Facundo Overview (9/21/08)

Facundo is a very vivid description of the Republic of Argentina, which at some point he was president of. Sarmiento gives a clear layout of the geography of Argentina with its extensive forests in the north, the plains of the central zone and the south with its land and sea. He also gives a description of the people who inhabit all the various regions. Apart from Buenos Aires, which is a very “Europeanized” city comprised of Europeans, Spaniards and natives, the rest of Argentina is a vast country with open spaces, pampas, solitary regions, where the strongest survive. Argentina is the formation of many different provinces and the expanse of the land is incredible. Argentina is a land of many different and vivid characters. Outside of Buenos Aires the country is rural and filled with a variety of vivid characters. Quiroga is a part of this Argentina. Quiroga embodies a man not polished by European culture. The Argentina that is rawer and not civilized. Sarmiento tells the tale of a man,”tiger of the llanos”( being from the central part of the country) who from the time of his youth was untamable. Quiroga in a way is a foil to the tiger. However, Quiroga did rise to be general later in his life and was accepted in society. He was a scoundrel and a compulsive gambler though and had all the traits of an uncouth being. The author categorizes him as a natural man and barbarian.