... y no se lo tragó la tierra

The book tells stories in a non-linear manner. It was almost as if I could pick any given chapter and rearrange the book. Then I realized that each anecdote is placed in that particular sequence because each one relates to other, similar to a chain. The last sentence of “El año perdido” introduces the next story by mentioning the things the protagonist sees and hears before he sleeps and the untitled second story picks it up by mentioning spirits. Perhaps it parallels to the ghosts that the protagonist of the first story hears. The second story mentions a glass of water and “Los niños no se aguantaron” pivots on the loss of water and life. The connections between them are very subtle and it is almost as if Rivera wants the readers to make these connections on their own.

Perhaps each character’s personal struggle relates to another’s or maybe their struggles affect each other in ways they do not realize. A few things are left ambiguous. It seems as if the things that are not mentioned are the most powerful ones. Some anecdotes remain untitled. The table of contents identifies them by the first few words of the opening sentence but they do not function like a real title. It seems like a conscious decision on Rivera’s part to also make these anecdotes shorter than the titled ones to distinguish its importance.

Many characters remain nameless almost like a blurred memory or the loss of something so basic. The first story preludes to it with the title pertaining to loss and the loss of words on the protagonist’s part. In a way, the book reflects the lack of precision when it comes to memory. Sometimes things are forgotten like the untitled story of the soldier’s mother on page 13. Her son “está perdido en acción.”

The book’s lack of chronology allows the readers to empathize with the characters. There were times when I felt confused because of the book’s lack of sequence and the unnamed characters. I was not sure who was doing what. Perhaps the migrants felt the same way, disoriented and insignificant.

Perhaps the lack of chronology also mimics something that adults find insignificant- the act of collecting. As young children, we collect various objects, such as rocks, shells, etc. to familiarize ourselves with the landscape. Similarly, the various stories function as a collection that help the readers identify the land seen through the migrant workers' children.

El Puente de Brooklyn

Martí presents New York through an understanding of its architecture. He constructively describes the Brooklyn Bridge as a structure that was created from points on a piece of paper. It is almost surreal that a few dots became a bridge and that same structure became dots again through his vivid description. His use of quasi-technical words reflects the strength of the materials used to build the bridge.

Different kinds of steel were used in the construction and Martí names each of them precisely. I depended on my dictionary until I saw “hierro” and realized that some of the construction terminologies were phonetically the same in colloquial Filipino but orthographically different and reading out loud would be the best way to approach the text.

The bridge symbolically fortifies the link between people regardless of their race. The structure bridges the spatial gap, allowing the people to freely go from one point to another. Personally, the text provides an intrinsic link between two languages.

The novel seems to stay true to its title. Who would have thought it would end with a beginning? In its final chapters, the story seemed to shift its focus from the older generation to the younger generation. The story highlights the newly established relationships such as the marriage of Ruth Norval and Julius Caesar Cackle, the alliance between Hackwell and Ruth and possibilities such as a union between Julian and Lola.

Dr. Norval fades into the background. We hear about his opposition to sending Mrs. Norval to the asylum but we do not actually hear his words. In fact, this is the one of the few times he has been mentioned since his return. Mrs. Norval looses her capability of speech.

It is quite interesting that his return was marked by silence. Burton restores the status quo through Mrs. Norval’s mysterious illness. She interfered with Dona Medina’s wishes for Lola to have plenty of jewelry. Fortune’s wheel seems to have tuned. Now, her existence is muted. Dona Medina was fortunate to have her will documented but Mrs. Norval is not that lucky. Ruth complains “Isn’t is provoking that pa won’t let me have a handsome wedding?” Dr. Norval, who was mostly absent in their lives, is left to make the decisions on his own.

Dr. Norval seemed to have gained control through Mrs. Norval’s powerless state. The novel seems to be concerned with acquisition through deprivation. Mrs. Norval and her daughter’s dressed themselves in the finest silks at Lola’s expense. Hackwell tried to win Lola like a piece of property through blackmail.

He tricked her into pretending to be his wife. With Julian’s help, Lola is able to escape to Mexico. This probably the only time she was victorious throughout the entire novel. And she achieves it though deception. They led Hackwell into assuming that Lola was aboard the Dove.

What I Would Have Thought

As I scratched the surface of the pink book, it revealed a brilliant shine similar to na Hala’s rough pebbles. The story seems to occur on different levels, the surface story being the lives of the Norvals, their adopted Spanish child and the people around them. Gossip surrounds the adoption of Lola. Some link the increasing acquisition of the Norval’s wealth to the possibility that Lola directed them to gold. Reverend Hackwell contributes to more talk about the family through his sermons.

The novel is filled with all sorts of communication. Perhaps it is the author’s conscious choice that the story begins with a conversation between Reverend Hackwell and Reverend Hammerhead. But perhaps the unspoken should be given more attention to what is said.

Dr. Norval had asked Lebrun to transcribe the final words of Lola’s Mother. The letter gets lost and ends up in the dead-letter office. Isaac, Dr. Norval’s brother-in-law, stumbles upon the letter and decides to keep it.

A series of questions surrounded the disappearance of the letter in my head. It is almost too coincidental that a series of Isaac’s misfortunes ultimately leads to his discovery of the letter. At certain times, the author also makes her presence known for the second time by writing “[w]e will give a whole chapter to her patriotism in due” (69) despite the novel being written from a third person’s perspective.

The close proximity between the association between omnipotence of the narrator and God makes the author’s interventions almost seem miraculous. Perhaps it mirrors confusion. Is it the parent’s decision to choose the religion for the child?
The brilliance of the novel is seen through underlying layers of questions as such. Because of Lola’s dark complexion, Mrs. Norval automatically assumes that she is only either of African or Indian descent. She does not take into account any other race that falls in the non-white category nor is she interested in finding out. But perhaps the bigger question is that of class. Does social standing (defined by wealth) matter more than race or gender? Mrs. Norval was willing to be Lola’s servant after seeing the gold, diamond and opals. She even entertained the idea of being Lola’s mother-in-law. Perhaps on the same level, Dr. Norval thinks class is the bigger discrimination as well. He says that through Lola’s wealth, the color of her skin will melt and she will find a suitable husband.

Introduction

Hola a todos!

My name is Nicole and I am a fourth year English language student. Studying literature outside of North America seems very interesting because it challenges the conventions I am used to. I just couldn't leave the world of Academia without the knowledge this course has to offer.

Nicole