The Colonel Themes
Power
Who's the macho man? Even before the first line of "The Colonel," you know you're dealing with not just a colonel, but the colonel, a man of power. Alongside the speaker, you enter the lair of a mi...
Language and Communication
You've heard of culture clashes? The one in "The Colonel" ranks extreme. What happens when two visitors from North America come to pay a call at the home of a high ranking Salvadoran warlord? What'...
Warfare
From the pistol on the pillow to the knee-gouging broken glass surrounding the place, you know this isn't your usual dinner party. The United States' role in El Salvador's civil war—a conflict th...
Foreignness and the Other
When in Rome, do as the Romans do—unless that involves a form of physical mutilation, that is. The speaker and her friend are visitors to this country, on a human rights mission. If the differenc...