The Time of the Hero: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Time of the Hero" is a novel that explores the lives of cadets at the Leoncio Prado Military Academy in Lima, Peru, focusing on their personal struggles, friendships, and moral dilemmas. The story revolves around key characters like Porfirio Cava, a highlander cadet whose ambition to rise in the military is thwarted after he gets court-martialed for theft on behalf of his peers. Another prominent figure is Alberto Fernández Temple, a bourgeois poet whose complex relationships with women and feelings of guilt shape his experience at the academy.
Jaguar, the group's fearless leader, embodies a rebellious spirit as he navigates the harsh realities of academy life, ultimately leading to violent actions and a realization of loneliness after betraying a friend. In contrast, Ricardo Arana, marginalized by his peers, seeks acceptance but ultimately faces tragic consequences for his desperation. The narrative further portrays Lieutenant Gamboa, a strict officer caught in the moral complexities of military discipline, and Teresa, who becomes a focal point of affection among the cadets. This intricate web of relationships and conflicts highlights themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the struggle for identity within a rigid institution. Each character's journey reflects the broader societal themes of class, morality, and the harsh realities of military life.
The Time of the Hero: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Mario Vargas Llosa
First published: La ciudad y los perros, 1962 (English translation, 1966)
Genre: Novel
Locale: The military academy Leoncio Prado in Lima, Peru
Plot: Bildungsroman
Time: The 1950's
Porfirio Cava (pohr-FEE-ree-oh KAH-vah), a cadet in the Leoncio Prado Military Academy in Lima, Peru. A highlander with a peasant background, he has chosen to attend the academy because he plans a career in the military. He is one of four members of “the Circle,” a group of cadets formed for mutual protection and support. After a losing roll of the dice, he is obligated to steal a chemistry examination for the Circle. During the late-night theft, he accidentally breaks a window. This evidence, coupled with information supplied by the informant Arana, leads to his court-martial and expulsion, ending his chance for a career in the military and the concomitant improvement in economic and social status.
Alberto Fernández Temple (ahl-BEHR-toh fehr-NAHNdehs TEHM-pleh), the Poet, the bourgeois intellectual of the Circle, a cadet whose wit and skill at writing love letters and pornographic stories are admired by the other cadets. His father is a womanizer and his mother a complainer. Like his father, Alberto is preoccupied with women. First he was infatuated with Helena; after she broke off their relationship, his grades suffered and his father sent him to the academy to teach him discipline. Alberto has his first sexual experience with Golden Toes, the prostitute who has serviced half of his class. At the request of Ricardo, who cannot get a pass, he agrees to meet with Teresa. He takes her to see films, is smitten, and continues to date her. Sustaining a friendship with Ricardo and a relationship with Teresa troubles his conscience. When Ricardo is murdered, Alberto is so overwhelmed with guilt that he denounces the murderer before Lieutenant Gamboa. Academy officials ignore the facts, and nothing is done. As the novel ends, Alberto has finished the academy with high marks, has received a gift from his father as a reward, and will probably go to the United States to study engineering. Influenced by his circle of bourgeois friends outside the academy, he drops Teresa and begins dating Marcela. He probably will repeat his father's philandering ways.
Jaguar (hah-GHWAHR), the leader of the Circle, a violent, fearless cadet who shows his class how to stand up to and beat the system. Before entering the academy, he fell in love with Teresa, but after an argument, they went their separate ways. Poor, his father dead, and his mother old, Jaguar was living with the criminal Skinny Higueras and was leading a life of crime until most of his cohorts were caught during a robbery attempt. After going without food and sleeping in the open, Jaguar finally turned to his godfather, who put him to work in exchange for room and board. With the help of his godfather's wife (whom he had to satisfy sexually), Jaguar has entered the academy, where he has become a natural leader and fighter. He organizes the class and his followers to resist the upperclassmen. He teaches them that there are no moral limits to protecting the group. When Cava is betrayed, Jaguar murders the betrayer, Arana. Jaguar's subsequent ostracism from the group, however, makes him aware of how lonely Arana must have been. Remorseful, Jaguar confesses his crime, but the academy is not interested. In the end, he marries Teresa.
Ricardo Arana (rree-KAHR-doh ah-RAHN-ah), the Slave, a timid and shy cadet whom the other cadets ostracize. He has been reared by his mother and his Aunt Adelina in the regional town of Chiclayo; his father was absent during his early upbringing. Suddenly uprooted from this environment and brought to Lima, where his mother moved to live with his father again, Ricardo learned to avoid his father and most social interaction. His father concluded that Ricardo was a mama's boy, ill-adapted to face the world, and saw the military academy as a remedy for these shortcomings in his son. Ricardo has willingly agreed to enroll, but he is not accepted by the other cadets. They make fun of him, abuse him, and exploit his unwillingness to fight back. He finds some solace in his friendship with Alberto and is infatuated with Teresa. Having been confined to the academy, he becomes so desperate for a pass to see his mother that he informs the authorities that Cava stole the examination. In revenge, Ricardo is murdered in an “accident” during a field exercise. The authorities cover up the incident and blame the death on the cadet himself.
Boa, a cadet who sexually molests chickens and his dog Skimpy. He is a member of the Circle and a loyal follower of its leader, Jaguar.
Lieutenant Gamboa (gahm-BOH-ah), a tough, no-nonsense, model officer who believes in a fair and consistent application of the rules and discipline. He reports the murder but finds his career threatened by superiors, who cover up the scandal.
Teresa (teh-REH-sah), a young woman whose interest in Ricardo and Alberto probably results from their higher economic and social background. She finally marries Jaguar.