"The Worm in the Wheat"

Paper Summary:

In his book "The Worm in the Wheat: Rosalie Evans and Agrarian Struggle in the Puebla-Tlaxcala Valley of Mexico, 1906-1927", Timothy Henderson recounts the story of the American Rosalie Evans who sought to prevent her family's Mexican hacienda from being overrun in the Mexican Revolution. The paper argues that while the book is a pleasure to read, that pleasure is in part derived from Henderson dramatizing events. It also shows that the plight of both Evans and the campesinos is acknowledged, but only Evans' plight is sympathized with.

From the Paper:

"Henderson is aware that history is not right versus wrong. Although he describes Evans as "brave, intelligent, determined, and even compassionate," Henderson is also aware that "she was obstinate, bigoted, selfish, self-righteous, and prepared to bend the facts" (2). Clearly, Evans was no angel, but neither was she a demon. She had a legal right to the land she was trying to prevent the peasants from overrunning. At the same time, conditions on the haciendas were notoriously poor, including on Evans'. There is no denying the fact that the campesinos who worked on the haciendas of people like Evans were exploited. Henderson does pay lip service to the plight of the peasants and to the negative side of Evans' personality." "

More papers on "The Worm in the Wheat":

• Analytical Essay # 120386 : "The Franklin in "The General Prologue"
• Analytical Essay # 121656 : "The Gun in "The Unvanquished"
• Book Review # 2915 : "J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: