Canaima (novel)

Canaima is an adventure and drama novel, written by Rómulo Gallegos, published in 1935, set in the region with the same name in southern Venezuela in the Bolívar state, especially in the area exploitation of the gold mines of El Callao, at that time a jungle area.

Plot

In this work, the Orinoco jungle is the great character and the motive that drives all the actions of its characters. The ruthless fight against nature, the terror of caciquismo and the desire for wealth, dominance and power, constitute the main theme of this novel.

Canaima represents a bitter complaint against caudillismo. Its author portrays the jungle from an ideological position and this situation is present in his characters. Marcos Vargas, whose spirit leans towards overflowing action and not daydreaming, after a study period on Trinidad Island, returns to Ciudad Bolívar and finally decides to enter the waters of the Yuruari River. He meets Manuel Ladera, a wealthy owner who helps him set up a mule cart business for transportation. Little by little other people are woven into the life of Marcos: Cholo Parima, a henchman of the Ardavines, who assassinates Enrique Vargas, Marcos's brother, and Manuel Ladera; then he is shot to death by the hand of Marcos himself. José Francisco Ardavín, cacique of the Yuruari, involved in the car business (which is why Manuel passes his business on to Marcos), a cowardly individual who boasts of false war deeds that the other Ardavines did accomplish (José Gregorio Ardavín, his brother, interned in the mountains, married to an Indian woman named Rosa Arecuna, sick with carare; and Miguel Ardavín, cousin of the other two, owner of the "Palmasola" herd). José Francisco fell in love with Maigualida Ladera, Manuel's eldest daughter and, as he is extremely impulsive as well as a coward, he decided that if she did not accept him as her husband, he would kill everyone who came close to him, which he did.

While in Upata, Marcos falls in love with Aracelis Vellorini, the youngest or bordona daughter of Francisco Vellorini. He also knows Juan Solito, a sort of tiger hunter and sorcerer. Still in Upata, Marcos befriended both Gabriel Ureña, a telegraph operator with a reflective temperament, and the cowardly and prankster Arteaguita, as well as Ciriaco "Childerico" Hilder (nickname Arteagita gave him after the name of his company "C. HILDER"). & CO."), owner of "Los Argonautas" and passionate about Greek mythology. In El Callao he meets Apolonio Alcaraván, civil chief, chacotero and playboy.

After killing the Cholo Parima, Marcos renounces the love of Aracelis, goes into the jungle and marries a young Indian woman named Aymara, while Gabriel marries Maigualida and Aracelis an engineer English from the mines of El Callao.

The story ends with Gabriel Ureña, who will educate and care for Marcos Vargas Jr.

Characters

Main characters

• Marcos Vargas: Young in adventurous spirit. After his studies on the island of Trinidad, he returns to the Venezuelan jungle in order to help his mother who lives in ruin, starting in the car business. Although he has a noble heart, he is sometimes impulsive, leaving himself to be carried by his "male man" complex. After blemishing his blood hands, being undecided about his loving relationship and failing with his capturing business, he decides to abandon everything by getting into the jungle and marrying an Indian.

• Manuel Ladera: Rich owner of the ward business at Yuruari. Family man, of a noble and honest heart, becomes a second father for Marcos, who always advises Vargas to be free of trouble. He's cruelly murdered by Cholo Parima in a senseless crime.

• Aracelis Vellorini: Also called Bordona for being the youngest daughter of Francisco Vellorini. Despite having consensual and capricious girl complex, it is also very good people. He has a funny encounter with Marcos Vargas, who at first liked him very badly, but then he feels a huge attraction for him and becomes his girlfriend. She is dark, full and clear eyebrows, which will not be unnoticed by Marcos himself. However, your girlfriend doesn't last long and then marry an Englishman.

• Maigualida Ladera: Old daughter of Manuel Ladera. Extroverted at the beginning, later introverted, thanks to a tragedy caused by the evil José Francisco Ardavín. It takes a long time away from the world and its family in a social sense, until Gabriel Ureña appears, his love of youth, with whom he marries at the end.

• Gabriel Ureña: Telegrapher, friend of both Marcos and Manuel, of reflective temper. As a young man he loved the customs of the church, but then he decided to leave everything and leave. Return now to recover everything and find your position in the area, marrying Maigualida, after the death of her father.

Side characters

Allies

• Arteaguita: Shit. He's a joker and at the same time a coward. It is from the group of Marcos and Gabriel, who accompany in all their adventures.

• Ciriaco Hilder: Nicknamed "Chiderico" by the comic Arteaguita, owner of "Los Argonautas". Passed by Greek mythology, he identifies almost everything he sees for some of those characters.

• Apolonius Alcaravan: Civilian chief of the mines of El Callao. He used to work with José Gregorio Ardavín. Character with a vivid personality, known for its laughter.

Villains

• José Francisco Ardavín: Yuruari cacique. A very ruinous man, without scruples and impulsive. He obsessesses with Maigualida and kills any alleged suitor of her. Over the years it becomes both alcoholic and mortal enemy of Marcos Vargas. After the death of his brother José Gregorio and the defeat of his cousin Michael, he goes mad because of his alcoholism and wanders around Tumeremo.

• Cholo Parima: Rabbi of the Ardavines. After the death of Enrique Vargas, brother of Marcos, whom he murders, he calls himself "Pantoja" so that they will not discover him, although everyone knows that he was the promoter of the horrific "night in which the machetes lit the Vichada". Serial killer, kills Manuel Ladera by José Francisco's orders. Marcos will become his obsession, whose provocation makes him pay with the same coin.

• Miguel Ardavín: Dueño de «Palmasola».

Others

• Francisco Vellorini: The richest man in all Upata, father of the Vellorini sisters.

• José Vellorini: Brother of Francisco Vellorini.

• Juan Solito: Upata's most famous tiger hunter, and a kind of witch.

• Eufrosina Ladera: The second daughter of Manuel Ladera.

• Rosa María Ladera: Little daughter of Manuel Ladera.

• Berenice Vellorini: Famous for her beauty, wife of Francisco Vellorini.

• Leonarda Vellorini: Major of the Vellorini sisters.

Film adaptation

The novel was adapted for the big screen in 1945 with the Mexican film Canaima or The Evil God. Directed by Juan Bustillo Oro, with a cast made up of Jorge Negrete in the role of Marcos Vargas, Gloria Marín as Maigualida, Rosario Granados as Aracelis, Alfredo Varela as Arteaguita, Andrés Soler as Count Giaffaro, Carlos López Moctezuma as José Francisco Ardavín and Alfonso Bedoya as Cholo Parima.