Commentary: Clara The Clairvoyant Essay

The title of the passage (chapter) seems to me very interesting. It is clearly stated that Clara is a clairvoyant, meaning having a supernatural ability to perceive events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact. In the chapters preceding this passage, we come across a lot of examples of magical realism as a theme in the novel, be it Rosas immense beauty, her plain white skin, her green hair or her yellow eyes, it all sounded too magical to be true. In the same context, Claras being a clairvoyant made me question the name of the chapter itself. Can she really possess such powers? Or is it just symbolic for some intuition that she has further in the book? The author has put the readers into a great dilemma through this title.

The author has used simple language but complex sentences throughout the text. Some complex words have been used in the context of medical terms when Clara is being checked by the doctors. The events have been narrated in an omniscient, third person narrative. This style of narration is effective in portraying the story from the view of an outsider or someone other than the characters in the novel. However, this way of narration restricts itself in respect to knowing what a character s actually thinking. A first person narrative, which is also seen in this novel, is very effective in describing the story from the point of view of a certain character in the novel.

Clara does not need to make any radical breaks with tradition to be an exceedingly independent woman. Her refusal to speak, although at first motivated by fear of the power of her words, is her first great gesture of self-assertion. Since traditionally women are meant to submit their opinions and their voices to those of men, this could be seen as a subservient gesture. However, as the Rumanian Rostipov explains, Clara does not talk because she does not want to. When Clara does speak, it is to announce her marriage to Esteban. Once again, her marriage is in many respects quite traditional. However, Clara is the first to announce the marriage, and Clara asks Esteban if he wants to marry her. When Clara speaks, she uses simple, assertive sentences. The verb "will" appears in many of her utterances. Clara never mistrusts her intuition, nor does she allow any room for anyone to question her.

Clara is one of the most important characters in the novel and her possession of supernatural powers, increases her importance even more in the novel. Not only this, but a certain other characteristics about Clara are also exhibited through this text. Clara is barely aware of the material world. She is most interested in communicating with spirits and only pays attention to mundane details such as domestic chores in times of extreme necessity. Clara is often described as floating through the world. At times, this refers to her literally levitating, at others it shows the way she is able to ignore much of what she does not want to deal with. Clara's temper is extremely calm. She inspires great respect and devotion in all those who meet her. Clara's character changes very little as she grows from a young girl to an old woman.

Clara is a very strong character. Her not talking for years may seem cowardice or her weakness towards the hardships in her life, but in fact, it I her strength in tackling them. Her patience and tremendous dedication makes her a really unique character in the novel. When all the efforts of Dr. Cuevas fail in knowing the cause of Claras muteness, a Rumanian named Rostipov declared that she was mute not because she was unable to, but because she didnt want to speak. The efforts of the family and Nana in trying to make Clara speak by keeping her hungry or scaring her, failed. This completely supports the earlier mentioned statement that Clara was a very strong character. Instead of getting scared of all these prank of the other characters, Clara got used to them and was no longer afraid of even the scariest and ugliest monsters in her surroundings.

Claras reaction to the people forcefully trying to make her speak was full of rage. But their efforts made her even more determined about not talking. Not only did she keep mute, but she also threw out her rage yelling and kicking, but not speaking one meaningful word in any language possible!

Isabel Allende seems to focus attention of the readers on this character (Clara), how she starts her life with the del Valles and how her life changes after she marries into the Trueba family, and of course, also after her death.