Tell Them Not to Kill Me! by Juan Rulfo
"Tell Them Not to Kill Me!" is a poignant short story by Mexican author Juan Rulfo, centered around the character of Juvencio Nava. Set against the backdrop of rural Mexico, the narrative unfolds as Juvencio pleads for his life from his son, Justino, after being arrested for a crime committed decades earlier: the murder of his neighbor, Don Lupe. The story explores themes of fear, guilt, and the consequences of past actions, as Juvencio reflects on the feud that led to Don Lupe's death, prompted by disputes over grazing rights during a drought.
As an elderly man facing execution, Juvencio's memories reveal a life spent in hiding, marked by a constant dread of retribution. His past actions not only haunt him but also resonate through the lives of those around him, particularly with the revelation that the colonel overseeing his execution is the son of Don Lupe. The narrative culminates in a tragic conclusion, highlighting the cyclical nature of violence and the inescapable grip of the past. Rulfo's work is characterized by its evocative prose and deep exploration of human emotions, making it a significant contribution to Latin American literature.
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Tell Them Not to Kill Me! by Juan Rulfo
First published: "Díles que no me maten!" 1953 (English translation, 1959)
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of work: The early twentieth century
Locale: Jalisco, Mexico
Principal Characters:
Juvencio Nava , the owner of a small farm and herd, an escaped criminalJustino , his sonColonel Terreros , the son of a man whom he murdered
The Story
Juvencio Nava cries out, "Tell them not to kill me!," pleading with his son, Justino, to help him. Juvencio, who is in his sixties, has just been arrested for a crime he had committed thirty-five or forty years earlier. At first, Justino is reluctant to interfere, fearing that the police or the soldiers may arrest him too or even shoot him. Then there will be no one left to care for his wife and children. He finally relents and offers to see what he can do to assist his father.
As he waits, tied to a post, Juvencio recalls the past events that led up to his present predicament and circumstances. Years earlier he killed Don Lupe, his neighbor and the landowner in the areas of Alima and Puerta de Piedras. The two men had been feuding over grazing and water rights during a particularly dry spell. Don Lupe refused to let Juvencio's animals graze on his property. After several warnings, Don Lupe finally killed one of Juvencio's animals for wandering onto his land. In retaliation, Juvencio killed Don Lupe.
Juvencio then bribed the judge to release him and bribed the posse not to follow him, but they came after him anyway. He finally escaped and went into hiding with his son in Palo de Venado. He later learned that Don Lupe's widow had soon died; their two small children had been sent far away to live with relatives. Therefore, Juvencio thought that he might be relatively safe and that the incident would gradually be forgotten. He still lived in fear of detection, however, hiding out or going on the run whenever he heard that outsiders or strangers were in the area.
Meanwhile, Juvencio's son grew up, married a woman named Ignacia, and fathered eight children. Juvencio's own wife abruptly left him one day, but he dared not go searching for her because he still feared capture. He did not want to leave his hiding place to go into town. All he had left to save was his own life. He thought and hoped that after so much time, he would finally be left in peace, an old man in his last years, a threat to no one.
Now they have arrested him after all. They have even tied him up, even though he is too old and weak to try to escape. They say that they will execute him. After so many years of dodging capture and death, he cannot imagine being caught and dying so suddenly now. He simply cannot accept the dreadful idea. He continues to think and to hope, pondering a possible way out, but he can find none. He wonders if he can convince his captors to release him, but he is afraid to speak to them. He remembers when he first saw the men coming, back on his own land, as they came trampling his field. Instead of hiding or fleeing, he went down to tell them not to damage his bit of property. That was a very serious mistake, a very foolish and costly error. He was caught, and none of the four men would respond to his pleas for mercy.
The group's sergeant finally stands up in front of the door to the headquarters, speaking with his colonel, who remains inside. Only the colonel's voice can be heard as the sergeant relays his questions to Juvencio about the town of Alima and the Terreros family. Eventually the colonel reveals that he is the son of Don Lupe, that he grew up as an orphan, deprived of his father's protection. He learned several facts about the brutal nature of his father's murder. He tried to forget this information but could not. He had vowed to capture his father's murderer because he could not forgive such a man; he could not permit him to continue living.
The colonel then orders that Juvencio be shot by the firing squad. Juvencio pleads for his life, repeating that he is no threat because he is so old and worthless; he says that he has been punished enough through all the years of living in fear and hiding, plagued by constant dread. The colonel finally tells his men to get Juvencio drunk first, before the time of execution, so that he will not feel the bullets.
In the final scene, Justino returns to collect Juvencio's body. The son places his father's body on a burro and covers his father's head with a sack, because the corpse is shocking to see. As he departs, heading home to arrange his father's funeral, Justino thinks that the family will hardly recognize the old man, he was so full of holes.