Monday 20 October 2014

James Creelman, “Porfirio Díaz, Hero of the Americas"

I found the interviewer, James Creelman, to be completely captivated and enthralled by Porfirio Díaz, as we can see from the language he uses. The "master and hero of modern Mexico", with "dark brown eyes that search your soul, soften into inexpressible kindliness and then dart quick side looks—terrible eyes, threatening eyes, loving, confiding, humorous eyes", who has "transformed a republic into an autocracy by the absolute compulsion of courage and character"... and soon.
Creelman also paints an idyllic picture of Mexico and Diaz's castle: "And what an unforgettable vision of color, movement and romance it was!"
Diaz believes in true democracy, but only when the country is ready for it. Now that he finds Mexico more stable economically and more peaceful, he believes that he can step down from office and still have the country retain its stability. He believes in a forceful method of establishing peace, whether it's by capital punishment or by a very rigid school curriculum. This is not surprising, as he is an army General as well as president. His railways helped increase infrastructure and industry, spiking the country's economy. It seems that even the US Secretary of State Elihu Root could only conjure idealist and picturesque thoughts about Diaz and his Mexico. Creelman continues to reference the smooth beauty and loveliness of Mexico. He manages to marry the harshness of industry and the natural beauty of Mexico to create a perfect image of Diaz's legacy.

No comments:

Post a Comment