Jose Enrique Rodó specifically spoke to the Latin American youth. He believed that they should stay focused and help to develop Latin American culture. He disliked materialism and supported self thought. Like Martí, he believed that the mind is a powerful tool that should be utilized. Rodó celebrated the world of ideas. Both Rodó and Martí were modern thinkers who used literary language to make a political statements. Furthermore, they both retreated from globalization. As we spoke about in class, Rodó’s Ariel was inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest. I personally believe that Ariel represents Latin America and Caliban represents the United States/North America. He really enforces the importance of classical western tradition. Rodó continually discusses the significance of classical traditions and culture. On page 89, Rodó states, “If one could say of utilitarianism that it is the word of the English spirit, the United States may be considered the incarnation of that word. It’s Evangel is spread on every side to teach the material miracles of its triumph” (89). In other words, utilitarianism goes hand in hand with specialization and materialism. Rodó does not believe a society should strictly rely on and depend on those who are specifically specialized in one field or area of work. An individual should specialize in a series of fields so that they are bringing something to the society and they are not strictly focused on income, money. Like Martí, Rodó depicts the United States or the “North” negatively. In conclusion, Rodó and Martí’s works are very similar but they differ in the fact that Rodó focuses on the celebration of world ideas and Martí focuses on taking action.
I'd like to contest the point you make regarding Rodó's and Martí's retreat from globalization. I don't disagree with you; they both actively tried to shield Latin America from overbearing European and American cultural impact, they just were not successful. As wary as they might have been of foreign influence, it was not in their power to reverse globalization's tide. European and US influence is inherently present in their attempt to avoid it. By casting their gaze towards those other cultures in order to decide what to and what not to use in the construction of a Latin American culture, they already cede themselves to Euro-US influence. Yes, they profess the idea of a culture that is born of the natural land, but that land was long ago influenced by European explorers. Latin America is a culture that seems inseparable from a hybrid identity. This hybridity carries throughout the 20th century and is seen in perhaps the definitive Latin American literary movement of the time: magical realism.
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