What is the theme of the censors by Luisa Valenzuela?
'The Censors' is a short story by Luisa Valenzuela, an author from Argentina. In 'The Censors,' Valenzuela uses humor to examine the serious events in Argentina during her life.
Was Juan Valenzuela’s fear of the censors justified?
However, many of his fears, when considered within the framework of the repressive Argentine government that Valenzuela lived through in the 1970s and into the 1980s, may have been justified. Immediately after sending his letter, Juan begins to rethink everything he has written, wondering what might be misinterpreted by the censors.
What is the author's purpose in writing the censors?
Ian teaches college writing and has a Master's in Writing and Publishing. 'The Censors' is a short story by Luisa Valenzuela, an author from Argentina. In 'The Censors,' Valenzuela uses humor to examine the serious events in Argentina during her life.
How does Juan censor himself in the censors?
Juan censors himself in the subtle, subversive way Valenzuela describes, by refusing to see reality and acknowledge that people’s lives are becoming endangered as a result of his actions and those of all the censors. Throughout the short story ‘‘The Censors,’’ Juan enacts the role of the censor in a number of ways.
What is the author's purpose in The Censors?
The very broad theme of 'The Censors' is that government censorship and authoritarianism can cause profound psychological changes in an individual.
What is Valenzuela's purpose for writing The Censors?
Theme: The theme of The Censors is one of distrust. Luisa Valenzuela's message with the writing of this book was to trust no one. In the world she once lived, there was no one who could be trusted, not even yourself.
What is the main conflict of The Censors?
What is the main conflict in the story? Is the conflict internal or external, and why? Juan tries to go around the censorship laws of the government by becoming a censor only to find his letter and get rid of it (man versus society -- Juan versus the censorship rules).
What does The Censors say about freedom?
“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor: it must be demanded by the oppressed.” Freedom is the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants.
What is the irony in the story The Censors?
Irony of Situation: Juan is against the censors, yet he becomes a censor; Juan censors his own letter. This is ironic because his original intention for becoming a censor was to avoid having his own letter censored; Juan's motives for becoming a censor were not checked.
Why does Juan censor his own letter without regret?
Why does Juan censor his own letter to Mariana “without regret”? He is no longer in love with her, and he doesn't care about her safety. He knows that if he does not censor the letter, his mother may be in danger. He is so committed to censorship that he doesn't consider his own well-being.
What is the satire in The Censors?
Using dark humor, Valenzuela offers a powerful satire of government censor- ship and the difficult circumstances of war. Her stories identify the absurdities of society and expose the shameful operations of totali- tarian regimes.
What is the climax of The Censors?
Climax. By working hard Juan is promoting to Section E/ Letter Analyzation.
Why does Juan's attitude about censorship change?
Juan's attitude transforms from considering his letter “harmless” and “irreproachable” to censoring it because he finds it dangerous. 18.
What happens at the end of The Censors?
What happens to Juan at the end of "The Censors"? He censors his own letter, getting himself in trouble, and is executed. "The Censors" takes place in a country ruled by a dictator.
Why does Juan take a job as a censor quizlet?
Why does Juan apply for a job as censor? He wants to intercept the letter that he wrote to Mariana.
How does Juan change in the censors?
Juan changes in the censors when he gets captivated by his job as a government censor. He forgets his original plan and begins to accept the govern...
What happens at the end of the censors?
At the end of "The Censors" Juan finds his own letter and censors it. At this point, he is programmed by the ideology of the government. He ruthles...
What is the conflict in The Censors by Luisa Valenzuela?
The conflict in "The Censors" is that Juan struggles with his own goal of stealing his letter back and his new found dedication to his job as a cen...
What is the irony of the censors?
The irony of "The Censors" is that Juan took the job initially to steal back the letter he wrote. He knew the letter was harmless, but worried that...
What point of view is The Censors in?
"The Censors" is in third-person omniscient point of view where the reader knows what Juan's thoughts and actions are throughout the story.
Why does Juan take a job as a censor?
Juan takes the job as a censor to steal back the letter he wrote to Mariana. He is worried the government will find issue with it as they often do....
What is the theme of the Censors?
The very broad theme of 'The Censors' is that government censorship and authoritarianism can cause profound psychological changes in an individual. In the story, government censorship gets in the way of Juan's love for Mariana - even before he becomes a censor he's overly careful about what he tells her in their letters.
Who is the author of the censors?
'The Censors' is a short story by Luisa Valenzuela, an author from Argentina. In 'The Censors,' Valenzuela uses humor to examine the serious events in Argentina during her life.
What is Valenzuela's style of narrator?
Valenzuela uses an omniscient narrator, a narrator who knows and sees everything that goes on in the story. She knows the whole plot before it even starts.
What is Valenzuela's writing style?
Valenzuela's Writing Style. Valenzuela's writing style is a big part of the satire at play in 'The Censors.'. While a lot of satire - like that of Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain, or The Onion - is written with a sarcastic tone, 'The Censors' opts for an exaggerated, silly style. The style highlights the ridiculous nature of the story ...
What is the first thing we hear in The Censors?
The first thing we hear in 'The Censors' is 'Poor Juan, ' which heightens the satire. The narrator's omniscience, combined with the sillier tone, makes it feel less like just a silly story and more like we're being told a story by a narrator who's in on the joke.
Where is Juan from the censors?
Summary of 'The Censors'. Juan is a young man living in Argentina under the control of an authoritarian government (think Big Brother in Orwell's 1984 ). At the beginning of the story, he writes and mails a letter to a woman he loves named Mariana. However, he quickly begins worrying about what the censors will think about the contents ...
What happened to Valenzuela's home country?
The political situation in Valenzuela's home country of Argentina got nearly as bad as the depicted situation in 'The Censors' during her adulthood. After Juan Peron (the President of Argentina) died, the military took over in a coup.
What was Luisa Valenzuela's message in the book?
Luisa Valenzuela’s message with the writing of this book was to trust no one. In the world she once lived, there was no one who could be trusted, not even yourself. Juan works his way up in his new job, eventually being transferred to section B, where letters are examined under microscope.
What is the point of view of the censors?
-Point of View: The point of view in the story, The Censors is one of a third person limited. All we know about the story comes from the observations of Juan's made by the narrator. We only know of his feelings through his actions.
Where did the censors take place?
The Censors takes place in Argentina, around the 1970s when government censorship was prevalent throughout the country. During this time, communications were extremely restricted, with every letter being carefully screened before it was even sent out to its intended recipient.