On the surface, Fuentes' Aura is a very strange and eerie book. It draws you in and keeps you there, forcing you to read the book to its very end. Just below the surface, a world of symbolism, words and parallels lead to a greater understanding of what is happening throughout this captivating tale. Skimming the surface of the story, an abundance of symbols can be signaled out, but a recurrence of symbols is very important. One of the most prevalent symbols found in this story is the darkness of Senora Consuelo's old colonial mansion. The house is so dark the characters must learn to maneuver by sound and touch. The darkness sets the tone for the whole story. Senora Consuelo's room is not bathed in light but filled with "perpetual shadows". Of course darkness and shadows are a staple of the Gothic, but darkness could also be suggestive of the unknown or not being able to think clearly. Shadows could be interpreted as that which is clouded, hard to grasp, or just beyond clear vision. Did the darkness and shadows contribute to Felipe?s state of mind and make him more susceptible to Senora Consuelo's will? The rooms where the action of a story takes place are also very important. Some the rooms used in the book are bedrooms, the dining room, the parlor, and the enclosed garden patio. The first room we see inside of this old house is the garden patio. This room is interesting because the smell from the patio is always associated with the title character. Felipe looks for her in this garden; he smells the patio plants in her hair. Symbolically, the garden can be associated with the mind, with the unconscious, or it may give you clues to your own inner state. The plants, flowers, and fruit found in the garden may also enhance t... ... middle of paper ... ...book. These symbols and recurrences are not coincidental or superficial, but upon investigation, give deeper insight into how deeply the mindset of our main character was affected. We now know that Felipe had almost no choice and was lulled into this household. Then there is a plausible explanation about the true relationship between Aura and Senora Consuelo. This book turns out to be a very strange life/death cycle that still leaves questions that need to be answered. Work Cited Fuentes, Carlos. Aura. Trans. Lysander Kemp. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1981. Fuentes, Carlos. "Worlds Apart." Modernism/Postmodernism. Ed. Peter Brooker. London: Longman, 1992. 244-46. Gillespie, Kathleen " A literary Legend Speaks ? Carlos Fuentes at the Askwith Education Forum" 1 de Diciembre de 2003 http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/featrures/fuentes12012000.html
Another way the author crafts the story is blending a tinge of magical realism with a whole lot of southern gothic aesthetic. The very environment is dark, the characters must leave all the lights on and learn to navigate the house by feel and by the counting of their steps. A dark, dilapidated house that seems to have been left stuck in the past, mysterious servants that are never actually seen, an old crone like character juxtaposed with a young damsel in distress character, and we have all the makings for something that ends up feeling a bit like an Edgar Allen Poe piece of literature. However, it is easy to see that there are also magical or supernatural forces at play here in the text. There is also extensive use of religious imagery in the text, but it feels almost twisted or blasphemous to the reader. Scenes of sexuality are often mixed with religious ideas, such as found on page 107. This feels as if it is a time that Felipe and the General finally fully merge, just as Consuelo seems to be using and directing Aura as a puppet extension of herself. Beginning this scene, there is the imagery of Aura bathing Felipe’s feet, which could be taken as
There are two different types of people in the world, those who follow the rules and those who do not. In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury writes about a futuristic time period where people no longer read books. Not only do they not read anymore but it is illegal. In this town the government controls what their people learn, and how they must think. In Ray Bradbury 's novel, Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury creates the stereotypical character, Mildred who does not think for herself versus Clarisse, a character who is not afraid to question things and who constantly challenges society.
The Sons of Liberty made it hard for America and were radicals! Since they did things like tar and feather tax collectors, didn’t pay taxes, had violent protests and riots, and did lots of violence, they were fanatics that didn’t help America become a better country and nation. In conclusion, the Sons of Liberty could’ve made America great, but their tactics and barbarous actions didn’t
Fuentes’ Aura is definitely a strange story. It is hypnotic; it draws you in with its slow, seductive style. That is how I would describe this twisted love story that ends very surprisingly. Within this story there is symbolism that helps the reader to understand it better. First, we will explore some of the symbolism that could show us there was an effect on Felipe’s mental state.
In “The Fortune Teller,” the author, Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, uses symbolism to prove to one that an affair is not worth a person’s life. He uses the letter to symbolize hate between Villela and Camillo regarding the affair. This very ambiguous letter has terrified Camillo and put an end to his life. The letter enhances the theme of the short story by showing the anger and hate that Villela now had for Camillo. This hate is a focal point in the short story that leads to ending the affair along with Camillo and Rita’s life. Ultimately, the affair caused a large amount of tension between the three. However, the author was successful in grabbing the reader’s attention with the letter as the turning point of the short story.
I had the opportunity to read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley several years ago and it became one of my favorite books. My initial feeling was sorrow, what a wonderful story that has been slowly destroyed by Hollywood through the years. We think of Victor Frankenstein as a mad scientist trying to destroy mankind, and the monster having bolts in his neck with very little intellect. Mary Shelley’s book is completely different from the Hollywood version we are accustom to. The monster is intelligent and has emotions, the mad scientist or Victor was scared of his own creation due to his appearance. The monster initially showed no signs of evil in the novel, but where did he learn it from? Who is the real evil monster
The association between light and darkness played a major role in the outcome of this story. Desiree the wife of Armand was always associated with things of lightness. After Desiree was recovering from just given birth to their son she laid on the couch in her “soft white muslins and lace” (Valencia Community College). When Desiree confronts her husband about the race of their child Desiree skin pigmentation is whiter than her husbands. Desiree shows Armand the letter from Valmonde, the book says she was resembled a stone image white and motionless. In October when Desiree was abandoned Armand she left still wearing the white thin garment and slippers. Armand and the baby were always associated with darkness throughout the story. Armand skin complexion was darker than his wife’s. The story also describes Armand face as being dark and handsome. The baby association with darkness came when the baby was lying across Desiree mahogany bed. Mahogany is some dark brown colored wood. Another comparison of the chi...
Symbolism is an important aspect in stories, whether big or small. Symbolism makes the reader think. It is used to represent something but does not reveal itself right away. Symbolism adds creativity to an already creative piece. Throughout a novel a reader may spend his/her time trying to conclude what each object in a story represents. Though not all stories have symbolism, those that do possess more excitement than those that do not. In the novella Aura by Carlos Fuentes, there is an extensive use of symbolism. James Hall wrote the article “Why You Should Use Symbolism in Your Writing” on symbolism that helps to describe why Fuentes’ use of symbolism is important in Aura. Fuentes uses symbolism to hide the climax of the story and also to
There are two settings for this story. The first and main setting is an eye appealing garden next to Giovanni Guasconti’s room which is located in Padua, Italy. This garden is used in this story as a symbol for the Garden of Eden. The garden is described by Hawthorne in such a way that the reader can almost picture a garden that is alive with vibrant colors and an array of flowering plants and shrubs. There are a variety of types of plants and herbs growing in the garden. Some of the plants are vines, some are growing in decorative urns, and some have grown wild until they were wrapped around statues (2217). The entire garden was “veiled and shrouded in a drapery of hanging foliage” (2217). The plants in the garden “seemed fierce, passionate, and even unnatural” to Giovanni (2225). Some of the plants in the garden “crept serpent-like along
Puppies from pet stores are adorable, and everyone wants one. Unfortunately, those puppies have a twisted past. Almost all of them were from puppy mills. Puppy mills are where puppies are bred. They are awful, and the breeders do not treat them right. According to an article on Friendsofanimals.org called ‘Puppy Mills, Pet Shops, and the AKC Basic Facts’, pet stores get their puppies from puppy mills. Puppy mill breeders don’t care about the dogs. Puppy mills hurt dogs and the government must stop them by making them illegal and working to eliminate the remaining ones.
You get a puppy after all the begging, finally, your parents cave. What if instead of seeing the puppies happy in a playpen running and jumping without a care in the world, you saw them from where they came. The cold, hard, truth is that most companies will get their puppies from licensed or unlicensed puppy mills. A puppy mill is a large breeding facility that uses females to produce new puppies every heat cycle, until they can no longer be produced. The puppy mills often inhumanely kill the mothers when they can no longer produce dogs. Breeders take the puppies away from their only comfort, their mother, to put them in a cage with often no solid surface. If ever wondering about getting a dog, it would be very beneficial to know how to
Firstly, the treatment of puppies in puppy mills is horrible. The parent dogs are only kept to breed other dogs, and the breeders never care about the
A lot of people walk past pet stores and stare in ‘awe’ at the puppies in the window, or obsess and beg their parents to buy that puppy for sale they found online. They are cute little puppies that everyone wants, but little do most people know, is where these cute little puppies come from. Almost all of the puppies you see in the windows at pet stores or for sale online come from puppy mills. Puppy mills are places a dog should never have to go to or experience. Most people who run puppy mills never get punished like they should. They need to have stricter punishments for the owners and people who do these disgusting and horrible things to puppies. Puppy mills are inhumane and they need to be banned, the owners only care about the profit they
They sometimes starve the dogs, and they are always locked up in small, cramped cages. In puppy mills, dogs can spend most of their lives in these cages, with no room to play or exercise. Puppy mill kennels generally consists of small, outdoor wooden or wire cages or crates. Puppies constantly receive below standard food, minimal or no veterinary care. This evidence proves that puppies don't get the right treatment.
The family seems to remain very involved within it. Much of this portrays Spanish culture. To find many generations of the same family living in one house demonstrates it not being uncommon in Spanish-speaking countries. The Buendia house always has various relatives within it. By asserting not being the only explanation, the incest of the family criticizes a theme throughout the novel and symbolizes a significant factor in the solitude of this family. The family eventually detaches and isolates because they rarely turn to others ...