Formation of a Worldview
Guevara already possesses an understanding of the history of South America's conquest and colonization by the Spanish and its subsequent subordination by the United States, but he hones his worldview on this trip. As he and Alberto explore the lands of Argentina, Peru, Colombia, and Chile, he sees firsthand what the experiences of the poor are truly like. He sees how they live a squalid existence, how they are taken advantage of, how their leaders care most about lining their own pockets, and how the "colossus to the North" cares only about using South and Latin America as pawns in the Cold War. By the end of the trip, Guevara has formed a solid understanding of his role to play in the imminent revolution(s).
Adventure
Guevara and Alberto take off on this trip in a moment of spontaneity, and that spirit of adventure stays with them even as they endure freezing conditions, police harassment, lack of food, and uncomfortable travel. They are two young men looking to understand their country better as well as themselves; they are earnest, open-minded, and enthusiastic about the adventures laid before them. They play football amid ruins, chase girls, climb mountains, and visit a leper colony in the middle of the jungle. This work is a travelogue as much as it is an autobiography, and is notable for its writer's spirit of elan.
Brotherhood
Not only does the narrative explore the closeness between Guevara and Alberto—Guevara writes movingly of how, when Alberto has decided to remain in Venezuela, he feels as if he has an exposed flank—but it also explores how Guevara views all of South and Latin America as one "single mestizo race" (149). Any division is arbitrary and useless; they have more in common than they have different. This is part of Guevara's political development because he has no interest in playing one country off of the other; rather, he sees the real struggle as the one against United States imperialism.
Suffering
Guevara is occasionally an immature, louche young man, but mostly, he is a man with deep compassion for his fellow beings' suffering. Not only does he study medicine, but he also focuses on leprosy, a highly stigmatized affliction. He writes of how he and Alberto spend time with the people in the leper colonies and how they treat them as people, not as animals or pariahs. He writes of the sick old woman with an uncaring family, an impoverished mining couple without a blanket to their name, the downtrodden Indians, and the millions of people victimized by police and politicians. Guevara's passion for the people and a people's revolution is here in this set of travel diaries, for he cannot view the world in any other way.
Joie de vivre
Once La Poderosa crashes for the last time and the men are on foot, their journey becomes an arduous one. They face cold weather, lack of food, no guarantee of a place to sleep, deserts and exhausting raft rides, police harassment, asthma in Guevara's case, and numerous other difficulties. Nevertheless, Guevara's diaries reveal a conspicuous joie de vivre that takes him and Alberto through the difficult times. They are grateful for every bit of aid they get and are happy to reciprocate. They rarely complain, instead evincing compassion for those who have it worse than they do. They seem extremely happy to be alive and to have this opportunity to travel and connect deeply with humanity.
Hospitality
Guevara and Alberto cannot meet their own needs in terms of food, shelter, and travel. While they often work to help offset those necessities, oftentimes they are simply able to take advantage of the hospitality of the people whom they find along the way. The Civil Guard, police stations, fire stations, families, doctors and hospitals, ship captains, and more all help the travelers at some point, demonstrating a profound sense of hospitality and altruism. They seem to understand that Guevara and Alberto are doing something important here, whether it's related to medicine, politics, or culture. South American hospitality is depicted as nearly limitless and completely genuine.
Colonialism and Conquest
Guevara writes often of class conflict as it manifests in the struggles of the poor and the sick. He does so in a way that indicates he knows his history: he details how Spanish explorers and conquerors came to South and Latin America and brutally cut through swaths of land and Indians to make a place where they could be sovereign rulers. He mentions Catholicism's pervasiveness and its attempts to eradicate indigenous religion. He lambasts Western archeologists and museums for looting sacred sites. He writes of the vacuum left by colonial powers and how the United States in the 20th century stepped into that vacuum to an extent. By the end of the text when Guevara throws his metaphorical hat into the revolutionary ring, readers can see just why he felt so justified in doing so.
