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April
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- Esteban and Clara
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April
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Nana definitely has a screw loose or something. I understand that she wants Clara to talk again but on Page 74, "Nana sat sobbing, wrapped in a bloody sheet, her face blackened with burnt cork," I think she went a little too far with this whole trying to scare her into talking thing.
ReplyDeleteClara's ability to interpret dreams is fascinating. I can't believe that on page 76 the gardener's dream of snakes between his toes and squashing 19 turned into having a lot of money, lasting a short while, and playing the number 19. That ability would come in handy in this day and age.
On page 82 when Clara begins to speak again and says, "I'm going to be married soon, to Rosa's fiance", shocked me. I didn't fully expect Esteban to marry Clara but I was thinking a sister that didn't have such an age difference with him.
The death of Dona made me kind of sad. The poor lady had maggots eating away at her legs. That is terrible! I'm glad that Esteban realised how much he cared for his mother and honored her wishes. On page 86, she tells him to "have children, I want someone to carry on our name. Find yourself a decent, Christian woman. But first you'd better cut your hair and shave your beard. Do you hear me?" Its good that Dona still had her motherly touch and toughness.
On page 91, when Barrabas is stabbed to death was really sad. I want to know who did such a terrible thing to such a sweet dog. However Esteban went a little bit far on page 97 when he turned Barrabas into a rug. You don't do that to a pet!
Blanca sounds like one beast of a child, on page 101 its stated that Blanca was proved to be an uglier, hairier child than usual. I feel kind of bad for the hairy little girl but Estaban should have at least kept his composure and realised this was his child that wasn't a bastard this time. She actually carries his name and he is responsible for her.
Alright, I'm just going to come out and say this: Clara reminds me a little of Luna Lovegood. Like Luna, Clara is wise, but her actions sometimes show her as being a tad out of it. Depending on the situation both can get right to the point (pg 95) and they can both be a tad blunt with their comments. Clara's premonitions, from the dreams on page 76 to her statement about Blanca's birth on page 100, along with the general empty-headedness also remind me of Luna's overall demeanor, from the wrackspruts to her own status as a cloudcuckoolander.
ReplyDeleteAs intelligent as Clara is, it was sad when she decided to stop speaking. One thing I have learned through my own personal experience is that when you are silent, you hear so much more. Things you needed to know, things you aren't supposed to know and the people are the quietest are the people who know more about what's going on then you may think.
ReplyDeleteThe doctor's "remedies" and Nana's scare tactics only helped her build up a resistance. She was not deaf or blind to her surroundings. It was not as if she were in a coma, she was just choosing to stay silent and more acute to her environment.
Her first sentence after the long silence sent rejoice throughout the home. Not once did the family even acknowledge that sentence until Esteban reached the home in search of a bride.
Esteban had neglected to return home until his mother was no her death bed. I don't think he understood the severity of her illness until page 86. "Esteban pulled back the threadbare damask quilt....of my own flesh." This scene was grotesque and disturbing. I could never imagine living with that. Personally I would rather someone killed me, than let me live through something like that. Dona Ester's death was nothing but melancholy.
I love how direst Clara was with Esteban. "Do you want to marry me?" Her mother was shocked but Clara is at a point where she wants to waste no time but gain direct answers.
Barrabas's death was horrible. I couldn't believe that someone had stabbed that poor dog! I still think that it was Nana though. She had been trying to kill him since day one and while everyone was busy she had the perfect opportunity to kill him. I also feel bad for Clara who lost a long time friend when Barraba's died. I would be ticked at Esteban for turning the dog into a rug as a surprise. That is not a surprise! That was sick and cruel!
The birth of Blanca was beautiful. A mother seeing her child for the first time is an amazing thing and I could help but feel delighted at the birth of Blanca. It did not seem that Esteban was happy for the birth of his child but instead he was only wondering if Clara was still passionate about having sex with him. This is very pig-ish and disturbing.
Nana is a bit of a nut, I would say. Throughout the beginning of this chapter, she just tries to scare Clara and she never relises that Clara is no longer scared. "Nana had the clever idea that a good scare would get the child to speak" (Page 74).
ReplyDeleteOn page 91, when Barrabas dies, I actually cried a little bit. Isable Allende has a mezmerizing discription of this scene with the blood, the terrified expressions, the confusion. I honestly could not put the book down. However another part of this scene it was said that the death of Barrabas was a bad omen. That set me on an adventure to understand this omen. The foreshadowing is amazing in this book and all throughout this chapter.
The dreams Clara interprets are all foreshadowing (pg 75), Clara annoucing that she is marrying Esteban (pg 82), the death of Barrabas (pg 91), all of these are examples of foreshadowing. Allende is an amazing author and I am enjoying this book.
I really like how in this chapter Clara is no longer just a wierd girl with spiritual insight. I am a bit confused, though, about why she cared so little about any of the wedding preparations, or those for her future home. I know Esteban sees Clara as beautiful, but did he only marry her because of this and what his mother said before she died? "I want to know that I'll have grandchildren, someone to carry on our name, with our blood in his veins..." 'Esteban nodded.' (p. 86-7). Allende mentioned how Esteban wanted Clara, and for more than just her body (p.96). Does that mean that he was possesive and wanted to control her mind as well? Does Esteban ever grow to love Clara, or does he just enjoy her because he is married to her? I also noticed how Clara views everything as "quite lovely" (p.96), while I think Esteban views the material things as proof of his wealth. Is this because he grew up poor and without them, while Clara grew up with money and could afford them? It could also be that Clara just doesn't really pay attention to much. I do envy Clara because she can be happy with any decisions made, although I do hope she comes out of her fantasy world soon and starts taking care of her own responsibilities. At least she takes care of Blanca like she should.
ReplyDeleteI thought the point where Barrabas was stabbed was somewhat a turning point in the story. How the dog dramatically stumbles in to die in Clara's arms during her wedding day is almost a foreshadow of the troubles yet to come in the family. By adding violence and loss into the mix of what should've been a perfect wedding day, the dog's death seems to suggest that Clara and Esteban's joys will always be tinted with the pain of loss or fear.
ReplyDeleteHow much does every character in this novel love Clara?
ReplyDeleteA whole lot.
But who can say what is so special about her? Throughout her days, she is a daydreaming and distracted woman who is no good at domestic tasks.
Yet somehow, she manages to be a beacon of light in every person's life.
So much so that in this chapter, her family goes to great lengths to try and restore her speech. Nana dons frightening costumes designed to spook Clara into talking, the same remedy she uses for hiccups. On p.74 it states that she dresses as "a headless pirate, as the executioner of the Tower of London, as a werewolf or a horned devil." I find these attempts to be heartwarming, and I can clearly imagine Nana fashioning costumes from illustrations in books she can't even read.
Even more touching is the relationship between Nivea and Clara. Allende tells us on p.81 that Nivea, "despite having given birth to fifteen children, treated Clara as if she were an only child." Nivea spends countless hours telling Clara family anecdotes, and not really expecting a reply (although she always hopes they might trigger Clara to ask a question). Most hilarious of all these stories is the tale of "Juan of the Fart" on p.79 and 80.
So in this chapter we are introduced to Clara's place as the inexplicable popular girl. During this chapter everyone wants her to talk, and in the rest of the novel, everyone wants to talk to her.
Nana is a little out there, she is really something else. Her thinking up ways to scare Clara into talking and her crying in a blanket because Clara will not speak. I found it a little funny that Esteban thought Clara fell in love with him at first sight, but really she knew it was her destiny, and then proposed to him. Like Cassondra said i think that when Barabbas was stabbed it was a sign of what Clara and Estebans marriage would be. It was foreshadowing the pain and loss of what was yet to come in their lifetime together.
ReplyDeleteClara’s silence helped build a strong, unbreakable bond between her mother and Nana. This mother-daughter love, Clara passed on to her daughter Blanca who passed it on to her daughter Alba. “…Nivea, despite having given birth to fifteen children, treated Clara as if she were an only child, creating a tie so strong that it continued into succeeding generations as a family tradition” (p.81). These strong attachments, I believe, kept the family line flowing. The women were able to withstand the trials and hardships from the men with the link of love that was holding them together. This was a huge contribution to the novel.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me laugh a little at how desperate Nana is to scare the silence out of Clara when really it was Clara's choice simply not to speak. Then when Clara decides to talk again, a moment everyone had been waiting years for and they didn't even pay attention to what she said. It seems that Esteban changes a little for the good after seeing his mother. He promises to marry and settle down which will wean him off of some of his bad behaviors. Out of all of the deaths in this book, Barabbas affected me the most. The silent giant was the protector of Clara in her silent days and an inocent being that didn't deserve his violent fate. I also believe that his death was a sign of what was to come in Clara and Esteban's relationship.
ReplyDelete