Variations on the theme of alcoholism in Rosario Castellanos's indigenist literature: A multidisciplinary analysis

Alcoholism is one of the many grave social problems in Mexico that Rosario Castellanos depicts in her novels, short stories and plays. In her Indigenist works, Castellanos connects alcohol abuse to other social ills: poverty, violence, prejudice, exploitation of Indians and mistreatment of women and children. She has illuminated a complex, interconnected web of social crises of which alcohol is often at the center. Furthermore, anthropological, historical and medical studies on alcohol use in the locations and times in which these works take place indicate that her descriptions of the problems are based on fact. This analysis suggests that Castellanos has written about the alcohol issue in order to expose the facts surrounding it and to promote social change.