The dying dictator mockingly sentences him to death and ignominy in one final decree, reducing Patiño to babbling terror.
Juan Parish Robertson, a well-educated English adventurer whose travels bring him and his brother Roberto to Paraguay. The brothers are initially welcomed by the dictator, who befriends them and passes long evenings entertaining them in the palace. They prove to be extremely opportunistic, a characteristic best represented by Juan Robertson's torrid affair with Juana Esquivel, the wealthy octogenarian next-door neighbor of Francia, who showers the young foreigner with gifts and attention. When the dictator requests that they act as intermediaries to sell Paraguayan products to the English Crown, they accept the mission and then betray their benefactor in favor of more lucrative enterprises. Upon their return to civilization, they write two scathing accounts of their adventure, attacking Francia as a monster who maintains his subjects in subhuman conditions and a perpetual reign of terror.
Pilar the Black (pee-LAHR), Francia's trusted personal valet and general servant. Initially portrayed as obedient, he later becomes rebellious. He steals small items from the government to support an Indian woman he loves and their unborn child. One day, he enters the dictator's office and assumes his clothing and identity, becoming virtually indistinguishable from his master. When Francia returns, Pilar goes wild and attacks him, but the guards cannot tell them apart. The dictator is finally obliged to execute him as a traitor but is haunted by guilt afterward.
General Manuel Belgrano (mahn-WEHL behl-GRAHnoh), an Argentine general sent by his government to subdue the Paraguayan provinces. The campaign is not successful; the idealistic Belgrano realizes that the Paraguayan army is prepared to defend the country to the death. He consequently withdraws his forces and later returns as a negotiator to establish a diplomatic alliance. The dictator is touched by the integrity and honor displayed by his former enemy, and they become close friends.
Antonio Manoel Correia da Camara (mah-noh-EHL koh-RRAY-ah dah KAH-mah-rah), a treacherous and deceitful Brazilian envoy sent to negotiate border disputes. He is the diametric opposite of his Argentine counterpart, Belgrano. Where the latter is honest and forthright, Correia is underhanded and secretive.
Bernardo Velazco (beh-LAHS-koh), a loyal royalist governor of Paraguay who becomes a lifelong enemy of Francia, primarily as a result of ideological differences. He attacks the dictator's policies and human nature in a series of letters.
Sultan, Francia's idealistic dog and the dictator's alter ego. He enjoys spending his evenings debating the Robertson brothers on diverse political and mythical topics. At the end, he becomes the primary voice of accusation against the dictator's weaknesses.