Chapter 2, Petty Tyrants Summary

It is months before don Juan discusses the mastery of awareness again. Don Juan wants to go to the town square, and la Gorda wants to join them, but don Juan forbids it. La Gorda believes they plan to talk about her, and don Juan agrees in order to provoke her self-importance. The narrator is offended that don Juan has not spoken to him for two days. Don Juan is attempting to provoke his self-importance which must be eradicated in a warrior. La Gorda becomes enraged and slaps the narrator. Realizing what she has done, she sits and weeps. Don Juan walks away, laughing. The narrator realizes that he and la Gorda are alike in the context of their large self-importance, and he runs after don Juan. They return to the house where don Juan teaches the narrator that...