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Wilner
The Generalissimo is a nickname given to Rafael Trujillo, the dictator of the Dominican Republic. Trujillo is prejudiced against the Haitians; he claims that the Dominican Republic must preserve its culture and sovereignty by exterminating or expelling Haitians from the country. The Generalissimo devises a linguistic test that is meant to help Dominican soldiers target Haitians: he claims that Haitians cannot properly pronounce “perejil,” the Spanish word for parsley. Trujillo’s test and racist agenda illustrate the ways in which language and identity are used to prompt violence and emphasize borders between cultures.
The Generalissimo / Trujillo Quotes in The Farming of Bones
The The Farming of Bones quotes below are all either spoken by The Generalissimo / Trujillo or refer to The Generalissimo / Trujillo. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 8
Quotes
Señor Pico Duarte bore the name of one of the fathers of Dominican independence […] His eyes lingered on his son, his heir […]“I will name him Rafael, for the Generalissimo,” he said as Juana reswaddled the children even more securely than before. The señora agreed to this name with a coy nod. And so the boy became Rafael like the Generalissimo, the president of the republic.
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Above Papi’s head loomed a large portrait of the Generalissimo, which Señora Valencia had painted at her husband’s request. Her painting was a vast improvement on many of the Generalissimo’s public photographs. She had made him a giant in full military regalia, with vast fringed epaulets and clusters of medals aligned in neat rows under the saffron braiding across his chest. Behind him was the country’s red and blue flag with the white cross in the middle, along with the coat of arms and the shield: Dios, patria, libertad. God, country, liberty.
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Chapter 37
Quotes
You may be surprised what we use our dreams to do, how we drape them over our sight and carry them like amulets to protect us from evil spells.
My dreams are now only visitations of my words for the absent justice of the peace, for the Generalissimo himself.
He asked for “perejil,” but there is much more we all knew how to say. Perhaps one simple word would not have saved our lives. Many more would have to and many more will.
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Get the entire The Farming of Bones LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Generalissimo / Trujillo Quotes in The Farming of Bones
The The Farming of Bones quotes below are all either spoken by The Generalissimo / Trujillo or refer to The Generalissimo / Trujillo. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 8
Quotes
Señor Pico Duarte bore the name of one of the fathers of Dominican independence […] His eyes lingered on his son, his heir […]“I will name him Rafael, for the Generalissimo,” he said as Juana reswaddled the children even more securely than before. The señora agreed to this name with a coy nod. And so the boy became Rafael like the Generalissimo, the president of the republic.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Above Papi’s head loomed a large portrait of the Generalissimo, which Señora Valencia had painted at her husband’s request. Her painting was a vast improvement on many of the Generalissimo’s public photographs. She had made him a giant in full military regalia, with vast fringed epaulets and clusters of medals aligned in neat rows under the saffron braiding across his chest. Behind him was the country’s red and blue flag with the white cross in the middle, along with the coat of arms and the shield: Dios, patria, libertad. God, country, liberty.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 37
Quotes
You may be surprised what we use our dreams to do, how we drape them over our sight and carry them like amulets to protect us from evil spells.
My dreams are now only visitations of my words for the absent justice of the peace, for the Generalissimo himself.
He asked for “perejil,” but there is much more we all knew how to say. Perhaps one simple word would not have saved our lives. Many more would have to and many more will.
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