Although it may be premature since we’re not even half way through the reading list, I personally really enjoyed reading María Luisa Bombal’s The Shrouded Woman and can see it being a text that I’ll remember this course by. With the combination of having a faster pace and being a short read, I was able to finish the book in just one sitting, in about two hours or so.
With every page read, I was excited to move on to the next to learn about the different relationships that the narrator, Ana María, had with the individuals present at her funeral. In addition, as the narrator takes on different roles (ie. as a mother, wife or lover) in each of her relationships, it was interesting to see how those positions affected how she interacted with the people around her. This gave a lot of depth to Ana María as a character which was refreshing to read (especially since the last reading had a protagonist who would objectify women)!
On the course site, the songs listed for this week are “Once in a Lifetime” by Talking Heads and “It’s the End of the World” by REM. However, while reading this text, I also couldn’t help but think about the song, “My Tears Ricochet” by Taylor Swift instead.
There are many parallels between the story that the novel and the lyrics of the song are telling with the most obvious similarity being that they both feature a deceased woman who’s looking around at attendees to her funeral and recalling memories that she’s had with them. In particular, many lyrics of the song draw comparisons to the relationship that Ana María had with her husband, Antonio. For instance, I found that the lyrics in the chorus, “And if I’m dead to you, why are you at the wake?/Cursing my name, wishing I stayed/Look at how my tears ricochet” really similar to passage about how Antonio “buries his face in his hands” and is “crying at last” when he is near his deceased wife’s bed (229)(230). This undoubtedly comes to a surprise to Ana María as Antonio had a “lack of love” for his wife when she was alive (227).
I had this song stuck in the back of my mind the whole time I was reading this text so I’m wondering if anyone else in the class can relate to associating certain readings with songs! If you do, do you find yourself finding similarities that the story has with the lyrics or the overall “vibe” of the song instead?
Ooh! I didn’t know that song… thanks so much for bringing it to our attention! And I see exactly what you mean.
Yes, when the protagonist died and observed the reactions of others, she discovered more things, and at the same time gradually let go of the strong feelings she had for others before her death.
Yes, when the protagonist died and observed the reactions of others, she discovered more things, and at the same time gradually let go of the strong feelings she had for others before her death.
I love that you thought of this song while reading because it also came to my mind once I finished the novel. Your comparison of the lyrics and the text were really interesting.
Hi Rebecca!
I completely relate to how you found it refreshing to see Ana Maria as such an in depth character and main focus. I too thought this book was amazing and am sure i’ll remember it for quite some time.
Hey Rebecca,
I loved how you connected a popular song from today to this older novel. Another part of the lyrics that I found relating to Ana Maria was “And I still talk to you when I’m screaming at the sky, and when you can’t sleep at night you hear my stolen lullabies”; I feel like this represents how Ana Maria was still able to live on in some form through her thoughts, feelings, and memories even after her physical death.
Rebecca, I love what you did here with connections to the playlist and your own addition to it! The Swift lyrics that you point out in relation to the passage with Antonio also make me think of the grief that her daughter *finally* showed when visiting her mother’s corpse in the final pages of the book.
And now I am off to discover a new Swift song, and, so Jon doesn’t axe me, familiarize myself better with Talking Heads. I can say that I’m safe with REM, as they played all throughout my childhood (and still today on my YouTube study playlist).