Week of 2/2: Gauchos

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book The Gaucho Juan Moreira - this may be my favorite thing we have done all year. The life of a gaucho in general is fascinating to me. They were content to constantly live on the move, which basically meant living without a family. They essentially earned their reputation by violence. And yet, in spite of all their hardships, they were so extremely good at what they did. Juan Moreira's talents included horsemanship, sharpshooting, card playing, negotiating with both friends and enemies, and simply surviving under such a physically draining lifestyle; and in this respect, he was no exception. Every gaucho (every real gaucho, as Moreira would argue) possessed these skills; in short, they were some of the most talented people of the day. Argentine history is not complete without stories of these legendary gauchos; we owe them our respect, and we should emulate their bravery and resilience.

Comments

  1. Lillie RozyckiFebruary 3, 2022 at 8:30 PM

    I very much enjoyed reading about the gauchos as well. I loved seeing a more narrative and exciting story to read in Stark's section, because usually we focus on just historical events. The gauchos were very representative of real, honorable people. They had both their faults and their heroic attributes. They survived in a world of violence, respect, and bravery. The history of gauchos adds a layer to Argentine history that I find fascinating.

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  2. Emma RoseFebruary 4, 2022 at 5:17 PM

    I have also thoroughly enjoyed learning about gauchos in our course! I think it is fascinating how a country chose to define themselves including these people that were often outlaws and criminals. I think that this is significant because the vast majority of people living under a government feel controlled or guided or restrained by the authority figures they are living under. I think that one of the reasons that people were drawn to gauchos for entertainment was the sense of empowerment that you get from seeing someone have so much control over their life.

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  3. Professor StarkFebruary 16, 2022 at 3:11 PM

    Thank you, Seth, for the post. I am glad you and others liked Gutierrez. I was left wanting to read about the gaucho's good qualities - their devotion and loyalty to family and friends, their willingness to stand up for what they believe is right, a sense of justice etc. After all, aren't these the character traits that make gauchos a cultural and national figure to be emulated.

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