Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in I, Rigoberta Menchú, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Tolerance vs. Resistance
Class, Race, and Inequality
Ancestors, Tradition, and Community
Gender and Sexuality
Language, Education, and Power
Spirituality, Nature, and the Sacredness of Life
Summary
Analysis
At the age of 12, Rigoberta began to fully take part in life in the community by working with the adults, for example during the maize harvest. She also began to make friends and to take over aspects of her mother’s role. In addition, she gained additional responsibility as a catechist, teaching Catholic practices to her fellow villagers.
The early age at which Maya-Quiché children are considered to be adults can be understood in terms of economic need (all available help is needed, in order for the community to survive) and health considerations (many Indigenous people die at the young age of 30 or 40). However, such circumstances will later convince Rigoberta that she was never allowed a true childhood.
Themes
Rigoberta discusses the position of the Catholic religion within Indian customs and beliefs. A priest comes to the community every three months to teach Christian doctrine. The Indians have accepted these teachings not as a replacement of their ancestral beliefs, but as a useful complement. They consider the Catholic religion another vehicle for self-expression, in the same way that any element of nature, such as a tree—with its physical body but also its symbolic meaning—might be.
The Maya-Quiché spiritual openness to external influences, such as the Catholic religion, reveals the community’s willingness to enrich their practices with different forms of education. This suggests that all peaceful occasions to celebrate nature and honor one’s ancestors might be welcome, as long as they do not attempt to modify the community’s preexisting practices.
Themes
Rigoberta also identifies many similarities between Catholic teachings and Indian customs, although the main difference is the mode of transmission: while the Bible is written, Indian traditions are passed down orally from generation to generation. One important similarity is the Bible’s insistence on forefathers, which mirrors Indian beliefs in the importance of ancestors. This has allowed Indians to integrate Christianity into their own culture, as the Bible can serve as yet another means to honor their ancestors’ legacies. However, this involves twice the amount of work for Indians, who must learn to pray according to both traditions. Although they do not understand Spanish, the memorize the prayers by heart and integrate them into their traditions.
The similarities between Indigenous beliefs and the Catholic religion shed light on the unity of certain spiritual practices and, by extension, on the artificiality of racial and social divisions between people. Rigoberta’s village’s willingness to integrate certain elements of Catholicism (historically associated with the Spanish colonizers and, later, the ladinos) suggests that there is no deep cultural rift between the Maya-Quiché and the ladinos. Rather, the ladino’s oppression of poor Indians is purely based on greed and desire for power.
Themes
Rigoberta’s father was a devout Christian. He believed in God and in worshipping saints, which he also relates to honoring one’s ancestors. When Rigoberta took over the responsibility of teaching the Catholic doctrine in the community, she had to learn the prayers by heart. Unlike her brothers who learned to read and write from their cousins, Rigoberta was illiterate.
The fact that Rigoberta was illiterate when she was working as a catechist underscores her determination and intelligence, as she memorized prayers by heart in a language she did not understand. This highlights her willingness to learn, as well as her Christian devotion, undoubtedly inspired by her father.
Themes
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In Rigoberta’s daily life, young boys and girls took part in different activities. With her friends, Rigoberta usually talked about work and their animals. The boys, by contrast, also played games in groups, gambling with balls made of wax and talking together in the village. Girls were not allowed to do the same, as their mothers felt strongly about teaching them domestic tasks. As a result, girls’ games usually consisted of weaving together. Rigoberta has fond memories of weaving in a shady area in the field or of going as a group to fetch water in earthenware pots that they carried on their heads. The conversations the girls had during such activities were an opportunity for them to enjoy themselves.
Rigoberta’s distinction between girls’ and boys’ activities suggests that there is some level of gender inequality in the Maya-Quiché community, as girls are not necessarily given as much time to engage in play. At the same time, Rigoberta and her friends’ capacity to find moments of joy and carefree socialization while taking part in domestic tasks underscores the benefits of working in groups. It also speaks to the human capacity to find joy in work that is conducted in a peaceful, independent manner.
Themes
Rigoberta notes that, despite her passion for climbing trees, girls were not allowed such activities, and she only did this when her mother couldn’t see her. Boys, however, were given more freedom. Rigoberta wonders whether this reflects machismo—or, perhaps, the specific dangers that girls can be affected by. Boys and girls were not allowed to socialize in mixed groups, even when they were part of the same family. However, Rigoberta’s father encouraged her to be active in the community. As a catechist, Rigoberta collected money for the community and used it to set up a small shop. The priests supported this enterprise, encouraging villagers to unite and build collective strength.
Rigoberta’s defiance of her mother’s orders indicates an early inclination to reject certain gender norms. Her father—and also, in later occasions, her mother—actually encourage her to defy some of society’s norms that exclude women from leadership roles. Her parents’ support plays an important role in developing her sense of responsibility for her community.
Themes
Rigoberta describes the different Catholic prayers and ceremonies she helped organize in the village. The villages held regular meetings on Fridays for Indigenous cultural matters and on Mondays for Catholic ceremonies. Rigoberta and her siblings learned to play some Indigenous instruments, with which they accompanied Catholic hymns. On Mondays, they would pray for the sick and sing Catholic Action hymns. In addition to these meetings focused on spirituality, the village also held regular meetings on Thursdays to discuss important issues, which became especially necessary when the government and landowners began taking over their land. Rigoberta insists that it is crucial for Indians to make time for their Indigenous ceremonies, as well as for the Catholic religion. In her mind, this commitment to spirituality differentiates the community from atheist ladinos.
Beyond her discussion of the similarities between Indigenous and Catholic religious beliefs, Rigoberta describes the practical ways in which her community integrates both of these spiritual traditions in its everyday life. The variety of meetings that the village holds highlights its emphasis on collective dialogue and communal engagement with tradition. In this way, Rigoberta’s community has a democratic, inclusive approach to both spiritual and social issues.
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