Desperately Seeking Pancho Villa: Hero or Villain, Bandit or Revolutionary? Three contrasting literary perspectives on Villa which examine the tension between iconisation and historical reality

This paper forms part of a larger research project focusing on literary and iconic representations of historical figures from Mexico. One such example is revolutionary bandit, Pancho Villa. Hated and hallowed in almost equal measure, Villa has never ceased to figure in the Mexican political and cultural imaginary, despite his relatively brief period of influence over revolutionary politics, in which he ceased to take part after 1915. This paper looks at the tension between iconisation and historical reality in three contrasting portrayals of Villa by Mexican authors. These three works typify the debate about Villa's achievements and misdeeds, and offer conflicting viewpoints of the man and the myths.