Octavio Paz's Labyrinth of Solitude
In his book The Laby
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In his book The Labyrinth of Solitude, Octavio Paz attempts to define the Mexican character in an effort to explain the crisis he perceived his people to be undergoing. The book is a combination of sociology, history and philosophy, tracing the salient aspects of the Mexican people and their culture from the Aztec era through the present day. In his analysis of his culture, Paz comes to the conclusion that the Mexican people are characterized by one trait above all others: solitude. By reading deeply in Mexican history and poetry, Paz came to believe that solitude was that which creates and defines the Mexican people, as well as that which holds them back from fully participating in the political and cultural dialogue of the world. Mexico, by virtue of the nature of its people, is isolated. Paz begins the book by describing how he came to reflect upon solitude in relationship to the people of Mexico. Paz lived in Los Angeles in the 1950s and observed the development of the pachuco culture, a phenomenon largely defined by distant, mocking attitudes and fashion that set Pachucos apart from contemporary urban society. His assessment of the phenomenon draws conclusions about the underlying meaning of pachuco culture. Implicit within the cultural stance of the Pachuco is a simultaneous resentment and separation from the society in which the person operates. This separation, Paz believes, is a philosophical position that did not emerge spontaneously
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e, to individuate, to set apart. Paz's insight into his people's condition adds credence to his self-assessment.
He furthermore points out that the great contributions of Mexico's intellectuals are mostly made in the area of critical analysis. He reflects on the book he is writing and comes to the conclusion that he is risking a perpetuation of the condition that he is striving to change. Constant self-reflection stops short of the ultimate goal of creation. Paz is concerned with the absence of creative activity and the proliferation of critical activity. Yet he cannot abandon his goal of laying bare his country's stagnancy. To do so would be for him an abdication of his responsibility as a critic. He is paradoxically trying to overcome a sense of obsessive criticism through criticism. He cannot do otherwise, though. Withdrawing from such a task would be an act of choosing solitude.
His detailed analysis of Mexican society and interpersonal relationships explores this theme further. While his description of Mexican men and women and their various attitudes toward each other may strike one at first as being a collection of stereotypical roles, his authoritative stance convinces the reader that his analysis is sound. The stereo
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Approximate Word count = 1435
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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