The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela deals with the various factions of the Mexican Revolution. Written during a time in which the author had first hand knowledge of the people’s struggle, this novel is critical of the atrocities committed by both the ruling government and the revolutionaries. The Underdogs is, therefore, a novel which records the social setting of the Mexican Revolution. It primarily reflects the social conditions of Mexico during the revolution through the novel’s two main characters, Demetrio Macias and Luis Cervantes.
Each of these characters personifies a larger class of people. Demetrio represents the poor farmers drawn into the revolution to protect their meager possessions, while Luis stands for the more educated middle class. Cervantes has a number of good things to contribute to the revolution but, he does not seem to be entirely devoted to the cause. Cervantes also speaks and acts in ways which make careful readers question his loyalty to the revolution. Finally, through the eyes of Luis Cervantes, we see why one reason why the author became disillusioned with the Mexican revolution.
Luis Cervantes has a number of positive character traits to assist the Revolution, such as being intelligent, virtuous and profoundly idealistic. In terms of intelligence Luis Cervantes is unsurpassed among Demetrio’s men. First, the author subtly alerts the reader to this character’s intelligence by giving him a last name that is obviously a reference to the famous Spanish author of the same name. Also, the reader learns that Luis is educated from the relatively eloquent way he speaks, and the fact that he knows of the importance of sterility in applying first aid. In addition to being smart, Cervantes also joined the revolution because as he claims, “the sufferings of the underdogs, of the disinherited masses, move[d] him to the core” (Azuela 25). Unlike the other men who joined the revolution because the Federals were ravaging their land, Luis claims to have joined because of his passionate belief in redressing the plight of the poor. This belief was so strong that Luis deserted the position in the Federal army he once held. His conviction shows during the novel when he regularly reminds the men around him what they are fighting for. For example, Luis once exclaimed that, “The revolution benefits the poor, the ignorant, all the unhappy people who do not even suspect that they are poor because...the rich who rule them, change their sweat and blood into tears and gold...” (30). This passage is valuable because it gives the reader a clear picture of the ideals that Luis Cervantes represents. However, as we will see these noble ideals do not always translate into noble actions.
Luis Cervantes character becomes questionable when his actions are compared to his rhetoric. The first hint the reader gets about the dual nature of Luis’ character, comes from the first time Luis encounters the revolutionaries. He describes the two revolutionaries he has traveled so far to help as, “pock-marked, blotchy... [his] ears formed one solid piece with head and neck--a horrible man. The other, Manteca, was so much human refuse...” (27). This passage begins to shed light on the fact that Cervantes believes himself to be better than the common folk around him. This belief translates to the battle field where the reader learns that during battle Luis, “had been hiding amid a heap of ruins...”(79). This cowardly act is telling of both the character of Luis Cervantes and the way Azuela views the educated class involved in the revolution.
The idea that the author uses Cervantes to represent an entire class of people is one of the most important aspects of this novel. According to the author Cervantes, meaning the middle class, abandons the Revolution. We first see evidence of this during the course of the novel when Cervantes comes to act very differently than the poor people like Demetrio that he claims to represent. For example he takes a blue eyed girl that causes the men to note that she, “is your kind, she’s not a country person like us” (99). While we can not be sure why Luis stopped believing in the revolution, it seems clear that he did. In fact one could argue that Luis may have only been looking to support the winning side all along. Luis first switches sides when things become to difficult with the Federal army. Then, he retires from the fight completely when things start getting rough for the revolutionaries. Based on this, the author is clearly angry at Luis, and the people he represents, for their lack of commitment to the Revolution.

Works Cited
Azuela, Mariano. The Underdogs. Trans. E. Munguia, Jr. New York: Signet Classics, 1996.

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