The Second Person Perspective in Aura

            In the first eight lines or so of Aura, the word “you” is used five times. This initially caught me by surprise, as I could not remember the last time I read a book in second person. I think some of the shock was due to my lasting reading experience, Foe. The ending of Foe was baffling to me, and it was very unclear who the narrator was. In Aura, there is no doubt; I myself walk through the dark corridors and mysterious rooms of Aura’s house. I myself pore through the memoirs of General Llorente, and I myself engage in a strange and twisted relationship with Aura. I initially enjoyed this change, as Aura seemed much more straightforward than Foe. Nevertheless, after reading through the novel I have some issues.

            J.M. Coetzee emphasizes that there will always be silenced voices in any story. I came to realize that in Aura, there is really only one perspective. The reader is forced to become Felipe Montero, and think like him. Especially toward the end of the novel when the events get stranger and “blurrier,” it is difficult to glean what is really going on. At this point, I was wishing for a second perspective, like there was in Foe. I look forward to class discussion this week, and hopefully will hear some other good opinions on the subject.