The House on the Lagoon by Rosario Ferre Essay Example for Free

The House on the Lagoon by Rosario Ferre Essay Rosario Ferre is one of the most noted and famous Puerto Rican writers who have made their mark in the world of literature. Her books illustrate the political and social conditions of her native land. In this paper, we attempt to review and understand her book ‘The House on the Lagoon’ which is extremely famous and provides an interesting insight into the Puerto Rican conditions and the views of the writer as a supporter of feminism.   Ã¢â‚¬ËœThe house on the Lagoon’ was nominated for the National Book Award in 1995. The story revolves around Isabel and Quintin Mendizabal who are a quintessential Puerto Rican couple belonging to the privileged section of this society. The wife, Isabel, has a streak of independence and she feels suffocated in the typically bourgeois environment. She wishes to fulfill her long cherished dream of becoming a famous writer. For the fulfillment of this dream she decides to write a novel based on the life and family history of her husband and herself. However, the husband suddenly discovers the less than flattering description of his family that his wife wishes to make public by getting it published. He is obviously shaken and tries to alter the version that his wife has written in order to make it more appreciative of his family.   The story appears to be simple on the surface. However, while reading it, so many undercurrents appear that it becomes a delightful experience to discover the countless nuances. Many special features and styles of writing adorn the book. The most famous, the most talked about and perhaps the most exciting is the concept of two distinct narrative voices. In the beginning, the book proceeds as a simple family history being retold by a woman. However, a few chapters into the book, suddenly we discover that the narration switches over to the woman’s husband Quintin, who discovers that his wife is writing a novel. Surprises do not cease here. We are treated to another surprise as we discover that the book we are reading i.e. ‘The House on the Lagoon’ is the book that the husband is so incensed on finding. Thereon the narrative continues to switch from Quintin to Isabel and vice versa and this turns out to have far reaching consequences on the novel as a whole.   The double narrative allows for a more democratic unfolding of the story than a single narrative. It allows us to find out Quintin’s reactions to his wife’s narration of his family history. It puts in more animation into a mundane story of family history. Their arguments keep the narration alive and keep the reader guessing at reality and the next sequence of events. Also, there is a marked difference in the ways Quintin and Isabel approach the novel. Quintin, as we are told, has been a student of history in Columbia. To him, misinterpretation of facts and misinterpretation of history is a gross error and in addition, he is extremely embarrassed by the way his family is portrayed in a bad light by his wife. On the other hand, Isabel feels that her main objective is to gain literary fame and she is not concerned with being historically, socially or politically correct. While reading the book, we are thus treated to Isabel’s views and then we read her husband’s comments and views on her writing. This allows for a multiple perspective presentation and the nature of characters becomes more engrossing than the story that they are both trying to tell in their own way.   It has been argued that the dual narrative serves certain higher purposes than simply telling us the dual viewpoints on the story. The dual narrative has been construed as a metaphor for colonization[1]. Rosario’s books usually deal with the conflicts plaguing her native land Puerto Rico, the major one being whether to remain independent or become a part of the US. In the book, through dual narrative, Rosario attempts to bring out this conflict. Isabel, the writer’s alter ego, represents Puerto Rico while her husband represents the dominating influence of the US. Thus multiple perspectives enable the writer to demonstrate Puerto Rico’s quest for identity and her constant struggle against foreign dominance.   Another interesting characteristic of the book is the imagery that is used to illustrate certain finer points[2]. Right from the first scene, where there is a confrontation between the boy serenading Isabel and her fiancà © Quintin, we have a glimpse into the strong characters that we will encounter further on in the book. It also illustrates that Quintin has a violent streak. The relationships between the characters are brought out later in the book. Especially evident is the marital discord between Quintin and Isabel over the issue of her novel which Quintin feels paints his family black. Later in the book, we are provided with another extremely vivid scene which portrays the reason why Isabel is so haunted by her past. Isabel’s mother was forced to have an abortion by her grandmother. This abortion was probably botched and the description of the scene from the child’s point of view sends shivers down the readers’ spine. The gory details such as the pool of blood, the unconscious mother and the dropping of the doll are all images which haunt the reader as much as they must have haunted the young girl. It not only tells us of Isabel’s miserable past but also provides us an understanding of the person she is in the present and why. It also helps us to identify with her dream of making it big as she wishes to escape the drudgery that her female ancestors went through.   Also noteworthy in the novel is the daydreams that Isabel indulges herself with. Her past is so woebegone that she tries to absorb herself in passionate pursuits of her dreams and reveries. These reveries lull us into a false sense of security until the silence before the storm breaks with a shattering incident. This sense of the unexpected renders the narrative far from banal. The most interesting of her happiness and indulgence appears towards the end of the story when she enrolls into a ballet school to fulfill her passion. This dream, like that of becoming a famous writer, reveals Isabel’s desire for fame. She enjoys her dancing lessons immensely and we are again forced to expect some happiness coming her way. However, our hopes are shattered brutally by the public display of pedophilia as the curtain opens at the wrong time during her stage performance. Again, Isabel finds herself abused and unhappy. The ending of the story is thus somewhat tragic and in sync with the mood of the whole story.   In conclusion, it must be said that a subject as ordinary as the relation of family history is made extraordinary by the excellent style of Rosario Ferre and her unique writing style including the double narratives, the imagery and the reveries. Her strong characters help us understand human psyche and also provide insight into the actual political and social problems of Puerto Rico through the characters. In the end, the novel turns out to be more than a story of marital discord or a narration of family history. It helps us to understand history, politics, sociology, psychology and also literature. Few novels are able to achieve such high purpose. WORKS CITED â€Å"The House on the Lagoon†, Luke Lecheler, http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Critique/review_fiction/house_on_the_lagoon_the_by_rosario_ferre.html â€Å"Rosario Ferre † http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Bios/entries/ferre_rosario.html â€Å"Reading Guide: The House On the lagoon†, Penguin Group USA, http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/house_on_the_lagoon.html [1] â€Å"Rosario Ferre † http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Bios/entries/ferre_rosario.html [2] â€Å"The House on the Lagoon†, Luke Lecheler,   http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Critique/review_fiction/house_on_the_lagoon_the_by_rosario_ferre.html