Chicoria
Adapted in Spanish by José Griego y Maestas.
Retold in English by Rudolfo A. Anaya.
Setting: A big ranch in California.
Characters:
Chicoria
The Master
The Servant
New Mexicans
Plot:
Exposition
There were many new Mexicans in California, working on ranches, and the owners asked the new Mexicans if they knew poets, to which they responded with a "yes."
Rising Action
When the harvest was ready, the New Mexicans went home and looked for poets. They take Chicoria, a Mexican poet, that no Californio could imitate his melody and composition.
Climax
Chicoria meets with the master of the ranch at a dinner, and bets with a new Mexican that he was going to be invited to dinner while he told the Master all his inspirations. But it was not like that, because the only one who was going to eat was the Master and his friend.
Falling Action
The master began to ask him multiple questions about Mexico and how he was inspired, while Chicoria tried to make him realize that what the Master was doing looked bad, eating without inviting his guest.
Resolution
Chicoria made a comparison between the goats so that the Master would let him sit down to eat at the table next to him and he left it since he understood his message.
Theme: Listen to others and put yourself in their position; hard work and bondage.
Mood: A neutral and calm position.
Tone: Informal and expectant.
Voice: An omniscient 3rd person.
Conflict
Here the conflict is external, because he had problems with the Master and the New Mexicans.
Man vs. Self
Chicoria was very convinced that the Master was going to give him his food and bet with other Mexicans since things should be as he said, but it ended up being very different.
Man vs. Man
Here we can see the conflict between the master and Chicoria, when they were at the table and could not eat. So he decides to give her clues to let him eat, but the Master does not understand.
Man vs. Society
The contempt of a higher society, that people from lower strata are not so well seen and are seen as slaves, therefore they cannot obtain those benefits.
Man vs. Nature
When Chicoria made the comparison between the goats so that the Master would let him sit down to eat at the table next to him.
End by Me…
The end of the story is about how the two end up having dinner together regardless of social class. But in my end, the master does not let him sit next to him, so he gathers all the New Mexicans, including the servant and they begin to make a peaceful march to defend labor rights, since it did not seem fair because the Master was who invited him and does not treat him as he deserves. After so long, the marches became a bit aggressive and inadvertently they hurted the Master, therefore they were all fired and against Chicoria who was the one who invented his revenge for no reason, because in the end, the ranch belongs to the Master, not his.
Illustration:
