Legends of My Country, Term Paper Example

Many assert that Shakespeare’s Juliet and Romeo play may be undoubtedly the world’s classic love stories. This one is thrilling one being a story of forbidden love that ends in tragedy. However, a more realistic “La leyenda del callejon del beso” legend is another tragic-love story with its setting in Mexico. According to Manuel (2009), Shakespeare may be great but has been overrated, he classifies Alley of Kiss legend as the best storyline has been the incorporated into people’s culture. Titled “La leyenda del callejon del beso “by: Juan Pablo Martinez tells of a legend that happened in the 19th century that has been passed from generations to generations in Mexico. Americans of Latin origin also have passed this legend to their children. People worldwide have made stops at the state of Guanajuato specifically the Alley of the Kiss whenever they visit Mexico to attest this.

Don Antonio de la Parra sufferers the rejection in his native home place but upon migrating to Guanajuato, he became a wealth mine owner. Despite all his success, he was still tormented to return home to avenge all those who had earlier humiliated him. To accomplish this he desires to acquire little nobility therefore he plans to have is only daughter Ana be married by Marquis of Linares a wealthy suitor back at home.

Don Antonio, his wife and ant their only daughter lived in Alley of the Kiss. Ana, a 20 year old lovely lady meets Carlo a28 year old handsome, honest but poor miner. They fell in love as soon as the met though they never talked. Carlo would frequent Ana’s house after work and Ana would shyly smile at him with the most beautiful smile (Manuel 2009). As weeks passed by, Carlo gained the courage to greet her and Ana accepted his greeting warmly and with a gentle smile. In their next meeting, they began a conversation, though shy and polite at the beginning as any courtship could be. They began thinking of their wedding thus they seeking the blessing of Ana’s mother Madame Matilde. Madame Matilde was a dignified and virtuous woman who accepted the relationship between the two.

Manuel (2009) narrates that as the relationship progressed, Madame Matilde thought that her daughter’s relationship would end after learning that Don Antonio was planning to send Ana back to Spain. She told her husband about Ana’s secret relationship.

However, the beautiful and joyous Ana accepted her father’s demands of nobility; she kept her true love a secret from both parents. Carlo hutches a plan to buy the house across the alley, to the right of Ana’s house. Thus, he would be close to her and would try persuading her father for her hand in marriage. The two houses face each other in an alley, which is merely 12 inches wide thus, every night the two lovebirds dated and their love continued flourishing from the balcony

On eventful evening as they committed their last act of love in the narrow alley, they stretched out of their balconies and reached across to hold hands; Don Antonio spotted them and was enraged. Carlo jumped to protect his girlfriend but unfortunately fell on the ground and got his neck broken. Her father got infuriated when Ana tried to help him. Don Antonio was overwhelmed with rage and drove a dagger through Ana’s heart. Though he regretted his action, it was too late, his daughter and lover were already dead. Some legend versions say that Carlo kissed Ana’s hand in his last moments before his demise, while others captured a picture of the two caught kissing. Later, Don Antonio went insane after few months of their death and he too died.

Manuel (2009) articulates that the people of the entire city of Guanajuato attended the two lover’s burial. People on certain nights have seen many couples over their balconies embraced in the “eternal kiss”. Up to today tourist, still line up to take pictures of the alley. They believe that if you visit Guanajuato you must kiss at the third stairs below the balcony in order to experience seven years of eternal love, failure to do so warrants them untold misery for seven years.

I believe the legend paints some pictorial realism as it portrays the presence and effects of social discrimination realism, love and revenge as the balcony today remains as evidence of the legend. However, the legend may have been an exaggeration on the part of the promises and consequences of the kiss. Despite my opinion, the legend has become incorporated into the culture of Guanajuato people. According to their traditions, couples who visit Guanajuato’s Alley of the Kiss must kiss on the third stair-step below the balconies. That will ensure them fifteen years filled with blissful happiness. However, couples who shun this will endure seven years of bad luck.

Social discrimination hurts the people ego and disrespects their existence. People who have been socially discriminated tend to be withdrawn and harsh on themselves or their families. They also lack self-confidence hence may turn on wealthy possessions to regain their confidence. Such people may decide to work hard then later revenge like Don Antonio while others may accept the discriminations and live in miserable life where they feel inferior to people of higher class. Such incidences leave scars in their memories and become bitter and unforgiving. Perpetrators of social discrimination may be people who were once abused hence derive pleasure in intimidating others just like Don Antonio was doing the same when he got rich.

The source of the legend is very descriptive; keen on all the finer details. The source tries to capture, compare and compile all other sources of the legend. Juan Pablo Martinez captures each detail vividly in his native language-Spanish. He summarizes and gives the audience a very impacting lesson. The language is very simple to capture the young minds of the children audience targeted (Manuel, 2009).

I would be gratified to kiss on the third stairs if i visited the valley of the kiss with my spouse, or lover. This is because the legend is romantically inspiring and has a sense of realism. The distance between the two balconies makes the legend convincing “a kissing distance”. It would be worse on the contrary to experience seven years of sadness if the legend consequences were to become true. Nevertheless, I would not lose anything If I kissed and never got the happiness because a kiss is in itself a source of happiness and an experience of a lifetime. At least I would have cherished memories of Spain’s Alley of the Kiss.

There are four characters in the legend; Ana, Carlo, Don Antonio and Madame Matilde. Ana Parra is Don is Antonio’s and Madame Matilde’s only child. She was lovely and single as beautiful and pure as an angel. Ana’s beauty is compared to that of ‘Dulcinea’: she has white, big expressive eyes. She wears an elegant unique manila dress given by her father. As Carlo passes by she accords him with a beautiful enchanting smile (Manuel, 2009). She also loved young lady in ceaseless true pursuit of love. Carlo the co-protagonist is Ana’s star-crossed boyfriend; He was tall, handsome, and aged 28. It is noteworthy that he had an arrogant demeanor, honest, hardworking and adorned with the best moral qualities. He is a loving, secretive, and persuasive person. He relentlessly fights for his love to the point of his death.

The third character is Don Antonio Parra, Madame Matilde’s husband and Ana’s father. He was a ruthless, vengeful, overprotective, but loving father to Ana. He is a hardworking man who rose from rags to riches-from a poor abused man in Austria to a shrewd wealth mine owner (Manuel, 2009). He is a vengeful person whose acts of revenge and anger caused his only child’s death.

The last character, Madame Matilde Parra is Ana’s Mother and Don Antonio’s wife. She is a dignified, caring and virtuous mother. She isn’t discriminative like Don Antonio as she accepts Carlo without judging his background.

Guanajuato city is widely known for the beauty of its architecture and its immense richness of its culture. The “El Callejón del Beso “Alley of the Kiss was a place to bottom of “El Cerro del Gallo” a poor and crowded neighborhood that was in existence since 18th century. Alley of the Kiss is located at the middle of Guanajuato city. Its popularity is the fact that the alley has 12 inches in width with both balconies almost together. This hence provides a probable distance for a kiss. The alley is too narrow that balconies of the house almost touch. Ana’s house is depicted to be on the left while Carlo’s house is on the right. The houses may have been brightly colored to provide a perfect background for the romantic theme

Spanish version of characters and Location

Parra es Don Antonio y es hijo único señora Matilde. Ella era encantadora y única tan hermoso y puro como un ángel. Ana belleza se compara con el de ‘Dulcinea’: tiene los ojos blancos y expresivos grandes. Ella lleva un elegante vestido único manila dado por su padre. Como Carlo pasa por ella le concede con una sonrisa encantadora hermosa. También amaba joven en la búsqueda incesante de amor verdadero.

Carlo es Ana novio, Él era guapo, de unos 28, moreno y alto con una actitud arrogante, adornada con las mejores cualidades morales, trabajadora, honesta. Él es una persona amorosa, reservado y persuasiva. El implacable lucha por su amor hasta el punto de su muerte.

Don Antonio Parra es, señora Matilde esposo y padre de Ana. Él era un padre despiadado, vengativo, sobreprotector pero cariñoso a Ana. Él es un hombre muy trabajador que pasó de la pobreza a la riqueza-de un hombre pobre se consume en Austria a un dueño de la riqueza mina astuta. Él es una persona vengativa cuyos actos de venganza y la ira llevó a la muerte de su único hijo.

Madame Matilde Parra Ana es madre y esposa de Don Antonio. Ella es una madre digna, el cuidado y virtuoso. Ella no es discriminatoria como Don Antonio como ella acepta Carlo soportar sus antecedentes.

Guanajuato ciudad es muy conocida por la belleza de su arquitectura y su inmensa riqueza de su cultura. El “El Callejón del Beso” Callejón del Beso era un lugar al fondo de “El Cerro del Gallo”, un barrio pobre y lleno de gente que había en existencia desde el siglo 18. Callejón del Beso se encuentra en el centro de la ciudad de Guanajuato. Su popularidad es el hecho de que el callejón tiene 12 pulgadas de ancho con dos balcones casi juntos. Esto por lo tanto proporciona una distancia probable de un beso. El callejón es demasiado estrecho que los balcones de la casa casi se tocan. Casa de Ana se representa a estar a la izquierda mientras que la casa de Carlo está a la derecha.

Reference

Manuel, L G. (2009). Leyendas de Guanajuato [Legends of Guanajuato] (in Spanish). Guanajuato: Stampart.