Broken Mirror: A Family Saga
Structure
Broken Mirror is a novel divided into three parts, narrating the rise and fall of the Valldaura-Farriols family, representing a specific era and country. The chapters are generally short, except for a few longer ones in the transitions between parts.
Part 1: (18 chapters) Introduces the characters and setting with an objective narrator, focusing on events. We meet the family founders, Teresa and Salvador Valldaura, members of the bourgeoisie.
Part 2: (21 chapters) Explores both external events and the characters’ inner lives. The writing style becomes more literary with longer, complex sentences. This part emphasizes sadness and tragedy.
Part 3: (13 chapters) Continues the family history. Teresa, the central character, dies, surrounded by cherished memories. The characters reflect on their lives, experiencing nostalgia for the past and their youth. The novel concludes with Teresa’s death, marking the end of the saga.
Characters
Amadeu Riera: The attorney, married to Constance, Teresa’s former lover. He maintains a close relationship with the Valldaura family.
Armanda: The prominent cook of the Valldaura household, with a close bond to the family. She has a relationship with Eladi and becomes Teresa’s caregiver later in life. She discovers some family secrets.
Barbara: A violinist whom Salvador Valldaura meets in Vienna. She dislikes mirrors and loves the color purple. Salvador gives her violets, which she uses to commit suicide.
Eladi Stores: Marries Sofia for financial gain and has a relationship with Pilar Segura, with whom he has a daughter.
Eulalia: Wife of Rafael Berguedà and Teresa’s friend. After her husband’s assassination, she moves to Paris with his brother, Quim.
Jaume: Son of Sofia and Eladi. He is sensitive and the only one with access to Teresa’s personal belongings. His frail health and mistreatment by his brothers lead to his drowning in the garden pond.
Jesus Masdeu: Son of Teresa and Miquel, the lamplighter. He becomes a painter and lives in poverty. He joins the war as a militiaman and dies in front of the Valldaura tower.
Joaquim Berguedà: Salvador’s friend who introduces him to Barbara. After Rafael’s murder, he takes Eulàlia to Paris, and they eventually end up together.
Maria: Daughter of Eladi and Pilar, adopted by Sofia. She embodies her mother’s beauty. Upon discovering she is her husband’s sister, she commits suicide.
Marina Riera: Sister of Amadeu Riera. She has a daughter whom she names after herself.
Miquel Masdeu: The lamplighter who has an affair with Teresa in her youth. They have a son, Jesus Masdeu.
Nicolau Rovira: Teresa’s first husband. His wealth elevates her social status. He gives her jewels, which she later sells to support her child with Miquel.
Pilar Segura: A singer at El Paralelo. She becomes Eladi’s lover and has a daughter with him, Maria. She dies in a hospital after a life as a desired woman.
Rafael Berguedà: Eulalia’s husband and Quim’s brother. He is assassinated by the workers of his factory.
Ramon: Sofia’s eldest son. He discovers that Maria is his sister, leading to her suicide. He suffers from a strange illness that causes vertigo near water.
Rosa: The governess who reveals Eladi’s lies about his children to get revenge for the humiliation she endures from Maria and Ramon.
Salvador Valldaura: Gives up his diplomatic career to marry Teresa. He spends his life remembering Barbara, the Viennese violinist. He has a close relationship with his daughter, Sofia.
Sofia: Daughter of Teresa and Salvador. Initially promised the family fortune, she ultimately doesn’t inherit it. Her resilient nature helps her endure life’s hardships, making her the novel’s survivor. She marries Eladi and later discovers he has a daughter (Maria). When the war breaks out, she moves to Paris and marries an industrialist, but becomes a widow. She returns to Barcelona to witness the demolition of the tower and its replacement with apartments.
Teresa: Has an affair with Miquel, resulting in a child. She later marries Nicolau, realizing she needs to conceal her other child to climb the social ladder.