Benjamin Alire Saenz
Poet, Novelist

Saenz's "Alligator Park"
by Eva Rodgers

"Alligator Park" by Benjamin Alire Saenz from the short story collection Flowers for the Broken is based on historical facts. In an outrageous way, it portrays El Salvador's political and economic injustice during the 12 years of civil war (1980-1992). It specifically reveals the restraint put on lives of teenage boys trapped in that period of time.

El Salvador suffered from increased poverty, unemployment and overpopulation dating back to the early 18^th century. The intermittent efforts by the poor majority to make a change were constantly met with severe repression that resulted in the formation of rebellious groups fighting against military government. The most powerful group was the FMLN (Frente Marti Liberacion Nacional) guerrillas, named after the revolutionary leader, Augustin Farabundo Marti.

Guerrilla activity increased after the military exiled the elected president and brought to power their own candidate through electoral fraud in 1972. The government responded to their movements by creating 'death squads' who murdered, tortured and kidnapped thousands of Salvadorans. That behavior combined with other incidents resulted in armed insurrection in 1980 where FMLN guerrillas gained control and tried to suffocate the economy. It wasn't until 1992 that a compromise was signed and a cease-fire took effect. The Government agreed to various reforms including replacing death squads with a national civil police force, giving land back to citizens and promising investigations of human rights violations.

During the course of the civil war an estimated 75,000 people were killed and thousands of citizens left the country.

The story "Alligator Park" is a shocking picture of El Salvador in the middle of a conflict between the corrupt government and the uprising FMLN guerrillas. It is emotionally very intense since it is told by a young boy, Franklin. It is an confirmation of happenings in El Salvador, vaguely known at that time, based on one family memoir.

Franklin, as a refugee, seeks immunity and political asylum from the U.S. government. His personal experiences communicated to us in a form of an interview or rather testimony, give us deep insights of an increased deterioration of El Salvador's politics and economy.

Franklin's story is a confirmation of the cruelty of human beings turned against each other, where fathers and sons are compelled to fight one another. As a 10 years old boy, Franklin was exposed to brutality and blood, when he witnessed a murder of his teacher in a school courtyard. He belongs to the generation of "stolen" kids trained to confront and commence adulthood before his 15^th birthday.

Franklin forced to join ranks of revolutionists was already in no win situation feeling threaten from both sides. His family and eventually Franklin disappear probably killed by guerrillas for his betrayal or by the government.

Franklin in his testimony mostly targets the government and its Civil Defense Groups. He reveals their barbarian acts of torture and eventual killing of people in a statement: "they poked their eyes with pins, skinned them a little at a time, take off a finger one by one, cut off their legs, sometimes eventually chopping their heads off". Then he added, "They did this so it would appear that the guerrillas were torturing them for information". The Civil Defense Groups were formed to protect the people but, in fact, it was the opposite. Franklin states, "the comandante made up a list of people who were to be kidnapped or killed so they could blame the guerrillas", and "the government kept blaming the guerrillas for everything".

The author's choice of a story title "Alligator Park" is intentional. It links indirectly El Salvador, Civil Defense Groups, and citizens, with the park, soldiers, and alligators respectively. Salvadorans as well as the alligators are just in the wrong place at the wrong time unable to fight against the savage acting oppressors or to protect themselves.

The story is also an allegory on the U.S. bureaucracy where everything has to be organized and "make perfect sense" in opposite to El Salvador where disorderliness and perplexity outline people's lives.

The story shows irony on the easy, laid back, 'feminine' life of men living in the United States represented by Jaime. Jaime, born in the U.S. with a Mexican heritage, has a hobby helping refugees to attain necessary documentation to stay in the country. He has no other responsibilities but cooking, cleaning and ironing clothes for his working wife. His biggest emotional life experience was to find out about the alligators killed by drunken soldiers.

On the other hand, Franklin, who's childhood years have been abruptly taken away, may not even have a chance for asylum in the United States. In spite of his "grownup experiences" he is still considered not of age to make independent decisions.

Franklin cannot fit into the life of the U.S. He cannot act his age, since he belongs to another world. A simple soccer game command reminds him of running for life since the time he escaped from guerrillas. He feels responsibility to fight for his country. He has been molded into a role of being born Salvadoran.

Franklin doesn't understand or doesn't know how to fit into such a different life. Despite the fear, he wants to go back to the country he ran from, "I thought that when I got here I would be free...I'm not free-don't belong here-I don't feel right. This is your country, not mine, and I don't think it could ever be mine." And then he says: "If I stay here, I'll die...if I have to feel dead, I'd rather feel dead in my own country." Franklin feels that it is his civic duty to go back to his native country no matter what the consequences.

El Salvador where Franklin eventually returns and presumably dies at age 16 confiscated his life.

Benjamin Alire Saenz wrote the story in memory of those who died innocently and often prematurely, in search for an answer to their existence and role in a society.