45 pages • 1-hour read
Aura
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Chapter 1
Chapter 1 Summary
In the first chapter we are introduced to the protagonist Felipe Montero, a young historian who teaches part time at a private school for 900 pesos a month. He studied on scholarship at the Sorbonne in Paris, becoming fluent in French, but, has not found a well-paying job upon his return to Mexico.
One morning, while having breakfast at his usual café, Felipe sees an advertisement for a live-in job. It seems to be tailored just for him, as it requires a young historian fluent in colloquial French and offers a very generous salary of 4,000 pesos a month. Even though he feels excited about it, Felipe disregards the ad because he knows there are many other young impoverished historians in his position who will apply for the job. He leaves the café, takes the bus, and goes to work, as usual.
The following day, while having breakfast at the same café, Felipe again sees the advertisement and decides to check it out. There is no telephone number, so he must go in person. The address given is Donceles 815, which is a colonial mansion in the historic city center where almost no one lives. Most of the old houses have been converted to shops or other small businesses.
When Felipe finds the right address, he enters into a dark, covered patio, and a woman’s voice guides him to a room on the second floor. Following the directions, Felipe finds himself in a bedroom lit by numerous votive candles. He sees a large bed with an old frail woman and a rabbit. The woman seems to know who Felipe is and tells him that she wants to publish her husband’s unfinished memoirs before her death. After requesting to see the young man’s profile and approving of his appearance, the widow postulates that he must move into the house while he works. Felipe is reluctant to agree, but then the old woman calls for Aura, her companion and niece, a beautiful young woman with green eyes, who materializes soundlessly next to the bed. After seeing her, Felipe decides to move in.
Chapter 1 Analysis
The first chapter introduces the style and setting, as well as three of the main characters. Two things that draw attention are the unusual second-person point of view and the constant use of the present tense. Addressing the protagonist, Felipe, as tú, the informal “you,” implies familiarity or a sense of equality. The narrator and main character are on the same level, as if having a conversation. Furthermore, it is easy to share a sense of connection with Felipe, since the second-person narrator addresses the reader alongside the protagonist. This sense of intimacy, combined with the present tense, emphasizes the immediacy and contemporaneity of the action. It is as if everything is happening at the moment of reading.
The quick-paced, present-tense action sequences highlight the importance of the concept of time. Felipe’s everyday life is hurried and crowded, as illustrated by the description of his bus trip to work (7). The sounds of Mexico City mentioned in the chapter signify modernity and everything it entails, such as an emphasis on the present and future, obsession with technology, and the sense of accelerated time. The widow’s mansion, a remnant of Mexico’s colonial past, is contrasted with the cacophony of modern life. It is dark, quiet, and obsolete, not unlike the woman who inhabits it. Even the street name, Donceles, or “noblemen,” harkens back to a different time of ladies and gentlemen.
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