Juan Rulfo | Lecturia

Juan Rulfo: Paso del Norte. Summary and analysis

Plot summary: in “Paso del Norte,” an impoverished man who has failed in his pig-selling business decides to emigrate to the North in search of work to feed his wife and five children. Before leaving, he visits his father to ask him to look after his family. Still, the conversation becomes an exchange of recriminations for a life of abandonment, poverty, and family resentment. The son finally sets off on his journey, and after being guided to the border by contacts, he tries to cross the river into the United States with other migrants, but they are ambushed by gunfire in the darkness. Although injured, he and his friend Estanislado manage to get out of the water, but the latter dies shortly afterward. The protagonist, battered and defeated, is returned to Mexico. Upon returning to the village, his father coldly informs him that his wife has left him for a muleteer and that he has sold the house to pay for the grandchildren’s expenses. Without a family or a home, the man resigns to start over and searches for his wife. The story portrays the desolation of the migrant, the failure of the dream of the North, and the breaking of family ties amid misery.

Juan Rulfo: Paso del Norte

“Paso del Norte” is a story by Juan Rulfo published in 1953 in the El llano en llamas collection. It tells of a man’s determination to abandon his impoverished life in Mexico to seek better opportunities in El Norte. Despite the risks and family opposition, his desperation to escape misery drives him to set out on a dangerous journey, symbolizing the universal struggle for survival and the search for a dignified life.

Juan Rulfo: They Have Given Us the Land. Summary and analysis

They Have Given Us the Land (Nos han dado la tierra), a story by Juan Rulfo published in El llano en llamas in 1953, narrates the journey of four peasants walking under a scorching sun after receiving land from the government. Across an arid and desolate landscape, the story shows their tiredness, silence, and uncertainty about the future that awaits them. With simple prose, Rulfo portrays the harshness of the countryside and the frustration of those who the system has forgotten. The story, full of symbolism and social criticism, exposes the silent struggle of the dispossessed in an unjust world.

Juan Rulfo: They Have Given Us the Land

They Have Given Us the Land (Nos han dado la tierra), a story by Juan Rulfo published in the magazine Pan in 1945, narrates the march of a group of peasants who are going to take possession of some land given to them by the government. Walking under a relentless sun, they reflect on the uselessness of the land assigned to them, where no seed can grow. The story describes their struggle and resignation in an inhospitable environment and the lack of hope for the future.

The Stories of Juan Rulfo

Discover the best stories by Juan Rulfo, master of magical realism and Mexican literature. Explore unforgettable tales such as They Have Given Us the Land and Luvina, where loneliness, death and destiny come to life. Read his complete stories and immerse yourself in his literary universe.

Juan Rulfo: Luvina. Summary and analysis

In “Luvina,” a story by Juan Rulfo, a man recounts his experience in a desolate village where nature and abandonment seem to have condemned its inhabitants to resignation and poverty. Through his memories, he describes an arid place lashed by a constant wind, where life seems to stand still and dreams fade away. Luvina is more than a physical space; it symbolizes helplessness and resistance to adversity. As he warns his interlocutor about what awaits him in that place, the narrator reveals how his time in Luvina transformed his illusions into disenchantment, offering a powerful portrait of the human struggle against destiny.