Narrator, Characters, and Setting Analysis
Narrator Analysis
- Level of Knowledge: The narrator’s knowledge is relative, as they express doubts about the feelings of some characters, such as Mariangela. They are unsure if their departure caused pain.
- Relation to the Story: The narrator is a kind of protagonist, telling their own life story.
- Space-Time Position: The narrator is distant from the events, recalling their childhood rather than living it in the present.
- Perspective: The narration is personal, using the “I” perspective.
- Location in the Story: The narrator is intradiegetic, meaning they are a character within the story.
- Importance: The narrator is central, as they tell the entire story; no other character is involved in the narration.
Character Descriptions
Roberto Lopez: Roberto had brown skin, but apparently lighter hair. He was very expressive and not afraid to show what he felt or thought, though with strangers, he was a bit shy and reserved. Precocious for his age, he possessed a hidden maturity resulting from the many sufferings he endured after being raised solely by his mother. Very intelligent and skilled in most school subjects, which made him stand out.
Roberto’s Mother: A woman who was down and very thin. Despite her young age, she appeared much older due to hard work. Earnest, struggling, and steady, she never complained despite suffering much and never surrendered to adversity until the last moment, always giving her best for her children.
The Old Linda: An elderly lady, the owner of the brothel, full of stories and always cheerful. She loved her “girls” and apparently had been one herself in her youth. She was a little chubby, a product of her age.
Mauritius: Robert’s brother, tall and thin, but from what was seen, he was very strong. Rebel and liberal, unfettered by ties to home. This must be the product of the neglect they suffered as children from their father, which must have marked him in some way.
Rose Hortensia: A prostitute, apparently the most attractive woman in the brothel, the most coveted there. She was involved in Roberto’s first sexual encounter, which started it.
Setting: Space and Environment
Space: The setting was a poor neighborhood, located in the suburbs of a city. It was one of the lowest sectors, which explained the presence of the brothel, the tenements, and the general living conditions. It was also an era where social differences were more obvious than today, approximately 45 or 50 years ago. Wealthier people did not offer much help for the poorest to improve their situation, which exacerbated the conditions mentioned.
Environment: Despite the poverty, it was never a sad place; on the contrary, people seemed happier. In the brothel environment, there was never a sense of regret, except for when someone died (possibly a typo for “vicinity” or a character’s name?). At all other times, there were celebrations and parties, just as in the tenements. Only at night was there fear, but perhaps no more so than elsewhere; it wasn’t something particularly relevant to their daily lives.