Symbolism in Fuentes Aura Essay -- Carlos Fuentes, Aura Essays

On the surface, Fuentes Aura is a very strange and eery book. It draws you in and keeps you there, forcing you to read the book to its very end. Just below the surface, a world of symbolism, words and parallels lead to a greater understanding of what is happening throughout this captivating tale. Skimming the surface of the story, an abundance of symbols can be signaled out, but a recurrence of symbols is very important. One of the most prevalent symbols found in this story is the darkness of Senora Consuelos old colonial mansion. The house is so dark the characters must learn to maneuver by sound and touch. The darkness sets the tone for the consentient story. Senora Consuelos room is not bathed in light but filled with perpetual shadows. Of course darkness and shadows are a staple of the Gothic, but darkness could too be suggestive of the unknown or not being able to think clearly. Shadows could be interpreted as that which is clouded, hard to grasp, or just beyond clear vision. Did the darkness and shadows contribute to Felipe?s state of mind and make him more susceptible to Senora Consuelos will? The rooms where the action of a story takes propose are also very important. Some the rooms used in the book are bedrooms, the dining room, the parlor, and the enclosed garden patio. The first room we have inside of this old house is the garden patio. This room is interesting because the smell from the patio is always associated with the title character. Felipe looks for her in this garden he smells the patio plants in her hair. Symbolically, the garden can be associated with the mind, with the unconscious, or it may give you clues to your own inner state. The plants, flowers, and fruit found in the garden may also rise t... ...book. These symbols and recurrences are not coincidental or superficial, but upon investigation, give deeper insight into how deeply the mindset of our main character was affected. We now know that Felipe had almost no choice and was lulled into this household. Then there is a plausible explanation about the true relationship between Aura and Senora Consuelo. This book turns out to be a very strange life/death cycle that still leaves questions that need to be answered. Work CitedFuentes, Carlos. Aura. Trans. Lysander Kemp. New York Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1981.Fuentes, Carlos. Worlds Apart. Modernism/Postmodernism. Ed. Peter Brooker. London Longman, 1992. 244-46.Gillespie, Kathleen A literary Legend Speaks ? Carlos Fuentes at the Askwith Education Forum 1 de Diciembre de 2003http//www.gse.harvard.edu/news/featrures/fuentes12012000.html