Sunday, September 7, 2008
Sab Discussion Question
In Sab, each of the four main characters, Sab, Enrique,Carlota, and Teresa, are described differently. Enrique is the first main character to be described and Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda describes him as traveler who had fair, rosy skin, blue eyes, and golder hair. All of these features indicated that he was not a native to Cuba and of some "northern region" (27). Because Enrique was stopping several times to observe the scenery, he could not be poor. Whereas Enrique had the classic blond hair and blue eye characteristics, Sab was described as "a tall young man of average build but with striking features" (28). He was a mulatto who had yellowish white skin and black, lustrous, curly hair ("as lustrous and black as the wings of the raven"-28) and thick lips, showing his African heritage. In Chapter Two, Carlota is described as gentle with parted chestnut hair in ringlets framing a 17-year-old face. She was said to have the "model of perfection" because of her delicate features and the soulful gaze of her large eyes. She had a certain angelic and poignant air around her and she was wearing a dress of pure white when she is first introduced to the reader. Teresa, however, is described to have an ordinary face with neither repugnant nor beautiful features. Her face was so devoid of emotion that it seemed to inspire hate instead of love. She had dark green eyes that always "had a cold, indifferent look which held neither the fascination of sadness nor the charm gaiety" (35). Her eyes always stayed the same with that particular look whether she laughed, or cried because her features did not show any emotion. When Teresa did show emotion, which was scarce, she looked alive and energetic and only then did her eyes change from that cold and indifferent look that she usually held. Carlota and Enrique are described to have perfect or near perfect features, whereas Sab and Teresa are said to have "average" or "ordinary" features. I'm not exactly sure why Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda did this, but I think that Carlota and Enrique were the ideal man and woman. Although Sab and Teresa are clearly not the ideal man and woman, I think that both of these characters are happier than Carlota and Enrique. Sab is happy just being with Carlota; Teresa is happy after she goes to the convent, although that does not occur until towards the end of the book. Carlota and Enrique appear happy with each other, but Carlota is always trying to decide whether Enrique truly loves her or her land and money. Enrique is undecided as to whether he truly loves Carlota or her money.
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7 comments:
Out of all of the characters I found Teresa to be the most interesting. When she is first introduced in chapter 2, like Ruth said, Teresa is seen a plain and ordinary woman, often with a melancholy face. Despite Carlota’s beauty and Enrique’s blue eyes and golden hair, to me Teresa stands out from the others because she is so different. In the beginning of the novel I thought Teresa was simply an emotionless characters as it says that Carlota loved Teresa, but Carlota’s, “friendship was not reciprocated,” by Teresa (36.) However as the novel continues Teresa shows more and more glimpses of emotion until finally, Teresa shows true emotions when she is talking to Sab. In the end she is Sab’s true friend. While Carlota is blinded by what she thinks is true love towards Enrique, Teresa is able to see clearly that Sab is indeed a better man than Enrique.
You raise a couple of key points here. The first is that we naturally link Sab and Teresa as outsiders when compared to Enrique and Carlota's idealized (at least in the beginning)status. What is perhaps more interesting than anything, however, is the sense of indeterminacy with which the narrator presents both Sab and Teresa. As we mentioned in class, the description of Sab leaves a lot of ambiguity as to what his roots and social status are. The same is true for Teresa, although said ambiguity seems more focused on her emotional life. What is the effect of this? What does Avellaneda achieve by leaving the reader to make guesses about what exactly is going on with these characters? Why might she have opted for a similar method of characterization for these to figures?
Emily, what does this error on Carlota's part tell us about true love? or at least the Romantic concept of true love?
I am not sure that I totally agree with the happiness of the characters. I consider Sab to be happy when he is around Carlota, but I do not think that he gets to be around her a whole lot. He is also very paranoid about Enrique to the point that he stalks him. Sab also essentially commits suicide at the end of the book when he realizes that he will never have Carlota. A happy man would not do this. Apart from that though I would agree that Carlota, through the majority of the book, undoubtedly seems happy but is also questioning rather often. Teresa I would also agree finds happiness at the end of the book when she moves to the convent. As for Enrique I believe that although he sometimes likes to think that he loves Carlota his true love is undoubtedly money. This being the case it would be very hard for him to satisfy himself since there will always be someone with more money than himself.
I disagree that Avellaneda described Enrique and Carlota as having “perfect or near perfect features” because they were the “ideal” man and woman. Rather I think she describes Enrique and Carlota as the way they are viewed by the people that surround them. The people that surround them including Teresa look at them with admiration. However, Sab does not admire Enrique, but in a way respects him despite Enrique’s absence of love for Carlota. Even the older members of society must look at Enrique and Carlota as people who possess great youth and beauty. The youth of Enrique and Carlota illuminates the society, although they are far from “ideal” or “perfect”.
I agree with Ruth that from a far away glance, Enrique and Carlota seem to be ideal characters. Both come from good families with a lot of wealth, both are uniquely beautiful and both are somewhat in love with eachother. So yes, from an outsiders point of view, these two characters are a model for others to follow. However, I think that Teresa and Sab both help each one of these "ideal" characters keep a utopian appearence. Until the end of the novel, Sab never mentions Enrique's intentions for marrying Carlota, which would not only have crushed Carllota's heart, but also made these characters less visionary. Also, Teresa restores Carlota's faith in her relationship with Enrique when Carlota becomes positive that Enrique has stopped loving her. Teresa is always by Carlota's side when she cries about Enrique's absense or lags on about her deep feelings for him. Without Teresa, Carlota would have no one to vent to.
So I agree with Emily that Teresa is one of the most interesting characters, because even though she appears to be boring and emotionless, she helps Carlota get through tough times and helps Sab when the two meet at midnight.
Sab and Teresa are definetly two incredibly significant characters, and without them I doubt that Carlota and Enrique would have lasted as long as they did.
John, I would be interested to know at what point Sab feels respect for Enrique.
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