Victim of Colonization - Deep Rivers by Jose Maria Arguedas

 Theme : Finding One’s Self

Compared to the other books that I’ve read so far throughout this course, Deep Rivers by Jose Maria Arguedas was harder for me to get into. I think it’s because there’s no concrete ending or structure to the story, which made it harder for me to enjoy. The story focuses on a boy named Ernesto who is of mixed heritage and his journey in navigating his mixed identity and cultural background. I haven’t read a book like this before, so it was interesting to see how Ernesto navigates the intersecting parts of his identity with his indigenous background and having to go to a boarding school that centres around colonial education. This shows the sense of struggle he faces in belonging at school. People would give him the nickname “forraneo”, “forastero” or “forasterito” : outsider, stranger, or little stranger. This reinforces the notion that he feels that he is an outsider. He feels as if he’s not Indigenous enough and doesn’t feel like he’s part of his school community either. This is further highlighted in the line, “discovers the abysmal differences that separate him from others – his loneliness, his exiled condition (...). He cannot turn back to his Indian community; and now he also knows that he is not an Indian” (“Afterword” 236).  This indicates that he feels like he’s in between two worlds, trending a tightrope. Honestly, this made me think about myself as a third culture kid.  Having grown up in between Malaysia and the United States, I always felt that I’ve never fully belonged to both cultures. I’m too American ( the way I talk, my mentality, and my personality) to be considered Malaysian, even though nationality and ethnic-wise I am Malaysian. I related to Ernesto’s feeling of being in between two worlds. When I was a kid, I would ask my mom whether it was possible to squish Malaysia and the United States  together because they were two big parts of my identity. In my opinion, the main themes of this novel are growing up and finding yourself. The conflict of having to receive a colonizer’s education whilst trying to be true to your own culture and identity. The novel’s ending where Ernesto is told to leave town and seek refuge from the worsening epidemic, he decides to make his own route. I think the ending shows how he has the autonomy to make his own decision rather than just following what he should be doing. Question: Do you think that Ernesto has reconciled with being in between?