Shelby Lanier, Megan Greer, Dailey Midgett, Mollie Moore
AP Langauge
S. Pritchard
17 January 2012
Time Periods of Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation
“There are mysteries held within a family and there are mysteries held within
deeper soul of an anchor” (Santos 55). John Philip Santos from San Antonio, Texas
was always intrigued by his Mexican heritage and how his ancestors journeyed to
San Antonio, Texas from Mexico. As a result, Santos wrote the memoir Places Left
Unfinished at the Time of Creation. In the memoir Santos explores and recalls the
journey back to his homeland where he learns more accounts of how his family
made it over form Mexico. Santos also investigated the mystery of his grandfather’s
death. Throughout the novel Santos refers to three main time periods, 1910-1914,
1939, and 1960. When mentioning the different time periods, Santos includes what
was happening in Mexico and America during that specific period, and how that
period of time affected his life and the life of his ancestors. Mentioning specific
details about time periods adds an element of historical context to the memoir. The
element of historical context improves Santo’s ability to explain his ancestor’s
stories, and mysteries from their journey from Mexico to America.
The first time period that John Philip Santos discuses in Places Left
Unfinished at the Time of Creation is the years between 1910-1914. At this point in
time America was amerced in a decade of “Great Change” (American Cultural
History-The Twentieth Century), while Mexico was in the midst of the Mexican
Revolution (The Mexican Revolution).
In the novel Santos provides details about the Mexican Revolution, “
Northern Mexico became one of the most violent and chaotic battlefields of La
Revolution of 1910, a revolution that lasted eleven years.” (Santos 16). As a result
of the revolution the Santos family left Mexico in 1914 and arrived in San Antonio,
Texas (Santos 16). Santos also quotes that San Antonio provided a “convenient
escape” (Santos 16). Upon arriving in America there were a few important events
and issues going on during this time period. For example America was first
considered a “World Leader” and entered an era known as the “Progressive Era”
(American Cultural History-The Twentieth Century). Overall the Santos family
entered San Antonio, Texas during a time of transition and change in America.
The next time period that John Philip Santos focuses on is the year 1939. By
this time the Santos family was settled in San Antonio. On the other hand back in
Mexico, Santos states that the year 1939 began “under a pail of fear and foreboding”
(Santos 131). He also states that the Spanish Civil War was in deadlock (Santos
131). Over in America, the country was on the brink of the Great Depression. The
Depression began in 1929 and lasted into the early 1940’s (Wikipedia). In the novel
Santos brings to attention that the Great Depression was also affecting life in
Mexico. He says that Mexican pecan shellers were holding numerous strikes and
lockouts as a result of the Great Depression. Employment was decreasing and
putting a hurt in the Mexican economy, since pecans were the city’s chief exports
(Santos 132). During the Great Depression, unemployment in the United States
even reached up to twenty-five percent (Wikipedia). Another aspect of life in San
Antonio during this time period that Santos describes was the changes that the city
of San Antonio was undergoing. He mentions that, “...the old Mexico that was left in
San Antonio was dying, or being snuffed out...” (Santos 132). He says that San
Antonio was being electrified, paved and the Texas sky was knitted together with
telegraph and telephone wires (Santos 132). The Santos family spent the year 1939
dealing with hardships and setbacks, along with some advances, as they continued
their life in San Antonio, Texas.
The last major time period that John Philip Santos addresses is the year
1960. This point in time for America was known as the “age of youth” (American
Cultural History-The Twentieth Century), as many of the babies of the baby boomer
years were now getting to be teenagers and young adults. At this stage in the novel,
John Philip Santos begins to speak and write English, but really he focuses on that
fact that everything is modernized. He also says that the old stories of his family’s
history have began to dwindle away. John Philip Santos even quotes. “...the stories
of San Antonio began to wane” (Santos 144). On the other hand admist all the
strong feelings, Santos does discuss some of his favorite activities and events that
were popular in America during this time. For example, Santos states, “....enjoy
listening to the Beatles, going to Disneyland, and watching the Beverly Hillbillies”
(Santos 145). Some larger events going on in America as a whole was the election
and assassination of John F. Kennedy. Another term for this time period in America
was known as the “Space Run” (American Cultural History- The Twentieth Century).
Both in the memoir and during this time period in America, many citizens were
longing to make it to the moon. Sputnik and the launch of Apollo took place in the
1960’s. The sixties in America and for John Phillip Santos in Places Left Unfinished
at the Time of Creation was a period of great change and progression.
Overall the life and experiences of John Philip Santos took place over periods
of time through the memoir, Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation. The
major time periods that Santos addresses are 1910-1914, 1939, and 1960. Through
each of these periods in the novel the progression of the Santos family journey form
Mexico to San Antonio, Texas is retold. By adding in the information about each
time period, an element of historical context is added to the memoir. As a whole
tying in the highlighted time periods with the stories and mysteries surrounding the
Santos family’s immigration to San Antonio, Texas allows John Philip Santos to
explain his stories with more validity. In conclusion Places Left Unfinished at the
Time of Creation is a memoir that combines historical context with real world
experiences. John Philip Santos quotes, “God, had for some unknown reason, left
unfinished at the time of creation...places where the world had no shape or
substance” (Santos 55).
Works Cited
Santos, John Philip. Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation. New York, New York. Penguin Group,
1999. Print.
Whitley, Peggy. American Cultural History. Kclibrary.lonestar.edu. 1999, November 2008. Web. 17 January
2012.
Consular, Gaceta. The Mexican Revolution 1910. Mexconnect.com. February 4, 2007. Web. 17 January
2012.
Wikipedia. Great Depression. Wikipedia.org. 10 January 2012. Web. 17 January 2012.