Deep Rivers (Week 6)

 This was a very difficult read this week. I don't know if it was the midterm stress or the context or length of the book in general, but I had difficulty grasping the nuances of Deep Rivers. However, I found the writing style flowed in a way that was really immersive and I loved the use of dialogue. I also thought the footnotes in my edition were done really well and I got to learn a lot about different cultural terms, customs, and history in a very approachable way. I like how even in translation, the footnotes found a way to incorporate the integrity of the original language by including certain words and educating the reader on their translation. I'm also planning on going to Peru in the Summer, so it was fun to start imagining these places and learning more about Indigenous history and culture before I go. 

This brings me to the first thing that I noticed when reading this novel: how ethnic categorization was at the forefront of character description. Literally, right from the beginning, Ernesto continuously refers to workers as mestizo and/or Indian, rather than by name or description of job, etc. Additionally, one of the beginning lines mentions how the chiesling of the church by the Spaniards had broken the "enchantment" of the building. I really liked how this imagery from Maria Arguedas set the tone for the racial comparison and identity themes that were to come. The fact that it was exemplified through a conversation between father and son also symbolizes how these ideologies are so ingrained in generational thinking that post-colonial influence continues to live on.  In my other Latin American courses, we talked a lot about the historical influence of the Casta Paintings and the tools of categorization used by the colonial powers as a way of generating power and influence. I think this addresses a main theme throughout this book which is the lasting impacts of colonization on Indigenous communities as well as how they are presented in more modern times. 

Despite being set in Peru, I found it interesting how there were many parallels with the history of residential schools in Canada. Reading about how Ernesto navigated the racial tensions and the imposition of Western ideologies through the school system and even the racial tensions amongst the students made me think about my role in instilling these Western ideologies in our education system here. Residential schools weren't something that I learned about until university, despite going to school all my life in Canada. I think choosing to show the impacts of generational trauma through education was a very interesting choice as having a young character like Ernesto symbolizes how the present and future are still met with the colonial racial tensions that are so ingrained into culture, that it is difficult to unpack and move forward. 

Question for the class: What did you think about the racial classification or identification throughout the novel? How do you think Ernesto's use of race as a way of describing and individualizing people in the book speaks to the larger issue of post-colonial identity with Indigenous culture?