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by Summer Institute of Linguistics that he finally could step on ground where the Peruvian natives dwelled. Different from Saúl who visited the Machiguengas, the
narrator visited Aguarunas, Huambisas, and Shapras communities. This visit made him experience by himself, being around the natives with their wildlife. Besides,
he finally understood what Saúl had ever explained about the destruction brought by the development to the lives of the natives Llosa, 1989: 70-73.
a. The Narrator’s Conflicts with Himself Related to the Narrator’s
Experience
The experience encountering with the natives somehow made the narrator realize why Saúl transformed into altruistic figure to the natives. However, the
narrator precisely contemplated differently the things he experienced about the natives culture. It was true that he saw, little by little, the natives‘ cultures were
going down. But he thought that it was impossible to avoid the natives‘ culture from being influenced by the development brought by the whites and mestizos
since it had already been contaminated. He then again questioned himself why Saúl could argue in that extreme way related to the natives‘ rights.
Thanks to this expedition, I was better able to understand Mascarita‘s fascination with this region and these people, to get some idea of the
forcefulness of the impact that changed the course of his life. But, besides that, it gave me firsthand experience that enabled me to justify many of the
differences of opinion which, more out of instinct than out of real knowledge, I had had with Saúl over Amazonian cultures. Why did he
cling they were, their way of life just as it was? To begin with, it wasn‘t possible. All of them, some more slowly, other more rapidly, were being
contaminated by Western and mestizo influences Llosa, 1989: 73. The narrator seemed to feel that he was right about the impossibility to let
the natives remained in traditional ways while Peru always grew up. Along with
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his questions and arguments related to the significance of development for the natives, he explained this idea through a story of an Aguaruna cacique named Jum
who was tortured by some whites and mestizos from Santa María de Nieva because he denied a contract of trading. While still having a contract of selling
rubber and skin with the whites and mestizos from Santa María de Nieva, Jum preferred selling the goods to the cities since he could get much more profit than
from them. Feeling the denial, they tortured Jum and did violence to Jum‘s people Llosa, 1989: 74-76.
The story of Jum is actually only slightest example that contributes the conflicts between the narrator and Saúl. As exp
lained previously, the narrator‘s conflicts with himself were because he was always haunted by the figure of Saúl
Zuratas every time he got information or knowledge related to the natives. He was always curious about Saúl‘s response or opinion for every problem happening
among the natives. In the case of Jum, the cacique, the narrator showed his curiosity of Saúl‘s response in this way.
All this had just happe ned. Jum‘s wounds were still oozing pus. His hair
had not grown back in. As they translated this story for us in the peaceful clearing of Urakusa−Jum could get out little more than a few hoarse
sentences in Spanish−I thought: ―I must talk this over with Saúl.‖ What would Mascarita say? Would he admit that in a case like this it was quite
obvious that what was to Urakusa‘s advantage, to Jum‘s, was not going backward but forward? That is to say, setting up their own cooperative,
trading with the towns, prospering economically and socially so that it
would no longer be possible to treat them the way the ―civilized‖ people of Santa María de Nieva had done. Or would Saúl, unrealistically, deny that
this was so, insist that the true solution was for the Viracocha to go away and let the inhabitants of Urakusa return to their traditional way of life?
Llosa, 1989: 76.
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In that way, the narrator wanted to show his argument to Saúl that the natives had already been touched by the development and they did need that. He
showed how Jum‘s case reflected that Aguarunas communities need to get in touched with the development in the city for the sake of their own advantages. He
argued that they had to know the condition in the towns related to trading or unless they would onl
y be ‗used‘ by certain whites and mestizos without getting appropriate income for their community. However, these things still remained in
the narrator‘s mind for Saúl was not there with him and those joining the expedition. This story emphasizes the conflict of the narrator who wanted to have
a debate with Saúl. ‗Invisible and silent, Saúl Zurata‘s ghost took part in our conversation; both of us would have like to have him there, offering his opinion
and arguing,‘ Llosa, 1989: 76-77.
b. The Narrator’s Conflicts with Saúl Zuratas Related to the Narrator’s
Experience
The conflicts develop again when the narrator met a couple of linguists working for Summer Institute of Linguistics, Mr. and Mrs. Schneils. This
encountering made him get information about a tribe named Machiguenga. While the Schneils were telling about the characteristics of this tribe, it was a moment
when the narrator realized that this tribe was the one Saúl had ever encountered. ‗But suddenly I realized that it was the same one that Saúl had told told me so
many stories about, the one he had come in contact with on his trip to Quillabamba: the Machiguengas,‘ Llosa, 1989: 79.
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The narrator was told that this community was quite different from other natives in a way that they were difficult to get close with outsiders. Besides, they
were also different for they were divided into two groups due to geographical condition: the one that had already been in touch with ‗outside world‘ and those
who still remained in their isolation Llosa, 1989: 79-80. As the Schneils described the characteristics, the customs, and also important figures among
Machiguengas, they mentioned a mysterious figure living among them. It was later revealed that the figure was a storyteller called hablador Llosa, 1989: 91.
This figure was described mysterious because the Schneils found it difficult to meet this figure although they spent two years and a half living with
Machiguengas. Besides, this figure seemed to be respected by the Machiguengas for there were reluctances every time the subject of hablador aroused. Hablador
figure not seemed to be described by the Schneils as ordinary storyteller among the Machiguengas. However, the thing that builds the conflicts was that hablador
seemed to be difficult to be found as the Schneils explained in this way. ‗It was
certain, however, that the word ―hablador‖ was uttered with a great show of respect by all the Machiguengas, and each time someone uttered it in front of the
Schneils and the others had changed the subject ,‘ Llosa, 1989: 91.
The story of mysterious hablador was important to show the main conflict between the narrator and Saúl Zuratas. When he got all the experiences from the
expedition and got a story about mysterious hablador, the narrator became more curious to find
out Saúl‘s response. He felt confident that Saúl would be enthusiastically listening to his story and had a discussion especially related to the
