Hey everyone! I’m really excited to talk about this week’s reading, “The Shrouded Woman” by Maria Luisa Bombal.
Firstly, the themes that were covered in general were super intriguing to me. I love thinking about life, love and the afterlife on my own time and am generally a fairly existential thinker so I personally really enjoyed the read.
I think one of the biggest things that made the book so interesting and I’m sure its the same for many of you is the fact that the narrator, Ana Maria, is actually not even alive, yet continues to think, feel and express her thoughts and opinions. I don’t think I’ve read anything that has been written this way which again made it so interesting to me. I really like how Bombal just got straight into it by describing the narrator’s own funeral. It really set the tone for the book and the rest of the story. I LOVED the whole dramatic irony of the story as if we were getting insider gossip on so many aspects of Ana Maria’s life like her first love Ricardo, Fernando’s crush on her and insight into her marriage as well.
Another big aspect of the storytelling is that it caused a lot of reflection. Bombal explains all of these regrets Ana Maria has even after DEATH. Even after death Ana Maria is so concerned with all of these societal ideations that shape you as a person and restrict you as you live. As a Sociology major, this was something I could not stop myself from thinking about.
Like I said I am a very existential thinker and this book got me thinking tons. Some of my own personal thoughts that arose were all surrounded on life and my life and expectations I place on myself and those that are placed on me by others. It is so interesting how some people spend the entirety of their lives restricted by silly societal constructs and idea within cultures and demographics that hold you back from doing what you want to or even exploring things that you MIGHT want to. I’m a firm believer that nothing in life is a waste of time as you consistently are growing and learning from everything you do and every person you interact with as stagnant as it can feel sometimes. But then there is this other part of me that is like what if im not doing enough? If I were to die tomorrow, would I be happy with everything I have done, everything I have accomplished and everyone ive connected with? I like to think of it less in a regretful way and more of a hopeful way. I live my life to the fullest and with the most gratitude every single dya for that exact reason to try my best to live a fulfilling life I can say im proud of if I were able to recall life after death just as Ana Maria does.
ANYWAYS, not to get too sentimental and make this more of a personal diary but the book was definitely a reality check and like we talked about in class, being able to sympathize for Ana Maria really enhanced the reading experience.
And now a pretty deep question I personally LOVE to ask people:
Do you have any regrets in your life? If you were to reflect on your life the way Ana Maria does, is there anything you would change? Why or Why not?
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