Aura--

The book Aura is different from the other pieces we have read so far. One thing I noticed was the perspective was rather strange. The story is told as though us, the readers. The story is told as though the reader is the Felipe. When read it seems as though the reader is experiencing what is happening to Felipe first hand. "You eat in silence. You drink that thick wine." (41).  This gives the story an eerie feeling because it seems like the reader is the one who is experiencing the creepy old house, the old lady, and the passion for Aura.
Another interesting aspect of the book is the presence of the various animals. The rabbit in the bedroom with the red eyes seems to be representation of the old woman. Rabbits are supposed to bring images of comfort and harmlessness to mind. Elderly people are also supposed to be harmless, yet this particular rabbit has red eyes and that causes the reader to feel rather spooked because it is not quite normal. Similarly the old woman seems to be frail and sick to the point of being quite harmless, yet when Felipe looks into her eyes they are clear and strange. (23). This is an example of the cliff that we discussed in class. When something appears to be normal yet has a subtle indicator that it is not quite right it causes us fear, anxiety, or mistrust. The old woman and the rabbit seem to be normal, but when Felipe (and the reader) takes a closer look these inconsistencies cause us to feel insecure.