Maria Luisa Bombal’s novel, “The Shrouded Woman,” was a captivating read surrounding the themes of love, memory, desire and womanhood. The main character, Ana Maria, reflects on her life, her relationships, and the choices that she made while lying on her deathbed surrounded by family and friends. The narration was told in the first person, which allowed readers to understand her thoughts and actions as she recounted the significant events and people in her life. The beginning of this story reminded me of the popular phrase, “Your life flashes before your eyes,” that people use when describing a near-death experience. So is it true then? Is it possible for all the memories, burdened with emotional ties, to replay and squeeze into a tiny frame in time? If yes, then in what intensity? There are memories buried so deep within each of us that it takes a specific trigger to bring them back to the surface. Astonishingly, Ana Maria can remember her life in such vivid detail and even recall the emotions associated with each event and personal interaction. 

Although Ana Maria narrated many anecdotes about her past lovers, the relationships between the protagonist and other female characters were the most interesting and insightful for me. For instance, many of her neighbours described her daughter as an “exceptional mind” which caused her to be “proud and at the same time intimidated (p. 191).” This perspective is not uncommon, as a mother often sees a version of themselves in their daughter(s) and the potential they could’ve fulfilled given better opportunities. This was especially relevant in the early 20th century when societal norms often constrained women in homes to care for children and housework. Another female character that stood out to me was Maria Griselda, the ethereal being whose beauty entranced every person she happened upon. Although her natural beauty was of the realm of her control, women often found themselves jealous and scorned her. This made me contemplate the rivalries between women and how we often form judgments and associations based on only physical appearance. To demonstrate, Silvia (Ana Maria’s future daughter-in-law) asked, “Why did Maria Grisedla’s presence always give her a feeling of inferiority?” It didn’t matter how sweet Maria was, her beauty became her curse as women felt threatened and men became infatuated. It was difficult to envision the loneliness she must’ve suffered at the hands of her beauty. 

It seemed like every person graced by the beauty of Maria was mesmerized, this leads me to my discussion questions: What is beauty subjective upon? Is it demographic or cultural or something else? Maria may have fit the beauty standards in Chile, but what if she lived somewhere else; would her treatment and life turn out differently? Additionally, don’t beauty standards evolve? What really makes one beautiful?