ÁNGEL DEL CAMPO VALLE: BIOGRAPHY, STYLE, WORKS - LITERATURE - 2025

Ángel Efrén del Campo Valle (1868-1908) was a Mexican writer and journalist also known as Micrós, a pseudonym with which he signed several of his writings. The work of this writer was part of the realist current, that is, it was far from the romantic.

One of the representative characteristics of del Campo's work was the costumbrista and traditionalist aspect. He was also a writer who spanned various literary genres, such as novels, poetry, chronicles and short stories, many of them published in newspapers and magazines.

Image source: babelmatrix.org

The author's personal life was marked by various adverse circumstances, he lost his parents at different stages of his growth. However, he managed to overcome the difficulties that arose. Perhaps if he had lived more years he would have achieved a greater literary consolidation.

Biography

Birth and family

Ángel del Campo was born on July 9, 1868 in Mexico City, he came from a traditional middle-class family. It is known that when he was just four years old he lost his father, so his mother took care of him and his siblings with the help of the family.

Academic training

His years of academic training were spent in institutions in his hometown, first at the Canónigo Díaz school and then at the Emilio Bas. Del Campo studied high school at the National Preparatory School, where in addition to expressing his taste for letters, he gained important friendships.

Later he began to study medicine, a career he gave up to study letters. But after the death of his mother, he was forced to put her aside to work and take responsibility for his three siblings, so he performed different tasks.

Shield of the National Preparatory School. Source: UNAM, via Wikimedia Commons

First jobs

Del Campo Valle began working as an official of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit. Soon after, he decided to put his vocation and extensive literary knowledge into practice, so he dedicated himself to both teaching and journalism, where he began to be successful.

From the field as Tic-Tac

The skills of Ángel del Campo in letters were reflected in a columnist in various Mexican media. However most of them signed them as Tic-Tac, his humorous and sarcastic notes on lifestyle and customs gave him notoriety.

Regarding his journalistic writings, it is also important to highlight that, although they were not characterized by a well-structured language, they did not cease to be expressive and striking. Later, many of these articles were collected and became recognized works.

The Mexican High School

In 1885 Del Campo Valle founded in the company of other writers and friends such as Luís González Obregón, the Liceo Mexicano. In this institution, different literary, cultural and artistic expressions were disseminated, it also served as a bridge to make several of its publications in the newspapers.

For example, in the newspaper El Imparcial a hundred chronicles began to publish continuously a Sunday column called La Semana Alegre. Other media that enjoyed his literary talent were: Blue Magazine, El Mundo Ilustrado, Cómico, among others.

First publications

Ángel del Campo began to publish his first novel in 1890, its coming to light was delivered in installments in the newspaper El Imparcial. Little more than sixty years later it was published in book. Also in the last decade of the 19th century, the work Leisure and notes was known.

Death of Ángel del Campo

The life of the Mexican writer was not exactly long, but it was enough to see his talent and passion for literature materialize. In addition to the different difficult circumstances that he had to live, del Campo fell ill with typhus and died on February 8, 1908 in the city where he was born.

Style

The literary work of Ángel del Campo Valle was framed in the realist current, where Mexican customs played an important role. Although the language used by the writer was understandable, he did not pay special attention to its elaboration, although it was still unique and expressive.

The main inspiration in the development of his work was the way of life of the Mexicans, he used the city as the main environment and made the least favored protagonists, as a kind of social criticism of the unequal system of policies and norms established at that time..

Transcendental features of his style

Logo of the Ministry of Finance, where Ángel del Campo Valle worked. Source: Miki Angel Maldonado, via Wikimedia Commons

Although the writer's work was not abundant, he managed to transcend thanks to the sensitive and compassionate treatment he had for the poor. All of that combined with humor, sarcasm, descriptions and the modern, becoming an undeniable artist of the letters.

Plays

- The rumba (1890-1891). Novel.

- Leisure and notes (1890).

- Things seen (1894).

- Cardboards (1897).

Brief description of some of his works

The party

It was one of the best known works of this Mexican writer, the novel was released by chapters in the newspaper El Imparcial, then in 1958 it was published in book format. It was a sympathetic and entertaining narrative of a manners type in an atmosphere of poverty and marginality.

The story unfolded near La Rumba Square, a place where misery reigned. There lived Remedios, a young woman known as the “badger” because of her somewhat masculine way of being, and who aspired to a better life, away from poverty, vices and machismo.

Argument

Remedios wanted to live in the city, to have a better quality of life. That desire seemed to be near when Napoleon Cornichón came into her life, who asked her to go with her to the city. She accepted, but that meant criticism from a macho society and her parents did not support her.

The young woman's stay in the city was not what she imagined, and Napoleon's promises of love and progress faded. Life became complicated and even more miserable, when he believed that life would change him for the better, the tragedy was present.

Fragment

“La Rumba cried, that was her skinny; that they spoke to her with affection, she became a dove.

-You are the one who doesn't love me, you see… I asked you… and you didn't send me and you said…

-Daughter, I had not, that's why; but… yes, you're right! But look, here I bring you, will you forgive me? You already know that my genius is like that. Laugh, go on, laugh, don't pout me and give me a kiss.

-Leave me, leave me…

The wooden doors were closed, the light from the oil lamp filtered through the cracks and the clatter of plates and cutlery, voices conversing and a bottle that was uncovered came out of the Cornichón house ”.

Things seen

It was a volume that collected several articles and stories that Ángel del Campo Valle published in the different Mexican newspapers for which he collaborated. In addition there was the presence of chronicles, poetry and philosophical ideas, the short stories were fundamental in the development of this work.

The content of this literary compendium was not separate from Mexican customs. The author also continued to refer to the most fragile members of society, their problems and possible solutions. They were sensitive stories, but without falling into pain and extreme feeling.

Fragment

“The girls Elena and Emelina had not lost their beauty despite their deprivation: one eighteen and the other twenty-one years old, they attracted the attention of the neighborhood.

But Castroverde and the lady, who were not as stupid as they seemed, took care of the maidens as much as of their lives… because the first step of many falls is the starter; and vice, which enters everywhere, has a particular predilection for what is short of money ”.

Leisure and notes

This work was the first volume of the three that made up del Campo's collection of stories and journalistic notes. The exposed texts were characterized by a traditionalist theme, where the reality was noted in terms of the way of being, acting and speaking of Mexicans.

Some of the titles that were part of this work by the Mexican writer were:

- "White souls".

- "Poor old man!"

- "El Pinto".

- "History of some verses".

- "Doña Chole".

- "The flies".

- "Ivy".

- "The candy".

- "From afar".

- "Portfolio notes".

- "The ideal".

- "Poor Jacinta!"

- "The boy with blue glasses."

Fragment of

“-I tell you, the girl is busy; She told me to tell you to come over tomorrow.

-Tell him that I am Doña Chole, you already know me… Doña Chole la de la Candelaria, the lady who brings you the sweets from the nuns…

-I'm going to warn; But I am telling you what the girl told me… And the maid disappeared, leaving Doña Chole de la Candelaria standing on the lintel of the door; She took out an old sample, because it was old, a handkerchief and wiped the sweat away; she yawned, crossed her mouth, and after three sneezes accompanied by curses Jesus, Mary, Joseph!

Fragment of "White Souls"

“… The priest Sanbenito had told them many times in the Thursday catechism that confession was the transcendental act… 'So, my little children, that incomprehensible, eternal, omnipotent, vigilante Papa, is the one we are going to go to and tell him that we have broken the purity of consciousness'… ”.

References

1. Muñoz, Á. (2017). Angel of the Field. Mexico: Encyclopedia of Literature in Mexico. Recovered from: elem.mx.
2. Ángel del Campo Valle. (2018). Spain: Wikipedia. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org.
3. Tamaro, E. (2019). Field Angel. (N / a): Biographies and Lives. Recovered from: biografiasyvidas.com.
4. Summary of La Rumba. (2019). (N / a): The Pensante. Education. Recovered from: educacion.elpensante.com.
5. Fernández, J. (S. f.). Campo y Valle, Ángel Efrén. (N / a): The Web of Biographies. Recovered from. mcnbiografias.com.