The Weeping Among the Roars

Juan Manuel Blanes, Paraguay: Image of Your Desolate Country, c.1880

After brief but somewhat in depth discussions, studies, and readings of Latin American culture as influenced by the conquest of the Spaniards and Portuguese, it is hardly difficult to see and understand that these events that began over 500 years ago have yet to be forgotten, while still leaving these countries in a process of recovery and making progress. 

This work of art, painted of a battle in the 1860's is a rather striking example of the desolation that has come upon the natives in Latin America from foreign sovereignty. Which first began in the name of God and religion, to gold and power has continued in an almost ever going bloodbath. 

We see hundreds of years in the past, we see fear, and oppression though this similar melody has been sung in the several other areas of the world with one in particular, South Africa with the Apartheid.

After hearing this particular song about this oppression among the blacks in South Africa, the parallel was made towards our studies in class, and even to this painting. What the blacks felt in Africa, and the Jews and Muslims during the inquisition, can be compared to the never ending ironic 'fight' for change, and peace, and that this Paraguayan women can represent, right now, all groups ever under oppression.

This song that Josh Groban sings, explains that even though this particular group of people have gone through these horrors of oppression, that this

“nightmare would never ever rise again, But the fear and the fire and the guns [still] remain.”

Here this women, alone, remains with this gun, with fear and sorrow, with the death of her people, and yet, as a re-occurring line in this songs says:

“It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.”

She is weeping, and the countries of South Africa, Paraguay, and others who have lived under the oppression of another at times still weep. The same roars of war aren’t there but this subtle weeping still influences these areas. Scares are still deeply deeply cut. They are healing yes, but weeping remains for any who have fought and lived under war and oppression.