What Is This Book, Aura?

I’m not sure how to react to the book Aura.  Did Senora Consuelo deceive Senor Montero by offering a ridiculous salary for what turned out to be indentured servitude?  I think Senora put the ad with such a high salary to target Senor Montero, and lure him in.  If my suspicion proves to be true that may imply Senor Montero has a history that makes him a desirable target for Senora.   Also, are Senora and Aura brainwashed?  Have they devoted themselves to christianity so intently that they refuse to communicate with the outside world?  I don’t think its very religious, or moral to burn cats; unless that was just some illusion I was supposed to pretend to see.  This is all merely speculation, so it can be dismissed.

The perspective of the narrative also throws me off.  The author makes it as if we, the audience, are experiencing the events.  Literally making the audience disregard the actual main character, and imagine themselves as the main character.  This type of perspective makes the novel unravel on a personal level.  I felt as if I was actually the one that couldn’t see the trunk in which Senora’s, husband’s works resided wrapped in yellow ribbon.  I feel like this personalization also happens in The Things They Carried.  The events of war are told so vividly that we feel as though we are in the main characters position.  For example when Tim O’Brien’s platoon napalms a village and describes walking through the ruins of it.  By personalizing me with the main character Fuentes can easily get me caught up in my emotions; this could be a vital manipulation tactic.  I could be missing the entire meaning of the story because I have been caught up in what appears to be happening.