Literary Analysis of Doña Bárbara
Chapter XII – Doubts and Discoveries
Santos grapples with questions about his relationship with Marisela and his intentions for modernizing the land. He wrestles with the necessity of change while acknowledging the natural order of things, a realization that dawns on him while riding with the farmhands.
Chapter XIII – Shadows and Confrontations
Marisela overhears cooks preparing a spell against Luzardo, realizing her mother, Doña Bárbara, desires the same man. Pajarote, seeking to meet someone, travels to The Fear and encounters Doña Bárbara. Marisela arrives, interrupting the spell, and confronts her mother face-to-face. Luzardo appears, defending Marisela, and Doña Bárbara is left alone, advised to focus on her work if she wants him to come to her.
Part III
Chapter I – The Return of Fear
Balbino Paiba, sidelined since Santos’ arrival, plots to regain Doña Bárbara’s favor. He sends his Brujeador to steal horses, who returns with a bad omen. Doña Bárbara reflects on the cyclical nature of events. The Brujeador pledges his loyalty, assuring her he can deliver Luzardo, dead or alive.
Chapter II – Loss and Retribution
Marisela, chastised for her beliefs and visit to The Fear, expresses her desire to return to Barquereña with her father, to which Santos agrees. Back home, they equip Altamira with fences. Tragedy strikes when Carmelito and another worker are killed, their supplies stolen. Luzardo vows to avenge their deaths.
Chapter III – Justice Delayed
Santos seeks justice for the murdered workers from Colonel Pernalete. Mujiquita believes the culprits will be revealed in time. Pernalete’s dismissive attitude towards the murders outrages Luzardo, highlighting the lack of law enforcement.
Narrative in Literature
Narrative literature focuses on storytelling, conveying events and experiences in various ways. A narrative work, be it a short story or a novel, communicates a message through two key elements: history and discourse.
History and Discourse
History comprises the individual events and their connections, revealed through the narrator’s words and the characters’ actions. Discourse refers to the narrator’s language and techniques used to convey the story. History and discourse are intertwined, coexisting to form a cohesive narrative.
Types of Narrators
A character narrator tells the story from their perspective, using the first person. A witness narrator observes and recounts the events happening to others, also using the first person. The omniscient narrator remains outside the story, employing a third-person perspective and possessing knowledge of all characters’ thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Narrative Techniques
Speech records are the writer’s tools for crafting dialogue and narration. A narrative record presents a clear, concise, and engaging account of real or fictional events. The author provides sufficient information to answer the reader’s questions: who, when, where, and why.
Understanding and Description
Understanding involves comprehending the characteristics, qualities, and circumstances of objects, actions, and ideas. Different types of descriptions exist, including:
- Chronography: Describes a specific time or period.
- Surveying: Depicts a landscape, place, or country.
- Prosopography: Highlights a person’s physical features.
- Etopeya: Emphasizes moral characteristics.
- Portrait: Combines physical and moral descriptions.
Dialogue and Monologue
Dialogue represents spoken conversation, real or imagined, and is a fundamental element of drama. Direct dialogue faithfully transcribes the characters’ words. In indirect dialogue, the narrator conveys the conversation’s essence without direct quotation. Monologue involves a character speaking their thoughts aloud, often used in theater.
Sensory Imagery
Sensory imagery evokes feelings and sensations through vivid descriptions:
- Auditory images: Describe sounds (bass, treble, rhythm, loudness).
- Tactile images: Convey texture (smooth, rough, cold, hot).
- Olfactory images: Suggest smells (pleasant, unpleasant, intense).
- Gustatory images: Relate to taste (sweet, salty, bitter).
Figurative Language
Denotation refers to a word’s literal meaning. Comparison highlights similarities between two images, using connecting words like”as””like” or”seems” Metaphor creates an implicit comparison, transferring the meaning of one word to another. Personification attributes human qualities to animals or objects. Onomatopoeia imitates natural sounds. Exaggeration emphasizes qualities or flaws. Synesthesia combines multiple sensory images or blends sensory experience with emotions.