Aura

Aura by Carlos Fuentes was an interesting read especially surrounding the romance between the General, his wife, Aura and Felipe. It was very strange in a non-romantic way for me personally. Constantly, they were shrouded in darkness and in olden times, the only time lovers could be lovers were when it was time to sleep. I think it might be an allusion to the idea that lovers can only meet in the dark, hidden away from the judging eyes of society and that when light breaks, they must part. For that reason, the house must be covered in darkness in order to meet the one they desire the most. I feel that Felipe is not the General, but rather a puppet to be used in order to have this “forever” that the general and his wife have in mind. After all, the last line was “She’ll come back, Felipe. We’ll bring her back together. Let me recover my strength and I’ll bring her back…” (145). I feel as though this is an acknowledgement that they are two separate entities. And should Felipe realize the truth of his predicament, the eternal darkness of the house will cease to exist for he would be enlightened.