Jennet Rodriguez Betancourt

1). According to Meléndez Muñoz, Alonso begins integrating in his stories the typical
characteristics of the Puerto Rican of the time and how the very soul and spirit are
artistically captured in an entirely collective manner. In fact, in verses like Un
casamiento jibaro, El baile del garabato, Una pelea de gallos, and La fiesta de Utuao,
this author describes the customs and traditions of the country folk of the island. By
choosing to relate humorous jíbaro stories and even signing with the pseudonym el
gíbaro de Caguas, this author wisely saved his book from censorship.
In Scene IV, Un Casamiento Jibaro, the clothes worn by the bride and groom are
described in vibrant jíbaro speech which clearly reveals a different manner of speaking,
“… Los hombres ensapataos
Y casi toos con chaqueta,
Yeban aygunos pañuelo
Amarrao en la cabesa
Y sombrero e pelo negro,
Tejio entero, o de empleyta,
Camisas aymionaas,
Y carsones e tapeta.
Las mujeres yebangorras
De pelo con plumas negras,
Guantes de lagoon tejios.
In, La fiesta de Utuao, a story to compae Pepe is narrated about the jbaro’s
experience at the festivities in Utuao, the municipality that “…como es sabido,
representaba el espacio típico de la jibaridad de la montaña…” (Forastieri-Braschi
XXXII). Food, dance, men, women, the usual brawl (which accompanied most parties),
the town mayor, and the priest were all portrayed with lively peasant language and style.
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