In Carlos Fuentes novel “Aura”, many things could be considered experimental. One of the most striking and obvious moments of this is his use of second person point of view and the narrative style. Second person point of view lends a dreamy, distanced effect to the text, and also works to remove an additional layer of identity from the characters as well. There are so many individual interesting aspects to this novel, that combined together they create something that reads off the page as absolutely unique. A mixture of the disassociation of time that seems to be taking place in the story, elements of religious imagery that seem twisted into a concept of the occult, a duality and blending of the characters, and a clouding gothic atmosphere. …show more content…
Another way the author crafts the story is blending a tinge of magical realism with a whole lot of southern gothic aesthetic. The very environment is dark, the characters must leave all the lights on and learn to navigate the house by feel and by the counting of their steps. A dark, dilapidated house that seems to have been left stuck in the past, mysterious servants that are never actually seen, an old crone like character juxtaposed with a young damsel in distress character, and we have all the makings for something that ends up feeling a bit like an Edgar Allen Poe piece of literature. However, it is easy to see that there are also magical or supernatural forces at play here in the text. There is also extensive use of religious imagery in the text, but it feels almost twisted or blasphemous to the reader. Scenes of sexuality are often mixed with religious ideas, such as found on page 107. This feels as if it is a time that Felipe and the General finally fully merge, just as Consuelo seems to be using and directing Aura as a puppet extension of herself. Beginning this scene, there is the imagery of Aura bathing Felipe’s feet, which could be taken as …show more content…
Seemingly religious, this has turned in a way to a type of action that feels occult, and like the corruption of religious practice, as mentioned before. Though she has religious artifacts all through the house, the reader is left with the distinct feeling that all is not quite right here. The is a mention of a large “black Christ” hanging in one of the bedrooms, as well as the religious shrine like area in Consuelo’s bedroom that seems twisted- it depicts demons and torture instead of assumed and idyllic religious themes or traditional prints. While this plot structure feels as if it may be motivated by a fear on Consuelo’s behalf of death, and a deep desire to resurrect her husband, the novel does make it clear that this is not the first time she has acted bizarrely. Felipe learns in the General’s papers that he once caught her crushing cats in some form of bizarre practice between her
On the surface, a beautiful, poisonous girl and a preacher shadowed by a black veil share no similar characteristics. However, in the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, these characters share two remarkably comparable stories. The Minister’s Black Veil and Rappaccini's Daughter both share the symbolic use of colors, yet the characters’ relation to the outside world deviates. Hawthorne expertly contrasts colors to illustrate the battle of good against evil. In The Minister’s Black Veil, Mr. Hooper’s black veil contrasts sharply against the pale-faced congregation, just as Beatrice’s likeness to the purple flowers, described as being able to, “...illuminate the garden,” contrasts the darkness of Dr Rappaccini’s black clothing. These clashes of colors
Doña Guadalupe is a woman of great strength and power, power and strength which she draws from her devout faith and her deep and loving compassion for her family, and power and strength which is passed down to her children. “‘Well, then, come in,’ she said, deciding that she could be handle this innocent-girl-stealing coyote inside. On going into the long tent, Salvador felt like he’d entered the web of a spider, the old woman was eyeing him so deliberately” (360). Doña Guadalupe is a very protective woman, which is extremely speculative when it comes to her children, this is especially true when it comes to boys, because she has not gone this far only for all of her hard work to be ruined by a no good boy. This shows how protective she is, she loves her family, and especially her kids so much that they themselves must pass her test before being able to pass on to her children. “The newborns were moving, squirming, reaching out for life. It was truly a sign from God” (58). Doña Guadalupe is also a very devout and faithful person. She sees God in everything and in everyone and by that fact, what she sees and who she sees is true, and she tries to be a model of clairvoyance for the family. “Doña Guadalupe put the baby’s little feet in a bowel of warm water, and the child clinging to his mother. He never cried, listening to her heartbeat, the same music that he’d heard from inside the womb” (57). Finally, Doña Guadalupe is very passionate which allows for a great model upon which her children follow. This further shows how she is clearly th...
Through their superstitious beliefs, devout religious convictions, and established customs the severity of the collective conventionality of the inhabitants of Valle del Sole in Nino Ricci’s Lives of the Saints is evident and crucial to the ruination of Cristina Innocente. The people of the town have proven themselves to be incredibly superstitious, irrationally believing in things such as the “evil eye” to prove ________________. In addition to their superstitions, their exceedingly pious beliefs further their condemnation of Cristina, casting her out in the eyes of God. The citizens of Valle del Sole also denounce Cristina for her lack of regard to the very specific roles and responsibilities within their
In the novel, Pedro Páramo, by Juan Rulfo, settings serve the purpose of being much more than merely locations. Various settings are utilized to represent symbols throughout the novel in order for Rulfo to develop the plot of the novel. Comala is a location that clearly acts as a symbol in Rulfo’s writing; however, to truly recognize the symbolism in the novel and to acknowledge the presence of key themes such as those of purgatory, religion, and oppression, it is necessary to analyze less conspicuous settings, particularly, the home of doña Eduviges, the church, and the Media Luna.
Castillo first shows the reader her distrust of patriarchy and its vertical structures through La Loca Santa’s death. The first structure under scrutiny here is the Catholic Church. After La Loca awakens she throws herself into the air and lands on the top of the Church, saying that those below her carry the same scent that she had smelled while in hell. With Loca high above the others she can be seen as a “substation” for a new Chicana Christ figure (Delgadillo 895). She tells those gathered below that she has been sent back to pray for them so that they would be able to see their Creator in heaven. Father Jerome pleads with her to come down so that the congregation could pray for her. She then reminds him that it is she that was sent to pray for them. With La Loca in the position of a Christ figure of the system, the structure of the system, in this case religion,...
“In the dark mist of my dreams I saw my brothers. The three dark figures silently beckoned me to follow them. They led me over the goat path, across the bridge, to the house of the sinful women. We walked across the well-worn path in silence. The door to Rosie’s house opened and…” (Anaya 70) This excerpt from the novel Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, is one of the numerous dreams the protagonist Antonio Márez experiences. The story is set during World War II in Guadalupe, Mexico, a town rich with Mexican culture and overflowing with legends. Antonio attempts to discover his religion and family roots as he struggles to cope with school. When he witnesses four tragic deaths, Anaya vividly depicts the shattering of his innocence. Even with worry enveloping him, six-year-old Antonio manages to sleep with the calming hoots of Ultima’s owl. And he has magical dreams. Antonio’s dreams add to his characterization by providing readers with an insight into his mind, explaining his internal disharmony, and foreshadowing future events.
Symbolism is an important aspect in stories, whether big or small. Symbolism makes the reader think. It is used to represent something but does not reveal itself right away. Symbolism adds creativity to an already creative piece. Throughout a novel a reader may spend his/her time trying to conclude what each object in a story represents. Though not all stories have symbolism, those that do possess more excitement than those that do not. In the novella Aura by Carlos Fuentes, there is an extensive use of symbolism. James Hall wrote the article “Why You Should Use Symbolism in Your Writing” on symbolism that helps to describe why Fuentes’ use of symbolism is important in Aura. Fuentes uses symbolism to hide the climax of the story and also to
Family is one of the most important institutions in society. Family influences different aspects of a person’s life, such as their religion, values, morals and behavior. Unfortunately, problems may arise when an individual’s belief system or behavior does not coincide with that of family standards. Consequently, individuals may be forced to repress their emotions or avoid acting in ways that that are not acceptable to the family. In the novel The Rain God, written by Arturo Islas, we are presented with a story about a matriarchal family that deals with various conflicts. One major internal conflict is repression. Throughout the novel the characters act in strange ways and many of the family members have internal “monsters” that represent the past that they are repressing. In his article, “The Historical Imagination in Arturo Islas’s The Rain God and Migrant Souls”, Antonio C. Marquez’s implicitly asserts a true idea that The Rain God is a story about repression. Marquez’s idea can be supported from an analysis of secondary sources and a reading of the primary text.
To set the tone in the story the author had to describe the surroundings of the characters. For example the author states, "with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit." when giving a detailed response of how he feels about the house. This helps show that the author himself feels depressed when in sight of the building and gives the reader a thought of how the house looks. Other textual evidence in the passage also shows a feeling of suspense like the quote, "There was an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart - an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime. " which is how the author feels when he thinks about the house. The author cannot bear to imagine the house because he has a dark and negative imagination with different fears he thinks can come to life because of how unsettling the house makes him feel. While suspense is a direct indication of a depressed and dark tone, some other Gothic elements can be used indirectly to describe negative values in the story.
The use of imagery or personification increases the suspense in the story, ‘Shadows cower’ is a very descriptive way of showing how frightening the mansion is. It sounds as if the shadows which are linked to darkness themselves are afraid of a greater evil. We wonder what this great evil could be that makes evil itself tremble. Another personification used is ‘candles writhing’. Candles are usually associated to gothic stories, as it is only small source of light within a vast darkness of the room.
Giants and Angels roam the pages of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s stories, “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings”, and “The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World”, creating the perfect scene for magical realism. Many of the elements within these stories coincide with each other; this has everything to do with the overall component of magical realism, which binds together similarities and sets apart differences. The theme of each story can be found within the other and can stand by itself to represent the story it belongs to, the settings are similar in location and the ability to change but different in their downsides and the writing style is so similar it is complicated to find any differences. Marquez is a master story-teller whose works of art can only be compared to each other. The general theme of “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings” is “Let things run their natural course; don’t bring conflict upon yourself by trying to defy nature”.
Initially relieved that she and her husband are alone, Rodriguez’s mother is quickly disappointed, as her husband has left her for another woman. Later in a photograph, Rodriguez sees her mother with a coffee-dark V in the collar area of her neck, proof of hard labor during the Cuban Revolution. Above her head in the photo lies a painting of a saint with no head. After sending her children away in hopes of giving them a better life, Rodriguez’s mother is left working in the hot and sunny cane fields, which marks her with a coffee-colored tan. Rodriguez reveals her family’s Catholic religion through the painting of the saint, but without a head, the painting reveals her mother’s loss in faith due to the its failure to address her and other suffering laborers. With a loss of her faith, husband, and children, Rodriguez’s mother is left with one last person: her mother. However, while Rodriguez looks at the photograph, her
Gabriel García Márquez, 1982 Nobel Laureate, is well known for using el realismo magical, magical realism, in his novels and short stories. In García Márquez’s cuento “Un Señor Muy Viejo con Alas Enormes,” García Márquez tactfully conflates fairytale and folklore with el realismo magical. García Márquez couples his mastery of magical realism with satire to construct a comprehensive narrative that unites the supernatural with the mundane. García Márquez’s not only criticizes the Catholic Church and the fickleness of human nature, but he also subliminally relates his themes—suffering is impartial, religion is faulty by practice, and filial piety—through the third-person omniscient narration of “Un Señor Muy Viejo con Alas Enormes.” In addition to García Márquez’s narrative style, the author employs the use of literary devices such as irony, anthropomorphism, and a melancholic tone to condense his narrative into a common plane. García Márquez’s narrative style and techniques combine to create a linear plot that connects holy with homely.
Through vivid yet subtle symbols, the author weaves a complex web with which to showcase the narrator's oppressive upbringing. Two literary critics whose methods/theories allow us to better comprehend Viramontes. message are Jonathan Culler and Stephen Greenblatt. Culler points out that we read literature differently than we read anything else. According to the intertextual theory of how people read literature, readers make assumptions (based on details) that they would not make in real life.
...book. These symbols and recurrences are not coincidental or superficial, but upon investigation, give deeper insight into how deeply the mindset of our main character was affected. We now know that Felipe had almost no choice and was lulled into this household. Then there is a plausible explanation about the true relationship between Aura and Senora Consuelo. This book turns out to be a very strange life/death cycle that still leaves questions that need to be answered.