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The two texts include Riding’s essay “The Mexicans” and a chapter of Octavio Paz’s book, The Labyrinth of Solitude entitled “Mexican Masks” . The film was presented by the National Geographic Society as an overview of Mexican culture entitled The Mexicans: Through Their Eyes . All three representations of Mexican culture describe or exemplify one of the three themes mentioned and each source illustrates how the themes are incorporated into Mexican history and life. The notion of duality is widespread in descriptions of the culture. It seems everything pertaining to Mexicans or their way of thinking has both a light side and a dark side, every notion has opposing facets. As this concept may be difficult to relate to American culture, similarly the Mexican notion of death and fatalism is quite different from our own. In North America, there is a fear of death and subsequent struggle for longevity. In the United States, people want to feel young and live a good life before beginning their afterlife. The Mexicans have quite a different notion derived from indigenous cultures. Age is respected and death is celebrated, as Mexicans believe that life is a continuous journey in which life on earth plays a small part. Perhaps the most prevalent Mexican theme may be the notion of masks. This notion is contained everywhere in the culture, in the way people act and in the language. These three themes represent a wide range of the Mexican culture and its various aspects. The concept of duality is quite intriguing as it is represented in Mexican culture. Many different aspects of life have a light and dark side. Perhaps the most notable duality is the origin of the country from both Spanish and Indian descent. In Mexico there is a mixture of the two cultures as they combine to create a nation3. A Mexican of Spanish descent is called a Creole while one of mixed indigenous and Spanish descent is called a mestizo3. Both descents influence the Mexican culture as certain rites and traditions are derived from both. For example, the Day of the Dead is revived from indigenous heritage3. The mixing of Spanish and Indian ancestry in Mexico has been integral in the forming of the culture. The great metropolis of Mexico City has a strong representation of duality in itself. The bustling city has many dark and light sides and many opposing opinions and facets3. It seems Mexicans have a love/hate relationship with the city in that they complain about the many problems and difficulties while they enjoy the bright benefits of the culture including the robust culture3. For example, Mexico City residents may resent the crowds, traffic, and pollution of the city while they benefit from all the different cultures represented and the numerous opportunities presented3. The National Geographic film3 illustrated this through some of the art of Tomayo. For example, in one of his sculptures Tomayo carved a mask with two opposing sides. One side was normal while the other was deformed and unsightly3. Tomayo stated how his art represents the feelings and culture of Mexico and described how the sculpture represented the tragic and humorous comedy of Mexican culture, how sometimes Mexico frequently makes fun of tragedy3. The people of Mexico City also operate on this duality. Riding also illustrates duality in his essay. For example, the manner in which men treat women in Mexico forms a duality1. He describes how the mother in a Mexican family is treated with dignity, love, and respect1. Mothers are held on a high pedestal. However, the wife in a Mexican family is treated poorly and in an undignified manner. There are many such dualities in the way that Mexicans act. Paz, for instance, touches on the introspective nature of Mexican men and how they hold in their emotions and feelings2. On the other side of things, Mexicans release their emotions at fiestas and let go of themselves for a short while2. These are a few of many examples of how duality prevails through the Mexican way of life. The notion of Fatalism as derived from the indigenous cultures of Mexico is quite different from the North American ideas of death and afterlife. It is sometimes difficult to comprehend such notions with our one-sighted perceptions of death. In Mexico, the elderly are respected for their knowledge and experience in life3. The elderly are considered wise and are turned to for advice3. This differs considerably from the North American treatment of the elderly, as they are frequently considered incompetent and placed in homes for the elderly. Just as the Mexican perceptions of the elderly differ from North American culture, so does the understanding of death itself. The Mexicans believe that the spirit continues after death and that there is no end to a spirit’s presence on earth3. This idea is exemplified by the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead as it is derived from indigenous culture3. On the Day of the Dead, the souls of the dead return to earth to visit the living3. They are lured to the world of the living by sweet smelling flowers and decorations along with ceremony3. The Pre-Columbian idea of death is that there is no end and the customary North American sorrow of the grave is transformed into giving to loved ones; gifts are frequently left for the deceased3. Mexicans do not fear death, rather, they embrace it3. They challenge death knowing that their past heritage and spirit will remain alive3. Riding supports this notion in his essay as he states that “death is even mocked”(6)1 at times. He describes how, to Mexicans, birth and death are not interruptions, or important, to the continuation of life1. For this reason, Mexicans have a tendency not to plan ahead in life2. Insurance and retirement investment is not widespread, for example3. Mexicans believe that the future is already determined and that it cannot be affected2. There is no point in planning and concepts such as insurance are not widespread2. Although Mexican conceptions of death and fatalism are somewhat difficult to comprehend, it is interesting to see how a culture that is geographically so close can have such a differing concept. The theme of the Mexican mask is also a concept unfamiliar to the North American culture. It is something that encompasses the entire Mexican culture in different forms. The way Mexicans speak, act, and carry out their lives seems to be masked and hidden or made discreet in some way or another3. Mexicans tend not to be very expressive and do not exhibit their feelings or emotions3. The reality of life in Mexico is hidden behind masks or concealed in some manner. This is a strong theme of Mexican culture that influences many areas of life3. For example, one of the most popular sports of the country is professional wrestling3. There is strong support for the sport and its athletes as they are given great respect3. This may be due to the nature of the sport, how the wrestlers mask themselves to hide their identity and to fight as a mysterious character. The wrestlers don’t let their true emotions show and they are not expressive. They take on a new identity. The people of Mexico relate to this, as they too are not expressive; they find interest and amusement in the sport. The theme of the mask is yet another cultural aspect represented in the art of Tamayo. Many of his works are mysterious and illustrate a concealed face or human form3. He expresses how the Mexican way of life is often concealed and how the people tend to be introspective3. There are many examples of the mask in Mexican culture. One is expressed in the manner in which men act toward women1. As in many aspects of Mexican life, men fear deception and betrayal by women1. In order to avoid being hurt in such a case, men tend to not be expressive toward wives or other women. They do not readily express love or emotion to loved ones because they don’t want to become vulnerable2. Mexicans shut themselves out in order to protect themselves; without expression of feeling, nobody can get within the person to cause pain2. Paz introduces his essay by stating that the Mexican “seems to me to be a person who shuts himself away to protect himself: his face is a mask and so is his smile .” This is accepted in the culture for one who opens himself up is a coward and is weak2. The mask is considered justifiable considering Mexican history and the society that has been created2. Mexicans have a history of betrayal by foreign countries and close neighbors. They have been defeated time and time again by different powers. Therefore a defense must be put up to prevent a recurrence, and Mexicans accomplish this through the mask. They close themselves off and avoid any vulnerability. Almost anything can hurt a Mexican, as is exemplified by the mask of the language. The Mexican language is masked and discreet and often quite intricate. The language takes the form of a mask1. For example, different words of similar technical meaning can be quite different in their representation1. Subtle changes in the use of words or form of expression can make a difference in how a person is understood. A simple, courteous expression can turn into an insulting slander with the change of one word. Therefore, Mexicans speak with carefully chosen words that are presented intricately. Riding states that, “Using seemingly meaningless words and phrases, he can protect his emotions, avoid the risk of committing himself and even lavish praise without feeling servile .” The language of Mexico is a form of mask, a mask of protection. There are many such examples of this mask of protection throughout the Mexican people and culture. Mexico seems an interesting place with an interesting history and fascinating culture. It’s many facets, as compared to the North American culture, makes it quite amazing how a country so close can have so many different aspects. The many different themes of the culture make it that much more engaging. The duality of many aspects of life in Mexico causes almost everything to have a light and dark side. Although this can be intriguing, it can also be confusing if not kept in perspective. The Mexican notion of fatalism is so different than the North American ideal and it shows how much of a culture can be derived from the indigenous people of that region. The famous Mexican mask defines the Mexican people with their difficult history and introspective personalities. These three themes are important in an understanding of a place and culture so different yet similar to our own. Although it may be difficult to understand these notions at first, it is important to grasp the themes before the rest of the culture can be fully appreciated. Bibliography: Word Count: 1883
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