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Chapter 8
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in My Name is Emilia del Valle, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity and Self-Discovery
Femininity and Feminism
The Power of Love
Challenge and Character
Class Exploitation
War
Summary
Analysis
Embedded with Angelita and the rest of the canteen girls, Emilia marches with the Army from Valparaíso to the fishing village of Concón, where General Barbosa expects a “cruel” but “swift” and decisive battle against the rebels. From Rodolfo, Emilia knows that President Balmaceda has withdrawn into the presidential palace and is categorically unwilling to entertain the possibility of defeat. Emilia wonders to what degree Balmaceda, a man of “profound moral rectitude” despite his flaws, can really avoid feeling responsible to all the civil war’s impending victims.
The war’s violence is a profligate waste of life. Note how even General Barbosa’s best-case scenario exacts punishing losses. Emilia respects President Balmaceda for his commitment to liberal ideals (workers’ rights, secularism in government) and for what she perceives as his good character. But the Civil War of 1891 has shown a repressive streak in his temperament. The consequences of the battle and how Balmaceda handles it will show whether Emilia’s assessment of his character is correct or not.
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The Army regiment settles alongside the banks of a swollen river to wait out the long, sleepless night before the battle. As she and the other canteen girls circulate, accompanied by their cheerful and loyal dog Covadonga, Emilia closely observes the soldiers. Many are young, poorly equipped, and untested. There are few volunteers; many joined out of desperation to find an income to support their families or were pressed into service by force. From her time in Iquique, she knows that they are facing “brave, determined men,” many of whom are veterans of the War of the Pacific or strong, hardened miners. She’s horrified by the specter of the coming bloodbath. But, Angelita says, that’s how it goes in Chile: the poor give their lives at the behest of the rich and powerful and never reap the benefits.
As the confrontation grows ever nearer, Emilia’s doubt that the government forces will win grows. Most of them are fighting because they must, not because they believe in the righteousness of their cause, unlike their opponents. The prospect of the bloodbath is horrifying to Emilia, but not so much to Angelita, who is used to the wealthy and powerful taking advantage of the poor and the Indigenous people like her. The battle will prove to be a test of Emilia’s character as well. Although she’s done brave things before, nothing has exposed her to as much personal risk as embedding with the canteen girls.
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All through the long, dark night, Emilia, Angelita, and Covadonga walk among the troops. Emilia wonders if Eric is in the rebels’ camp or at a safe distance from the battle with the other reporters. She notes that the soldiers’ arrival has ruined the land around the village even before the battle has begun. She collects soldiers’ stories, letters to mail to sweethearts back home, and requests for prayers. She doesn’t sleep.
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Early on the morning of August 21, 1891, the Congressionalists open fire with artillery and their men start crossing the river. The current sweeps some away, but they just keep coming and soon the Battle of Concón is officially underway. From the relative safety of the ambulance tent, Emilia notes how ill-equipped the government forces are compared to their adversaries, whose guns are far superior. The fighting is fierce, and she initially panics. But then Angelita grabs her hand and pulls her into the thick of it. They have a job to do.
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There’s not much that Angelita, Emilia, or the other girls can do. Emilia comforts the dying as best she can. She watches men fighting with bravery and desperation. Out of the corner of her eye, she even thinks she catches a glimpse of Angelita wielding the short, double-edged sword that’s part of soldiers’ and canteen girls’ uniforms alike. She cannot stand the inhumane, pointless cruelty of the carnage. But neither, she finds, can she turn away.
After a few hours (which feel like an eternity to Emilia), the government forces begin to retreat in disarray. As soon as Angelita realizes that the tide of the battle is against them, she finds Emilia so they can flee together. They run as far as they can and then spend sleepless night hiding in some bushes. While they’re there—miracle of miracles—Covadonga finds them. Angelita tells Emilia about how she joined the canteen girls to be close to her husband, Manuel, during the War of the Pacific. But they were assigned to different units, so she wasn’t with him when he died. Angelita’s bravery and strength impress Emilia. And, she realizes with surprise, she is brave and strong, too. The battle showed her who she really was.
In the morning, Angelita cleans Emilia’s face and carefully stitches up her head wound. They cautiously make their way back to Valparaíso. There, Angelita rejoins the troops, while Emilia heads back to the hotel where she was staying prior to the battle. There, she runs into Rodolfo León, who takes her home to his wife Sara.
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Sara offers Emilia maternal comfort while she begins to process the horrors she has just endured. Sara gently washes the blood and grime from Emilia’s body, re-dresses her wounds, combs out her hair, gives her clean clothes, and feeds her a warm meal. The few days that Emilia spends with Rodolfo and Sara restore her. From a hill above Valparaíso, she watches as the government forces repel the insurgents’ attempt to invade the city. And, from Rodolfo, she learns about the aftermath of the Battle of Concón: injured men slaughtered; thousands of soldiers captured; hundreds of deserters and valuable ordinance welcomed into the rebels’ ranks.
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