While reading “The Shrouded Woman” I found some parts (especially in the middle of the novel)
to be rather confusing, I found that there were way too many characters to remember and some names were very similar (I think it might have been because I read it in multiple days). However by the end of the novel, after I had gained an understanding of what happened and all the characters, I can say that my opinion had mostly changed for the better. I enjoyed how the author explored the relationship between Ana Maria with her friends and family through a new lens and the complexity of the characters which made them feel like real characters allowing us to feel the same emotions as them.
I found myself initially interested in the idea of being conscious while in death, and being able to see all the people you loved and admired throughout your life for one last time. The novel explores the grief caused by death but also shows that it allows for reflection and to be grateful towards those you love, by having the protagonist Ana Maria offer a new perspective on death that is usually only seen from one side, by allowing her to remember the times (both good and bad) she had with the people closest to her.
The novel explores gaining a new perspective, the complex relationship with her first love Ricardo, and how external pressure caused a fracture in their relationship (Her parents didn’t agree with the relationship and he went to study in Europe). Ana Maria only realizes this in death, while Ricardo is looking at her casket the fact that they were never truly separated, as she still saw a part of herself in him.
A prevalent theme in the novel is rediscovery, like when Ana Maria’s brother Luis visits her casket and they seem to both remember the strong bond they once had that had been long forgotten. Ana Maria even says that if her death makes her brother remember his old lover Elicia by making him remember the times the three of them have spent together, she would have no regrets and would have given her death a new meaning.
Isolation is also a recurring theme in the novel. Maria Griselda’s beauty affects how everybody treats her and how it contributes to her isolation. She tries to be friendly to Sylvia, but Sylvia is extremely jealous of her and eventually commits suicide as a result of actions caused by Maria’s beauty. Even her husband Alberto is jealous of her and hides her away. We also see this in Ana Maria’s own life, from the distant relationship between her and her husband.
My question for everyone: At the funeral, we are supposedly seeing the first time that Antonio, Ana Maria’s husband crying. Due to their strange relationship, even Ana Maria herself debates the reason that he is crying. Do you think he is crying to grieve her death and is it because he has lost something else like Ana Maria hypothesizes?
One word stands out in your blogpost this week: perspective. In my opinion, Bombal handles the possibilities of this concept at various levels of the novel, and you were able to detect them well. We may not have all the answers, but that is intentional in this narrative.
ReplyDeleteHey Marcus, I think it's possible that Antonio is crying over the loss of Ana Maria. But given their damaged relationship, I think it's more likely he was crying over something else (like the effect it could have on their children). I don't think it's ever fully explained, so who knows for sure.
ReplyDelete-Nathan Harris
Hey Marcus!
ReplyDeleteI also had a hard time keeping track of the characters while reading this novel. To answer your question, I think that Antonio is truly crying over the loss of Ana Maria. Maybe that is just me being optimistic but I would hope he would be upset over the loss of his wife despite their complicated relationship.
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteI think that its very possible that Antonio is crying over the loss of Ana Maria - regardless of the many MAJOR problems in their relationship. We all have some level of connection to those around us, and the even if a relationship is bad we still feel some kind of loss when the other person in the relationship passes away.