' s ▁experiences ▁in ▁Gu atem ala ▁under ▁E str ada ▁Cab rera ▁and ▁U b ico , ▁and ▁despite ▁certain ▁historical ▁t ies , ▁critic ▁Richard ▁Call an ▁obser ves ▁that ▁Ast ur ias ' s ▁" att ention ▁is ▁not ▁limited ▁to ▁his ▁times ▁and ▁nation , ▁but ▁ranges ▁across ▁the ▁world ▁and ▁reaches ▁back ▁through ▁the ▁ages . ▁By ▁linking ▁his ▁created ▁world ▁with ▁the ▁dawn ▁of ▁history , ▁and ▁his ▁tw enti eth - century ▁characters ▁with ▁myth s ▁and ▁arch et ypes , ▁he ▁has ▁anch ored ▁them ▁to ▁them es ▁of ▁universal ▁significance ." ▁ ▁Ast ur ias ▁himself ▁aff ir ms ▁that ▁he ▁" w rote ▁ ▁without ▁a ▁social ▁commit ment ". ▁By ▁this ▁he ▁means ▁that ▁unlike ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁other ▁books , ▁such ▁as ▁ ▁( Leg ends ▁of ▁Gu atem ala ) ▁or ▁ ▁( Men ▁of ▁Ma ize ), ▁" ▁had ▁a ▁wider ▁relev ance ▁because ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁focus ▁so ▁heavily ▁on ▁Gu atem al an ▁myth s ▁and ▁trad itions ." ▁Ast ur ias ▁dep ict s ▁aspects ▁of ▁life ▁that ▁are ▁common ▁to ▁all ▁dict atorial ▁reg imes , ▁and ▁so ▁establish es ▁ ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁most ▁influ ential ▁works . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁ ▁Part ▁one ▁The ▁novel ▁begins ▁on ▁the ▁C athedral ▁Por ch , ▁where ▁begg ars ▁spend ▁their ▁night s . ▁One ▁begg ar , ▁the ▁Z any , ▁is ▁exha usted ▁after ▁being ▁contin ually ▁har ass ed ▁about ▁his ▁dece