I really enjoyed this week’s reading of The Shrouded Woman by Maria Luisa Bombal. Compared to the previous week’s, I didn’t have too much of a hard time finishing or understanding the text. Honestly, while reading the Shrouded Woman, at least at the beginning, it felt personable. Life is SO demanding as it is. As Ana Maria recounts her memories as a dead person we share her thoughts of feelings of high expectations of ourselves and others, responsibilities, commitments, social pressures, and so much more. Yet, we still have time to find love in different ways.
As Ana Maria, narrates her journey through the past, she relives her young love for Ricardo. While reading, I like to picture the scenes. All I could picture were coming of age scenes where it almost looks too good to be true. Until true colors are shown later on. Let me highlight a few lines I underlined in the book.
“During three vacations, I was yours.” (p 165)
“I’ll go and what’s more I’ll never come back.” “You returned the next day and I threw myself into your arms.” (p 166).
“Oh the torture of first love, of the first dillusion!” (p 167)
“You had marked me” (p 168)
The tone and diction used like “I was yours” really illustrate the intense and passionate feelings of Ana Maria’s first love. This is what I consider personable. Whether we have had our first love or not, we have all felt ‘passion’ in some way or another and this is something the reader can relate to. It made me want to continue reading! From feeling such passion, we come to a halt when Ricardo abandon’s Ana Maria and denies the complete possibility of being the father of her child. This unfortunately is the reality of many young marginalized and disadvantaged women who fall pregnant and are not sure of what to do. There are many young BIPOC women and girls that lack the resources for sexual health and are not in an environment to ask questions. Whether it may be due to their own fears and insecurities or their beliefs, values and socialization. Sexual health matters should be addressed more transparently in schools. However, that is just my personal opinion and besides the point. I feel as though even though the realities of disadvantaged youth and Ana Maria are polar opposites, they share relatability. Reality hits and the question is, ‘What now?’
Food for thought:
- What thoughts came across your mind when you read the listed quotes?
- How did you feel about Ana Maria telling her story as a dead person reliving her memories?
Since we’re on the topic of food… If you want late night sweets get an apple pistachio strudel from Breka Bakery. so good!
Thank you for reading! 🙂
Yes, I also think this book is easier to read. We followed the author to review her memories during her lifetime, as if reading stories one by one. When I read your quotation, I can feel that this is the plot of the protagonist falling in love and sinking into it. She is in a passive emotional state at this time, and her mood is constantly changing with the development of the relationship.
Hello, I really enjoyed reading your insight on this weeks reading, regrading your question.
about how did I feel about Ana Maria telling her story as a dead person reliving her memories. I felt odly sad. Her whole view of her life and the pain she went trough pained me, specially how she tried to minimize it because she couldnt do anything about it anymore.
Hi Marie! The quotes you listed are similar to my initial expectations for this courses’ readings. I didn’t know much about romance studies before and thought that all the readings would revolve around romance and passion! Also, I love Breka too, but I normally order a savoury option like the chicken pockets!
Hi Maria, I lived on Fraser & 49th and I often hung out at Breka with friends and family, sometimes at 3 or 4 in the morning and the place was always busy. Do you work there?
As for your question, as a woman, I found my self relating to the story and because I know so many women in Ana Maria’s shoes, who live their life to please others, especially the males in their life and completely forgetting themselves in the process. I found the story very powerful because the reflections and thoughts of the dead Ana Maria feel more real than thoughts by someone who is living. It is as if in dying, a veil has been lifted from her eyes and she can finally look back freely at different parts of her life and attain some kind of closure. I will definitely recommend this story to my family and friends.
Apologies for misspelling your name — Marie!!!
Hi Marie! I like that you pulled out some quotes and used those to pose a question! When I personally read them, I think of “universality”. That in a way, this story of love and loss and regret is a very universal story – especially when taken out of its larger context as these quotes are. Although perhaps this is because you already had me thinking of the universality of our narrator when you were describing the way that the high expectations she places upon herself are a very relatable thing across time. I find that very true!
Hi there! I feel as though I interpreted the text or read the text the same way as you! When reading the above quotes I feel the passion and love that are involved. I felt like Ana Maria telling her story as a dead person added a lot of emotion and beauty to the Book.
Hello! I also definitely found it easier to read this book than the others. Like you say, there was more passion and emotion to relate to, and language plays such an immense role in that. In the other books I could not relate to the stories as well, but the emotion in this book made it so much easier to be immersed while reading in my opinion! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.