Traveling Through Latin America

       Just finishing the introduction, it is very interesting to notice how the author is able to combine narration with exposition. Vitier writes in such a way that he tells what Guevara experiences throughout his trip and at the same time he shows of how he feels it through vivid and clear examples of his journey. For example, in a narrative section, he points out, “Their stares are tame, almost fearful, and completely indifferent to the outside world. Some give the impression they go on living only because it’s a habit they cannot shake” (p. 24). In this case, Vitier provides very descriptive examples that show the reader what Guevara is seeing. This clever combination allows the reader not only to get a precise image of the situation, but also to get the in-depth description of the situation. The introduction is written in a way that the reader can not only understand what the book is going to be about, but get to known how the author is going to describe the story and which modes of rhetoric he will be manipulating. In addition, Vitier uses a lot of citations in which he constantly refers to Guevara’s books. This makes his points much clearer and more credible. It makes it seem as if Guevara was the one expressing himself in third person. This technique attracted me and kept me engaged in the introduction.

        When the adventure actually begins, it is impressive to see how the perspective completely changes. During the introduction, Guevara was presented from a third person point of view, which I thought would make not such a big difference. However, it does. As soon as the memoir begins, a first person narrator comes in and takes charge in telling his own story. This creates a very strong relationship between the audience and the character. Guevara is able to achieve this through the effective manipulation of pathos. Throughout the whole first part of the memoir, Guevara is selecting the details that make the reader realize the great amount of effort and the anxiousness the two travelers experience. The way in which Guevara is able to get the reader to sympathize with “Che” right from the beginning is truly amazing. The main character already has the reputation of a true leader and determined young man even before he actually begins to achieve his famous accomplishments. This is exemplifies when Guevara depicts, “The trip was decided just like that, and it never erred from the basic principle laid down in that moment: improvisation” (p. 32). By manipulating pathos, Guevara is able to appeal to the audience’s emotions and make them encourage “Che” to pursuit his dreams and feel pity when he when describes all the obstacles he has to go through. Will “Che” be able to get to North America? How do the experiences in his youth affect his viewpoints later on?