The TIme of the Doves by Merce Rodoreda was quite a difficult read for me, but regardless, I still enjoyed it and took a lot away from it. Firstly, I think it was especially difficult for me to read because I felt so deeply for Natalia’s situation. Personally, I consider her the embodiment of a resillient, yet weak woman who just wants to be free and rid of all her responsibilities, that increasingly weigh heavier and heavier as the novel goes on. I think this book may strike a personal cord with other people who may have witnessed or heard about more unstable or negative marriages and family stories. Natalia’s life seemed idyllic when she meets Quimet one night dancing, as it seems like something beautiful is about to blossom for her. However, this is quickly met with the truths of reality which include his laziness with Natalia and then eventually, with their two children Antoni and Rita. A rocky marriage is difficult to navigate by itself, but coupled with the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, and it all of a sudden seems logical that Natalia wanted to kill herself and her children.
The Spanish Civil War is brutal for Natalia’s wellbeing, both physically and mentally. Firstly, Natalia is Catalan, and her husband Quimet is clearly pro-republican and moreover, serves in the war for them. This causes Natalia to deeply question her decisions, his morality and even her own for being married to him. However, her suffering is not just internal. The conditions of the Spanish Civil War were traumatic and severe, which caused Natalia to basically be in a constant state of anxiety about money, food and shelter. She was able to get odd cleaning jobs every so often, but the novel is sure to invoke the feeling of undeniable doom, as it is obvious Natalia is getting closer to her rock bottom and does not want to sustain herself or anything anymore. Despite her conflicting feelings towards her husband, when she finds out he is killed, this is when Natalia decides that life for herself and her children is no longer worthy. However, I do not think this is primarly due to the fact of losing a loved one, but instead from a more practical perspective in which she feels it will not be possible to survive without him.
However, we know that she did not kill herself or her kids, because she is recognzied at the grocery store and offers her a job. I think this was my favourite part of the novel. Not just because the profoundly tragic event did not take place, but because of everything else it represented. I think this moment truly shone a light on Natalia’s incredible resillience. Being offered a job at the grocery store is a step in the right direction, but it is also accepting the fact of continuing on with life and being forced to work harder and fight any internal gloom and despair. Natalia took this challenge on, not just for herself but for Antonio and Rita as well. This book made me think a lot about the sacrifices mothers are expected to make and how society often will not give it the attention and gratitude it deserves. When thinking about this book in a contemporary lens, I think it speaks to the huge amount of unpaid labour women do and how this can lead to severe mental health issues and isolation.
Discussion Questions:
- Personally, in Natalia’s circumstances and the way the novel was written, I was able to understand why she nearly made the decision she did, but do you think it had a logical foundation?
- Do you think her second marriage with the grocer left her fufilled, or is more of an agreement of platonic love?
“Natalia is Catalan, and her husband Quimet is clearly pro-republican and moreover, serves in the war for them.” It is true, although her husband is a committed man, Natalia seems to have no political convictions. However, although it is not made too explicit, the Republican struggle was a fight for the survival of Catalonia. There is an ambiguity about the future at the end of the novel. The Republican side was the one that sought political recognition for women, for example. That was no longer possible with the victory of the nationals. Although Natalia foresees a better future for herself and her family, the reprisals against the losing side were brutal.
Thank you for the thoughtful insights of the book! To answer the first discussion question, I agree the fact that her decision might seem lacking the logical foundation. However, there are always some decision withough logical consideration, and we should pay attention to the situation they are in. She was in an extreme status enough for her to make illogical decision. Although it might have a room to see this as an illogical decision, I think it was reasonable for her.
Simi,
Yes, the grocer coming in to save Natalia from her misery was definitely an important moment. I agree that it shone light onto her resilience, instead of letting everything go and going the easier way out, she decided to stay strong and start over again. I think her marriage with Antoni was not because she loved him like Quimet but because she wanted to keep her life going and did not want the opportunity to slip away. I still believe she loved and appreciated him but not as much as Quimet because she would often think about him after he died and after she got remarried — despite their toxic relationship.
Great questions!
I think that Natalias decision to leave her fiancee and go with Quimet had no logical thinking behind it, just her following what she wanted in the moment. I think if she thought about it logically she might have seen the early warning signs of his behaviour but I also think that she would have always regretted it if she did not go with him as she seemed to be in her first marriage more so out of simplicity.
Hi Simi, I think your questions are very insightful!
To answer your first question, I also understand why she resorted to killing her own children; at the same time, I don’t think there is a logical foundation for that. Natalia may have reached the point where she sees death as liberation from her and her children’s lives, rather than something to be condemned. Having lost her husband, seen how her children starve, she internalized the guilt and despair because she cannot seem to envision a future or even a change in her situation.
– Janae