The Silence of the Llano (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Rudolfo Anaya
- First Published: 1982
- Type of Plot: Regional, Magical Realism
- Time of Work: The early twentieth century
- Setting: The prairie of northeastern New Mexico
- Principal Characters: Rafael, Rita, Rita, Doña Rufina
- Genres: Short fiction
- Subjects: North America or North Americans, United States or Americans, Twentieth century, Rural or country life, Jealousy, envy, or resentment, Rape, Death or dying, Childbirth, New Mexico, Southwest, Bereavement or grief, Ranches, ranchers, or ranching, Latin America or Latin Americans, Isolation
- Locales: New Mexico
The Story
The story opens with the people of the small adobe village of Las Animas discussing the state of Rafael, a young rancher in the llano, the desolate plains country of northeastern New Mexico. The llano is nearly empty of people, and the villagers of Las Animas claim its silences can steal a man's soul. This has happened to Rafael.
Rafael's life on the llano has been a rough one. When he is fifteen, his parents die while traveling to town in a blizzard. Left alone to fend for the livestock, the young man loses half of his cattle to vicious winter storms.
...[The entire page is 1541 words long]
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