The Labyrinth of Solitude

“Self-discovery is above all the realization that we are alone: it is the opening of an impalpable, transparent wall—that of our consciousness—between the world and ourselves.” 

This quotation appears in the opening passage of The Labyrinth of Solitude and expresses one of its central conceits, namely the unavoidable truth of existential “solitude.” To be self-conscious of our own existence, Paz claims, is to recognize that we are distinct from the world around us and from others. The same consciousness that connects us to the world separates us from it, meaning that in some profound sense, we are “alone.” While human beings at times value this inner solitude, at other times they strive to overcome it, Paz claims throughout his work.

“The pachuco has lost his whole inheritance: language, religion, customs, beliefs. He is left only with a body and a soul with which to confront the elements, defenseless against the stares of everyone. His disguise is a protection, but it also differentiates and isolates him: it both hides him and points him out.” 

The pachuco lives in a state of cultural dislocation, Paz claims, outside of his native culture and in an alien culture that is often hostile. This alien culture intensifies his experience of solitude. To cope with the sense of vulnerability, he wears a “disguise” of extreme, dandyish clothing and behavior. This mask disguises his sense of vulnerability, but it also highlights how different he is from the North American culture that surrounds him. This difference is characteristic of all Mexicans generally, who tend to wear various metaphorical “masks” that simultaneously conceal and reveal something about their identity: both what they are and what they lack or desire to be.