Projecting One's Youth

The cyclical relationship of Aura and Senora Consuelo becomes transparent as the text progresses. The initial writing style, written in second person, allows the reader to follow along with the events as though they were happening to themselves. Upon continuation however, the switch between present and future tenses while remaining in second person creates a supernatural effect. The mystical feel of the text lends itself to the increasingly convoluted nature of their relationship. Aura is the youthful desire that Senora Consuelo expresses. In order to create Aura, Consuelo needs Montero to complete her illusion. Several components add to the magical element of the plot and the setting such as the synchronized movements of Aura and Consuelo, the goat’s liver, and the medicinal herbs that are growing in the front parlor. Even the name, Aura, is used to create the air of mystery surrounding the events that transpire within the house.

            Even the events themselves in the text are questionable. The events would depend on the stability of the characters. Aura and Consuelo for that matter are not stable. Aura’s descent into old age is contingent upon Consuelo’s continued deterioration. Montero assists this process by working through Consuelo’s late husband’s memoirs and by slowly realizing his role within the cycle. Although all of this appears to maintain a mystical element, there are realistic moments that seep into the text. There are times when Aura and Senora Consuelo are present at the same time within the novel, which would make one assume that they have to be two different people. Their synchronized movements could suggest however, that although there may appear to be two different people, Aura is merely Consuelo’s “aura” of youth being projected into reality.