Puig’s decision to develop the characters in such a way that we question the reality time and time again is his way of criticising assumptions and standard, extreme characterisations of people. He is even chastising the reader themself for falling into the trap (which he admittedly has set) of assigning a person into a basic stereotype with only the fraction of information given. Through this, Puig challenges the traditional boundaries of the novel and the roles within it. He is also challenging the traditional boundaries of society, in which people may feel they need to fit a certain part to survive, and true freedom cannot exist in this setting. However, speaking of Valentín’s drugged and hallucinatory death, Sloan argues that “although
…show more content…
Cat People, a tale focused on a race of women who turn into panthers as soon as they become aroused, was a successful, low budget film from 1943. Molina focuses on the scenes which mirror their own, opressive environments such as the cages for the panther or the bird. He also relates himself more to Irena, a sexual yet confused being, white Valentín prefers the assistant who is a symbol of overlooked love and comfort. As both get invested heavily in the plot, Puig is noting people’s tendency to connect with stories, particularly in moments of hardship, and find comfort in the similarities between their own lives and those being portrayed to the …show more content…
Camacho’s feverish attempts to represent a realistic slice of life always end up being overshadowed by his own interpretations. This can be Vargas Llosa’s way of calling out realism and its authors (including himself), who strive for an objective perfection which is almost impossible to obtain. It is no coincidence that Marito’s introduction to Pedro Camacho and Tia Julia occur at the same time, as both indicate a distinct point of change in his life. The moment Camacho is introduced is the same moment at which Marito’s own life becomes somewhat of a soap, engaging in an affair with his older divorcee ex-aunt, and defying the family by being together. The level of drama which surrounds the clandestine relationship is arguably equal to that of the soaps broadcasted on the radio; in a way, this highlights that in spite of their hyperbolically tragicomic nature, the serials really are just an aggrandised version of ‘real’
Cat People, a tale focused on a race of women who turn into panthers as soon as they become aroused, was a successful, low budget film from 1943. Molina focuses on the scenes which mirror their own, opressive environments such as the cages for the panther or the bird. He also relates himself more to Irena, a sexual yet confused being, white Valentín prefers the assistant who is a symbol of overlooked love and comfort. As both get invested heavily in the plot, Puig is noting people’s tendency to connect with stories, particularly in moments of hardship, and find comfort in the similarities between their own lives and those being portrayed to the …show more content…
Camacho’s feverish attempts to represent a realistic slice of life always end up being overshadowed by his own interpretations. This can be Vargas Llosa’s way of calling out realism and its authors (including himself), who strive for an objective perfection which is almost impossible to obtain. It is no coincidence that Marito’s introduction to Pedro Camacho and Tia Julia occur at the same time, as both indicate a distinct point of change in his life. The moment Camacho is introduced is the same moment at which Marito’s own life becomes somewhat of a soap, engaging in an affair with his older divorcee ex-aunt, and defying the family by being together. The level of drama which surrounds the clandestine relationship is arguably equal to that of the soaps broadcasted on the radio; in a way, this highlights that in spite of their hyperbolically tragicomic nature, the serials really are just an aggrandised version of ‘real’