The Mexican (short story)
Encyclopedia
"The Mexican" is a 1911
short story
by American
author Jack London
. It was filmed in 1952
as The Fighter (1952 film)
starring Richard Conte
and Lee J. Cobb
.
, while London was in El Paso, Texas
, "The Mexican" was first published in the Saturday Evening Post. In 1913 it was republished by Grosset & Dunlap
in the collection of short stories The Night Born. The protagonist is based on the real-life "Joe Rivers," the pseudonym of a Mexican revolutionary whose boxing winnings supported the Junta Revolucionaria Mexicana, a group of revolutionaries-in-exile. Joe Rivers eventually retired from boxing and became an ice
deliveryperson in El Paso.
printer who had published articles favorable to striking workers in the hydraulic power plants of Río Blanco, Veracruz
. The workers are locked out
, and the federal troops are sent against them. Rivera escapes the massacre by climbing over the bodies of the deceased—including those of his mother and father. He makes his way to el Paso, where he comes into contact with the Junta Revolucionaria Mexicana. He volunteers to serve the Revolution at the office of the Junta, who, suspicious, put him to work doing menial labor.
Soon, however, he is dispatched to Baja California
to reestablish connections between Los Angeles
revolutionaries and the peninsula. Exceeding his orders, he assassinates
federal General Juan Alvarado and returns to El Paso.
The fate of the Revolution hangs in the balance as the Junta scrambles to finance the revolutionary armies. Rivera, who has been boxing
on the local circuit to support the Junta, decides to fight the well-known boxer Danny Ward in order to secure the funds needed by the Junta. He negotiates a winner-take-all contract for the fight, on Ward's condition that the weigh-in occur at ten in the morning rather than immediately prior to the fight.
The fight lasts seventeen rounds, but eventually Ward succumbs to Rivera, who is fueled by visions of violent vengeance.
1911 in literature
The year 1911 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*George Moore publishes the first of his three-volume Hail and Farewell .*Gallimard publishing house founded in Paris by Gaston Gallimard...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
. It was filmed in 1952
1952 in film
The year 1952 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 10 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
as The Fighter (1952 film)
The Fighter (1952 film)
The Fighter is a 1952 American boxing film based on the short story "The Mexican" by Jack London. The film is directed by Herbert Kline and produced by Alex Gottlieb. Kline and Aben Kandel wrote the adapted screenplay. The film was released by United Artists in the United States on , 1952.- Cast...
starring Richard Conte
Richard Conte
Richard Conte was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films from the 1940s through 1970s, including I'll Cry Tomorrow and The Godfather.-Life and career:...
and Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb was an American actor. He is best known for his performance in 12 Angry Men his Academy Award-nominated performance in On the Waterfront and one of his last films, The Exorcist...
.
Background
Written during the Mexican RevolutionMexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
, while London was in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, "The Mexican" was first published in the Saturday Evening Post. In 1913 it was republished by Grosset & Dunlap
Grosset & Dunlap
Grosset & Dunlap is a United States book publisher founded in 1898.The company was purchased by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1982 and today is part of the British publishing conglomerate, Pearson PLC through its American subsidiary Penguin Group....
in the collection of short stories The Night Born. The protagonist is based on the real-life "Joe Rivers," the pseudonym of a Mexican revolutionary whose boxing winnings supported the Junta Revolucionaria Mexicana, a group of revolutionaries-in-exile. Joe Rivers eventually retired from boxing and became an ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
deliveryperson in El Paso.
Plot summary
The story centers around Felipe Rivera, the son of a MexicanMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
printer who had published articles favorable to striking workers in the hydraulic power plants of Río Blanco, Veracruz
Río Blanco, Veracruz
Río Blanco is a municipality located in the montane central zone of the State of Veracruz, about 140 km from the state capital Xalapa. It has an area of 24.68 km2. It is located at...
. The workers are locked out
Lockout
Lockout may refer to:* Lockout , a type of work stoppage* Lockout * Lockout chip, a computer chip in a video game system to prevent use of unauthorized software* Lock-out device, part of a signaling system used on game shows...
, and the federal troops are sent against them. Rivera escapes the massacre by climbing over the bodies of the deceased—including those of his mother and father. He makes his way to el Paso, where he comes into contact with the Junta Revolucionaria Mexicana. He volunteers to serve the Revolution at the office of the Junta, who, suspicious, put him to work doing menial labor.
Soon, however, he is dispatched to Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
to reestablish connections between Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
revolutionaries and the peninsula. Exceeding his orders, he assassinates
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
federal General Juan Alvarado and returns to El Paso.
The fate of the Revolution hangs in the balance as the Junta scrambles to finance the revolutionary armies. Rivera, who has been boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
on the local circuit to support the Junta, decides to fight the well-known boxer Danny Ward in order to secure the funds needed by the Junta. He negotiates a winner-take-all contract for the fight, on Ward's condition that the weigh-in occur at ten in the morning rather than immediately prior to the fight.
The fight lasts seventeen rounds, but eventually Ward succumbs to Rivera, who is fueled by visions of violent vengeance.