“… As did the instruments, the bottles of medicine, and all the other things jumbled together in his crowded medical bag.” (Page 5)
The sources are used where a character is introduced, when characters are communicating or where Cholera is mentioned.
The first source used is Religious knowledge. This is where Neruda, in ‘And How Long?’ goes first during his journey of finding a purposeful answer.
“I sought out knowledgeable priests…to visit God and the Devil” (Line 11)
He waited for the priests while they worshipped their God and did their rituals, which shows that he carefully observed every move they made with the hope that it might help him. However, all his efforts seemed fruitless, as he was unable to get an answer to his questions because
“They wearied of my questions…
They were no more than administrators” (Line 14)
The priests got tired of him because they knew little that would help Neruda and neither did they care about him. All they believed was in God and worshipping Him was all that they lived for.
On a similar note, religious knowledge is used in ‘Blood Wedding’ during various conversations when a shocking event has occurred and the people are calling God for help. When the Bride runs away with her boyfriend during her wedding and the father finds that out, he says
“Father – God help us, no…not my daughter” (Page 80)
Nevertheless, similarly to ‘And How Long?’ where Neruda is not helped by God, the Father is not helped by God either as her daughter runs away with her boyfriend during her wedding causing him to be hugely embarrassed in front of all the relatives who came to the wedding.
In ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’, religious knowledge is used through churches to show the community’s daily routine.
“In the distance… the bells of the Cathedral were ringing for High Mass”
Religion is regarded as of great value in Spanish societies. In addition, the use of religious words such as “Divine Providence” (Page 4), “Holy See” (Page 44), “Holy Spirit” (Page 66) and sentences
“…Sister Franca de la Luz, Superior of the Academy of … the Blessed Virgin…” (Page 78)
show the significance of religion in Spanish high-class societies.
Dr. Urbino says,
“It’s the third time I’ve missed Sunday Mass…But God understands” (Page 7)
The next source mentioned in Neruda’s journey is scientific knowledge. Scientific knowledge is all about science, technology and innovations. Neruda thought that maybe science has the answers to his confusions.
“Medical men received me…busier each day.” (Line 19)
Despite his efforts, he did not receive success here either and all he realized was that science is all about microbes; microbes that also live life like humans and only the best survive due to competition just like in humans today. Furthermore, even the few that survived were deliberately destructive against other people’s ideas.
“It was not so much the death of a microbe…
But the few which survived
Showed signs of perversity” (Line 25)
Antithetically, scientific knowledge is used in a completely changed manner in ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’. It is used to show newer inventions and professions like of doctors who work to stop the massive destruction from Cholera to the Spanish society. Doctors are regarded as of extremely high rank in the society as they fight against Cholera.
“…Dr. Juvenal Urbino had followed a set routine and achieved a respectability and prestige that had no equal in the province” (Page 8)
Finally, the last source of knowledge that Neruda visited is Gossip (Death). He visited every possible place where he found dead bodies. He came to them with a lot of hope, as he did not find an answer anywhere else.
“…I went to the rivers where they burn
Enormous painted corpses…
There were whole beaches of dead
And ashy specialists.” (Line 36)
Even after his high expectations, it seemed that Neruda’s hopes were stranded because he
“…Asked them a slew of questions.
They offered to burn me;
It was the only thing they knew.” (Line 40)
The tone was turning depressing as Neruda had lost hope, and so he went back to his country.
“…The undertakers
Answered me, between drinks:
‘Get yourself a good woman
And give up this nonsense’” (Line 44)
“I never saw people so happy.” (Line 45)
“Raising their glasses they sang
Toasting health and death.” (Line 47)
He realized through undertakers, the people who fed themselves from the money made through dead bodies, that there was nothing to worry about from death and that the poet is better off not bothering for an answer for his questions. By now, Neruda was satisfied from his quest and accepted that there is no answer, which changed the tone drastically in the poem as well. He felt that the undertakers were the happiest people on earth, as they had nothing to fear from as they lived on what everyone else feared.
Gossip is also used in ‘Blood Wedding’ through words such as “Blood” (Page 97), “Raging” (Page 83) and “Grave” (Page 100). The main use of gossip in the novel has been to show deaths and the adverse results of the family disputes between the family mentioned in the novel and the Felix family.
Girl 1 says to Girl 2
“…Bathed in blood,
I saw them both…
Lying stiff” (Page 97)
Mother says to Father
“And I tell you this…blood will flow before this day is over… Let’s go! Now!” (Page 81)
Overall, the sources are used to express numerous views in the three texts and they help to bring together a completely different conclusion for each text.
In ‘And How Long?’ Neruda learns that some things are better left unanswered and not thought about because it is the way life works. Therefore, Neruda finishes on an enigmatic note through a mystifying tone with mystery in his sentence just like there is mystery in the questions to which he never got answers.
“I returned home, much older
After crossing the world.
Now I question nobody.
But I know less everyday.” (Line 51)
In ‘Blood Wedding’, the sources lead to a dramatic and tragic ending with both the bridegroom and the lover killing each other, therefore, showing that eventually, everyone has to die and one day death takes over life. Moreover, the novel shows how the use of weapons leads to destruction. Mother says
“Neighbors, it was with a knife…
Two men in love killed each other…
Where the dark root of the scream
Lies trembling enmeshed.” (Page 104)
In ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’, the sources lead to another miracle as Florentino Ariza is able to find his unrequited love as Fermina Daza accepts his love even after they are in their old age.
“At a certain moment…Only then did he have the courage to admit to himself how much he had loved her.” (Page 346)
“Florentino Ariza had kept his answer ready for fifty-three years, seven months and eleven days and nights.” (Page 348)
Hence, it could be said that the sources lead to completely different conclusions in the three texts depending on the way they are used in the texts and thus, they bring a positive, negative or a mystifying ending to the text according to the author’s intentions.
(Word Count – 1500 words)
