Captain Pantoja and his special services is a novel by famed boom novelist Mario Vargas Llosa is a comical novel that deals with some serious and controversial issues. In essence the novel deals with the danger of a extremists or extreme ideology. With the humor I mention Vargas Llosa points out the corruption of the Peruvian dictatorship and the hypocrisy of the media. Through a character that from the start is comical due to his name and quick introduction to his background, Capitne Pantaleon Pantoja is a character that puts his job before his wife and family.
Through a quick introduction to the character and a briefing of Pantoja’s very important mission we already start to get the idea that Pantaleon Pantoja’s mission is not as serious as his superiors make it out to be. In a very literal sense Pantoja’s sole duty is to be an army funded pimp who supplies entertainment and relive for the men who are “defending” the country. In this particular novel the savagery of men in the army and even civilians come through. All characters are corrupt; rather all male characters are corrupt.
The novel’s structure is something to note as Vargas Llosa utilizes various methods of telling his story. We are able to connect with the character through his interaction with the army and with the prostitutes. The briefings that Pantoja sends his supervisors, it is through the briefings that the sense of humor comes out in plain sight as Pantaleon Pantoja speaks of his mission with much enthusiasm and interest when all he has really done is create a brothel for prostitutes. The novel is a great one and with a great sense of humor Vargas Llosa tells a story that while dealing with series topics through comedy still conveys a message of disapproval in the army.
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