Wednesday, May 25, 2011
8: The Count
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Now this is the chapter that I have been waiting for, because of the terror and fright that it had in it. In the beginning of the chapter I wondered how long Blanca and Jean would keep up their marriage. The reason why I say that is because is states "From the very first letter she received from her daughter after her wedding, Clara could tell that her separation from Blanca would not last long" (246). That made me ask both how Clara could tell that from the first letter, and how would it happen. The count in my opinion was very kind and thoughtful to Blanca the first night of their honeymoon saying "he had no particular inclination for married life, being in love only with the arts, literature, and scientific curiosities, and therefore had no intention of disturbing her with the usual demands of a husband" (247). I find that to be very thoughtful to someone who had no intention of marrying him in the first part and tried with all her might to get out of the contract. I was right when I suspected that the count was a shady character when he started to illegally sell ancient historical artifacts. What I want to know is how in the world did he manage to revive the mummies and make them his slaves? If the superstition of the camera takes a part of your soul applies here then how could he take a part of their soul since they were already dead? None the less it was a very interesting part of the book in my opinion. It was a very good time for her child to start moving just right after she feels trapped. For example "She also glimpsed the sinister power of the Indian and the subtle mockery of the servants, and felt herself a prisoner in the anteroom of hell. Just then the child moved inside her and she jumped as if an alarm had just been sounded" (260-261).
I found when I started reading The Count that I honestly liked Jean de Satigny. He respected Blanca enough not to force anything on her. It says that he explained to Blanca that “… they could live together, but not entwined, in perfect harmony and decorum” (247-248). But after reading on, my opinion of him altered. Jean was not a very resourceful person when it came to money. The book gives us a description about his spending; “Every night he went to the casino. His wife calculated that he must be losing huge sums of money, because at the end of the month there was invariably a long line of creditors at their door” (252). Blanca even questions Jean about the disappearing money; “ She could not understand how Jean could buy porcelain and drive that spotted car when he did not have enough money to pay the Chinese man in the general store or the salaries of their numerous servants. Jean refused to discuss the matter…” (253). I liked how, after this and the scare of the mummies (which is one of my favorite parts of the book so far), Blanca decided to take matters into her own hands. She waited until Jean had left and sent away her servant, then she busted into Jean’s secret darkroom where she believed the mummies to be. The fact that she found theatre costumes and puppets had be laughing. But the photos really were disturbing. Why a married man would want to take messed-up pictures of naked servants dressed in various arrays of clothing is beyond me. Clearly it was so for Blanca as well since she left him and returned home.
What a psycho! Jean de Satigny is just one weird man! This chapter just shows how disturbing it can be to have other's hidden secrets revealed to you. Blanca went into that dark room expecting mummies but what she found was much more concerning for her. For example, "These chaotic, tormented scenes were a thousand times more disconcerting than the scandalous mummies she had expected to find" (260). That was more than enough to make her see that her unborn child did not belong in that forsaken house with the count and his crazy fetishes. These acts make evident why the Indian servants were always so quiet and expressionless. It also explains the look that the count exchanged with the cook, "Blanca could have sworn she caught a wink of complicity between her husband and the cook" (250).
Yes, what a psycho!! Kind of ironic that Esteban thought he was such a catch!! And yes, Coad Man, you make an excellent point "this chapter just shows how disturbing it can be to have other's hidden secrets revealed to you."
To me this chapter is irreparable proof that you can never truly know a person. Jean de Santiny was painted as a well respected man with albeit a few crazy schemes for money. But even though his foreign actions seemed strange, he wasn't a malevolent person. But with Blanca's time in his house we can see his true self. But what surprises me more is that Blanca didn't find out sooner. She was so preoccupied with knitting and buying things for her baby that she failed to pick up on her "husband's" character. In a way she is just as unobservant as Clara.
Another thing: it's shown yet again that Esteban cares about social stature than anything else. Just like trying to cover up Nivea's head and Clara's powers, he forces Blanca to marry Jean to cover up her pregnancy with Pedro Tercero to save her social status.
~Julianna Richey
From the begginning I knew there was something up with the Count. I thought he was a creap when he sees Blanca leaving for her lover and just tells her father, knowing what kind of man he is. Then he turns around and acts like the sweetest gentlemen, acting so charismatic, when really he is so secretive and kanieving.
Tania
Jean's weird behavior, snorting cocaine, smoking opium, hiring Indian servants, setting up a studio that Blanca can not see, and bringing Indian mummies into the house? Hmm... I'd be freaked out too just like Blanca was, "suspended in her own uncertainty then she was overcome with horror" (260). Especially to find that he is taking pornographic photography and making a living off stealing things. He sure finds a way to make his money, just like marrying Blanca was easy money.
Jean reminded me of Dracula. In comparison to Count Dracula, Jean had a secret life, they both had hidden rooms and had a secret double life that they didn't want the one living with them to know about. Both Counts are impressive when you first meet them but after you get to know them, you don't really want anything to do with them. Dracula was well educated and knew much about the world, but in the end you learn that Count Dracula was a very evil thing. The Count was much like this, he was well educated with business plans and sounded clever, but after Blanca got to know him more, he was also a very evil thing.
-Janel
-Janel
I don't even think that Jean can consider himself a count, he stole, addicted to drugs, and had strange behavior in the household. As Janel said I also think that the count married Blanca for money and had no love for her. "He proceeded to explain that he had no particular inclination for married life"(247) Right there that proves that he had no desire of being married. After Blanca left Jean for his behavior I was some what surprised that he did not even try to go look for her he obviously had no desire to even be with her.
Autumn SChlarp
Jean brings a whole new meaning to the saying you don't really know someone until you live with them. He comes off as a creep and a really shady character in this chapter. From all his secrets about their finances, doing drugs, and his weird photography studio that she is not allowed to enter, I don't blame Blanca for leaving.
I don't blame this crazy situation on Jean, I blame it Esteban Trueba. Jean did take the situation WAY out of control and be creepy, but I feel like he thought was love because Trueba thought so and he knows all in the eyes of many. The time period was where Blanca could not just leave, and that was a very hard concept for me to grasp. I was so proud that Blanca could just pack her and her daughter up and leave. The reason you can tell it is not love is because "Blanca got along with him. The only times they argued were when she tried to look into their finances" (253). I feel like if you with the flow and don't bring up troubles its just as bad as arguing. Basically, worst relationship ever, enough said.
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