El Callejon del Beso: A Romantic Folk Tale of Mexico - Book Review Sample

Introduction

Like other countries, Mexico also has principles and events that define their culture. A country's culture can be influenced by a folk tale, artistry, or architectural works. El Callejon del beso is one of the myths that is believed in Mexico. The folk story involves a romantic narration in Guanajuato. Guanajuato, oftentimes called the valley of the kiss, is a small valley in Guanajuato city that is the center stage of a fatal love story that reflects true situations. The tale of an unsuccessful love relationship between two youngsters is among the favorite Mexican myths.

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Story

The story involves two young lovebirds from different backgrounds. The lady was from a wealthier background and her father had a respectable occupation in Guanajuato's silver mines, whereas the gentleman was from a poorer family. The two lovers met when the girl, Dona Carmen, had come to see her father at his workplace and then bumped into the young man, Don Luis, and from there, their destinies got connected (Olvera, 1). Don and Dona started seeing each other but were paranoid about Dona's father discovering it. Dona's father wanted her daughter to date from a wealthier family like his and he always spied her to ensure that she would not see any man from a poor family. Dona's family house had a rear balcony that faced the valley that would later bear the name of their story, and Dona's room was on the upper floor of their house. Directly opposite to Dona's house was another building that belonged to a rich miner. Don Luis discovered that the house would allow him to have a view of his lover and enable them to keep seeing each other. He asked the owner of the house to sell it to him, and though hesitantly the owner later sold it to him at an exacerbated price (Olvera, 3). Dona and Luis would then be meeting late in the night to kiss at their balconies. Soon, rumors traveled in Guanajuato about Dona and Don's affairs, but the father decided that he will wait to catch them red-handed so as to believe it. One evening the father decided that he will spy on his daughter's alleged relationship, and when he discovered that they were locked up in romantic kissing, he stormed in the house and stabbed his daughter with a dagger in her chest. Dona died at the spot while Don flew back to his house. Disappointed that he would not be seeing the love of his life, Don Luis later committed suicide (Olvera, 4). There are gossips that the spirits of both Don and Dona bless younger lovers with a joyous life if they kiss on the third step where Don died. It is said that a kiss on any other step causes the lovers seven years of sorrow and hardship.

Culture

Art is also among the items that define Mexican culture. Diego Rivera's Vendedora de Flores is one of the best artworks in Mexican culture. The flower bundle oversizes the figure in the painting. Even though the flower seller is central at first glance, it is the flowers that attract the observers' vision (Diego Rivera, 1). The flowers seem to be moving outward and upward from the basket where they are being held. The seller has one knee down, and a bowed head below the basket he carries. The background of the art is painted brown, thus providing a distinction with the red, white, and yellow colors of the flowers and the seller. Rivera juxtaposes the hues to imply that the seller, whose legs match with the earth and red hands matched with flowers, links two worlds. The vendors' roots are in the earth whereas his hands provide service to acculturation where wealthier people rejoice in the luxury of fresh flowers (Diego Rivera, 2). The artist displays the painting's picture with several curved lines. The face cannot be seen and thus the vendor lacks identity. With such details, the vendor symbolizes people who toil in the fields. Rivera's paintings depict the theme of the poor serving the rich in the society. Pairing the seller with an abundance of beautiful flowers demonstrates the goodness of their hard and yet uncomplicated lives.

Architecture

Architecture also had a significant role in shaping the culture of the Mexican people. The majority of the architecturally important buildings in Guanajuato city were constructed using the Mexican Baroque fashion since the mines were at their climax production in the 18th century at the time the fashion was styleworthy. The fashion might be found in mansions and civil constructions of that era, but particularly the churches. Several Baroque altarpieces of this era are again coated with a thin layer of gold from the mines. The most remarkable of these in the Guanajuato city are the Balisica of Guanajuato and La Valenciana Church (Best of Mexico Travel, 2). During the start of the 19th century, Baroque began being substituted with Neoclassical. During the Mexican independence battle, many constructions were halted, and in many churches, the Baroque altarpieces were substituted with those of Neoclassical. From the 19th century going forward, trends were modernized. The University of Guanajuato was established as an orphanage for edification and made a university in 1915 (Best of Mexico Travel, 3). The university reminds Mexicans of the elegant European medieval designs. The granary building has an obdurate neoclassical front. The major door of the building was burned during the independence war in Mexico by El Pipila. The build is now the regional museum of Guanajuato.

Conclusion

Basing on the El Callejon del beso, Vendedora de Flores, and Guanajuato architecture and historical sites, several deductions can be made about Mexico. Firstly, Mexico is a country that preserves its heritage since all the colonial buildings are still in place. The tale about El Callejon del beso illustrates that Mexicans believe in superstitions. Diego Rivera's Vendedora de Flores shows that Mexican society is sequestrated into upper and lower classes, where the lower class people work for the rich. Blending the vendor with the flowers implies that their hard, yet simple lives. Diego's paint illustrates how many Mexicans toil in the lands and only their produce is valued and not them. The early buildings are coated with gold and silver, which means that Mexicans were great miners.

Works Cited

Best of Mexico Travel. Guanajuato Architecture and Historical Sites.
https://www.best-of-mexico-travel.com/guanajuato-architecture.html

Diego Rivera. El Vendedora De Flores by Diego Rivera.
https://www.diegorivera.org/el-vendedora-de-flores.jsp

Olvera, A. El Callejon del Beso: A Love Story in Guanajuato. (2015, Feb 19).
https://www.inside-mexico.com/the-alley-of-the-kiss-a-love-story-in-guanajuato/