Conversation as a device used for charecter development as seen in the books Love in the Time of Cholera & the House of the Spirits
Zohra Fathima
World Literature Assignment
How have the writers used conversation as a device to develop characters in the books, 'House of the Spirits' & 'Love in the Time of Cholera'?
Conversation is an essential means of communication between people. It can be in the form of direct-talk or communing through other means such as letters and messages. It helps in establishing the rapport between various characters in their relationships. The books 'The House of the Spirits' & 'Love in the Time of Cholera' have many similarities in the way their writers have used to portray their characters. Both the books have a series of flash-backs and they do not follow the chronological order of events. In HOTS the style of narration is prominently distinguishing from that of LTC; it is a compilation of memoirs written in first-narrative from the view-points of different characters taking the reader through three generations of the Treuba-del Valle lineage. The characters pour out their hearts to the reader by means of direct-talk in an auto-biographical way and in this way the reader is exposed to the personalities of the various characters. The style of narration used by Isabel Allende points towards the better understanding of the characters and is significant in developing the plot of books. The reader builds an image of the character through the character's behavior and by his/her conversation.
In HOTS, Esteban Treuba is one of the main protagonists in the book is seen as a stern and unyielding man given to fits of rage. He's often irrational and has certain judgmental and one-sided views on various matters which often portray him as irrational. His daughter having slept with Pedro Segundo Garcia is one such issue. The clashes in perception in the relationship between Esteban Treuba and Clara are effectively brought out through this instance itself. The reader can assert that Esteban truly loves Clara throughout the book but when his love is judged by its visible ...
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In HOTS, Esteban Treuba is one of the main protagonists in the book is seen as a stern and unyielding man given to fits of rage. He's often irrational and has certain judgmental and one-sided views on various matters which often portray him as irrational. His daughter having slept with Pedro Segundo Garcia is one such issue. The clashes in perception in the relationship between Esteban Treuba and Clara are effectively brought out through this instance itself. The reader can assert that Esteban truly loves Clara throughout the book but when his love is judged by its visible effects, by the way he behaves; it appears that it is not so. In various chapters of the book there are sections where Esteban pens down his feelings, the reader then realizes that he's a person with many inner demons, overwhelmed with loneliness and is deeply misunderstood by those around him. His self-addressing style of narration helps him confess his point of views and his feelings regarding several issues. His political inclinations towards the socialists and his behavior which makes Clara abhor him are all explained from his point of view. In this way, the style used in HOTS is such there is direct conversation between the characters and themselves
In LIC, the style of narration used by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is quite uncomplicated and from the author's point of view alone, there is no self-narrative from any of the characters. Instead Marquez has used several means to establish communication between characters in the form of dialogue or in other words, the regular speech used while conversing frequently.
Several instances in the plot of the book, for example in a long-distance relationship, letters also play an important role in connecting different characters and maintaining their relationship towards each other. Letters are an apt substitute for direct-talk; they convey the spoken words with certainty and the form evidence of the vow or promise that they carry. Fermina replies to Florentino's question of marriage on a torn strip of paper placed in an envelope saying, "Very well, I will marry you if you promise not to make me eat eggplant." This signifies the rush in her answer and also shows her taste in food. Apart from that, indecision is still evident in her reply.
Though the conversation of the characters and the way they appear to the others, their nature can be judged. An instance when the personality of Dr. Urbino, one of the main protagonists in the book can be seen is during his conversation with the newly acquainted Fermina. His words "'music is important for one's health'", suggest how he regarded music as an important source of entertainment and this signifies more than just his obsession with health. The inaptness of such a remark passed at such a moment strikes the reader as some what absurd. As Fermina's dislike towards him fades away she realizes much later that music was a topic which he usually spoke of to propose friendship. His inclination to discuss music knowledgably also signifies his intellectual ability.
Florentino is another one of the protagonists in Love in the Time of Cholera who woos Fermina. He's seen as a sort of mystery-man, Fermina's giddy-headed lover almost to the point of obsession. His noble ideals regarding love form part of his eccentricity. He tells Fermina's father, Lorenzo Daza when his love for Fermina is questioned, "'there is no greater glory than to die for love.'" Despite his countless physical affairs with other women, at the end of his ninety years he still believes that he has remained faithful to Fermina and takes pleasure in his "unrequited love" for her. Years later, during old-age when both of them are reunited he tells her, "'I have remained a virgin for you.'" This is a very controversial statement and it strikes the reader that as the part in the book where the madness in Florentino is brought to full flower.
In Love in the Time of Cholera, Transito Soto was a prostitute in Tres Marias. In return for a favor yielded by Esteban Treuba to set her up in the brothel business, years later she repays him back in faith by saving his grand-daughter Alba from the torture-camp during the revolution. Transito's words to Esteban, "'But we will see each other again, patron. Life is long and full of unexpected turns.'" prove true years later. This signifies the depth of her thoughts and wisedom.
