This is the first time in a while that I've finished a book and suddenly all of the pieces clicked together. I was sort of seeing it in Chapter 13, but in Chapter 14 and the Epilogue it all finally fit together.
This whole story was just a circle.
The beginning and the end resolved in such a way that they were mirror images of each other.
In the second to last chapter, Esteban repays the debt to Transito Soto just like he vowed to do in Chapter 2 by finally giving her the money he owes her. In this chapter, Alba is punished for things that her grandfather did in the second chapter, as well. Chapter 2 is also the first full chapter where Clara does not speak. She simply writes in her journals. In the second to last chapter, we see Clara teach Alba how to use her writing as a weapon. When Alba writes in her mind, it is her means of survival in solitary confinement just as it was Clara's means of survival after her trauma. The last chapter is when we finally see Esteban Trueba get the peace that he lost in the very first chapter. When Rosa died, Trueba very nearly lost his mind. He has been acting violently and recklessly since then with little to no consideration of the lives of those around him. When both Trueba and Alba let go of their anger as they work to document their family's history, we finally see Trueba's redemption. This was my hope throughout the entire novel, and I am definitely content with this ending.
It was also interesting to me that Alba began experiencing sexual assault at around the same age that Clara witnessed Rosa's corpse be violated. I'm not sure if this is in any way related to the cyclical nature of this novel as a whole, but Allende has been so meticulous in her writing thus far that I doubt she included this haphazardly.
The use of important spiritual numbers was a really nice touch that Allende sprinkled throughout the novel as a whole. I felt like this added some real depth to the "magic" aspect of this cornerstone of magic realism. This novel tells the story of three generations of the same family. Alba was born at 3 o'clock in the afternoon in the ninth chapter of the book, which is three times three. Alba is also molested three times before her imprisonment. There are three Mora sisters. The mausoleum Esteban Trueba builds is built to hold three people. The number 3 is historically used in witchcraft, and it is also symbolic of a cycle. This makes me wonder if there was some sort of conflict resolution or completion of a cycle towards the middle of the novel that I missed. I've only picked up on one big circle, but maybe there were three different circles and I didn't look closely enough to see the other two. I suppose I'll have to read it again and find out!
eliza & drew
This whole story was just a circle.
The beginning and the end resolved in such a way that they were mirror images of each other.
In the second to last chapter, Esteban repays the debt to Transito Soto just like he vowed to do in Chapter 2 by finally giving her the money he owes her. In this chapter, Alba is punished for things that her grandfather did in the second chapter, as well. Chapter 2 is also the first full chapter where Clara does not speak. She simply writes in her journals. In the second to last chapter, we see Clara teach Alba how to use her writing as a weapon. When Alba writes in her mind, it is her means of survival in solitary confinement just as it was Clara's means of survival after her trauma. The last chapter is when we finally see Esteban Trueba get the peace that he lost in the very first chapter. When Rosa died, Trueba very nearly lost his mind. He has been acting violently and recklessly since then with little to no consideration of the lives of those around him. When both Trueba and Alba let go of their anger as they work to document their family's history, we finally see Trueba's redemption. This was my hope throughout the entire novel, and I am definitely content with this ending.
It was also interesting to me that Alba began experiencing sexual assault at around the same age that Clara witnessed Rosa's corpse be violated. I'm not sure if this is in any way related to the cyclical nature of this novel as a whole, but Allende has been so meticulous in her writing thus far that I doubt she included this haphazardly.
The use of important spiritual numbers was a really nice touch that Allende sprinkled throughout the novel as a whole. I felt like this added some real depth to the "magic" aspect of this cornerstone of magic realism. This novel tells the story of three generations of the same family. Alba was born at 3 o'clock in the afternoon in the ninth chapter of the book, which is three times three. Alba is also molested three times before her imprisonment. There are three Mora sisters. The mausoleum Esteban Trueba builds is built to hold three people. The number 3 is historically used in witchcraft, and it is also symbolic of a cycle. This makes me wonder if there was some sort of conflict resolution or completion of a cycle towards the middle of the novel that I missed. I've only picked up on one big circle, but maybe there were three different circles and I didn't look closely enough to see the other two. I suppose I'll have to read it again and find out!
eliza & drew
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