MARTÍN FIERRO FOR STUDENTS · THE RETURN · 1879
Canto 14 Explained: Old Vizcacha Becomes the Younger Son's Guardian
A source-linked English study guide alongside José Hernández’s original Spanish poem.
What happens in Canto 14?
The younger son describes his guardian, Old Vizcacha, as dishonest and neglectful. He recounts thefts, punishment and nights spent outdoors in the cold. The judge had promised that the guardian would educate and care for the boy, but the boy says that promise was not fulfilled. A story about Vizcacha's former marriage is reported as hearsay, not established fact.
Original verses: three passages worth studying
The following stanzas are taken directly from the repository's original-text corpus, without modernization. Explanations elsewhere on this page are interpretation, not translation.
me llevó consigo un viejoque pronto mostró la hilacha,dejaba ver por la fachaque era medio cimarrón,muy renegao, muy ladrón,y le llamaban Vizcacha.
Cuando el juez me lo nombró,al dármelo de tutor,me dijo que era un señorel que me debía cuidar,enseñarme a trabajary darme la educación.
Yo tenía unas jergas viejas,que habian sido mas peludas;y con mis carnes desnudas,el viejo, que era una fiera,me hechaba a dormir ajueracon unas heladas crudas.
Main characters and voices
The younger son as narrator; Old Vizcacha; the judge; neighbors and a rural trader.
Literary themes to identify
Abusive guardianship; stolen goods; education denied; childhood poverty; the difference between witnessed events and rumors.
Gaucho vocabulary in context
tutor (guardian); pulpero (rural trader); yerba (mate herb); rancho (rural dwelling); jergas (coarse blankets).
What to notice in the narration
The boy's direct descriptions of being mistreated should be distinguished from rumors about Vizcacha's past. His famous sayings belong to the next canto, not this one.
Related reading: Later advice of Vizcacha compared with Fierro
Reading-comprehension and discussion questions
- What does the judge promise the boy?
- Which actions show Vizcacha's neglect?
- How does the boy describe his living conditions?
- Which allegations are presented as hearsay?
- How does this canto prepare for Vizcacha's advice in Canto XV?
Support answers with details from the original canto. Different interpretations may be justified if the quoted passages and narrative context support them.
Sources and further reading
Primary source: José Hernández, La vuelta de Martín Fierro (1879), Canto 14, reproduced from the site's structured Spanish corpus. Summary and questions are original English educational commentary, not quoted authorial explanations.
Original canto · Summary of both parts · Character guide · All study guides