Mario Vargus Llosa's book has many parodical elements. His themes of sex, desire, and prostitution are put into very serious terms. As Jon mentions in the lecture, these terms are usually in a freer environment and not discussed or used in formal senses. This comedic play on desire differs greatly from other texts we have read. Although this book had very complex topics, Vargus Llosa does a fantastic job at turning 'sex' into something structured, creating a parodical, funny view. It was hard to grasp this parodic view sometimes, especially when women were oppressed and exploited. But, when I was reading, I did my best to focus on the style, and 'funny' language, instead of the exploitation. With this in mind, I want to focus on two parodic themes in my blog post today. How the special service acts as a system to stop the havoc and chaos the military is causing, but funny enough, the special service creates havoc, too and causes a downfall.
Llosa's world is chaotic; soldiers are raping villages, causing death and havoc. Yet, the soldiers are not apprehended for their actions and get away with no consequences. (this is terrible!)
"These abuses do as much damage to the Army as to the victims" (5).
This chaos led to Pantoja's 'Special Service.' His service was created to fulfill soldiers' desires without creating havoc in the town. The service was considered better because it was structured and labelled sex as a 'service' to be fulfilled. Llosa also uses names like 'specialists' to make prostitutes sound formal. In this way, it was thought that the service would be able to end the chaos. However, the 'Special Service' is not stopping these soldiers but pushing their desires in another direction. Because they are not addressing the problem, the 'fixed' problem becomes the problem once again.
The 'Special' service was 'great' initially (I never thought it was great, but instead a disgusting way to allow harassment to continue), but more and more soldiers needed it over time when there were not enough specialists to fill the role. I remember reading that they needed more than 2000 specialists to fulfill all their desires. This is horrific and sad. In economic terms, the demands were too high, and the supply ran short. This caused anger, and more havoc ensued, sadly causing a prostitute to be shot. The lust was overbearing, and Captain Pantoja also fell in too deep. He went to Iquitos and became filled with desires, so he used women to fulfill them. Every man was falling in too deep. There were simply just too many people who needed the service, and it had to come to a stop. In the end, Pantoja's 'special' and 'saving' service did nothing and instead did the thing it wanted to prevent.
It is funny and very contradictory that Pantoja's action plan did the opposite of its intended solution. The 'Special Service' shows readers that when something is toxic and causes destruction, it is better cut off and dealt with. However, when you re-direct chaos in a different place, the disorder is still present and has ways and consuming the whole again. Llosa provides readers with a different take on humour, framing it in serious terms. Captain Pantoja and the Special Service was a long but interesting read.
Some questions I have after reading:
1) Did you think of any other reasons why the 'Special Service' ended? Was there some way to allow it to continue without preventing chaos?
2) Did you find the book comedic at all? In a parodic sense? Or, did you feel differently about Llosa's work and Pantoja's 'Special Service'? Why did you feel this way?
"However, the 'Special Service' is not stopping these soldiers but pushing their desires in another direction." I think that it is one of the reflections that allows us to make this novel: about whether or not it is possible to stop desires, be they sexual or religious. That two rebellions appear in the same area, but with opposite directions may seem paradoxical. However, within a particular libidinal configuration they may not be so. In addition, Pantoja's obsession with order is another form, perhaps, of Amazonian excess.
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