Re-read the following passage from The Squatter and the Don:
At five minutes to two, Señor Alamar, accompanied by Mr. Mechlin, arrived in a buggy; his two sons followed on horseback. Clarence had time to look at them leisurely while they dismounted and tied their horses to a hitching post.
âThey are gentlemen, no doubt,â observed Clarence.
âYou bet they are,â Romeo coincided. Evidently he admired and liked them.
âHow much the boys look like the old man,â Tom said.
âThey look like Englishmen,â was Clarenceâs next observation.
âYes, particularly Victoriano; he is so light he looks more like a German, I think,â said Romeo.
âI think Gabriel is very handsome,â Tom said, âonly of late he seems always so sad or thoughtful.â (249).
In a paper of 800 to 1000 words, discuss how the novel represents the interactions between men in this passage. You may consider how the act of looking works in the passage, how the Latino Don Mariano Alamar and his sons are likened to Europeans, and how the matter of a âlightâ complexion relates to all this. Open up your observations on these interactions to consider how they connect with the Donâs argument in the rest of the selection about the proper use of the land and his rights as a landowner. Finally, in your conclusion, reflect on what kind of account of America Ruiz de Burton is offering here.