The Real Housewives, But It’s Actually Really Sad – The Shrouded Woman

The Shrouded Woman by María Luisa Bombal was an interesting look into the end of someone’s life, well more specifically reflection after death. The novel included very intriguing relationships, which I found to be the most interesting part of the novel. I thought the way in which the novel was written, as a form of memories about a certain person when they visited her body, was different from anything else I have read.

I felt that throughout the novel I was constantly surprised and shocked about the events in the story. At every turn I felt there was a new revelation about the characters or the relationships with the people who were visiting her body. My main interest in this novel is the relationships between men and women and the treatment of women, which in my opinion can be seen as abusive. I think the novel commentates on the social structures of men and women while being masked at least at the beginning by “over dramatic” situations which blur the lines between real life and fantasy.

I found Maria Griselda and her relationships with men in the story to demonstrate how women are treated due to their looks. I really did not like any of the male characters in this story, as almost all of them seemed to treat women poorly, and were one dimensional in many ways. This was emphasized by how the male characters became obsessed with Maria Griselda. Alberto is said to “come to hate her only because he loves her too much” (193). Alberto’s behaviour is somewhat excused by other characters in the story. He is shown to be controlling of Maria Griselda and jealous of other mens infatuation with her. The novel shows that the male characters are not at fault for their damaging infatuation with Maria Griselda because she is “so beautiful”. I found this idea concerning as it perpetuates the idea of women as objects that are valued based on beauty. One specific quote from the book, “why, oh why must a woman’s nature be such that a man has always to be the pivot of her life” (226), spoke to the view Ana Maria had on her life and her broader notion of women during this time. 

Although in contrast, Ana Maria often demonstrates a love/hate towards the men in the novel stating “what right did he have to consider himself her equal” (206), when talking about Frenando and his wife. I found this contrasting commentary on men and women to reflect broader social standards. While being sexually attracted to men, Ana Maria expresses a disdain towards the gender while also experiencing a longing love for her husband or Ricardo earlier in the story. The complexities between the women and the men in the story highlight the lens in which Ana Maria, a woman, interacted with and viewed the world throughout her life.

Discussion Questions: 

1. How do Ana Maria’s relationships with men affect her views and memories when looking back after her death? 
2. How do women in the novel subvert specific gender norms perpetuated at the time of writing?