blog#4 – a Dead Woman existing in the 4D
Life is a crueler fate than Death.
That’s the thought that rattled in my head for the entire reading of Bombal’s ‘The Shrouded Woman’. Though many other attributes of the story become abundantly clear, the atmosphere of Death and Envy was subtle, yet, overwhelming. The addition of Death’s overlapping presence in Ana María’s story and existence, I think, put things in an entirely different light. Unlike the other few readings and texts done for this class, this story had an ‘end’ clearly defined in the beginning, (i.e. Ana María’s death and subsequent funeral). I feel that the inclusion and importance of what the narrator cares to tell, carries a different weight now that we know she is dead.
They say hindsight is 20/20, but I think Bombal would argue that Death provides more clarity than hindsight.
This post-mortem perspective of love, is perhaps the most truthful and authentic description of love. The kind of in-between categories of love are the parts of this book that really stuck with me. The adolescent love between Ricardo and Ana María, childish, grown from an era of teasing and tyranny – the kind of passion that only youth can burn. The ‘Humiliating Love’ she and Fernando begrudgingly share, one built from a shaky foundation of guilt, and absorbed into necessity. The envious, entangled love between a Mother and Daughter (Anita). The Mother, that looks at her daughter as a second-chance for her own wonderings of “what-if’s”, instilling past promises into the husk of new life. Or, the inverse: the indignant, independent Daughter, whose dying wish is to rebel against what she think Life has planned for her – a stubbornness derived from her Mother.
It’s also interesting to think of each character’s relation to Ana María. With each character, I think each one reflects Ana María, something of their traits or attributes can be gleaned into something Ana María doesn’t have; or, rather that a specific character shares a similar vice that she hates about herself. My question is this: do you think Ana María’s character regrets anything? What was her biggest regret? Personally, I think the two strongest arguments of Envy and Admiration can be drawn between Ana María’s relationships with both Maria Griselda and Anita.
Maria Griselda’s character is (arguably) the most interesting character in the book. She is, by definition and by (fictional) birth, the manic pixie dream girl.
3 replies on “blog#4 – a Dead Woman existing in the 4D”
Oh, what a great opening line! 🙂
And can you say more about why “Maria Griselda’s character is (arguably) the most interesting”? (I think I agree…)
I think her life was full of regret. I believe her biggest one might be not fighting hard enough for Ricardo. Her life turned upside down the moment she let him go. Envy defintely played the biggest part here in all the stories especially that interaction with her and Sofia. That was indeed strong stuff.
– Xyrus
Found this very insightful! Love your points on the different kinds of love potrayed in this text and on every character reflecting a part of Ana Maria.
On regret: I think she does, but also that regret is a part of life, and I believe everyone will have *some* regrets by the time they are on their death bed. Somewhat paradoxically to your question, I think that perhaps one of the messages of this text was that thinking about regrets is pointless. Instead, it is simply a reflection on the life you have lived, the parts of it and the whole sum of it.