An aspect of these chapters that I found to be interesting was in chapter 4, on page 84. Allende wrote,
"Rolf Carle began to grow thin. Every time he lifted his food from his plate, his spoon was transformed into his father's tongue; at the bottom of the bowl, through the soup, he could see the dead man's terrified eyes; the bread was the color of the hanged man's skin," (84).
I thought that the way this was described fit well when looking at this book through a lens focusing on the body. Instead of just saying that Rolf was thinking about his father's death and feeling guilty for being pleased that the man was out of his life, the author used the father's body, as well as Rolf's body to demonstrate how Rolf was feeling. Generally, if someone is feeling guilty of something, that is all that that person can focus on and think about. We as the reader can see that through this quote. Rolf is depressed because he feels that it is wrong to be glad that his father is dead. He can't shake that feeling, and the fact that he can't even eat without thinking about his father, demonstrates the struggles taking place in Rolf's mind.
The actions of the body, the fact that Rolf was becoming thin, and the images of the father's eyes, tongue, and skin created, help point to a larger picture. Using the images and descriptions of the body, help the author say something without having to some right out and say it.
-Jessica Mitchell
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