Bobbi's letter

Dear Alejo Carpentier,

I have been reading your work The Kingdom of This World. I’ve found it to be an interested read and have enjoyed your take on magical realism. I see that you focus a lot on cyclical oppression, violence and slavery. I was wondering why you decided to focus so much on those topics within your work?

From what I can tell from reading, a reference to violence, slavery or oppression occurs on almost every page. One of the most poignant examples I have come across happens in Part Four “The Surveyors.” It says, “The old man began to lose heart at this endless return of chains, this rebirth of shackles, this proliferation of suffering, which the more resigned began to accept as proof of uselessness of all revolt.”

I understand this to be, in essence, the summation of the idea presented throughout the book. The oppressed are tired of it, and rightfully so. Another instance I found interesting occurred in Part Two and Section II. “Ti Noel managed to grasp that something had happened in France, and that some very powerful gentlemen had declared that the rich landowners of the cap, who are all monarchist sons of bitches, had refused to obey them.”

This furthers my opinion that this work asserts the oppressed wanted freedom and would become violent to see the cycle of slavery suppressed. I feel these specific examples lead back to my original question of why did you decide to focus so much on cyclical oppression, violence and slavery?

I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Best,
Bobbi Otis