Captain Pantoja and the Special Service - Vargas Llosa’s

    Hello everyone! This week I read Captain Pantoja and the Special Service. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was much different than any other book I've read in this class up to now, so I definitely appreciated the change in writing style and the storyline. Throughout the lecture, there is mention of the humour present throughout this novel and whether or not Vargas is successful in making his reader laugh. To answer that, my friend Jordan and I read this book outside together on a lovely sunny day and I can definitely say we were giggling. However, not necessarily at any jokes being made, but more so in terms of the way things are described in such a strange yet serious way.  One instance that had us giggling was in the letter being written to Chi Chi from Pantoja's wife, Pochita. I thought the way in which it was written was really raw and felt personal. For example, “I nearly had a stroke, ChiChi, the woman was so covered in make-up there wasn't room for a drop more, not even on her ears with such tits and an ass spilling over the chair, and the guy was a little half-pint, so short his feet didn't reach the floor, and what's more, with an incredible ladykiller look.” (p.54). But then, to go back to what type of humour this is, I’m not totally sure. I think that throughout the novel I found myself laughing in moments that came unexpectedly, or where the language used for the scenario or person was a little out there. 

    The theme of sex was also extremely prevalent throughout this novel. The whole concept of these soldiers needing a different outlet to express their sexual urges seems like it would not be the most urgent of problems to deal with, but it is. In the beginning, this new mission for Pantoja seems like an impressive opportunity that is so intense and a good fit for him. Yet, the way in which he handles these soldiers is quite humorous to me. The fact that he is timing the interactions between the soldiers and the “specialists” for efficiency and handing them pornographic magazines to speed things up, is very characteristic of Pantoja and his ways of keeping things organized. However, I think that the presence of humour throughout the novel can distract us as readers as to what was going on in real life and can make it easy to forget the seriousness of the war in general.

    In the theme of humour, my question for you all is if there was a particular moment or scene in the book that stood out most and made you laugh or something you found funny :)

Comments

  1. Daniel OrizagaMarch 13, 2023 at 9:00 PM

    Fortunately, there are many types of humor, and many ways to make people laugh. I can't say that I laughed reading this novel, but I think it's great that you had fun in those comic moments, where Vargas Llosa tries to parody the ways of acting and the language of the military, and other members of this society in Iquitos. We see the author's care in details, especially to contrast with other terrible and violent events in the plot.

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  2. Jordan ClarkeMarch 13, 2023 at 10:07 PM

    Hi Daisy! I'm really happy that we got to read this book outside to together as I think it made the funny or out of pocket moments that much better. I also contemplated what type of humour or comedy that this book would be classified under, and I am still questioning this myself. I also loved the letter that Pochita wrote to Chichi, it felt very raw and relatable as we all make mistakes and love to gossip with our friends. I also have to agree with you about the humour in this novel distracting us from the actual absurdities that were going on as well, I wonder if this was Llosa intention when writing?

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  3. Shade WongMarch 15, 2023 at 10:14 PM

    Hello Daisy, I really enjoyed reading your blog post for this week! I also found the way Captain Pantoja handled his "business" quite amusing, in a "seriously?! I can't believe he's actually doing this" kind of way. However, as mentioned in the lecture video, I do believe that the comedic aspect is crucial in expressing the unspeakable/taboo topics that would otherwise remain hidden from the public eye. Although the humour could be distracting at times, I believe that its effectiveness in portraying the corrupt bureaucracy and other sensitive issues prevalent in 20th-century Peruvian society outweighs the distractions it may have caused.

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