Author: Theo Vancraeynest

Date: 12/16/11

Title: Entry #1, The first 28 pages of The Motorcycle Diaries.

Though I have yet to actually read part of the plot, the introductory passages such as a summary of Che’s life, a timeline of major events that take place in the novella, and the praise that was written by Aleida Guevara, that, though biased, since it is made by Che’s daughter, is still likely accurate.

The text on page 16 mentions that “we cannot read these pages without thinking of Che’s future, an image of him in the Sierra Maestra, an image which reached perfection” (16). This implies that Che will do things in the book that will be either amoral or mediocre, since “If this youthful adventure had not been prelude to his revolutionary formation, these pages would be different, and we would view them differently…” (16). What Che does, however may not be so wrong that we can’t forgive him for it. George Washington, for example, is forgiven for owning slaves due to his efforts in a revolution, a revolution which may be like the one Che was involved in. The book also references Don Quixote, and frequently compares Che to the great Spaniard. (16, 17).This is probably done to portray Che in a positive manner, convincing the reader that the actions Che does in the book can be forgiven.                                                                           

The book also mentions that “Che was traveling towards himself, catching glimpses of his destiny, which we glimpse as well” (17). This tells me that I should be analyzing every piece of text carefully, so that I may see which parts of the book may be foreshadowing.

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