María Luisa Bombal’s story left me overwhelmingly sad and dejected throughout the whole reading. The Shrouded Woman displays the main character’s — Ana Maria’s — most impactful interrelationships and choices as she remains in a limbo-like state before the finality of death. The text is beautifully written with an abundance of imagery and detail, allowing readers to become more easily immersed. The chapters are written in a certain way that leaves emotions feeling raw and tragic. From the beginning, “Her hands seemed to have acquired the frivolous delicacy of two peaceful doves” to the end, “But, born of her body, she was feeling an infinity of roots sink and spread into the earth…was rising, trembling up to her, the constant throbbing of the universe,” I was hooked to the story. Though the material left me sad most of the time, it felt truly intimate and personal to read. Bombal did not simply adhere to the saying “my life flashed before my eyes” that we see so commonly in media, but instead presented Ana Maria’s life wholeheartedly — with the bleak and melancholy events that shape an individual, especially in that time period.
The idea that life is not reviewed quickly before death is especially fascinating. Often, we view death as a painful, tragic and quick (hopefully) experience. In turn, this would drive us to live life to the fullest; by keeping precious people close and experiencing as much as possible. However, this story proposes the opposite of this idea in a way. The despair and pain in living are at the forefront, while death is an escape.
“For she had suffered the death of the living. And now she longed for total immersion, for the second death, the death of the dead.”
Notably, Ana Maria’s life is riddled with betrayal, abuse, and heartbreak throughout the story. Additionally, it is not just her but the characters around her as well — for example, Maria Griselda. Undoubtedly, the pain inflicted by men on women is a central topic within this story. From the bittersweet love she invariably has for Ricardo to her disastrous marriage with Antonio, the after-effects and consequences are twofold for the female characters. But why was her life written this way? What meaning can we take from Bombal’s story?
In my opinion, Bombal cleverly presented the unfair and tragic reality of society within that time period, as women were held to a lesser value and respect. Subsequently, she also interplays the brutal truth within life: how can we truly live while we are bound and restricted? We can see glimpses of this within the story through “Why must a woman’s nature be such that a man always has to be the pivot of her life” or the mere fact that she did not like to look at a crucifix but still was buried with one.
That particular section stands out, as god is deemed remote, severe and cruel. The feeling of being trapped and frustrated is clear, especially noting “men are like plants, for not all plants have a second crop and there are some that live in the sand dune without thirst or need of water.”
Discussion question: Did you find any double meanings within the story? Do you believe that life is where we suffer, or is it when we die?
(Please leave your comments in the thoughts section below)
Hey Franny!
Great post! I also loved the writing style of the reading this week. It really flowed and the imagery was very poetic. I also like the quote that you mentioned about men being the pivot in a woman’s life. I wrote about gender roles in my novel as well. It’s interesting how Ricardo’s memory seemed to be a pivot in Ana Maria’s life, but it could also be argued that her lack of love for him made Ana Maria a pivot in Antonio’s life. It’s interesting.
Franny, it seems to me that you have found a central characteristic in this novel: on the one hand it is a deep narrative, which allows us to immerse ourselves in it, but at the same time it is very subtle and does not tell everything. There is both intimacy and strangeness in what we read. Thank you for your careful reading.
Hi Franny! I really liked how you used the word “raw” to describe Bombal’s writing. I think that is such a good word choice. We are often given such superficial and eloquent ideas of love, that reading something where love is so rough and “raw” may make us uncomfortable or unsteady.
– Ava
Hey Fran, I liked and shared the message displayed by the book, which is that life should be appreciated, and lived to the fullest. I too often felt sad reading this novel, with all the regrets that Ana Maria was experiencing, and all the people and moments she wishes she had made more effort to explore. I think I would like to believe that I will live my life without any regrets in the end, but I can’t help but wonder if she thought the same way.
To answer your question: I think the suffering is different between life and death. In life we suffer because we feel like there are many things we can’t change, and there are moments of sadness and despair. But in death, there is truly no sense of control, only the thoughts of what could be, without the ability to make any decisions anymore. Which is more suffering? I don’t really know.