As I write this, I’m listening to “She’s a Mystery to Me” by Roy Orbison, and in some way, I think the lyrics of this song relate to the musings expressed in “The Shrouded Woman” and talked about in the lecture – that in this novel, there is something about the female characters that cannot quite be pinned down, that is mysterious, distant, or inaccessible to many of the male characters.

Gender and status were themes that intersected throughout this novel. I really enjoyed looking back on the story and seeing how the female characters interacted and were able to have agency even while operating in a “man’s world” in a sense. However, rage and frustration were also evident in Ana Maria’s reflection on her life because many things, such as her marriage, were not a decision she made herself. Many of the men go to great extents to control their wives, even though there is something that is unattainable or mysterious about them, too. Seeing how status played into this, particularly in how marriage, land, and houses worked was also interesting to read about, as well as Ana Maria’s thoughts when her son didn’t consult her in his marriage and the way her children have power, but she has power, too, as their mother.

Nature and the connection with the earth and the way Bombal described the scenery was also very beautiful, as well as the narrator’s thoughts about heaven and it being a garden and her own back and forth in her thoughts with the world, religion, and life after death.

At the end of the novel, I was super interested in the shift of perspective where the audience almost steps into Father Carlos’ shoes as he reflects on his experiences with Ana Maria. As a Christian it’s always really interesting for me to read about people’s different experiences with religion and to see the references to it in texts because 1) it’s cool to see the biblical references and feel like I understand them, haha! and 2) I find I tend to learn something from a different perspective. I liked the exploration of the ideas and themes of forgiveness, and the moment where Ana Maria appears/comes to her friend Sofia as “an almost forgotten friend that had come to her in death to tell her she was forgiven” (248) sticks out to me because of the way Bombal describes it and the way she made that moment feel really grounded and moving.

I tend to focus on the main characters for my questions, but here goes anyway: how did Ana Maria’s perspective and point of view from beyond the grave impact your overall reading of the text? How would it be different if it was simply a reflection on life, a description of the events as they happened rather than a reflection on the past?

Memorable quote: “Poor Ana Maria! Your whole life was nothing but a passionate search for that Garden of Eden, lost irretrievably, however, by man!” (254)

Peace,

Maia