Nailah Newsome

Dr. Laura Murphy

WAL: Global Identities

26 March 2015

Deconstructing the system in Galeanos The Book of Embraces

Eduardo Galeanos The Book of Embraces is a collection of writings on a wide range of

themes concerning life in Latin Americas past and present. As an outspoken activist with radical

political views, it is apparent that Galeano intended for The Book of Embraces to serve as a

political commentary- a spotlight on the need for social justice in a society violated by an

oppressive system. This system was founded on the immorality of imperialism- colonialists

encroached on land all over the Americas, and led societies down damaging paths of capitalism

and bureaucracy. Many of the stories, are whimsical, kind-hearted narratives that embrace the

true brilliance of humankind. In contrast to these stories, however, are critical pieces that suggest

how the system, strips its people of all traces of individuality from an early age, thus creating an

entire society of unvarying citizens that serve as submissive puppets to authority. By juxtaposing

pieces on these two opposing themes, Galeano highlights the detrimental consequences the

system has on society, and encourages the reverence of communal values and a collective

celebration of humans natural diversity instead of adherence to the systems repressive

standards.

The system Galeano so harshly criticizes is unproductive and highly oppressive. Galeano

describes the system as one in which voters vote but dont elect, the information media

disinform, schools teach ignorance, judges punish the victims, and the military makes war

against its compatriots (Galeano 131). Those in power within this system have their own
personal agenda, and are set on promoting and maintaining their values by any means necessary,

with no consideration toward the condition of the oppressed. Not only is this system deeply

unconcerned for the well- being of the individual, but it reinforces this principle within the

citizens themselves. The system is a system of isolation: Look out for number one. Your

neighbor is neither your brother nor your lover. Your neighbor is a competitor, an enemy, an

obstacle to clear or an object to lose (Galeano 83). Instead of communal goal attainment and

interpersonal development, individuals prioritize self-preservation, and are led to trust the

heartless system over their friends and neighbors. This blind trust society puts in the system

allows those in control are to perpetuate virtually any message they desire, without the slightest

question from the mindless citizens. In The System/2, Galeano states: The law of reality is the

law of power. So that reality should not seem unreal, those in charge tell us that morality must be

immoral (Galeano 178). Those controlling society are so powerful that they are able to act

crookedly right in the citizens faces, and by simply deeming their acts honorable, they become

absolutely recognized as such.

The system is able to maintain such an exhaustive domineerance overn an entire society

by instilling its crooked principles in the citizens minds as early in their lives as possible. This

system takes a child and dispossess him of his imagination and his creativity. In Celebration of

the Marriage of Heart and Mind Galeano writes that from the moment we enter school or

church, education chops us into pieces: it teaches us to divorce soul from body, and mind from

heart (Galeano 121). While the body and the mind are ones vessels for learning and growing,

ones heart is essential for developing into a uniquely feeling and loving individual. The

bureaucratic system that Galeano describes disconnects the former from the latter. It enters a

childs mind, and divorces feeling from thought as it divorces sex from love, private life from
public life(Galeano 123), thus turning him into an ideal citizen, unable to individually think

or feel.

The extent of this depersonalization process can be observed when comparing an adult to

an innocent child, yet to be defiled by the system. Galeano highlights the flagrant contrast

between child and adult in two separate narratives: Art for Children, and Childrens own Art,

which describe stories told by adults and those told by children. The story, or art made by the

adult is a boring, propagative parable that pales in comparison to the innovative, colorful

fantasies crafted by the children (Galeano 42-43). The absolute creative power of the children

suggest Galeanos vision of a society free to limitlessly tap into their creative potential,

compared the bleak reality where the masses need to extinguish their creativity in an effort to

appease their oppressive superiors.

Galeanos insight highlights how those oppressed by the system are so deeply

encompassed into its ploys that they dont even realize that their lives are so controlled. The

system has ulterior motives even in something as seemingly innocent as television. That nothing

happens if it is not shown on television (Galeano 151), is a commentary on just how

mechanically orchestrated every aspect of society truly is- the system is effortlessly able to

infiltrate an individuals mind, all the while he believes he is simply watching a mindless sitcom.

However, it is apparent that people take a great comfort in their ignorance toward the power of

the system. Their trust in the system is so deep that they truly believe that the system promises

those who behave themselves a comfortable seat (Galeano 151), and believe that following

what theyve been told by school, church, or the mass media is the best possible decision.

Galeanos writings illustrate how the system causes its people to live their lives in a

constant state of fear. This fear is so severe that an individuals every action revolves around
pleasing the system. The Culture of Terror describes a young boy who is reprimanded by a

priest during confessional. The priests scolding shocks the boy so terribly that, even many years

later, he has never been able to root it from his memory (Galeano 145). This critique on the

system explores how it is able to infiltrate ones mind at such an early age that it manages to

maintain a firm grasp on the conscience of an individual well into his adulthood. The passage

Fear describes a guinea pig huddled against the bars, trembling with the fear of freedom

(Galeano 113) after being liberated from his cage. This trembling guinea pig represents the

extent of the fear the system ingrains in an individual. The system strips one of his unique

personality, and in its place instills a fear so so powerful and so comprehensive that one has

virtually no personal orientation outside of what the system allows.

Imperialismzation introduced Americans to a set of new values, and then belittled and

oppressed them into believing that these new values were more advantageous than native

tradition. As it spanned across generations, the depersonalization and dehumanization of the

people in a society resulted in the destruction of entire civilizations and their cultures. Galeano

describes these people who as The Nobodies, as people who: are not but could be./Who dont

speak languages, but dialects./Who dont have religions, but superstitions./ Who dont create

art, but handicrafts./Who are not human beings but human resources (Galeano 73). The

system took entire cultures, everything that these people traditionally valued, and demeaned

them until their very existence lost any of significance in society. Important aspects of their

society were simultaneously appropriated and ridiculed, and their creativity commodified. The

systems subtle, yet powerful oppression not only results in the destruction of entire cultures and

traditions, but it also sets up society for a future doomed to stagnancy and the perpetuation of the

systems despotic ideals. One of the most significant forgotten traditions described by Galeano is
the acceptance of community values: Community- the communal mode of production and life-

is the oldest of American traditions, the most American of all (Galeano 135). This notion of

community is a stark contrast to the capitalistic system that promotes isolation, competition, and

self-preservation.

By promoting their own obstructive agenda, the system wants people to forget the past as

quickly as possible in order to maintain total power- as Galeano states: the history of those

oppressed does not appear in the history of the world (Galeano 73). Galeano highlights the

danger in editing and forgetting history, stating: if the past has nothing to say to the present,

history may go on sleeping undisturbed in the closed where the system keeps its old disguises.

The system empties our memory or fills it with garbage, and so it teaches us to repeat history

instead of making it (Galeano 123). Throughout The Book of Embraces, Galeano repeatedly

highlights how the system alienates, oppresses, and deindividualizes individuals in Latin

American society. The dangers of repeating this process- replacing individuality with oppression-

are obvious. By inhibiting creative development and the communal exchange of ideas, the

system perpetuates oppression indefinitely, thus ensuring its sovereignty because the

depersonified masses are not able to join together and make a change.

The Book of Embraces is a celebration of the variety of life. Many of the pieces are

ardently optimistic- Galeanos perspectives on love, art, family, and culture are blatantly

intended to highlight how truly beautiful life can be, especially within the diverse populace of

Latin America. However, there are several not-so-sunny pieces that ultimately highlight the

consequences of imperialism- a destructive system with a winner-take-all conviction. Galeano

suggests that this system fervently works to deconstruct an individuals inherent creativity, and

his inclination toward communal life- the very aspects that create the beauty of society. In
exposition of the inevitable, dire repercussions of the system is Galeanos conviction for the

revival of communal values and the need to embrace the variety that our natural diversity offers

us.

A
Nailah, I sure do wish you spoke more often in class! You are a brilliant thinker, reader, and
writer. This is by far one of the best papers that I read on Galeano. Your ability to synthesize
his ideas across stories is really remarkable. There are moments where you dont do it as well
as others, but in general, your ability to connect the themes across a really diverse array of
stories is engaging and convincing. Im very impressed with your work! So sorry for the delay
in grading it!
ltm