Presentaion on the book "The War of The End of The World"

1. Presentation by Jakeb
Kiechler, Pierce College,
WA
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2. The War of The
End of The World
By Mario Vargas
Llosa

3. Historical Context
 Dom Pedro's reign as emperor of Brazil was short. Dom Pedro alienated the plantation owners by signing a
treaty with the British in 1826. Britain agreed to recognize Brazil as an independent country but demanded
that the slave trade be ended within 3 years. (The slave trade was banned in 1831 but it went on
'unofficially' until 1854. Slavery itself went on much longer. It was not abolished in Brazil until 1888).
 In 1835 the poor in Para began the Cabanagem rebellion. It went on until 1840. Meanwhile another
rebellion began in Bahia in 1838.
 In the face of the unrest Dom Pedro II was crowned in 1840, even though he was only 14. He soon
proved to be capable ruler and he restored order.
 Then in 1864-1870 Brazil and its allies Argentina and Uruguay fought a bloody war with Paraguay. It
was called the War of the Triple Alliance and it began when Paraguay invaded Uruguay. The war ended
in victory for Brazil and its allies but at a terrible price.
 Meanwhile Brazil experienced a coffee boom. Coffee was first grown in Amazonia in 1727. In the late 18th
century it spread across Brazil and from the mid 19th century it boomed.
 From 1830 to 1964 coffee was Brazil's main export. In the 1870s and 1880s a network of railways was
built across Brazil, which made it easier to transport coffee to the ports for export.
 From the mid 19th century the rubber industry in Brazil grew rapidly. Cacao growing was also an important
industry. However in the 1870s republicanism began to grow in Brazil. Finally in 1889 the army overthrew
the monarchy and Brazil became a republic.

4. Political Context
 Dom Pedro the first emperor of Brazil From 1822-1831and gave up his
throne to his son.
 Dom Pedro II was crowned in 1840, even though he was only 14. He
soon proved to be capable ruler.
 In 1889 the army overthrew the monarchy and Brazil became a republic.

5. Cultural Context
The culture at this time in Brazil was mostly western But was very diverse from
the cultural blending that happened from the colonial period with influences
not only from Europe but Africa and the Indginouse people. This can be seen
in the music with genres such as samba emerging in the early 20th century.

6. Point of
View
THE STORY IS FIRST PERSON
TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE
OF MULTIPUL DIFFERENT
RESIDENTS OF CANUDOS.

7. Mood
The story was very intense and dark while shifting
between the feelings of death and evil to love and
hope.

8. Protaginists
 Antônio Conselheiro (The Counsler)
 The Little Blessed One
 The Lion of Natuba
 João Abade (Abbot João)
 The Dwarf
 Father Joaquim
 Baron de Canabrava
 Pajeú
 Rufino
 Galileo Gall
 Maria Quadrado
 Moreira César
 Jurema
 The Near-Sighted Journalist
 João Grande (Big João)
 Pires Ferreira
 Antônio Vilanova
 Antônio o Fogueteiro
Antônio Conselheiro

9. Plot
A man called "The Counselor" is wandering the deserts, plains, and villages. He taught
the scripture and rebuilds churches, eating and sleeping very little. He had an odd group
of followers--cripples, murderers, fanatical boys--and leads them to Canudos where they
build a town and a glorious cathedral. The town is designed in imitation of Jerusalem.
Many people flock to the site to see The Counselor; he heals them with a touch and
washes them clean of sin.
The newly-installed Republic of Brazil is suspicious of Canudos, seeing it as a bastion of
progressive sentiment. They resolve to attack the town and wipe it out. The Counselor,
however, has long warned his followers that the Devil and his forces of evil will try to
ruin their sanctuary.
When the small branch of the army sent to destroy what they think is a band of cripples
and madmen arrives, they are slaughtered with all the vengeance of a holy war. The
angered government sends a larger force and the town is eventually destroyed, but the
few survivors insist that they saw The Counselor ascend to heaven, and so his reign lives
on.

10. Themes
Troughout the story there are themes of Good vs. Evil,
God vs Satan, social class distinctions, human curlity,
and many more

11. Symbols
There wasn’t much symbolism throughout the book execpt for some of the
characters who repersent biblical figures such as the Counsler who repersents
Jesus as a savior and the government as the devil.

12. Interpertation
The book is about the community that "The Counsler" created called Canudos.
Within Canudos everyone follow the teachings of The Counsler who says that
the end of the world is coming and the political caos brought on by the fall of
the Empire of Brazil and the establishment of the republic of brazil was the
work of the devil. The community was a place wgere everyone was welcomed
not matter what you did before you came there, it also didn’t use money and
didn’t follow the rules set in place by the brailian government. Because of this
the government wanted to get rid of the community sending 4 waves of
soldiers before Canudos was finally wiped out.

13. Work Cited
Lambert, Tim. “A BRIEF HISTORY OF BRAZIL.” A Brief History of Brazil, 2019,
www.localhistories.org/brazil.html.
“Brazil: Five Centuries of Change.” Brazil Five Centuries of Change,
library.brown.edu/create/fivecenturiesofchange/chapters/chapter-3/political-
instability-in-nineteenth-century-brazil/.
“Culture of Brazil.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 May 2019,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Brazil#Samba.
“The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa.” Goodreads, Goodreads,
1 Jan. 1986,
www.goodreads.com/book/show/53925.The_War_of_the_End_of_the_World.
Moore, Pamela, and Jack Coulehan. “The War of the End of the World.” The War of
the End of the World, 30 Dec. 1996, medhum.med.nyu.edu/view/305.