Tell Them Not to Kill Me!

"Providence will take care of them, Justino. You go there now and see what you can do for me. That's what matters now."

The theme of this short story can be found in all of our lives. Juan Rulfo captures perfectly our human flaws not only through the main character Juvencio, but also through his son Justino and the Colonel. The flaw that Rulfo focuses on, which is also the theme of the story, is the importance and desire for things that we do and do not have.

The most interesting example is that of Justino and the Colonel. The Colonel did not have a father growing up because Juvencio killed him. He hunts down Juvencio years after his father was murdered. He is still angry for being robbed of a father figure in his life. He is willing to do anything to get revenge for what was taken from him. Although he never really knew his father his desire to revenge his death is unstoppable. On the other hand Justino grew up with a father. Yet while his father pleaded for Justino to save his life he coldly responds no. It almost seems like he could care less what happens to his father and is only worried about himself. Juan Rulfo delicately intertwines the idea that one person, Justino, does not value what another person, the Colonel, so desperately desires.

The idea of desiring what we do not have is also displayed through Juvencio. Because Juvencio let his animals into his neighbors farm to eat his food, his neighbor killed one of his animals, and then Juvencio killed his neighbor. Juvencio blames it on Don Lupe, his neighbor, because there was a drought and he would not let his animals feed on his land. In reality he never had a right to his neighbors land or food.

We can see this principle continue to play on in the lives of many people today. Part of the economic problems of the USA is because of people creating debt that they cannot afford. Because we as humans are slow to value what we have yet fast to desire what we do not we continue to bring suffering upon ourselves just like Juvencio suffered throughout his life.