One Day of Life: Analysis of Major Characters
"One Day of Life" is a poignant narrative that captures the struggles and resilience of a peasant family in Chalatenango, El Salvador, against the backdrop of civil unrest and violence. The central character, Guadalupe (Lupe) Fuentes de Guardado, is a traditional matriarch who faces profound personal tragedies, including the murder of her son and the disappearance of her husband, while navigating her evolving beliefs about social justice and collective action. Her husband, José "Chepe" Guardado, is an activist dedicated to the Christian farmworkers' federation, advocating for the rights and improved living conditions of the workers, despite the constant threat of military violence.
Lupe's granddaughter, Adolfina, represents the new generation's activism, having participated in demonstrations for agricultural reform, showcasing her independence and commitment to social change. The narrative also includes María Pía, Lupe's daughter, who grapples with fear and loss, while other characters, such as María Romelia Ramírez, illustrate the harsh realities faced by those involved in the struggle. The presence of Corporal Martínez, a soldier with a disturbing worldview, highlights the complex dynamics of power and oppression in their society. Overall, the story presents a rich tapestry of familial bonds, cultural heritage, and the fight for justice, inviting readers to reflect on the resilience of those living under oppressive circumstances.
One Day of Life: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Manlio Argueta
First published: Un día en la vida, 1980 (English translation, 1983)
Genre: Novel
Locale: El Salvador
Plot: Social
Time: The 1970's to the 1980's
Guadalupe (Lupe) Fuentes de Guardado (gwah-dah-LEWpeh FWEHN-tehs deh gwahr-DAH-doh), a forty-two-year-old, superstitious, earthy, traditional matriarch of a peasant family in Chalatenango, El Salvador. She displays a sense of humor, humaneness, and generosity in the account of a day in her life, in which she tells of her son Justino's murder (by decapitation) by special military forces, the search for her granddaughter by the same forces, and the capture, beating, mutilation, and apparent murder of her husband. She speaks of her earlier ambivalence toward the Christian farmworkers' federation to which many of her family members dedicate their lives. She reports being finally convinced that her husband's concept of “awareness” (heightened consciousness) is appropriate for a class that must become self-reliant and demand its rights. Lupe is admired by the other townspeople for her strength and stoicism in the face of tragedy.
José “Chepe” Guardado (hoh-SEH CHEH-peh), an enthusiastic activist and leader in the Christian farmworkers'federation, an excellent storyteller and folksinger capable of good humor and self-effacement. His association with the federation caused him to give up drinking and gambling. Chepe is seen as a great teacher and insists that the farmworkers must achieve a new awareness and conscience to achieve their rights and an improvement in their living standards. Chepe, like most men in this area, must spend nights in the hills for fear of being apprehended in his own home by the military authorities.
Adolfina Hernández Guardado (ah-dohl-FEE-nah ehrNAHN-dehs), the fifteen-year-old granddaughter of Lupe and Chepe, well educated (to the fifth grade), independent, and extremely active in the federation. She has taken part in a demonstration at a bank to demand cheaper fertilizer and seeds and was part of the group that “took” the cathedral to protest the growing brutality of the authorities in Chalatenango. Adolfina, at an earlier age thought to be rebellious by her mother, is the best example of her grandfather Chepe's concept of awareness. María Pía, her mother, sends her to her grandparents' home in Chalatenango out of concern that the authorities might be looking for her. Her bus trip from Ilobasco to Chalatenango is a hot, dusty, overcrowded, and noisy experience that vividly illustrates Third World reality.
Corporal Martínez (mahr-TEE-nehs), the only named authority or special forces trooper. He hails from the same class and background as the other characters, but his training and education as an “authority” have made him an outsider in their midst. He is known as Ticha's son. He is hardhearted, cold, and foul-tongued, and he possesses a confusing array of disconnected concepts concerning national security and communist conspiracy that provide a spine-chilling litany of self-hatred, racism, and feelings of cultural inferiority.
María Pía Guardado Fuentes de Hernández, the oldest of Lupe's surviving children. Her husband, Helio, has disappeared after participating in a bank demonstration. She fears for her daughter and sends her to spend time with her grandmother in Chalatenango. María Pía is beaten by the authorities in a night raid in which they also destroy her house.
María Romelia Ramírez (rroh-MEH-lee-ah rrah-MEErehs), a protester wounded in the hand at the bank demonstration. Her father, Emilio Ramírez, an organizer of farmworkers, has disappeared, as has her cousin, Arturo, who participated in the demonstration with her. María Romelia, coolheaded and confident, gives the most chilling account of Justino's decapitation and praises the stoic patience of Lupe and Chepe.
Rubenia Fuentes (rrew-BEHN-ee-ah), Lupe's mother, who tells of the 1932 massacre that occurred in Santa Tecla. Rubenia's appearance in the novel completes four generations of women from the same family who tell their stories.