The War of the End of the World: Analysis of Major Characters
"The War of the End of the World" explores a tumultuous period in Brazilian history through its complex characters, each representing various social, political, and ideological perspectives. Central to the narrative is Antônio Conselheiro, a charismatic mystic who claims divine authority and becomes a leader to a community of followers in Canudos. His message of love, peace, and apocalypse resonates with those seeking refuge from the encroaching republican government. Galileo Gall, a Scottish utopian anarchist, views Canudos as a beacon of fraternity, while Epaminondas Gonçalves and Baron de Canabrava epitomize political ambition and manipulation, each using the conflict to further their own agendas. Other characters, like the nearsighted journalist and Rufino, a local guide, serve to highlight the theme of perspective amidst chaos, with the journalist's ineptitude symbolizing a broader ignorance of historical truths. The narrative also examines themes of violence and oppression, particularly through the character of Jurema, who experiences brutal personal violations that parallel the overarching political strife. Together, these characters illustrate the multifaceted nature of conflict and the struggle for identity and autonomy in a changing world.
The War of the End of the World: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Mario Vargas Llosa
First published: La guerra del fin del mundo, 1981 (English translation, 1984)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Brazil, primarily the backlands
Plot: Historical
Time: The late 1890's
The Counselor, whose name is Antônio Conselheiro, a tall, thin, and bearded man with fiery eyes, of mysterious identity and origins. He proclaims that he has been sent by God to become the lord of Canudos. This backlands mystic cloaked in a purple tunic begins to develop a following in the interior of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Predicting the end of the present world and the beginning of a new one, he gradually becomes a symbol and leader for those who remain committed to the monarchy. He preaches an errant Christian message of love, peace, and repentance, of death and judgment. He and several thousand of his followers establish a community at an abandoned cattle ranch called Canudos, where they plan to wait out the apocalyptic developments that he has predicted. Rejecting the advances of the encroaching republican civilization, they refuse to pay taxes and also shelter numerous backlands outlaws. The insecure new federal government eventually crushes this “revolt” in 1897.
Galileo Gall, the alias of a Scottish-born utopian anarchist and phrenologist. This libertarian intellectual views Canudos idealistically as a model of human fraternity, only superficially cluttered by religion. In his view, the Canudos movement is the beginning of a revolution that ultimately will end the tyranny of the state.
Epaminondas Gonçalves (eh-pah-mee-NOHN-dahs gohn-SAHL-vehz), the ruthless young leader of the Progressivist Republican Party and the ambitious editor of the Jornal de Noticias. He attempts to use the rebellion in the backlands to bring ultimate discredit to the remnants of the empire.
Baron de Canabrava (kah-nah-BRAH-vah), an unscrupulous politician and head of Bahia's Autonomist Party. He represents the local elite. In response to attacks from both sides, he attempts to turn matters to his own favor by accusing the republicans of inciting the entire episode.
Rufino (rrew-FEE-noh), a tracker and guide from Quijingue. A young, suspicious man with a thin, supple body and an angular, weather-beaten face, he has been hired by Galileo Gall to take the latter to Canudos.
The nearsighted journalist, an ugly, inept, and unnamed individual whose mission is to report on the campaign against Canudos. He breaks his glasses and cannot see anything during the destruction of the religious community, symbolically taking a myopic view of historical events. His character, one of the most memorable and believable in a novel devoted to the clash of monolithic social forces, performs a consistently subversive function in the narrative by indulging in self-parodying remarks. He also serves as one of Vargas Llosa's surrogate authors.
Jurema (zhew-RRAY-mah), Rufino's young wife, Gall's victim, and the journalist's lover. Considered as nothing more than a domestic animal by Gall, she is raped by him in an intense scene of physical violence. Her rape underscores the relationship between sexual and political repression in the novel.