The Setting of La Rinconada
Where is La Rinconada located?
The Peruvian Andes
How do miners in La Rinconada get paid?
Through the “cachorreo” system, where they work unpaid and keep some of the gold they find
What is the capital of Peru?
Lima
How does the pursuit of gold in La Rinconada reflect the theme of materialism?
The pursuit of material possessions leads to human suffering and environmental destruction.
Give an example of a group who may considered Marauders.
Pirate, Vikings, Thieves etc.
What makes daily life in La Rinconada physically challenging?
Extreme altitude and cold temperatures
What is one major environmental issue caused by gold mining in La Rinconada?
Mercury and Cyanide contamination in the water and air
Which President passed the New Deal?
Franklin D Roosevelt
What role does hope play in the lives of miners?
It keeps them working in unsafe conditions, hoping for wealth
What is a synonym for the word intemperate?
How does the author contrast La Putina to La Rinconada?
La Putina, on the banks of Lake Titicaca, is described as fertile and beautiful. Only a few miles away the land is barren and moon-like. The author chokes on the fetid smell of the mines.
Why do people continue mining in La Rinconada despite its dangers?
The hope of striking it rich keeps miners there
What moments of beauty does the narrator find in La Rinconada?
The kindness of locals, natural surroundings, and fleeting moments of joy
How does La Rinconada challenge the idea that wealth leads to happiness?
Miners are surrounded by gold but live in poverty and hardship
How would an apple orchard look if it were despoiled
Nothing would grow. The trees may be dead. Etc.
What is ironic about the wealth of gold in La Rinconada?
Despite mining gold, many miners remain poor
What does the term 'A beggar on a bench of gold" mean?
The people of Peru are surrounded by material wealth, i.e., gold, but do not profit from it.
Who was the first President of South Africa after the end of the Apartheid Regime?
Nelson Mandela
What moments of beauty does the narrator find in La Rinconada?
The kindness of locals, natural surroundings, and fleeting moments of joy
What does the word Fetid mean?
Smelling disgusting. Putrid.
Why is La Rinconada often called a “lawless” place?
Lack of government oversight leads to crime and unsafe conditions
What happens to most of the gold mined in La Rinconada?
It is often sold on the black market or smuggled abroad. It does NOT circulate back into the Peruvian economy.
Who was the 18th President, who also served as the Commanding General of the Union in the Civil War?
Ulysses Grant
How does social inequality affect miners in La Rinconada?
A few individuals profit from gold, while most miners remain poor and struggle to survive
What is the only part of the body that is fully grown at birth?
The eyes.