The Fair (Masterplots II: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Juan José Arreola
- First Published: 1963
- Type of Plot: Vignettes
- Time of Work: The mid-twentieth century
- Setting: Zapotlán el Grande, in Jalisco, Mexico
- Principal Characters: Juan Tepano, Don Manuel, Don Abigail, Odilón, Father Zavala, Don Fidencio, Chayo, Don Salva, The enamored poet
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism, Regional fiction
- Subjects: Love or romance, Twentieth century, Small-town life, Catholics or Catholic Church, Mexico or Mexicans, Fairs
- Locales: Mexico, Jalisco, Mexico
The Novel
On the literal level, The Fair, by Juan José Arreola, concerns the planning and execution of the yearly fair in Zapotlán el Grande, a small town in Jalisco, Mexico. A complication arises upon the untimely death of one of the more influential citizens, as he was to have sponsored the event. The conflicts that develop as the townspeople proceed with the preparations, however, have their real source in the foundations of that society. On another level, then, The Fair is an ideological portrait of provincial life in Mexico, in that it examines those...
[The entire page is 2269 words long]
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