The Lieutenant seems to me to be a man of great passion, and even greater insight. Although he has the power and support to act instinctively and forcefully, he instead chooses to sit back and think before acting. Most people in his position would fold under the pressure to abuse their power, and revert to pursuing short-term ambitions, but the Lieutenant, a quite peculiar man, refrains from spontaneous action.
When a makeshift bomb thrown by a young boy lands at the Lieutenant's feet, instead of exploding at the reckless youth, he takes a moment to compose himself, and ends up gaining the boy and his friends' respect by showing off his gun to them! The Lieutenant's deftness, compared to so many other bigoted officers, is a strong indicator of a grand scheme inside his head, in my opinion. He has something greater in mind for the future of Mexico, and the odds are that it will be solely beneficial to him. But what could it be? What could the Lieutenant gain by impressing a few meager children? Does he want to build up the youth of Mexico into a militant force, loyal to him? Or does he simply want to look good and gain favor in order to seize more power? All of this is unclear, as the Lieutenant's true motives are locked securely in his own mind. But what could his ambitious goal possibly be, in such a country where people topple daily and the vast majority is struggling to keep their heads afloat? What potential does he see through the suffocating disarray of Mexican society?
I'm not sure if the Lieutenant is looking for power or immediate military resources. I think he's a bigger thinking, more ambitious man. I think he's motivated by his ideals for Mexico, and these extend beyond his lifetime.
ReplyDeleteBut he does seem like quite the thinker and planner. So I definitely agree with you there. Kudos to you dearie.