And The Earth Did Not Devour Him Analysis

Between Earth and Sun “And the Earth Did Not Devour Him” by Tomás Rivera peers into the life of a young hispanic migrant worker as he begins to question God’s discernment. Marcos, the young boy the story follows, along with his father and younger brother, work the fields under the unrelenting heat of the sun day in and day out. Eventually the barrage of sun rays strikes Marcos’ father and nine year old brother with heatstroke. This unjustified act of God pushes the Narrator into a fit of crying rage where he contemplates divine authority and curses God for the first time in his life, ironically leaving him with an elevated sense of vigor. “And the Earth’s…” central idea is that if one challenges the authority placed over them they may feel empowered. As a poor migrant worker, Marcos has experienced firsthand the sicknesses of the land. As he watches his mother laboriously pray to a distant God for the recovery of his father, Marcos begins to recognize the futility of washing …show more content…
The physical setting of a farm in south Texas allows Rivera to craft a sense of isolation. Thought the story, Marcos only interacts with his family and fellow field workers, strengthening the idea that he has nowhere to turn to express his disdain for his laborious lifestyle and growing distaste for God. The temporal setting of the late 40’s or early 50’s lends greatly to the story’s sense of hopelessness. Marcos’ Mother’s view that “only death brings us rest” (3) expresses a common viewpoint of hispanic field workers before the Cesar Chavez movement for civil rights. The hispanic culture of “And the Earth…” greatly impact Rivera’s storytelling as he sprinkles in Spanish words like “M’ijo” and “Viejo” (1) to create a sense of culture. The strong Catholic imagery moves the story forward as is overwhelms the reader with depictions of catholic ceremonies and intense prayer, making it easy to understand Marco’s frustration with the distant

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And The Earth Did Not Devour Him Analysis

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