Political struggles are front and center in Nostromo: A Tale of The Seaboard; all the other themes somehow come back to or relate to this big ol' topic. Political life in Costaguana is incredibly complicated and messy—so if you're looking for a clear set of good guys and bad guys, you're going to be out of luck. Well, that's not entirely true—the really bad bad guys are easy enough to identify. That said, it's never entirely clear who the "good guys" are… maybe you can take a look and let us know if you find any?
Questions About Politics
- Charles Gould seems to view himself as being somehow above or outside of Costaguana politics. But his mine and its power are at the heart of the political maneuverings that compose the meat of the plot. Do you think his desire to stay outside of politics is genuine, or is something else going on here? How do we know?
- President-Dictator Don Vincente Ribiera, despite the kind of scary title, has the reputation of being a relatively decent dude, but he doesn't last long in Costaguana. Meanwhile, apparently Guzmán Bento ruled for years. What do you make of all that? Is there any larger message about politics here?
- Is there a political faction or leader that emerges as both admirable and successful?
Chew on This
Political life in Costaguana, which basically has no good guys, symbolizes the fact that politics is an inherently dirty business—can't get around it.
Charles Gould's supposed distance from his country's politics is not just disingenuous—it's dangerous. Trying to erase your political influence is one of the most evil, shady things you can do.