Character Analysis Of The Shunammite By Arredondo

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Ines Arredondo’s "The Shunammite" is a unique short fiction story that shows the reader how man’s lust affects the life of a young innocent woman. "The Shunammite" discuss the journey that changes Luisa’s life. In the story, Luisa, the main character, had to visit her dying uncle, Apolonio, to a little village in Mexico. When she arrived, she started to take care of all the necessities her uncle had with love. Until, she was informed that Apolonio’s final wish was to marry her in articulo mortis. With that marriage, she can inherit his possessions and have an economic stability. After a long internal debate, Luisa decided that she will give the last pleasure to her loving uncle. However, she did not anticipate that her uncle survives and make …show more content…

Arredondo exposed Luisa as a dynamic character because during the story the readers can see the changes that her personality had over the time. At the beginning of the story the reader can see how Luisa takes care of her uncle with devotion and love, but after they married she considered it as a disgusting duty. Ines Arredondo described Luisa as woman who has the power of “purify everything” (81), but after suffering the physical abuse of her uncle, all her innocence disappear. She was an innocent girl that was reserving herself for marriage. However, after married her uncle, she started seen the things in a different way. Now, she thinks of herself as “the vilest of harlot” (87). The way that the author exposes Luisa is like happy young lady that thanks to the circumstances enter to a deep depression that changes her life and she “was not able to go back to who I [she] was” …show more content…

In the story Arredondo exposed the conflict as a self vs other because the protagonist, Luisa, had to take care of her uncle Apolonio and that situation takes Luisa’s freedom. However, what makes Luisa insane was when Apolonio takes advantage of his new marital situation and forces her to carry out her duties of wife. She had to deal with Apolonio’s lust for several years. "He wanted me to be there all day long, always by his side, seeing to his need, touching him" (86) is how Luisa describe the new attitude that Apolonio had. Finally, after several years, the conflict was dealt when Apolonio dies and Luisa gets her freedom again. However, she was not able to be the same person she was before

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