Caballero Review

Through the course of the novel, pride remains a key element in Don Santiago, but somewhere vision is lost and is blurred by the pestering war that raises emotion to take control of his actions. A reasonable man can do many things, but Don Santiago’s reason is blinded by rage directed at people whom he knows little to nothing of. Letting pride take the best of him, he alone is the cause for the fall of his family.

When Don Jose arrived in the area known as Rancho Las Palmas, the land was unmarked and unwanted, so he labeled it his and raised a great hacienda and family. However, during this time, power and control changed as countries fought for this land. No one really took notice to the area of South Texas, for it was not yet settled by Americans, and it was too far from Mexico to be of real significance to them. This made life for the first hundred years at Ranc

Susanita knows that tradition and her father stand in the way of her desire for Warrener. She is not happy, but is willing to take her feelings and bury them as many in her position have done. However, Warrener is not so weak. He goes up to Don Santiago and gets his stern answer, along with the pain of a cane across the already injured head of Warrener. This is a sign of him, once more losing that control as head of the family. Now, the always-agreeing wife is not even on his side. Instead, she is realizing that maybe tradition is not always the best way. Maybe, love should be given a chance. Maybe, this Anglo can bring the happiness and love women in her position long for.

In a conversation with Don Santiago, Don Gabriel says, “It is amazing, Santiago, how their (Anglo’s) minds leap ahead. It is a quality we lack, for we live in the past and the present and see the future with our emotions only. We believe a thing must be so, or so, and then we wait for it to be so…”(p.189) This is one of the voices of reason Don Santiago refuses to hear, and it comes from one of his own. Instead, Don Santiago makes Don Gabriel feel worse by making him feel like a traitor to his people and country, country of who he will no longer be part. He is blinding himself from the future. Here, he loses vision and lets emotion take hold of his actions.

Later McLane marries Susana, the good and holy daughter of Don Santiago. This was probably the only thing that made him think of himself as somewhat of a success as the head of the family. Shortly thereafter, his sister, a widow, marries his best friend, yet another change in traditional customs broken by the power of love. This custom, now broken by his sister, indirectly relayed that what his daughters did was good. Could Don Santiago de Mendoza y Soria be wrong? No, his pride would be somehow tarnished or hurt if it were. And if he does not have pride or tradition, what does he have? Ultimately, in his eyes, his position as head of a wealthy and respectable family had come to an end.

With the dispute of the land between the Nueces and Rio Grande rivers came trouble for Don Santiago’s reign. As the Anglo’s fought for control of this land, they brought with them a whole other cul

Some topics in this essay:
Don Santiago, Dona Maria, Don Santiago’s, Las Palmas, , Gonzalez Raleigh, don santiago, Don Gabriel, Warrener American, Mendoza Soria, Santiago Anglo’s, dona maria, don santiago’s, rancho las palmas, dona dolores, las palmas, rancho las, daughter don, south texas, don gabriel, power control, daughter don santiago,