Shrouded Woman

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    As I read “The Shrouded Woman” I was haunted by its themes of death and effective use of a “stream of consciousness” style of narration. The author’s choice to set the novel primarily on the deathbed of Ana Maria is highly provocative and provides a great way of telling a posthumous story in a compelling way. I really enjoyed reading the novel and greatly appreciated the writing style and the use of a “memory” method of storytelling similar to that of Combray.

The book is primarily set on Ana Maria’s deathbed, where the other characters in the text are to believe that she is dead. However, as the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that she is really aware of her surroundings and knows when the people who were in her life come to visit her. Throughout the text, she hears the voices of those who visit her and relives various experiences from her life. This experience helps the reader to better understand the circumstances surrounding her life.

The most powerful theme for me is the novel’s exploration of the themes of love and liberation. Ana María frequently revisits her relationships, particularly with her ex-lover, reflecting on the constraints and societal expectations that stifled her desires and identity. Through doing this Bombal is able to critique the patriarchal society, using Ana María’s life story as a testament to the silent sufferings of many women. The novella suggests that death may offer the ultimate liberation from these societal constraints, a controversial and thought-provoking stance. I greatly appreciated the approach to portraying themes of feminism in this way.

The rich writing style utilized by Bombal alongside the use of imagery and symbolism also provide a great deal of depth to the novel. One major aspect of the novel that stood out to me was the similarity with the writing style used in Combray. Both novels rely upon memory and a similar style of “flashbacks” to effectively tell the story. In the same way that the various objects in Combray trigger memories for the protagonist, people coming to visit trigger similar memories for Ana Maria.

Something that has come up for me in reading the last two books is the concept of memory, and the inherent biases that come with it. We are only told the story of Ana Maria’s life from her perspective which is likely imbued with personal bias and perspective. There is also likely some bias from the author in developing the characters and the perspectives they hold. Is Ana Maria unbiased? How could the narrative change if it was told from multiple perspectives?

Comments

  1. Jon Beasley-MurrayFebruary 6, 2024 at 2:29 AM

    Thanks for this. Two small things: 1. I'm not sure that this is really a "stream of consciousness" style of narration except in so far as it does (like most narration) track an individual consciousness. But the notion of "stream of consciousness" is rather different. 2. When you say that "the other characters in the text are to believe that she is dead," you seem to suggest that she isn't... but she is, isn't she? It's just that she can somehow think and ponder even from her coffin.

    On the other hand, yes, you make a good point about this as a non-linear narrative that is at times almost cinematic (with "flashbacks"). It's perhaps no surprise to learn that Bombal worked for a while in Hollywood.

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