The Recruiter

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?

The Mysterious Man

The local dentist, Mr. Tench, was visited by a very strange man today. He is causing a degree of curiosity in me. He seemed somewhat interested in obscure, suspicious subjects, as if he had deeper, more important motives. His interest in the girl, the General Obregon, and his questionable profession as a doctor all contribute to his question-raising existence. Could he be a man with hidden truths about him that he refuses to reveal, or is he just another lost man, drifting day by day and occasionally losing himself in deeper thoughts, like so many of us these days?

I found that this man showed slight interest in faith-related things, but does it signify something more? He commented on Mr. Tench's expression, "Ora pro nobis." or "Pray for us." He wanted to know if Mr. Tench was Catholic. What a touchy subject for a stranger, especially in times like these. He also comments on the Madonna in Mr. Tench's home. Is he hiding his religion? Or was he a part of the church in his past? He could very possibly be neither. After all, I saw him gulping down contraband alcohol, and he even showed extreme reluctance to help a child's dying mother, even though he claimed to be a doctor!

Whatever the mysterious man's identity may be, I am sure of the fact that he is conflicted internally. He shows it in the way he acts, jumpy yet apathetic to those around him. He obviously is dealing with or has dealt with a conflict recently. And his focus on the departing boat- does he truly have reason to escape or is he just dreaming of a different life? This man's actions captivate me, but is he just restless or is he hiding something?