Universal Themes

• Adventure: This theme takes place throughout the book. It is the cause of the story taking place. Guevara and Granado experience many adventures as they explore South America.This is the basis of the story.

• Education: Guevara obtains knowledge about the world. He learns about the history of the area and why it is the way it is. This develops what Guevara does with the rest of his life. We all ultimately have a worldly experience that unleashes and epiphany. This epiphany allows us to see the world for what it is. Only some people (like Guevara) use this for good.

• Charity:  This theme develops off of education. As Ernesto is taught about the world and the poor situation Latin America is in, he decides to help those in need. He not only helps them, but he helps himself by developing a strong sense of self. Many people realize that there is more to life than just themselves, and so they do charitable acts.

• Culture: As these two young men explore South America, they develop a sense of place. They experience many cultures of the world. Not only do they get a taste of Latin American culture, but they also find people along the way from all across the globe. This is important to any person to see how the rest of the world lives. It allows us to develop a more wholesome self.

• Leadership: Guevara uses all of the previous themes to develop leadership skills. He uses these skills to help the greater population of South and Central America. He realizes the situation of poverty and extreme governmental stress that the region is under. He lifts the burdens of many people on the continent.

Ernesto and Alberto sailing on the Mambo Tango down the Amazon River (1952)

Allusion

• "In Mar del Plata we had visited a doctor friend of Alberto's who had joined the [Peronist] party." ((38)
• This alludes to Peronist party. This was a party that was quite popular in the 1950's-1960's. It was a nationalist party of sorts. The Peronist party began as a widely accepted idea, but then became a "burden of ideology". This quote alludes to the political unrest that was occurring in Latin America at the time. 
• "For a moment as I left, victorious, or so I thought, Otero Silva's lines rang in my ears..." (36)
• This alludes to one of Guevara's favorite poem (which he mentions many times in this book). Otero Silva was left-wing Venezuelan poet. This also alludes to the political revolution occurring at the time.
• "Soon we had taken our positions with the necessary gravity in the fire engine "Chile-Espana"..." (65)
• Almost every fire brigade has a sister city or country. This alludes to how much Latin American culture is influenced by the countries from which it originated. It also shows how dependent Latin America is on these countries (Spain).
• "...built in homage to those Peruvians who died in the war with Chile." (89)
• Referring to the "Nitrate Wars". This was a conflict between Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. This was a war over the fact that national borders had not yet been established.
• "From the cathedral, the peals of the Maria Angola rung out for the first time since the earthquake." (111)
• This alludes to a bell that is in the Cathedral of Cuzco in Cuzco, Peru. The bell was made in 1655 and it weighs about 6 tons. The melodies played can be heard for more than 30 kilometers.

Imagery

• "The full moon is silhouetted against the sea, smothering the waves with silver reflections." (34)
• "My head rested in the lap tying me to this land, lulled by everything around." (36)
• "The taste of bread was now tinged with warning..." (39)
• "The road is terrible and the poor bike snorted..." (48)
• "We'd managed to track down our consul who finally turned up at what served as an office, stone-faced..." (66)
• The big day arrived at last and two tears ploughed symbolically down Alberto's cheeks. (67)
• "...the poor animal, robbed of the bond linking him to us..." (72)
• "You cannot say that it is lacking in beauty, but it is a beauty without grace, imposing and glacial." (79)
• "When I made travel notes, hot and fresh with enthusiasm..." (86)
• " Then he swept himself away into euphoric descriptions of his various heroic deeds..." (100)
• "The violent red of the flowers..." (112)
• "...the orderlies' eyes shone proudly, as if the building was their own creation..." (122)
• "The terrible street lighting plaguing the whole of the Peruvian sierra reached its worst there..." (125)
• "Nearby, peeking through a fence, the plump forms of oranges materialized." (131)
•  "Famished, we decided to cast off the little shame that stubbornly remained." (131)