The Motorcycle Diaries-Che Guevara(review by Rinol Job)

Che Guevara has done a wonderful job. Reading about Che’s impressions of Cuzco will make us time travel,back to that time. And judging from what he wrote, it seems that little has changed in that corner of Peru.. Perhaps that is one factor why I liked this travelogue better than any other travelogue , in that this one focused a lot more on the scenery and the local culture.

Second, I appreciated the gradual mental change that was reflected in Che’s writing. He had a middle-class rather affluent background, and here he was, faced with the grim realities of South America. He encounters indigenous peoples such as the Aymara, the Quechua, and the Yagua who live in the interior, and witnesses the poor realities that these people face. He also encounters a leper colony and sees the unlucky situation that they are in. This gradually molds his thinking into Marxism, as evident in his prose. The final sentence especially illustrates this, when he proclaims that he is sacrificing himself to the authentic revolution, bracing his body, ready for combat, as the bestial howl of the victorious proletariat resounds with new vigor and hope. It was quite an idealistic ending.

Personally, I am not sold to the idea of Marxism and Communism, as I feel that humans are inherently selfish. This I think is the one general flaw which makes the idea of Communism a failure. Looking back at history, we see how several Communist states became corrupt; it was never a utopian state where everything is equal. However, I can also see Che’s point of view. If you’re on the bottom end of the social spectrum, you would wish that life were a little bit easier, hoping that the riches those bourgeoisie enjoy would trickle down to your own plate. That’s the hope. Alas, it is easier said than done.
I suggest everyone to read this book, well nothing to do with politics here but just to know the other face of the world..