▁dict ator ship ▁of ▁fire ▁of ▁the ▁word , ▁but ▁always ▁a ▁ty ran ny ▁that ▁men ▁themselves ▁ask ▁for , ▁ad ore , ▁and ▁help ▁to ▁build ". ▁Dorf man ▁also ▁notes ▁that ▁" The ▁' l ittle ▁human ▁bund les ' ▁of ▁Ast ur ias ' s ▁world ▁end ▁up ▁destroy ing ▁themselves , ▁being ▁dis integr ated ▁by ▁the ▁very ▁forces ▁that ▁they ▁themselves ▁spoke ." ▁By ▁this ▁he ▁means ▁that ▁the ▁characters ▁are ▁und one ▁by ▁their ▁own ▁actions ▁and ▁words ▁as ▁the ▁President ▁uses ▁and ▁tw ists ▁them . ▁The ▁ty ran ny ▁of ▁language ▁per vers ely ▁par alle ls ▁the ▁political ▁opp ression ▁which ▁is ▁om ni present ▁in ▁Ast ur ias ' s ▁world . ▁Richard ▁Franklin ▁arg ues ▁that ▁" in ▁a ▁philosoph ical ▁sense , ▁Ast ur ias ▁has ▁el o qu ently ▁aff ir med ▁the ▁valid ity ▁of ▁individual ▁experience ". ▁ ▁Ast ur ias ▁shows ▁how , ▁under ▁the ▁conditions ▁of ▁dict ator ship , ▁characters ▁slowly ▁lose ▁their ▁human ▁ident ities . ▁The ▁Z any , ▁for ▁instance , ▁while ▁fle eing ▁the ▁city , ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁running ▁" a im lessly , ▁with ▁his ▁mouth ▁opened ▁and ▁his ▁tongue ▁h anging ▁out , ▁s lob ber ing ▁and ▁p ant ing ". ▁Just ▁a ▁few ▁lines ▁later , ▁the ▁Z any ▁is ▁" wh in [ ing ] ▁like ▁an ▁injured ▁dog ". ▁In ▁what ▁is ▁in ▁part ▁a ▁critique ▁of ▁the ▁book , ▁Jorge ▁Bar ru