Jacquez is Edward Abbey’s friend and the assistant to the cattle rancher Roy Scobie; he accompanies Abbey on excursions to wrangle Scobie’s cows. Hailing from the Basque region of Spain, Jacquez’s parents brought him to Utah to be a sheepherder. A highly capable and companionable worker—though also lazy and tardy—Jacquez eventually ended up in Scobie’s employ, working overtime to save up money. Because of his poor English and dark skin, Jacquez is mistaken by the locals for being Mexican and is sometimes a target of their racism. As a result, Jacquez has become resentful not only toward Mexicans (as well as Africa Americans, Navajos, and all minorities) but also toward his own lineage—he’s a self-hating outsider who drinks too much and scolds himself for being a “dumb Basko.” Thanks to Scobie’s stinginess, Jacquez is also grossly underpaid—another a cause of Jacquez’s bitterness. Abbey describes Jacquez’s unfortunate resentments in order to show American society’s power to enforce racist and capitalist ideals onto its citizens. For this reason, Abbey includes Jacquez in his extended discussion of the disenfranchised Navajos, people forced out of their native customs and into an industrialized, money-obsessed society.
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Viviano Jacquez Character Timeline in Desert Solitaire
The timeline below shows where the character Viviano Jacquez appears in Desert Solitaire. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Polemic: Industrial Tourism and the National Parks
...people more eager for company on their days off. Abbey sometimes plays pool with Viviano Jacquez, a cowboy.
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Cowboys and Indians
Along with the Basque cowherd, Viviano Jacquez, Scobie and Abbey set out in the morning on horseback and start wrangling cattle. Since...
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As the men ride along and swat at flies, Abbey considers Jacquez, an immigrant from Spain whose limited English consists mainly of swear words. Though a capable...
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...terrified, her eyes protruding and tongue discolored. Scobie remarks on the cow’s monetary value while Jacquez curses at the animal.
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...breath and ride on with their herd. Exhausted and thirsty, Abbey lags behind Scobie and Jacquez. He stops to admire a clear stream and to refresh himself, and after the last,...
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Jumping ahead in time, Abbey returns to Moab years later and asks about Scobie and Jacquez. He learns that in the years since his departure, Jacquez married and moved back to...
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Cowboys and Indians, Part II
...way of life, but they’re now barely kept alive by people like Scobie and Viviano Jacquez. To lament this loss, Abbey quotes a song about “little rains” weeping. Cowboys and Indians,...
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The Moon-Eyed Horse
...the Arches he lost his temper and bucked the tourist who had rented him. Viviano Jacquez beat Moon-Eye for this, but the horse escaped into the canyons. Scobie and Jacquez searched...
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