Hi class!
There was one thing I thought about quite a lot after reading chapter 8 and I want to hear what you guys think about it. When Riad and Eva have sex, Eva throws away Riad's handkerchief and kisses him on the lips. It's really special for Riad as he says, "No one has ever kissed me on the mouth." He really opens up and trusts her that night. Earlier in the story we also learn that Riad lets Eva eat with him, which is unusual and another sign of trust. He is not covering himself for Eva.
When Eva leaves to the city (p 203), Allende ends the paragraph with, "From the bus window, I saw him standing with his handkerchief over his mouth."
Why do you guys think Allende chose to end the paragraph like that? Last night they were really close, now they aren't? Did she use the handkerchief in the text to show how special the night was? To show how close they were? But why would he use it again when waving goodbye to Eva? Maybe I'm overanalyzing, but I just can't figure out why she chose to add this detail - because I'm sure she means something with it - to the text.
Any ideas?
Marcus, you bring up a solid example of the author showing that beauty is beyond just physical appearances. Eva kissing Riad on his mouth and the removal of the hankerchief shows Riad that Eva loves him because of who he is. In the materialistic society that we live in today this is important to remember about someone, and that is beauty is only skin deep. The hankerchief over his mouth even after the night is probably a reflex that he can't help after hiding his cleft lip for so many years.
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