The city and the dogs: main and secondary characters
the characters of The city and the Dogs are Alberto Fernández, Ricardo Arana, Jaime, Teresa, Lieutenant Gamboa and El Negro. In a Teacher we tell you!
The city and the Dogs is a novel written by the peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa. It is considered one of the most important works of Latin American literature and has been recognized internationally. The novel takes place in a military school in Lima, Peru and focuses on a group of young cadets, who are subjected to strict discipline and live in an environment of violence, corruption and abuse of can.
the characters of The city and the DogsThey are the ones that make the plot advance and show a very cruel reality that was lived in the American continent. Therefore, in this lesson from a PROFESSOR we want to introduce them to you.
Index
- Protagonist of The City and the Dogs: Alberto Fernández
- Ricardo Arana, the antagonist of the novel
- James
- Teresa, the main female character
- Lieutenant Gamboa, the high office of The City and the Dogs
- The black
Protagonist of The City and the Dogs: Alberto Fernández.
We begin by meeting one of the characters from The city and the Dogs more important: Alberto Fernandez, also know as "The poet". He is the protagonist and his way of behaving is very similar to the one the author had when he was interned in a military center, during some years of his youth. This character is a young and sensitive cadet who faces the harsh reality of the Leoncio Prado Military College.
From the beginning he appears as a idealistic character that he strives to maintain his moral integrity, even though he finds himself surrounded by an oppressive and violent environment. Throughout the novel, Alberto becomes a critical observer of the corruption, abuse of power, and brutality at school. Despite the pressure he is under and the threats he faces, The Poet refuses to give in to unfair rules and shows himself to be a character brave and ethical.
His interest in poetry and literature he provides him with an emotional refuge and a form of expression in the midst of the chaos in which he is submerged.
Here we leave you a summary of The city and the Dogs by chapters so you can prepare your exam.
Ricardo Arana, the antagonist of the novel.
Ricardo Arana he is one of the main antagonists of the novel and is shown in direct opposition to Alberto. This is a cruel and abusive cadet that he enjoys exercising his power immeasurably over his companions. His authoritarian and violent behavior is what makes him feared and hated by many of the cadets of his school.
Ricardo's character functions as a representation of the corruption that exists in the world. He uses his power to subdue and humiliate others, in order to reassert his dominance over the weaker. Despite his cruelty, Ricardo sometimes shows himself as a vulnerable and resentful individual who is broken inside and is only able to see his insecurities.
James.
James, nicknamed "The jaguar", is another of the characters of The city and the Dogs. He is a cadet at the school and a close friend of Alberto. He is about a complex and ambiguous character that he is constantly torn between his friendship with Ricardo and the reprisals that this may cause him from the group led by Ricardo. He witnesses the cruelty and bullying of the school, but often finds himself in a difficult situation, trying to balance his loyalty to his friend and his own survival.
Jamie shows the internal fight that many of the cadets experience in such oppressive environments. Although he comes off as an insecure character, he also has moments of bravery and constantly shows a desire for justice to be done.
Teresa, the main female character.
Teresa she is the main significant female character in the work of The city and the Dogs. Although her participation in the plot is relatively brief, her presence has a profound impact on the story. Teresa is a young student from a school close to the one of the protagonists and becomes the romantic interest of various cadets. The novel describes her as a pretty and attractive girl, which makes her become an object of desire by young people.
Their presence in the school represents the connection between the outside world and the isolated and oppressive environment of the military institution. Through her relationship with the cadets, especially Alberto, Teresa represents hope and the search for freedom in a repressive environment.
Lieutenant Gamboa, the senior officer of The City and the Dogs.
He Lieutenant Gamboa he is a tall, athletic character with pronounced muscles, who introduces himself as the figure of authority in front of the cadets of the school. What seems to distinguish him from the other lieutenants and officers is his love of military life and he believes that the only way to pass this passion on to his students is through discipline and the hierarchy of power.
Throughout the novel, Gamboa is shown as a relentless and ambitious man. He uses questionable methods to maintain his authority and get the information he needs (for example, blackmail and violence). His main objective is to discover who is responsible for a robbery that occurred at school, but his obsession leads him to commit acts ruthless and unfair.
Image: Docsity
The black.
The black is the last of the characters The city and the Dogs more important. He is an Afro-Peruvian boy and is one of thes most outstanding and respected cadets at school, because of his athletic physique and bravery. This is one of the few characters who rebels against the rigid structure and discipline of the military school and represents rebellion, resistance and the struggle for identity, in an oppressive environment from which no one dares to leave.
The Poet and he decide to run away from school, but a group of cadets lynch him and beat him up that ends with his death. death of the black Through this character, Vargas Llosa explores issues such as racial discrimination and the consequences of actions and decisions in a military and socially restrictive context.
Now that you know a little better the characters of The city and the Dogs it is possible that you better understand the plot of this novel and what the author wanted to convey to his readers. If you want to continue learning about all the secrets that are hidden behind the books of Spanish literature, do not hesitate to consult our Reading section.
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Bibliography
- Brooks, S. EITHER. (2005). The City and the Dogs (The City and the Dogs).
- Lastra, P. (1965, January). A case of the narrative elaboration of concrete experiences in "The city and the dogs". In Annals of the University of Chile (No. 134, p. ág-211).