Revisiting Men of Maize: Historical Truths, Literary Distortions, and Asturias in Today’s Guatemala

Authors

Elaine Elliott

Author Bio(s)

From 1978 to 1991, Elaine Elliott worked in Guatemala for the Ixil Fund, which had projects in education, health, small business programs, medical care, clothing, food, and land for people displaced by the civil conflict. She completed archival research on Ixil land tenure followed by an M.A. thesis, which further explored Ixil history. At the University of San Diego (1991- 2010), Elaine worked with service-learning and social justice programs. While Service-Learning director (2002-2010), she led a nationally recognized program before returning to Guatemala to host USD study-abroad classes (2006-2020). In addition to service-learning publications, she translated the first modern novel by a Mayan author, Gaspar Pedro Gonzales, La Otra Cara/A Mayan Life, and his poetry book, Xumakil.

Publication Date

12-11-2024

Keywords

Ixil Maya, Miguel Ángel Asturias, Men of Maize, Ilom, Hombres de maíz

Abstract

In 2024, a renewed appreciation for the Guatemalan Nobel Prize winner Miguel Ángel Asturias is taking place to mark the 50th anniversary of Asturias’ death. This essay examines the historical and literary context of the author’s groundbreaking novel Hombres de maíz (Men of Maize), and the book’s portrayal of indigenous Maya resistance against ladino landowners in Guatemala. Evidence indicates that Asturias obtained his views of ladino – Maya conflict from historic land conflicts in Ilom, Chajul. Asturias distorted the events, but his book inspired a generation of revolutionaries, some of whom organized and fought in the Ixil region and Ilom. The novel’s protagonist, Gaspar Ilom, took on a new life when Asturias’ son (Rodrigo) became a revolutionary and adopted the name “Gaspar Ilom” as his nom de guerre. In the post-revolutionary period, Guatemalan Maya, including Ixil Maya, advocated for human rights on a national and international stage. Today, Maya intellectuals critique Men of Maize for unethically distorting their culture and reality, but some Maya will recognize the book’s literary merits and potential for worthy discussion.

DOI

10.62915/2688-9188.1166

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