Chapter 7
Setting: Agua Santa and the CapitalRolf is working for Senor Aravena who tells him there is political unrest in the air. Once he checked, Rolf discovered his mentor was correct. After mass amounts of blood shed and loss of life due to protest against the general; the powerful men flea the country within days. In Agua Santa, Eva is unaware of the revolution and protests that were occurring. Riad tells her that democracy has little to do with them and life will not change. While in the capital were are reintroduced to Huberto, who is invited to a secret meeting which he is then introduced to the Guerillas. That is when he learned the new meaning of solitude and silence, and that he is not alone in thinking life is unfair. Huberto enlists to work in the city causing disruption, painting the walls, and handing out flyers on the revolution. While staying in the mountains Rolf meets Huberto and a unlikely friendship begins.
Chapter 8
Setting: Agua Santa, (Near) Calle Republica, the Capitol
It has been two years since Kamal has left Agua Santa, and it is then when Eva and Zulema fall into a daily routine. Eva would read stories and listen to radio serials with her in order to spark some type of life into her. Riad has to go to the Capitol for business, and Eva does not want to be left alone with Zulema and the "ghost" of Kamal. The next morning Eva finds that Zulema has shot and killed herself; Eva cleans her body, changes her, and then replaces the gun in the drawer after cleaning it. Eva reads stories to the body till the cops appear and raid the house finds a gun and Zulema's blood soiled clothes which leads to Eva's arrest and questioning. When she is silenced with fear, the lieutenant beat her. She is released in a bribe by Riad, In a way of defiance toward the lieutenant, everyone showed up to Zulema's funeral, however rumors still spread about Eva and she was forced to leave for her own safety. Before she leaves Eva discovers she does not love Riad in a fatherly way but as a lover, and they make love (alllll nighhtt long). The following morning she is sent on a bus to the Capitol where she meets Melesio aka Mimi, Eva learns that she was arrested the night of the revolt of the whores. Mimi invites Eva to stay in her apartment with her.
Discussion Questions
"She found an explanation for the age-old desire of humans to preserve their dead when she discovered that having the bodies nearby makes them easier to remember"(12).
"She reduced me to a size of a ant so I could experience the universe from the smallness; she gave me wings to see it from the heavens; she gave me the tail of a fish so I would know the depths of the sea"(22).
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1.Connect the quotes above to pages 190-191. How does the author makes connections between Eva and her mother Consuelo through embodiment?
2.Due to connections being made between the characters, how close do you believe Huberto, Rolf, and Eva are to each other? How are they separated socially? How is it foreshadowing events to come?
(Look to pages 178-79 where there is no impact in Agua Santa,
page 180- Rolf meets Huberto who knows Eva.
page 184 Rolf and Huberto in the mountains, getting closer to Eva.)
3. How is masculinity and femininity portrayed in chapters 7 and 8 in general?
(You may looks to pages 180- (expectations of a man) and 201(women being born for only sexual pleasure) in your book)
Contextual Materials:(If suicide is a sensitive subject read articles with caution.)
We found some great links on the negative effects of suicide on family and friends. This pertains to chapter 8, page 201 when Eva expresses her physical change due to her physiological shock of dealing with confronting and cleaning up the body of Zulema. Also the Love interest that forms between Riad and Eva is another factor that could be attributed to the suicide.
LInks:
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