Marxism

“Nothing is constant in this world except change”, this quotation perfectly described the
poem entitled “Letter To Pedro, U.S. Citizen, Also Called Pete”. In man’s life nothing is
permanent, everything were bound to change especially behaviour, attitudes and even status in
the society. Money was one of the many reasons why people change. The poem showed the big
change happened in life of the people in the town. It also showed the differences between the life
of the rich (bourgeoisie) and the life of the poor (proletariat).

In the poem, the rich people dominated the town. They were capable to own the land
using their money and power. Like for example was the mayor’s son, he bought the long blue
hills that the narrator used to play and hunt for birds which means that he robbed the freedom of
the children to spend their time in the hills whenever they wanted to play. As a child in the past,
they were contented to go in the hills unlike the children in the present. He even put barbed wire
fence in the land which showed the authoritative or territorial attitude of the mayor’s son and it
served as a demarcation line between the two classes.

“The long blue hills where we

used to shoot birds with slingshot or spend
the summer afternoons we loved so much doing
nothing in the tall grass have been bought
by the mayor’s son, Now there’s a barbed wire
fence about them, the birds have gone away.”

Another bourgeoisie was the town mayor who had a luxurious life wherein he owned the
big sugar plantation, three new cars, and a mansion which showed that whenever people got
positions in the government they became rich maybe because they had these strong connections
or they corrupted the money of the people. As a result, they don’t have a peace of mind and they
feared death so they needed bodyguards to protect their properties and positions.

“The mayor owns a big sugar plantation, three

 new cars, and a mansion with the gate overhung
with sampaguita. Inside the gate
are guys who carry a rifle and a pistol.”

On the other hand, was the condition of the farmers (proletariat) in the mountains who
worked hard cultivating their land. Yet, it was a painful job for them they don’t value the money.
They spent it to the cockpits and liquor instead of their daily needs.

“The farmers come down every Sunday

To sell their agony and their sweat for
A few pesos, lose to cockpits or get
drunk on the way home.”

Moreover, those people in the town who had positions got richer while the ordinary
people were getting poorer, like the narrator who was still buying rice, sardines and sugar to
Konga’s store. In addition I thought of instances that the narrator’s nature of work was related to
funeral business for the reason that he also bought nails for coffin which means that he was only
a contractual worker who earned a small amount of money, not enough to support his living.

“We still go to Konga’s store for rice

And sardines and sugar and nails for the coffin.”

To sum it all up, rich people were savaged of power and wealth that’s why they became
more powerful and richer while the poor people were weak and sloppy so they suffered even
more.