Latin American Short Stories

13 responses so far ↓

•   Madeleine // Sep 28th 2014 at 9:28 pm

  I thought “The Tree” was a disheartening story and I felt sad for the character Brígida. She was obviously unhappy and lacked a direction for her life. It was disappointing for me to read that her father gave up on her and called her retarded because in my experience, people will eventually believe what people tell them about themselves. For instance, victims of bullying who are told they are dumb, or overweight, or ugly will eventually believe it to be true if the victim does not receive help or guidance from a strong support system. I doubt Brígida was retarded. I think she was just lost and uncertain about her future. Instead of receiving guidance, she took what seemed to be a viable path and married a much older man. As the commentary mentions, the tree is a symbol of Brígida; when the tree stands resolute, Brígida is defying Luis with the silent treatment and when the tree loses its leaves, Brígida becomes sad and depressed over Luis’ lack of affection. From the beginning of the story, the reader knows that Brígida eventually left Luis because another character tells Brígida, “I met your husband yesterday, your ex-husband I mean,” (272) and later the narrator reveals that Brígida, “doesn’t quite understand why, why she went away one day suddenly….” (273). But, Brígida does not leave Luis until the tree is chopped down. At this point, Brígida came to a realization that her happiness would only be found in indifference. She says, “true happiness lies in the conviction that happiness has been irremediable lost. Then we begin to move through life without hope or fear” (280). Once the tree lost its life, Brígida escaped her marriage but also accepted a loss of livelihood, too. Not once in this story is Brígida’s marriage to a much older man called into question. Her father allows it and it is assumed that her sisters all married men of similar age to themselves. I wonder if this problem is not addressed because Brígida is deemed ignorant and does not understand the possible repercussions of marrying a significantly older man or if this was not an uncommon custom in her era and culture. Perhaps many girls suffered as Brígida did.

•   danona // Sep 28th 2014 at 11:45 pm

  Throughout Bombal’s “The Tree” I found myself constantly questioning the role of gender and its importance in the story. It surprised me that as the youngest child, the father brushes Brígida aside and assumes “[she] is retarded” (Bombal 272). Upon reading she was the youngest child of six girls, I expected the father to be more loving and caring towards her; perhaps a bit unwilling to let her go. However, looking at when the story was published, (1939), it makes sense that the men in Brígada’s life treat her so poorly. This made me wonder what Bombal’s intentions were behind the story; looking at the way Brígada was treated and how she never ends up happy, I believe the story to be a portrayal of the difficulties women faced during Bombal’s era. The ending of the story particularly struck me as interesting because it had an empty feel to it. Brígada states that “no one or nothing could hurt her” and that she did not “love him” but did not “suff[er]” anymore (Bombal 279). After reading this, it seemed to me that Brígada has given up on hope or any chance at a happy life with her husband. This theme of emptiness and gender continues as Brígada realizes that she will live the rest of her life “without children” (Bombal 280). It is expectant of a woman to bear a child, and seen as a sense of completing her life by bringing new life into this world. In Brígada’s case, she is stuck with a man who does not wish to help her bear a child, leaving her feeling “naked” or as if something is missing from her life (Bombal 280). I also found it interesting how Bombal was able to incorporate the symbol of the tree and how it represents Brígada’s different emotional states or times in her life. For example, after the tree has shed all it’s leaves it is empty, a mirror image of how Brígada is feeling.

•   jacobsoh // Sep 29th 2014 at 12:29 am

  While reading Bombal’s Story “The tree” I found my self question the time and society Brígida lived in. the fact that the story was written in 1939 gives some context into the time, however a lot of what happed in the story still seems very sad and tragic. It seemed as though Brígada was doomed from the start when her father was “perplexed and tired out by the first five [daughters] that he preferred to simplify matters by declaring [Brígada] retarded” (272). Brígada’s father simply gave up on her and filled her head with negative connotations of herself. These ideas given to her during her childhood stuck with her and the community accepted it too. The community believed that “she [was] as stupid as she [was] pretty” (272). As a result Brígada a young lady marries a much older man. I am not sure if this was common for the time, but it seems as though her sisters did not have to marry older men who did not love them. Everyone has seemed to give up on Brígada, even Luis who was once her only place to go to “when they all abandoned her” (273). As her husband, he too ignores her and does not value her for anything other than her exterior. At the end of the story Brígada finally takes some control over her life, but it is still in a sad way. She came to accept that “true happiness lies in the conviction that happiness has been irremediably lost” (280). She then is able to leave her marriage, which gives some control, but ultimately, Brígada ends up alone and with nothing.

•   applegsa // Sep 29th 2014 at 1:05 am

  “The Tree” was an interesting story to read, mainly because Brigida was such a complex character. Her thoughts and unique perspective on the world intrigued me and made me want to keep reading throughout the story. The story was also very sad because of how lonely Brigida was. It was upsetting that from a young age Brigida was written off as retarded because although not conventionally educated, she was actually a very observant and naturally smart character in her own way, which was evident for example through her relating nature sounds to famous musician’s pieces. I think that being given this label at a young age affected Brigida’s perception of herself; because she grew up thinking she was retarded, she acted the part, causing people to not take her seriously. This in turn affected her relationships with others, namely Luis, who treated her with no respect, as though she was beneath him. While reading the story, I thought it was complex and interesting, but after reading the commentary on this story, it became even more so because I gained a new, deeper perspective on it by learning more about the musicians and the metaphors that were used.

•   Hannah // Sep 29th 2014 at 1:07 am

  In “The Tree”, by María Bombal, Brígida allows other’s opinions to dictate how she lives her life, resulting in her unhappiness and loneliness. As the piano concert she attends starts, the reader learns how Brígida has a passion for music, but considers herself to know “so little about music!” (271) Since her father told her she was “‘retarded’” (272) and didn’t put in the effort to raise her as he had his other daughters, he causes her to believe herself inadequate and unintelligent. However, she really shows more knowledge than her sisters in her passion and love for music. As a child in a family with a big family, it is hard to always stand out or feel acknowledged. Furthermore, she never experiences love because people consider her to be “‘as stupid as she is pretty.’” (272) Brígida has a hard time relating with those around her and feels isolated, judged for any imperfections she may have, especially relating to her intelligence. She allows these self-perceptions to control her life. Many girls struggle with problems similar to this, myself included. We allow statements or comments to control our lives based around the idea that we cannot understand ourselves as well as our critics do. Then we fixate on these things. Brigída then proceeds to become trapped in a very unhappy marriage, eventually accustoming herself to the idea that “true happiness lies in the conviction that happiness has been remediably lost.” (280) She resigns herself to the a moderate life with moderate pleasures. She has lost hope and she has lost her dreams. This is an issue many girls are sensitive to. Many girls have desires to marry the perfect man and have a wonderful life filled with adventure and passion. They dream that all their dreams will be fulfilled. The idea of living a life of mediocrity is stifling, captivating. Brígida’s life is tragic. She is lonely and fears her inadequacy. These are fears that I relate to.

•   Estiven // Sep 29th 2014 at 1:13 am

  In the Tree by Maria Luisa Bombal, Brigida contrasts with her five sisters in that her father and the townspeople perceive Brigida as clueless and unable to amount to anything. At times, the townspeople question whether she even has a purpose in life. Her opinions about here own self are nonexistent while everybody gets a say in her life. Her decisions are made in order to avoid people that are critical of her personality. She even decided to marry a man she had no love for without any true reason. After she married Luis it was evident she made the wrong decision, Luis was “ashamed of her, of her ignorance, her timidity, and even her eighteen years. Had he not asked her to say she was at least twenty one, as if her extreme youth were a defect?”(275). She tried to escape other people’s perceptions about her but even her husband ended being like her father. Brigida doesn’t know her true self; she suffers from an identity crisis because she fails to dig in deep and find her true self. She is undeceived and what other people previously said about her weighs her down. She is restricted of showing her true personality, which leads to people thinking she is “retarded”. Instead she is in a relationship that doesn’t have any value because there is no love from either side, her own husband feels she is a burden and disregards her abilities. Because of her weaknesses she is a character that is missing layers and is not fully developed sometimes it becomes hard to tell weather she is actually ignorant or too lazy to make the decisions that affect her life on a day to day basis. It is almost as if Brigida herself doesn’t care to find her true identity and her purpose in life causing people think she is not mentally stable so they feel they can disfranchise and discourage her.

•   medinaeg // Sep 29th 2014 at 1:18 am

  In “The Tree” by Bombal, I felt Brigida did not have love in her life. As a small child her father was tired and exhausted by the time he could spend time with his sixth daughter. She would find love or what she thought was love from Luis, when she felt abandoned “she would hug him…and shower him with kisses.” Her true love was nature, when the tree was cut down and she saw civilization outside her window she could not be happy. “All that ugliness had entered” and “crashes against the front of a dazzling skyscraper.” All the people in her life demoralized her and treated her as if she was less than a person. She did not want to be thought of as dumb though everyone saw her as that, “she is as stupid as she is pretty.” Her dressing room was her escape from civilization, “one’s eyes felt rested, refreshed” inside. Due to the “infinite, green forest” and the chirping of birds that resided in the tree. Today in our society people do like to de-stress and go out to nature for some time to unwind. With all of our technology people are focusing more with technology or working rather than enjoying life. Brigida knew Luis was busy, he would “stealthily” get up as not to wake his “necklace of birds”, and go to work. In the end she left Luis due to “the tree! They have cut down the rubber tree.”

•   chicasi // Sep 29th 2014 at 2:18 am

  “The Tree” by Maria Luisa Bombal was very interesting to read and analyze. I understood Brigida’s life has been very difficult for her since everything she did related with her obliviousness and unknowing lifestyle. Throughout the story, I assumed that Brigida wanted to follow her sister’s footsteps by marrying Luis because she believed that was the only way to relate with them. I thought of this because she married him because “one by one, her sisters were asked to marry”(272) and “no one proposed to her.”(272). However, Luis made me believe he did not care about her because he doesn’t spend time with Brigida. Brigida’s comments imply that Luis doesn’t love her when she stated that “[he doesn’t] have a heart”(273) and asked why did he marry her, leading to Luis brushing her thoughts off by calling her “a frightened little doe.”(274) Brigida constantly questions her marriage and compares it to her sisters’ marriages and how “they were taken everywhere by their husbands” (275) and how Luis never took her anywhere, despite his promises. They had an argument after Luis breaks his promise and tries to make her go to Buenos Aires away from him, making Brigida realize she is unhappy because Luis is too busy to care enough about her. Their love wasn’t developed enough before they married, which made me realize that people can be too quick and hasty to find someone to fulfill a lifetime of happiness and love together. Some people also don’t connect when life gets more busy and harder, which is why Brigida was unhappy with Luis. Since they were never spending time together, their love dissolved with the rubber tree Brigida admired. The tree symbolized their love, and after it was cut down, Brigida’s love for Luis ceased to exist.

•   Aden // Sep 29th 2014 at 2:34 am

  In the story “The Tree” by Maria Luisa Bombal, a girl that has been consistently disregarded and unvalued displays the detrimental effects of her isolation. Brigida began life with a father that “simplified matters by declaring her retarded.” She started her life with extremely low standards put upon her and she “remained completely ignorant.” She did not try in life because no one expected or asked her to. The people said “she is as stupid as she is pretty.” She was belittled by everyone around her and that served to destroy her ambition. They expected her to think of “nothing” and she did. She was a product of her circumstances and stayed “stupid” because no one thought to change it. She married Luis to find refuge in not feeling as “guilty of being as she was.” She was desperate and latched onto what she saw was the only option. She was not expected to make a thorough decision and she didn’t. She didn’t even “understand why” she married him. People’s expectations shackled her to a life of thoughtlessness and she conformed to their ideals. She makes decisions without thinking simply because she does not think she can handle making the decision, which is what she has been told her whole life. The music of Mozart led her through the story because she felt as though she could not lead herself. Mozart “opens for her a gate” so she can see Luis and as soon as she begins to ponder why she married Luis, Mozart “takes her nervously by the hand” and she arrives in the concert hall. She is not allowed to think for herself. Mozart symbolizes the effect of the people in her life that have discouraged her from thinking. He stops her just as they have. Beethoven and Chopin allow her to see the truth. They cause her to recover her “sight” and “bearings” and realize her reality. Brigida comes to know that she is “imprisoned in the web of her past” and the death of the gum tree signifies the death of her ignorance. She sees everything for what it is and hates it. As it was stated earlier in the text; “how pleasant it is to be ignorant.”

•   Cailin // Sep 29th 2014 at 2:37 am

  As described in Menton’s commentary of “The Tree” by Maria Luisa Bombal, the three musical pieces in the story reflect the three stages of Brigida’s life. The story is a flashback, while presently, Brigida is at a concert. Music has the power to evoke strong emotions, images, and memories, and as a musician, I personally identified with this sensation. The section devoted to Mozart took Brigida back to her childhood, and the descriptions and images were very carefree and innocent. Right after Luis is introduced in this section, the music takes her back over the bridge she is imagining, shifting away from memories marriage for the rest of the song as the mood is still one of innocence. This evokes both curiosity of what is over the bridge, but also timidity of the anticipation of what is coming. The reader knows it will not be innocent and carefree, suggesting that the marriage will not be one of pure happiness and it will have some kind of struggle or tension. When the song is over and switches to Beethoven with a more romantic feel, her emotions change and she begins to remember the marriage itself. Her love was never reciprocated in the way she had childishly dreamt love should be, and the passion was nonexistent. Moving into Chopin, the struggles of their marriage were outlined, and even after the music was over in the present, she was so caught up in the emotions the music evoked that she remained inside her imagination, remembering the ending of her marriage and her realization of why it didn’t work. Music has the power to take away reality for the moment, though one can still hear the melody and remain inside their memories. This story successfully portrayed this phenomenon, and created a beautiful musical overtone as the writer explored Brigida’s emotions within the different stages of her life.

•   jimminkc // Sep 29th 2014 at 3:38 am

  As stated in the commentary, Brigida’s life is symbolized in three stages. Her childhood is described through Mozart’s rococo music. Her childhood is described as care-free. She was 1 of 6 kids. Since she was the youngest her father didn’t have much energy anymore to pay attention to her. As she get older she is married to a man who is also much like her father. She loves the man but her husband doesn’t show her much affection. This part of her life is reflected by Mozart’s romantic music. The commentary describes it starting off nice and sweet like the beginning of spring but then it ends harsh with “the summer’s heat and heavy showers”. Her last section of life is described by the crescendo of applause. This is her leaving her husband. There is a point in the story where her husband has noticed her anger. He tries to speak to her but she simply ignores him. He starts to accuse her of no longer loving him but she quickly cries that she does indeed love him. At this point is confused and doesn’t know where to go to with life.

•   grandam // Sep 29th 2014 at 6:17 am

  In “The Tree” María Luisa Bombal, Brigida and Luis enter into their marriage with different expectations about their life together. This sets their marriage up for failure as both of them feel unhappy about their unfulfilled relationship. Brigida is looking for what she couldn’t find from her father in Luis. She longs for love, commitment and a deep connection with her husband. This seems unlikely as Luis is emotionally distant and unable to connect with her. “Leaving her forgotten upon Luis’s breast” (273). Their marriage was meant to be a bridge from her childhood to adulthood but Luis, “closes the door to her past with a chord at once gentle and firm” before she has acquired the skills to succeed on her own (273). Marriage should not be the joining of two partial people, but rather the combination of two whole people who build off of each other. This is certainly not true for Brigida and Luis. Her inability to converse with him as anything more than a child speaking to an elder exemplifies their unequal relationship. Luis wants a submissive, quiet wife who he can be protective over and provide for. He expects her to be okay with his absence and to be happy with her life of solitude. This is not so, and her prolonged nagging for him to stay with her only serves to heighten his annoyance. Luis isn’t present in their marriage, causing them to fall in to complacency and Brigida to lose interest. The relationship between Brigita and Luis is fruitless, causing their marriage to implode.

•   Kienan // Sep 29th 2014 at 2:44 pm

  Rubber is pliable, not a material that is easily broken. Just like Brigida’s love for her husband, the wind constantly beats against the rubber tree, but it does not break. It continues to take the blows because it does not know any better and can do nothing about it. Brigida is in love with Luis, but it is a fake love that she is unsure why she has it. The orchestra plays music telling a story, making the listener feel a certain type of way at different points in the piece. Brigida seems obsessed with the orchestra legends such as Mozart, although she does not know who she is talking about the majority of the time. The music is her story being told and the rubber tree is her love. When the rubber tree is cut down, so is her love for Luis.

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