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 "But now, now that I am dead, it occurs to me that possibly all men once in their lifetime long to make some great renunciation; to sacrifice something vital; to tear to pieces a butterfly, in order to feel themselves masters of their own destiny."

The above quote stood out the most while reading Bombal's novel, The Shrouded Woman. Something about the unique narration of this novel made every line that much more poignant, given that our narrator was dead. It was almost as if she refused to pass without imparting whatever wisdom she could to anyone willing to hear her. Bombal's use of visual imagery was balanced and evocative. As I read, I did feel like I was witnessing the scenes as they played out. I enjoyed her descriptions of the characters and their personalities and what they meant to Ana Maria. 

Additionally, I found the dramatics of the novel very intriguing. The feuds, infidelity, and familial bonds of the characters were explored very intricately for a relatively short novel. I agree with the points discussed in the lecture regarding the comparison between the male and female characters and how the latter was more interesting to read than the former. I believe that Bombal has created a setting in which the men in the book mainly served the purpose of acting as the love interests. This is quite ironic as these roles are traditionally assigned to women. While she did devote a lot of focus to her romantic relationship, the relationships that stood out the most were the ones with her children and with Sofia. The depth of her friendship with Sofia and even Zoila s pointed to the women being the most important figures in her life emotionally, even though the men dominated in other aspects of life.

Moreover, I found the idea of a dead narrator very ominous but fascinating at the same time. The concept of dying a second death after having passed was quite bizarre to me, but something about how the narrator spoke about it struck me. The notion that she was experiencing life as a dead person, especially something as lively as freedom, provided poetic justice to the living, trapped woman. 

Overall, I found this text to be extremely entertaining. I loved the fact that it touched upon themes like family and the power dynamics between men and women. My question for the class would be: What did you think of Ana Maria's relationships? How do you think they shaped her idea of peace?

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  This text was the easiest to comprehend but the hardest to part with. I felt that every time I discovered something new between the lines, I would go back and delve further into Ana-Maria’s words. Bombal’s juxtaposition between the regret in death and the egotistical way we live life made for a reality check […] read full post >>

The Shrouded Woman by María Luisa Bombal uses imagery, symbolism, and many other smaller themes to show the contrast between life and death.  The contrast between the beginning and the end shows the contrast between life and death in the order of a natural life cycle. In the very first section, a woman, (the shrouded […] read full post >>

As a woman who has to constantly navigate the patriarchy and listen to other men “mansplain” to me, I found this novel to be very personal, intimate, and emotional. It also feels so real, because in many cultures and religious traditions people believe that the consciousness of the dead lives on and thus the state […] read full post >>

In The Shrouded Woman the story of our protagonist Ana-Maria is one of reflection on her life through the eyes of her corpse. She walks the reader through memories with people close to her throughout her life. Unlike our previous texts, I really found myself getting lost in the text. Right from the beginning, I … Continue reading "Thoughts on María Luisa Bombal “The Shrouded Woman”" read full post >>

What surprised me most about reading Maria Luisa Bombal’s “The Shrouded Woman” was the absurdity of how the narrator’s every moment goes against her own expectations and there is something spiritual about the fact that the narrative is carried by a dead woman (The Shroud) as there is a feeling you get that nothing really […] read full post >>

This was my favorite book so far! I could finally understand the text and read it for joy, rather than for an assignment! I found Shrouded Woman brought me on a journey. It felt like I was there for each visitor, and each memory she relived while laying dead. This fictional novel felt as though […] read full post >>

 I found this novel easier to read and more interesting compared to week 2’s novel Marcel Proust, “Combray”. I was a little confused at first when I was reading through it. I was unsure if I was interpreting the story correctly. However, as I was reading through it I realized I was correct. The novel is narrated from a very unique point of view, which is from the protagonist that has passed. The protagonist, Ana-Maria is still able to feel and think even though she is dead. It kind of reminded me of a novel called “If I stay” by Gayle Forman. In that novel, the protagonist was able to see, hear and move around while she's in a coma. She also reflects on her relationships which had some similarities to Ana-Maria from “The Shrouded Woman”. 

Out of all the memories of her relationships with others, the most vivid memory to me was the one about her first love, Ricardo. There was a conversation between Ana-Maria and Ricardo. It was Ricardo telling Ana-Maria how his father wants to send him to Europe “to study scientific farming” (165). The way she exclaimed “And I, what am I going to do?”, made me feel sorry for her. It seems to me that she had pictured Ricardo in her future (thinking of marrying and spending her future with him) but unfortunately not the other way around. After explaining why he should go, she then told him he reminded her of someone. She said “of your mother, when she begins to talk seriously and everybody yawns. She is the one who has put those ideas into your head in order to separate you from me” (166). I love how instead of going with what he said, she was being super straightforward and said what she believed was the real reason behind it. However, he still left her, rejected her marriage proposal and said a heartbreaking comment “ I can’t, I can’t. I love you and I’m sorry, but I can’t. I must think of my future…” (166). It made me wonder if he truly loved her at that time or if it was because of the cruel reality. 

I liked the part that got circled up on page 167 “ I never knew. I only know that the period following your departure was the most disordered and tragic in my entire life”. It reminded me of the phrase ‘right person, wrong time’. They may be meant to be, but not at that moment. 

My questions for the class are: If you were in Ricardo’s position, would you also choose your career/future over your lover? Do you think Ricardo’s choice of picking his career over Ana-Maria meant that he didn't truly love her?

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 I found this novel easier to read and more interesting compared to week 2’s novel Marcel Proust, “Combray”. I was a little confused at first when I was reading through it. I was unsure if I was interpreting the story correctly. However, as I was reading through it I realized I was correct. The novel is narrated from a very unique point of view, which is from the protagonist that has passed. The protagonist, Ana-Maria is still able to feel and think even though she is dead. It kind of reminded me of a novel called “If I stay” by Gayle Forman. In that novel, the protagonist was able to see, hear and move around while she's in a coma. She also reflects on her relationships which had some similarities to Ana-Maria from “The Shrouded Woman”. 

Out of all the memories of her relationships with others, the most vivid memory to me was the one about her first love, Ricardo. There was a conversation between Ana-Maria and Ricardo. It was Ricardo telling Ana-Maria how his father wants to send him to Europe “to study scientific farming” (165). The way she exclaimed “And I, what am I going to do?”, made me feel sorry for her. It seems to me that she had pictured Ricardo in her future (thinking of marrying and spending her future with him) but unfortunately not the other way around. After explaining why he should go, she then told him he reminded her of someone. She said “of your mother, when she begins to talk seriously and everybody yawns. She is the one who has put those ideas into your head in order to separate you from me” (166). I love how instead of going with what he said, she was being super straightforward and said what she believed was the real reason behind it. However, he still left her, rejected her marriage proposal and said a heartbreaking comment “ I can’t, I can’t. I love you and I’m sorry, but I can’t. I must think of my future…” (166). It made me wonder if he truly loved her at that time or if it was because of the cruel reality. 

I liked the part that got circled up on page 167 “ I never knew. I only know that the period following your departure was the most disordered and tragic in my entire life”. It reminded me of the phrase ‘right person, wrong time’. They may be meant to be, but not at that moment. 

My questions for the class are: If you were in Ricardo’s position, would you also choose your career/future over your lover? Do you think Ricardo’s choice of picking his career over Ana-Maria meant that he didn't truly love her?

read full post >>

The Shrouded Woman was a wonderful read. The unorthodox use of perspective, at times adopting the first-person viewpoint of the dead Ana Maria, and at other times taking a third-person viewpoint, makes for an interesting retrospective on the life of the character. By seeing it through Ana Maria’s eyes, we get to experience her life, […] read full post >>