The White Rose

This is certainly not my favourite book by B. Traven, and critics have often described it as "inconsistent." That said, it is still probably one of the best attacks I've ever read on corporate American culture. It's about a U.S. oil company that's quickly expanding its drilling rights in Mexico, but is stopped short when it cannot purchase a key piece of land from a small Indian community. The rest of the novel details how the oil company tries to claim this land for itself, first by legal means and then through violence and corruption.Thematically, this novel parallels Traven's short story "Assembly Line" -- in both narratives there is a clash of cultures between the technocratic Americans and traditional campesinos. And in both narratives, capitalism is depicted as force that promises great wealth for everyone, but at a great expense -- total dehumanization and the loss of traditional knowledge, values and customs.Traven's sympathies are with the Mexican Indians, of course. But by no means does he portray the oil executives as "flat" or two-dimensional characters. One of the great strengths of this book, in fact, is that it shows how a wealthy oil president finds himself trapped in a cycle of overspending -- overconsumption -- and is therefore forced to pursue bigger business ventures, all in attempt to stave of insecurity and personal financial ruin.The few inconsistencies in this novel -- which are minor and have to do with Traven's poor use of American slang -- do not detract from "The White Rose." His attacks on big business are incisive to say the least, and his description of rural Mexican life is vivid, realistic and flawless.