Discrimination in "Alienación" by Ribeyro
Translated by
ScribdTranslationsDiscrimination in "Alienación" by Ribeyro
Translated by
ScribdTranslations“Alienación”de Julio Ramón Ribeyro
I chose this story because racism in Peru is very pronounced.
and this problem goes back hundreds of years. What happens
In our country, it is a very peculiar case, as the minority of the
the population is the one that discriminates against the majority. That minority is the
wealthy people, people with facial features not originating from the
roots of our ancestors, or like people from the coast
forgetting that their ancestors once migrated from their lands to this
part of Peru. These types of people often say "cholo" are the
who take the luxury of separating and discriminating against the majority of our
Peru.
I liked this story and I share with my students this brief analysis of the story 'Alienation.'
by Julio Ramón Ribeyro. In addition to telling an interesting story that captures the reader from the beginning,
It hides a sad reality that is still lived in our country: discrimination. That's why I am sure
which will make each reader reflect and will teach us to accept ourselves as we are.
The story begins by recounting Roberto's problem, who believed that to succeed in life he had to leave
of being "zambo" and transforming into "gringo", for which "He had to start by killing the Peruvian who
there was in him and to take something from every gringo he met." From there we can observe how the
the character begins to build a new identity, completely shedding their nature and
changing his name to "Boby" as the first step.
Why would Boby want to abandon his identity and create a new one? It all started when Queca, the girl
most coveted, beautiful, and admired in the neighborhood, said she "didn't play with zambos." The curious thing is that the
The story describes Queca as a girl who lived in the neighborhood but was not of a high status.
high socioeconomic status, but lived in a small house and his dad was a bus employee.
Boby was also from a low socioeconomic level, which shows us that discrimination in this
the story is related to culture and ethnic belonging, more than to family economy. Queca, a
girl perhaps immature, as she grew she only hung out with 'whiter' boys, like Chalo Sander and
Then Billy Mulligan. Boby managed to capture this and began his transformation into a gringo with a goal
like 'the Mulligan or nothing', marked by the harsh words that Queca directed at him when they were children.
She started by changing her physical appearance to 'un-gypsy' herself, dyeing and straightening her hair.
whitening their skin. I watched the gringos and spied on them in places they frequented to
internalize how they dressed and acted. In his neighborhood, he was called out for being 'pretentious' and lost his health.
his work. Roberto's actions would show anyone that deep down he is ashamed of his
origins and his environment, which does not seem enough for him to succeed in life. Therefore, he had to change and
to be who I wasn't.
Boby continued building his identity as a foreigner by watching movies in English to learn the language.
At the same time, he got a job at the bowling club, frequented by 'gringos.' There he was able to
learn additional phrases in English and eventually enrolled in an institute to learn the language.
Era el más aplicado y responsable. Conoció a José María Cabanillas, con quien compartía la misma
admiration—obsession—by the gringos. They reached a limit where neither their acquaintances nor their relatives
they loved them. This is because, evidently, they had offended their family members by wanting to break everything
visible bond (physical appearance) and invisible (language, attitude) that could connect them to their relatives
Afro-Peruvians.
A base de trabajo duro y ahorros lograron comprar dos pasajes y viajar a Estados Unidos. Sin embargo,
upon arriving in search of the American dream, they were faced with the disappointment that in New York, people from
everyone wanted to live like gringos just like them. They had a hard time being mistreated and
without being able to find work. As their tourist visa was about to expire, their only option was to join the army.
North Americans in order to become citizens.
The ending of the story is sad because Boby died in the war and Jose María lost an arm. Boby
he never could fulfill his dream of living like an American and died in the attempt. He could never be part of
United States and died fighting for them.
On the other hand, Queca ends up being mistreated by her husband, who insulted her by calling her 'chola of
mierda”.
The ending definitely leaves a nostalgic void and a sadness in the reader, due to the outcome of the
characters. Due to abuses by those who believe they have greater authority and are superior, everyone ends up being
affected.
The story shows that from society's rejection, many feel ashamed of their context and of
their life, and they try to change to fit into a demanding and discriminatory society.