This captivating text by Aura identifies a myriad of example of magical realism, specifically in the form of contrasting elements. Light vs. dark, young vs. old, real vs. imaginary, and life vs. death are all subject Aura does a masterful job of presenting like a true magical realist. In the beginning of the text, Felipe finds himself contemplating his future and sees an advertisement. This opportunity represents an important sign of fate, as it appears in subsequent days to the surprise of our main character. On his journey to the house, the reader is exposed to the effects of time through the house numbers as most houses have two numbers (the old and the new). Upon entering the house the reader is exposed to the corollary of light vs. darkness. The house is pitch black as opposed to the light that looms just outside. The scene in which Felipe enters the house appears to be very symbolic to the text. Just before he lights a match, a voice says not to and gives him detailed instructions of how to safely maneuver in the house. This could serve as a transition from the busy reality outside, to this dark, systematic, and outdated lifestyle that exists within the barriers of the home. Throughout the text, Felipe seems to be overtaken by the mystique and power of what occurs within the household to the point where he does not actually want to leave.
The young vs. old element of the text is best explained through Senora Llorente's relationship to Aura. It appears that the old woman is living vicariously through Aura and seeks to feel young, revitalized, and important through Aura's existence. The somewhat unclear nature that can often times be associated with magical realism is exposed at this point, as from the calculation of Felipe, the old woman would be well over 100 years old at this point. The most riveting scene demonstrating this quandary of age is at the end of the book when Felipe and Aura are in bed together. As the light hits "Aura" it is revealed that the woman is actually Senora Llorente. It appears there is a fusion between these two characters to the point where they may actually just be one.
Real vs. imaginary is depicted through various scenes in the text. For example, there is the question of whether or not there is actually a garden as Felipe suggests. Whether or not Aura is controlled by Senora Llorente. Whether or not the final scene in the bedroom was an illusion created in Felipe's head about a woman he wished he were sleeping with or it was actually Aura. All of these enigmas are designed to stimulate thought and are traditional elements of magical realism.
Latin American culture is illustrated through the demonstrations of prayer and contact with the afterlife. Both of these things are tremendously important to this culture. Senora is seen praying and talking about her husband on a multitude of occasions. Also, the idea of having control over another persons thoughts/actions is demonstrated by Felipe in regards to Aura and Senora Llorente's relationship.
This captivating text by Aura identifies a myriad of example of magical realism, specifically in the form of contrasting elements. Light vs. dark, young vs. old, real vs. imaginary, and life vs. death are all evident throughout Aura, as the author does a masterful job of presenting binaries in true magical realist fashion. In the beginning of the text, Felipe finds himself contemplating his future and sees an advertisement that appears to be tailored directly to him. This opportunity represents an important sign of fate, as it appears in subsequent days to the surprise of our main character. On his journey to the house, the reader is exposed to the effects of time through the house numbers as most houses have two numbers (the old and the new). Upon entering the house the reader is exposed to the corollary of light vs. darkness. The house is described as absent of light though the light of the sun looms just outside the windows. The scene in which Felipe enters the house appears to be very symbolic to the text and emphasizes this contrast of light versus dark. Just before he lights a match, a voice says not to and gives him detailed instructions of how to safely maneuver around the house in order to preserve this darkness. This could serve as a transition from the busy reality outside, to this dark, systematic, and outdated lifestyle that exists within the barriers of the home. Throughout the text, Felipe seems to be overtaken by the mystique and power of what occurs within the household to the point where he does not actually want to leave.
ReplyDeleteThe young vs. old element of the text is best explained through Senora Consuelo’s relationship to Aura. It appears that the old woman is living vicariously through Aura and wants to feel young, revitalized, and important through Aura's existence. The somewhat unclear nature that can often times be associated with magical realism is exposed at this point, as from Felipe’s calculation, the old woman would be well over 100 years old at this point. The most riveting scene demonstrating this quandary of age is at the end of the book when Felipe and Aura are in bed together. As the light hits "Aura" it is revealed that the woman is actually Senora Consuelo. It appears there is a fusion between these two characters to the point where they may actually just be one.
Real vs. imaginary is depicted through various scenes in the text. For example, there is the question of whether or not there is actually a garden as Felipe suggests, whether or not Aura is controlled by Senora Consuelo, and whether or not the final scene in the bedroom was an illusion created in Felipe's head about a woman he wished he were sleeping with or it was actually Aura. All of these enigmas are designed to stimulate thought and are traditional elements of magical realism.
Latin American culture is illustrated through the demonstrations of prayer and contact with the afterlife. Both of these things are tremendously important to this culture. Senora is seen praying and talking about her husband on a multitude of occasions. The use of binaries and the fusion of time are also cornerstones to the magical realist movement deeply rooted in Latin America. This text effectively utilizes the constant switch of time to illustrate two seemingly parallel world joined as one.