Pedro
Paramo Chapter 1 Close Reading
In this passage, Juan relates to us
how and why he came to be in Comala, his mother’s village. He tells us that his
mother, while on her deathbed, wanted him to travel to Comala and seek her
husband, who is also Juan’s father, Pedro Paramo. This first chapter is
essentially exposition, and it basically sets the stage for the rest of the
novel. Rulfo uses many literary techniques in this chapter, many which deepen
our understanding of Juan’s motives. He uses metaphors and diction to provide a
reason to why Juan travels to Comala. Juan's tone also tells us a little bit about what he is thinking. One key quotation that effectively uses all of these devices is “before I had knew it my head began to swim with dreams and my imagination
took flight. Little by little I began to build a world around a hope centered
on the man called Pedro Paramo, the man who had been my mother’s husband. That
was why I had come to Comala (Page 3)."
I like that you wrote that Juan is telling us, because it does seem like this chapter is Juan talking to the readers specifically.
ReplyDeleteVarun,
ReplyDeleteAdd a so-what clause to this first part (otherwise it is plot summary): "In this passage, Juan relates to us how and why he came to be in Comala, his mother’s village. He tells us that his mother, while on her deathbed, wanted him to travel to Comala and seek her husband, who is also Juan’s father, Pedro Paramo."
Also, avoid ending your piece with a quote. Take some time to unpack and analyze the quote.