Neruda opens his poem in stanza 1 with satirical tones as he explains the beginning of corporate invasion to Central America. This is signified by his use of the thoughts of Genesis 1:28-30. (Genesis) This would be understood by the multitude who were primarily Christian. (Central America) He, nor the corporations believed that God had actually granted the corporations to subdue the land and people, but the effect was the same. There is a sense of futility in struggling against an omnipotent power. It seems a bit ironic that these verses begin with the command to be fruitful. These particular corporations are listed for the purpose of drawing attention to the United States and the three major factors of the decimation of Central America; …show more content…
They were once known as the mighty Aztec, Olmec, and Mayan civilizations, as unquiet to the world as the pyramids of Giza would be. Here he is stating that they have been reborn as a failing nation run by corporations and dictators. The once proud people are now enslaved by them. The opera buffa is the fact that the U.S., land of the free, home of the brave, is the catalyst for this transformation. We tout our fruited plains and conservation of our land, yet here we see the opposite mindset. The U.S. had “crowned” the rise of many dictators who were pro-U.S. With rising debt in Central America, capitalism was presented as the means to prosper like us causing envy. The aim was not UFCO, but a fight against communism, and creating free trade. Trujilo, Tachos, Carias, Martinez, and Ubico were all U.S. backed dictators that came to power. (Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua) Neruda calls them flies which is fitting. Flies are attracted to rotting things and corruption is certainly rotten. These dictators twisted and turned the laws and people for their own gain like acrobats at a circus. They wisely paid off the debts of their country and lined their own pockets at the expense of the masses. Dictators continued to slaughter those who chose to rebel. This is the meaning of submissive blood. Marmalade refers to the export of sugar and fruit. Mix the two together and you get marmalade. Here you see fruit woven into the mix