The Slave

Context

With the fall of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the United States as the world’s sole superpower, Latin America underwent a series of changes. Gone were the days of revolutions and nationalism, and instead, the ‘Chicago Boys’ and other neoliberal groups came to promote the ideology of neoliberalism, which was essentially the old liberalism with a new face, in the region. As Historian John Chasteen notes, with them came new corporations, free trade, and comparative advantage (Chasteen 330). Despite the claims of economic growth and technological innovation, millions remained unemployed or otherwise extremely impoverished (Chasteen 334). On the cultural front, Latin America has followed the example of the United States in becoming more liberal overall, and yet Chasteen argues that if one asks if neoliberalism is solving problems of social inequity, “there is very little sign of that happening” (Chasteen 335). Though race is seen as a powerful cultural issue in Latin America, perhaps a less publicized one is that of sexuality. The story ‘The Slave’ is a fictional account about a Peruvian boy named Joaquin, who represents the author, the commentator Jaime Bayly, to some degree. In the story, Bayly uses Joaquin to demonstrate the modern complexities of race relations, views on sexuality, immigration, and more in Peru.

Summary

Joaquin is a wealthier-than-average boy in Peru who, in the course of the story, deals with many of the struggles that a modern boy would have in the region. Most notably in this section is the relationship Joaquin shares with another boy, who is extremely wealthy and white, named Jorge. Jorge is loosely described as Joaquin’s friend, but through the course of the story, Jorge sexually abuses Joaquin and even forces the meek boy to act like a woman and a slave as Jorge violates him (Starn 539). Despite this, in a later incident in which Jorge convinces Joaquin to commit vandalism against school officials, Jorge blames Joaquin and calls him various derogatory terms for homosexual men, an accusation that Joaquin badly counters and is punished for, as the school officials believe Jorge’s claim that Joaquin is gay (Starn 549). There are also examples of racism in the story, such as when Joaquin’s father tells a “fucking Indian” to move out of the way with his ox-cart while he drove by (Starn 530). Joaquin’s father, Luis Felipe, represents the stereotypical tough Peruvian father, and even tries to teach his son to fight (Starn 531). A third large influence in the story is that of English-speaking teachers, of which Harry Moulbright was one. Moulbright is the one who punishes Joaquin for his homosexuality, and complains of “Peruvian liars” (Starn 546).

Conclusion

As seen in the story, though Latin America and Peru specifically had undergone transformations (i.e., the presence of cars, more modern education systems, and more), the culture had not necessarily changed. There was still oppression against racial groups and the LGBTQ community as a whole, and neoliberalism did not do anything to solve this. For all the claims of free trade growth, the society of Latin America remains deeply conservative in many regards, as demonstrated in the story. The story of ‘The Slave’ could have been written in 1650, 1850, or 1995 and it would still have meaning in Peru and elsewhere in Latin America because it would still show a society in which certain social, racial, and sexual groups face discrimination to this day. Though progress is abundant in Latin America in this period and continuing into today, perhaps some areas are progressing more than others.

Works Cited

Chasteen, John Charles. Born in Blood and Fire: a Concise History of Latin America. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2016.

Jaime Bayly. “The Slave” in The Peru Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Edited by Orin Starn, Carlos Iván Degregori, and Robin Kirk. Durham: Duke University Press, 2005.