Short Story Analysis: José López Portillo y Rojas's 'Unclaimed Watch'

This assignment provides a detailed analysis of José López Portillo y Rojas's short story, "Unclaimed Watch." The analysis begins by examining the author's life and how it influenced his writing style, highlighting his realist approach and his focus on social issues. The core of the analysis focuses on the dialogue between the husband and wife, Judge Zendejas and Otillia, exploring their distinct personalities and how their internal monologues shape their conversations. The analysis delves into how the author uses dialogue and internal monologue to create complex characters. Finally, it identifies and interprets a significant quotation from the story, illustrating the author's portrayal of vanity and irony within the narrative. The assignment thoroughly addresses the context, work, and a key quotation from the short story, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the text.

Running Head: JOSÉ LÓPEZ PORTILLO Y ROJAS BY “UNCLAIMED WATCH”
José López Portillo y Rojas by “Unclaimed Watch”
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

1JOSÉ LÓPEZ PORTILLO Y ROJAS BY “UNCLAIMED WATCH”
Table of Contents
The Context................................................................................................................................2
The Work...................................................................................................................................2
A Quotation................................................................................................................................3

2JOSÉ LÓPEZ PORTILLO Y ROJAS BY “UNCLAIMED WATCH”
The Context
José López Portillo y Rojas’s life was one of privilege. It could be seen from his first
attempt at writing, which was the result of the exposure of his various international travels
that opened his eyes to the different forms of government. However, the choice of his first
work of a travel memoir after his visit to foreign countries of varying cultures such as that of
the United States and the Middle East shows that he was always a realist at heart who wanted
the world to see things for what it is in reality. The books showed the way of life of these
countries, which can be seen as the preference of his writing style based on realism. His
works did not show an affinity with the realist portrayal of society, and his writings criticized
the poverty in rural society. They were used a way of leading the way to show how changes
can be made within the Porfiriato, where he played a significant role as a politician
throughout his life.
The Work
The dialogue between the husband and wife reveals their characters played in their
relationship. Judge Zendejas is a man who believes in his strength to the extent that he would
go to any extent to prove his point; Otillia, on the other hand, is shown to be the definitive
homemaker who bears or thinks no ill-will towards her husband but does not refrain from
speaking her mind out and calling her husband on things she deems necessary. The most
exciting thing that emerges from their conversation is the portrayal of daily life in which
Zendejas holds the reporters as a more significant contender for punishment than the robbers
and the incompetent police lacking in their duties. It showed the influence and the roles
which the judges of each constituency is supposed to play. Otillia telling him to stay
unaffected by the criticism if he thinks he is not among those judges and knowing very well
that it is going to invite the wrath and rage of her husband shows her independent and robust
perspective displaying that staying and managing a house has not taken away her ability to

3JOSÉ LÓPEZ PORTILLO Y ROJAS BY “UNCLAIMED WATCH”
evaluate things for what they are and not for what her husband asked of her. She asks her
husband to do something about the ongoing situation if he cannot tolerate it but wishes and
prays that he never comes across any confrontation showing the affinity and love she had for
him. The lines from the narrator showing the composed way in which she acknowledges the
existence of her husband’s flaws and yet let him feel strong shows the reason why she
accepted facts she knew to false.
A Quotation
“That tangible display of his physique filled him with vanity and helped calm his bad
mood; so by the time he and his young wife had walked slowly to the front hallway, he had
already forgotten the delay incurred thanks to the go Morpheus.”(pg. 796)
The quotation shows how the author presents the character of Judge Zendejas to be
full of vanity, where the whole story revolves around his pretense that everything he does by
mistake was his intention. Here, we see how Otillia let him feel strong as she understands the
agitation in her husband due to failure to comply with his planning and construct of the
routine of his resting. The text is particularly ironic and funny as it shows how he fails to
understand the love Otillia bears for him, and she can calm him within seconds by
acknowledging his whimsical claims. It is ironic in the sense that being a judge and a man of
law, he should have understood how Otillia has succeeded in criticizing him and then
claiming him at once. It is the first display of his vanity, which is shown to the slope of his
fall towards the end of the story.

4JOSÉ LÓPEZ PORTILLO Y ROJAS BY “UNCLAIMED WATCH”