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One of the most intriguing parts of Our Word is Our Weapon is the writing style. The Subcomandante’s words are never personal, he speaks for a nameless but often named collective and yet his personality seeps through. We see bold convictions and rallying cries contrasted with poetry and exposition. It flings the reader back and […] read full post >>

 As a political and revolutionary piece, the title matches what Subcomandante Marcos plausibly intends. It informs the reader of the struggles endured by the Indigenous in Mexico, using his personal and informed accounts to weaponize the book agai... read full post >>

 As a political and revolutionary piece, the title matches what Subcomandante Marcos plausibly intends. It informs the reader of the struggles endured by the Indigenous in Mexico, using his personal and informed accounts to weaponize the book agai... read full post >>

I really enjoyed the first parts of this book. The writing style is engaging and easy to understand, and feels very conversational. There are a lot of questions asked to communicate information, and the writing is clear without being overly filled with jargon or too academic. I also appreciated how this tone was taken in […] read full post >>

“Our Word is Our Weapon” reads like a treatise rather than a novel. As the pages detail the injustices the Mexican state imposes upon the Mayan population, I am reminded of all of the political theory I had to absorb early on in my studies- though, Subcomandante Marcos’ writing is certainly more digestible than Enlightenment-era … Continue reading Our Word is Our Weapon, Week One read full post >>

“Our Word is Our Weapon” by Subcomandante Marcos differs from many readings as it is more so a political manifesto as it takes readers on a thought-provoking journey through the struggles, aspirations, and ideologies of the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico. From the very beginning, Marcos pulls back the curtain on the harsh realities faced […] read full post >>

I found this book rather interesting to read since I have never read anything to political before with such a call for action. It was also a little difficult for me to analyze since I’m unfamiliar with these sorts of texts. While reading the first part of the book, I found it  a little similar […] read full post >>

I knew that the story was going to be about revolution and fighting against oppression but I was curious about how Subcomandante Marcos would tell it. His story is structured more like a written story than Menchú’s was but still didn’t completely conform to tradition. But this made it a more interesting read. Besides this […] read full post >>

Through Subcomandante Marcos’ voice speaks the voice of the Zapatista National Liberation Army. This is a sentiment repeated time and time again throughout chapters, and it harkens back to a conversation we had at the beginning of the year that relates to the dead and the weak talking through someone else. Marcos himself is an […] read full post >>

This was a telling second half recounting the excruciating pain Rigoberta has had to witness or read about, with the death of her little brother, father, and mother being told back to back. These deaths, and her and her broader Indian and poor Ladino peoples prolonged suffering throughout their lives, we come to understand her […] read full post >>