Rite Of Passage In Hammon's Escape
Amanda invites pity upon Nicolas when she exclaims, "you will always be a child" (234). Throughout this passage, we see many subtle signs of Nicolas' emerging maturity. The flamboyant and retrospective young man slowly starts to realize the protective shield that has been guarding him for all his life, and the true nature of the world behind it. Isabelle Allende makes the rite of passage clear through the turns in Nicolas' personality. A key way in which Allende cements her point is through the narrative structure of the passage.
Nicolas, who has never been taught the virtue of hard work, has always considered the world his oyster. However, his careless attitude towards his freedom is contradicted through the shocking news of his girlfriend's …show more content…
Allende has him enter the apartment recalling the "dark supple fruity, sinuous Amanda of their encounters" greeted by her little brother Miguel in a dire state (232). Upon receiving the news of the pregnancy "he stepped back until he felt the glass of the window behind his shoulders" and recalls the very first time he had undressed Amanda, and the anticipation that he had felt. From then till the idea of a marriage is proposed, Nicolas worries solely for himself. In his vain attempt to save face, he does not consider rejection and abandonment. This rejection helps Nicolas to re-evaluate his life and his values. He recognizes his ignorance towards the poor and the unfortunate, and gains a sense of morality by doing so.
Not only does Nicolas achieve a sense of morality, but he also gains insight into the stories of his father, and his innocence towards his girlfriend. "He remember[s] his father's stories about his poor childhood [and] for the first time in his life, he managed to link those didactic anecdotes with a reality he could see" (235). Nicolas is "embarrassed and confused" when he thinks of the many times that she must have used "witchcraft to keep her poverty from being noticed" (235). This mention of witchcraft also helps to blend both aspects of Magic Realism perfectly into the
Nicolas, who has never been taught the virtue of hard work, has always considered the world his oyster. However, his careless attitude towards his freedom is contradicted through the shocking news of his girlfriend's …show more content…
Allende has him enter the apartment recalling the "dark supple fruity, sinuous Amanda of their encounters" greeted by her little brother Miguel in a dire state (232). Upon receiving the news of the pregnancy "he stepped back until he felt the glass of the window behind his shoulders" and recalls the very first time he had undressed Amanda, and the anticipation that he had felt. From then till the idea of a marriage is proposed, Nicolas worries solely for himself. In his vain attempt to save face, he does not consider rejection and abandonment. This rejection helps Nicolas to re-evaluate his life and his values. He recognizes his ignorance towards the poor and the unfortunate, and gains a sense of morality by doing so.
Not only does Nicolas achieve a sense of morality, but he also gains insight into the stories of his father, and his innocence towards his girlfriend. "He remember[s] his father's stories about his poor childhood [and] for the first time in his life, he managed to link those didactic anecdotes with a reality he could see" (235). Nicolas is "embarrassed and confused" when he thinks of the many times that she must have used "witchcraft to keep her poverty from being noticed" (235). This mention of witchcraft also helps to blend both aspects of Magic Realism perfectly into the