Paz is one of the most emblematic faces of Mexican Contemporary Literature. He is well known for being a diplomat, polititian, poet, and writer throughout the XX century.
He was intrigued by human interactions and the way history and morals make up different archetypes and the complex contemporary social structure we live in today. One of his most relevant works, El Laberinto de la Soledad, published in 1950 was an innovative antropological essay about mexican identity and ideology.
He attributes mexican history, made up of both Indigenous and Spanish culture, the main role in creating a unique Mexican culture and mind of its own..
He describes Mexicans as hermetic, sealing and distancing its inner self from the outer world in order to protect itself as a mexican's most precious thing is its intimacy. On the opposite side, the mexican perceives the one who opens up as weak and a traitor to himself and his intimacy.
José de Jesús Alfaro Siqueiros, better known as David Alfaro Siqueiros, (Mexico City; 29th December 1896 – Cuernavaca; 6th January 1974) was a paintor considered one of the big three mexican muralists as well as Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco.
His murals were devoted to revolutionary and social issues, to inspire the lower classes as well as embracing and expressing what Mexico was. His colorful paintings represent figures full of intense emotions like in El Martirio de Cuauhtémoc.
El Martirio de Cuauhtémoc
David Alfaro Siqueiros.
This mural was created in the early 50s, and was dedicated to the pre-Hispanic ruler Cuauhtémoc. Siqueiros himself on the day of the inauguration mentioned: “it is a song to Cuauhtémoc and an image of the struggle that weak peoples have to sustain”. In the image you can see the torment of said ruler at the time he is tortured to reveal the great treasures of the region.
In this painting, a very clear image of what Paz described as what a mexican aspires is clear. The mexican must never give up nor beg, must not show emotions to its enemies as it is a sign of weakness.
Cuauhtemoc is shown to be estoic, unmoved, undisturbed, to an external impression or stimulus that normally produces disturbance, triggers an emotion or induces a certain action, in this case, torture.
Next to Cuauhtémoc lies another man who seems to cry and beg God, which contrasts Cuauhtémoc's attitude looked up upon by mexicans and seen as heroic opposite to the man showing emotion.
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