The Motorcycle Diaries By Guevera Analysis

Discoveries can encapsulate the experience of discovering something new, evoking a sense of curiousity and renewed perceptions of ourselves and the world. A self-discovery can emerge from a process of confrontational encounters, allowing the individual to realise their fundamental purpose of exploration. The memoir ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ by Ernesto Che Guevera, follows Guevara’s endeavour around Latin America, where he discovers the social injustices foregrounding the continent. He is exposed to many provocative, yet intensely meaning experiences, leading to new understandings that allow him to speculate about future possibilities. The novel ‘Heart of Darkness’ by Joseph Conrad explores the self-discovery of humanity’s descent into depravity,
The change of perception emerges from an intensely personal process of understanding the standards set from different outlooks. In ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ Guevara undergoes a self-reflection phase where he describes his ‘spirit of a dreamer’ life prior to his journey around Latin America, demonstrating his wanderlust. He asserts how ‘the enormity of our endeavour escaped us in those moments,’ which personifies the obscurity of discovery, with the positive connotation of ‘flight northward’ symbolising the inspiring curiosity to undergo the exploration. Guevara is perpetually impacted by his encounters of social injustice throughout Chile, as sudden revelations are evoked, where his is confronted by the horrid living conditions of poverty and becomes ‘conscious of his complete powerlessness, that he longs for change: a change to prevent the injustice of a system’. His philosophical language emphasises his view of the government, where their actions led to a ‘profound tragedy’ on the ‘life of the proletariat’, foreshadowing the awakening of his social and political conscience. He comes across a communist couple, and Guevara is identified as a ‘comrade’, establishing that externally, Guevara is perceived with the status of the low-class people. His constant reminder of the couple further solidifies his political and social ideas, allowing him to
Confronting experiences can set a broadened mindset which heightens the awareness of the ramifications of the discovery. Guevara makes a metaphoric statement of how ‘Chile should…shakes uncomfortable Yankee friend from its back’ demonstrating his change of perspective in a political and social manner, as he acknowledges the ramifications of social injustice. His political awareness accentuates the growing clarity of his own political position and vision, highlighting the far-reaching impact of discovery upon an individual’s outlook. Subsequently, Guevara encounters an old wise man, who structured his idealistic views of the future and inspires him to take on a violent approach to revolutionise. Amid self-reflection, the recurring motif of ‘night’ symbolises the revelation of his profound transformation, as the significant experiences has shaped his entire perspective. He envisions himself as a leader of this cause, and articulates his change of identity ‘of the triumphant proletariat can resound with new energy’ which demonstrates what he is going to dedicate his life to, as a sacrifice for the people. Guevara makes a speech in the appendix, where he characterises to himself as a ‘central figure in Cuba’s revolutionary government’, which represents his revolutionary stance as he justifies the morality of his actions,