Wednesday, May 25, 2011
1: Rosa the Beautiful
When you respond to this chapter, DO NOT simply repeat the thoughts of others. Add something new to a previous comment. Comment or critique on a previous posting. BUT YOUR ULTIMATE goal is to add something new to the discussion. Also...don't forget to use as many direct quotes as possible!!!!
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30 comments:
So much information in the first 40 pages!! But I just want to know why the heck everyone keeps calling Rosa a mermaid or mermaid-like. Isn't she just a person? For example, when they began to perform the autopsy and Dr. Cuevas, his assistant, and Severo took off Rosa's nightgown, it reads "Severo was overcome when his daughter's nightgown was lifted to reveal the splendid body of a mermaid" (27). I think it's a little weird to compare someone to a mermaid. And I liked how the death of Rosa invited necrophilia.
Elliott
I must say at the beginning it was a little confusing me, but after reading this chapter I now understand the beginning a little bit better. Now onto my thoughts about the book, I thought the priest was one strange person "with a long, incriminating finger, which he used to point out sinners in public, and a tongue well schooled in arousing emotions" (2). I would have been afraid to have him point me out in public. I have a feeling that Uncle Marcos is an admirer of Leonardo Da Vinci with is flying bird contraption. Just from the description of the machine makes it sound like a comical spectacle by having the looks of "a bird of prehistoric dimensions, with the face of a furious eagle, wings that moved, and a propeller on its back" (12).
Elliott...since the mermaid descriptions are confusing, now is the time to do a little research on magical realism. And then return to the question: Was Rosa a mermaid?
Brenden...typically Christianity is BIG in any type of Hispanic cultures. The priests sterness just makes Clara's declarations all the more stunning (and hilarious?).
I had a feeling that Christianity was prominent just knowing some history about Spain's and Portugal's strong religious values. Well I don't mean it was something you would laugh hysterically about, but something that had some humor to it since it was a collaboration of four different structures. One being the magnitude of the machine itself, the ferocious looking face of the eagle, the wings that could give enough lift for the machine to counteract gravity, and the propeller for stabilization. To me it just seemed like a good humorous spot.
Magical Realism is defined as a literary genre or style associated especially with Latin America that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction. In reality Rosa is not a mermaid, but Rosa is deemed as a mermaid for her fantastic beauty. They see her as if God had meant for her to be a mermaid because of her incredible beauty.
- Elliott
I agree with Brenden in the aspect that this chapter was a bit confusing. But I also think it was a crucial chapter. It gave background on so many characters in the book, without the first chapter I believe the rest of the book would be confusing. In the first chapter you learn about Rosa's exotic beauty, Clara's loyalty, powers, and bluntness. You also learn a little about Esteban. He loves Rosa and when she dies it breaks him. The first chapter also talks a lot about Marcos, Clara's uncle. I believe that though Marcos's life was basically self-centered, it will lead to other characters' circumstances... especially Nicolas.
Yes, Cassie you hit on a crucial point. The chapter does provide a lot of background information, but the more important question is, how does this background information introduce some of the major characters/themes/subjects in the novel? Consider the story of Uncle Marcos' attempt at flying is repeated by Nicolas decades layer. Hmm, why is that an interesting point? Consider the del Valle family? How are their parenting methods unique?
Notice the point of view change mid-way through the chapter. Esteban takes over and he's narrating 50 years later...so who is narrating the first part of the chapter?
Why does Rosa not have other suitors? According to her mother, "Her beauty struck fear into their hearts and they preferred to admire her from afair, not daring to approach her" (24). So what does this tell us about Esteban? Is he like other men? If he's not afraid of her beauty, why is he afraid of?
Allusion: "rise like Lazarus from her deathbed (33). If you don't know who Lazarus is, look him up.
What do you think of Esteban's grief? How does it compare to Clara's?
Lazarus was a dear friend of Jesus who had been dead in the tomb for four days before Jesus arrived to awaken him from death. And of course, he rose from the dead. Esteban's grief is one of someone who believes they are in love and have lost it, but really he only fell in love with Rosa's outer beauty. Still, he is grieving and believes he will never be truly happy again. In some ways it is like Clara's grief because she completely stops talking but I don't think it compares. Clara loved her sister dearly as did everyone in that family, but Esteban has experienced loss before and Clara has not. They also deal with it differently. Esteban becomes bitter and cruel, and Clara withdraws into herself. On p.(39), it says, "Silence filled her utterly. She did not speak again until nine years later." This was Clara's reaction after seeing Rosa's dead body being inspected and even violated by Dr.Cuevas and his assistant. Esteban's reaction is much different. On p.(34), he yells beside the dead body, "Damn her! She slipped through my hands!" You can already see a difference in their attitudes and grief. Everyone grieves in their own way and they each lost someone different. Esteban lost his fiancee, and Clara lost her sister.
~Brittany Rowe
I have to say I was way more interested in Clara's table lifting then Rosa's beauty, mind powers attributed to spirits is more fascinating. Clara's figure in the first chapter brought about many questions in my read a loud as to her clairvoyant life. My first thought about Clara in church was that she really is "possessed by the devil"(7). Later in the chapter you learn her ablity to "shake and move among the plates and goblets without any visible source of energy or sign of illusionist's trick", This being such a habit that the family has grown accustomed to the daughters prophecies shows just how often paranormal activity appears in the house (7).
Clara is very close to her dog, make me wonder if her dog is an evil spirit bringing about activity. The dog's name instantly jumped out at me in the first chapter, compared to the Biblical figure I wondered why the dog was named Barrabas. Is the dog perhaps the blame for something in Clara's life? How is it that "by the end of a year he was as big as a cot...crocodile claws and his sharp little teeth" is this creature more of a under spirit then a dog which was brought to Clara "by sea"(19). Why does the story start off with Barrabas? He must represent more then just a caged up dog.
The first chapter jumped around from first person to third person! I found the story to be arranged in a awkward order, the story begins with the arrival of Barrabas's, then talks about earlier that same day when the family is attending church. The chapter then shifts to Rosa's birth and returns to the family in church. Confusing enough the novel fast forwards to Nivea recalling that moment in church years earlier. I found this complicated and hard to keep up with, I feel Isabel Allende expected us to just jump into a setting knowing everything that took place years before the first chapter began.
-Janel
Janel -
Excellent first posting. You hit on many key points. And yes, why does Allende choose to begin with Barrabas - why don't you tell us a little about the Biblical character. And yes, the point of view shifts make for a challenging read...so the question is why Allende chooses to willfully begin a book in so many confusing ways.
I found Allende's scattered way of writing very interesting. Sure, I had to reread the first few pages to get my bearings on what was going on, but after I was hooked to find out what bit of seemingly useless information she would tell. But nothing she told was pointless, because in the end of the chapter everything came together in such a unified way that it blew my mind. With that I think that her way of writing was to cause the electrifying ending she gave this chapter.
~Julianna Richey
From the beginning my most favorite character was Clara. I love how strange and powerful she is. How she sees things how they are and not how a child of 10 should see them. But also in this chapter you meet Esteban, who i despise the most. I think he is cruel and self-centered. He wants everyone to know what he thinks and that he is right and everyone else is wrong. "If women don't know that 2 and 2 are 4, how are they going to be able to handle a scalpel," is what Esteban says when he hears of women fighting for their rights, which just shows the kind of person he is.
Tania
Contrary to my expectations, that this book would be an utter bore and rather straight forward novel revolving around some sort of hispanic family in which there lived a strong-willed matriarch, or the female adolescent with a rebellious streak of cliché, I've found a seemingly (and I say seemingly, as I have only read one chapter) interesting and perverse novel that is accompanied only by those that are found in my dreams. That being said, I find some of the things that are stated in this chapter strange and unneeded, such as the description of Saint Sebastian's statue in the beginning or that which Clara saw taking place at the end. I find it confusing that Saint Sebastian was said to resemble "a suffering homosexual". What exactly does that mean? I have my own assumptions to the answer of that question but to avoid the risk of making my self sound more ignorant than I already do, I will await an answer. Another thing I felt unnecessary and entirely out of taste was the allusion to Dr. Cuevas's assistant preforming cunnilingus (really hope that's not too sexual for a school project) on the dead body of Rosa as stated in this quote, "She stayed until the young man she had never seen before kissed Rosa on the lips, the neck, the breast, and between the legs..." I thoroughly believe that the aforementioned act brings nothing to the story and has completely robbed me of my innocence.
Josh Fletcher
P.S. Mrs. Matysak I hope this is what you were lookin for cause I ain't very good at writin.
Sincerely, Your favorite student! :D
I agree with Janel completely. The author took an unusual approach on the first chapter. With the lack of organization and the jumping from first to third person made it harder for me to become interested in the story. I was very confused who was speaking in third person so the author kept me guessing.
I think Rosa's beauty is very unusual. Her appearance tracks so many guys to the point that its almost as if she captures them under a spell. Esteban was not the only person mesmerized by her beauty he stated that "within a few minutes a whole circle of men had formed, their noses pressed against the window" (22)
AUTUMN SCHLARP................
"People are going to start lining up to look as her as if she were a monster" (9), Nivea says this about her daughter Clara and her mysterious powers. When people came over for dinner at the del Valle's house, they would have to hide Clara's powers when she started moving things across the table. Also her other power that fascinated me was she could see disasters occur before they happened, "Clara had foreseen that the horse was going to throw Luis, but he refused to listen and had had a dislocated hip ever since" (8).
~SHELBY~
Shelby...
You chose some great quotes, but my question is, so what? You're just reading back what we already know of Clara. Dig a little deeper and analyze how Nivea and the rest of the family handle Clara's powers. Why does Clara's power fascinate you?
Josh --
I think "perverse" is an excellent word to describe the first chapter. But is it really unnecessary information, or is Allende giving you a lot of background information and context to prepare you for this very unusual world. After all, Rosa has green hair and Clara has strange powers. But really, I don't feel like this Chilean world finds those things that strange.
As far as the good Dr. I don't think he's performing any kind of "perverse" sexual act. I think he's in awe of her and her body, and the kisses are ones of adoration, similar to ones you would place on this hands or cheeks of a statue of a saint. The fact that he places one "there" doesn't seem all that strange to me given the general weirdness of this world.
Julianna...
tell me how it all came together for you in a perfect unified way....give me the lines
I agree
Mrs. Matysak- The family handles it by hiding it from other people. Like when at dinner and Clara moves the salt shaker they make it seem like they are moving it. They also quit taking her to church when the preacher calls her the devil. They fascinate me because knowing about disasters before they occur could be awesome and could stop it before it happened or at least save people. Wouldnt it be cool to be the hero Mrs. Matysak?
^^^^^ posted by ~SHELBY~
I for one thought the arrival Barrabas was quite interesting because throughout the beginning of the book, Barrabas was the only "thing" that Clara payed the most attention to. Despite his abnormalities of which a normal dog wouldn't have, Clara still loved him unconditionally. Many of the characters that were introduced in the first chapter possess bizarre yet astounding characteristics that play a big part in the chapters ahead. For example, Rosa's beauty and Uncle Marco's travels were very intriguing but Clara's clairvoyance and her ability to move objects were extreme examples.
-Connor Carlson
A very wise person once told me, "The most boring parts of a novel are usually the most important". Well then this first chapter should have been underlined and circled because I could hardly stay focused for how boring it was. However, it did contain very important details that would set up the rest of the book. Clara became my favorite right away with her little incedent at church on page 7, I could recall a similar experience. And then again on page 9 where she refuses to give up the dog. And I was really confused when Rosa died so soon because I thought she was the main character.
Your Welcome,
Travis
I loved when Father Restrepo said, "Possessed . . . She's possessed by the devil!" (7). The rebellion of Clara is what I remember, more then Rosa. When I was reading the chapter, there was so much overwhelming information, but as I became closer to the end of the book I realized that the information didn't pertain to the end of the book as much a I thought it would. Rosa was a beautiful figure, but I remember Clara's early rebellion more then Rosa's unchangeable beauty. I wish the book started with Clara instead, she is way more fascinating and shows off the idea of the book way more.
I pway?
DanTheMan
lol
no it wasn't!!!!!
TomTom
Yeah it was me...
DanTheMan
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