Three Trapped Tigers: Analysis of Major Characters
"Three Trapped Tigers" explores a rich tapestry of characters, each representing different aspects of human experience and the quest for identity. Bustrófedon, whose name reflects his fascination with the duality of language, embodies creativity and self-discovery through words. In contrast, Silvestre, a would-be writer, grapples with his obsession for the past and seeks to impose order on the chaos of existence through his memories. Arsenio Cué, a professional actor, blurs the lines between his personal and professional lives, using humor and role-playing as a shield against the disarray of his environment. Meanwhile, Códac, a photojournalist, transitions from a superficial observer to a participant in political realities, highlighting the tension between surface appearances and deeper truths. Eribó, a struggling bongo player, navigates a disillusioning relationship with Vivian Smith Corona, illustrating the often futile nature of romantic connections in a fragmented society. Lastly, La Estrella, despite societal perceptions of unattractiveness, captivates with her exceptional singing talent, embodying the complex interplay of beauty and ugliness. Together, these characters reflect the themes of creativity, identity, and societal critique within the narrative, inviting readers to explore the intricate dynamics of human connection and cultural commentary.
Three Trapped Tigers: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Guillermo Cabrera Infante
First published: Tres tristes tigres, 1967 (English translation, 1971)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Havana, Cuba
Plot: Comic realism
Time: Summer, 1958
Bustrófedon (bews-TROH-feh-dohn), a character who embodies language and its creative potential. His name, of Greek origin, means “to write alternately from right to left and left to right.” He is fascinated with anything reversible: words, numbers, or concepts. He represents an appreciation of the potential of language and of the sheer joy of spontaneous and uninhibited creation. He is a character in the process of discovering and creating himself through language. After his death, he continues to live in the minds of many of the novel's characters.
Silvestre (seel-VEHS-treh), a would-be writer. Estranged from the present, he is obsessed with the past, preferring his memories over experiencing life. He is particularly concerned with ordering the chaos of existence by means of the written word. He is linked to one of the novel's major themes: humanity's attempt to comprehend the implications of formlessness.
Arsenio Cué (kew-EH), a professional actor and television star, and Silvestre's closest friend. His personal and professional lives merge to such an extent that they seem one and the same. He is so often playing a role that it is difficult to know who he is. His humor, his continual role-playing, and his dark sunglasses protect him from the outside world. His playful excursions into the world of fantasy have a serious purpose: He lives in a society that is wasting its energies in useless dissipation, yet he attempts to channel his activities into creative forces. His view is that the universe is dominated by chance rather than by order.
Códac (KOH-dak), a photojournalist. He is first a superficial recorder of the social scene, then later becomes involved in the more realistic and distasteful journalistic duties of photographing political reality during the last months of the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Although sensitive to visual reality, he is also able to appreciate the beauty beneath superficial appearances, underscoring one of the novel's major themes: the importance of re-creation instead of duplication, creation rather than sterility, and change rather than permanence.
Eribó (eh-ree-BOH), a lonely mulatto bongo player and would-be social climber. He becomes emotionally involved with Vivian Smith Corona, a spoiled and immature member of the upper class, but the relationship leads nowhere. Eribó recognizes the pathos of the situation and views it in ironic terms. His association with Vivian is typical of most of the relationships that exist between men and women in the novel. These relationships, essentially sterile and self-defeating, are also symptomatic of this society.
La Estrella (lah ehs-TREH-yah), a huge mulatta singer of boleros. Although she is obese and generally unattractive, she is an outstanding singer, capable of creating a purity of sound that moves everyone who hears her. La Estrella is a combination of the ugly and the beautiful, a symbol of life itself. Unique uses of language and sound by both her and Bustrófedon represent an attempt to return to origins as a means to capture the freshness of a new beginning. They are, however, an anomaly in a society that is committed to artificiality and illusion.