Strange Pilgrims: An Analysis

          Historically pilgrims have been travellers in search of something holy, in search of a Mecca, or Jerusalem.  History recounts countless tales of those in search of spiritual greatness, the struggles these pilgrims had in finding what they were searching for, the blood that was shed, and the lives that were sacrificed. As the world has become more secular, the meaning of the word pilgrim has changed.  The first Pilgrims in America were pilgrims in search of religious freedom; the pilgrims of Strange Pilgrims are in search of the supernatural.   Strange Pilgrims is a collection of twelve short stories, written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  The unique collection of stories find various Latin American characters transplanted in Europe.  Each character must create their own means of survival, and each character does so in their own way.  Several characters take on mystical and bizarre ways of surviving; others find more practical and reliable means of coping.  In Strange Pilgrims, Marquez offers a collection of short stories portraying Latin American pilgrims wandering in a land that is not their own, and by incorporating a nostalgic theme by making references to Latin American history and culture throughout the novel.

Strange Pilgrims was written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  The author is a Latin American himself, born in 1927 in Aracataca, Columbia.  He currently resides in Mexico City.  (Marquez, 1993) As a Latin American who has done extensive travelling, he has a diverse recollection of the people he has met and the stories they have told.  In his prologue he mentions that this book was not written at one point in time, rather over the years.  They are bits and pieces of notes, and scraps of stories that he compiled.  (Marquez, 1993, p. Vii)  However he also introduces the supernatural here.  He mentions that the idea for his first story came to him in the early 1970’s, “as a result of an illuminating dream I had had after living in Barcelona for five years.”  (Marquez, 1993, p. Vii)  It was a dream of his own funeral where everyone was happy, and himself more than anyone because he got to be with his Latin American friends.  (Marquez, 1993, p. Viii)  This theme of the dream reoccurs throughout the novel. 

It is apparent that the author himself was a pilgrim in Europe.  In his prologue he states that he “returned to Mexico from Barcelona.”  (Marquez, 1993, p. Vii)  Implying that he had been in Europe, he makes similar implications about Paris, Rome and Geneva.  Thus the author is speaking from his own experiences having travelled to Europe, and met other Latin Americans while there.

Each story contains a Latin American pilgrim.  This pilgrim or protagonist always originates from Latin America, and for some reason or another leaves for Europe.  The circumstances surrounding this wondering from Latin America across the Atlantic always differs.  For an example, in the chapter entitled, “Bon Voyage, Mr. President,” an overthrown president travelled to, “Geneva after two world wars in search of a definitive answer to a pain that the doctors in Martinique could not identify.” (Marquez, 1993, p. 4) Thus he was looking for better health.  In another chapter, titled, “I sell my dreams,” the protagonist was, “born in Columbia, and had come to Austria between the wars, when she was little more than child, to study music and voice.”  (Marquez, 1993, p. 64) It is evident therefore that there is no connection between the stories, nor is there any rhythmic sequence to the pilgrimages of these Latin American protagonists. 

The only other significant character in the stories is the author himself, who writes from a first person point of view, as if he were telling his readers a story.  For an example he says, “I saw Margarito Duarte after twenty two years....” (Marquez, 1993, p. 36)  Marquez often starts his chapters, or stories in such a manner, implying that these are people he has met, and he is relaying their stories of the transition from Latin America to Europe.  Thus Marquez himself is an important character in the novel.

The tone that Marquez sets in Strange Pilgrims is a complex one.  It is understandably more difficult to identify the mood in twelve very different stories.  For an example, in “Sleeping Beauty and the airplane,” there is a tone of fantasy where the author speaks of a beautiful girl that is sitting on the plane next to him.  She sleeps the entire trip, while he watches over her, as the ancient Japanese tradition where rich men paid money to watch, “the most beautiful girls in the city....they could not touch them...because they essence of their pleasure was to see them sleeping.”  (Marquez, 1993, p. 60)  However other stories turn more grotesque, such as “I only came to use the phone.”  This story tells the tale of a woman who only wants to reach a phone with which to call her husband that she will be home late.  She ends up in an asylum for mental women, and becomes trapped there.  In this case the line between what is real and what is imagined becomes incredibly hard for the protagonist to differentiate, and eventually she does become mad.  Thus there are various themes and tone running throughout the novel.  However one thing remains constant and that is the reoccurrence of the magical, fantasy, and dreams, the supernatural. 

Throughout the novel nearly every story contains some element of mysticism.  “The saint” is the story of the daughter of a Columbian peasant who died, but whose body remained intact, a miracle.  “I sell my dreams,” is the story of a woman who is able to predict the future through dreams, and makes a living by selling these predictions to people.  “The ghosts of August,” is a story about a ghost in ancient castle.  And many more examples could be made, but these examples give a good idea of the presence of fantasy throughout the book. 

The relation between fantasy and the author’s intent is made clear in his prologue.  Marquez (1993) writes that, “True memories seemed like phantoms, while false memories were so convincing that they replaced reality.  The meant I could not detect the dividing line between disillusionment and nostalgia.”  (p. Xii).  Moreover, it become evident that Marquez writes with a style that cleverly blurs this distinction as well.  The reader becomes unable to clearly distinguish what is real and what is fantasy.  Who knows whether Frau Frieda, “I sell my dreams,” is really able to predict a future, who knows whether her dreams really had anything to do with real life? 

However there are mentions made of real life Latin American history, culture and traditions.  And while the book is filled with fantasy, magic and dreams, these references are easy to pick up on.  For an example, “I only came to use the phone,” speaks of the mariachi being played at a wedding.  This is still a popular Latin American tradition.  Another reference is made to “Venezuelan writer Miguel Otero Silva.”  (Marquez, 1993, p. 92)  Silva was indeed a Venezuelan author, so here reference is made to literary traditions of Latin America.  Additionally, “Bon Voyage, Mr. President” speaks of political disenchantment, popular in Latin American history.  It is the story of an overthrown, Latin American president who has to go to Europe to seek medical treatment.  The president is not given a name rather he is referred to as ‘Mr. President.’  This reference is perhaps to the political situations in Latin America.  Numerous other references were made, however these give a good understanding of the way in which Marquez incorporates Latin America history and culture. 

Although Marquez provides a interesting compilation of stories, Strange Pilgrims, read like the title itself.  Pilgrims can also be termed wanderers, and this book wandered in its effectiveness and structure.  The stories did not transition into each other; rather they wandered in terms of content, length, and themes.  One story deals with fantasizing love, while the next deals with an old prostitute preparing herself for her burial.  While the book lacked flow, it did contain excellent detail and the effect the author intended.

Many of the stories left the reader wondering what exactly was going on.  What was real and what was not.  If these were people the author had indeed met, did they actually experience this events?  The only way by which the author could successfully achieve is this is by paying careful attention to the detail of the story. 

In conclusion, Strange Pilgrims is the story of Latin Americans who have left their homeland.  It is the story of their attempt at finding whatever they were searching for in Europe.  For some this was health, for others it was better education, or even validation of their own identity.  The reference to various Latin American traditions, however, perpetuates that idea, that these people are never without their heritage that it will carry with them forever. Although the stories did not contain much relevance towards each other, they did contain a similar underlying theme, that of the supernatural.  The supernatural was, however, the force that binds these wandering pilgrims together as they sought their destiny.

  

References:

Marquez, G.G.  (1993).  Strange Pilgrims.  Toronto, ON: Random House.