Characters
Who is a news reporter?
Rolfe Carlé
What are one of the themes present in this story?
Resilience, Mental Illlness, Platonic love, Greif, Vulnerability
What does the mud/clay represent as a whole (to everyone)?
It represents both death and entrapment.
Is this based on a true story?
Yes
Who does Rolf Carlé try and save?
Azucena
What does Azucena help Carlé to confront?
His traumatic childhood and his father's abuse
What are the symbols and motifs in our presentation?
Symbol: Coffee, Avalanche
Motif: Azucena, The Pump
What year and where did this take place?
In 1985, in Colombia.
What does Azucena's name mean?
Lily
What does the mud symbolize to Carlé?
His inability to escape from the past, he is trapped.
Who is the narrator and what is the relationship between Rolf and her?
Eva Luna, partner
What was the girl's name who Azucena was based on?
Omayra Sánchez
Why can't Azucena be pulled out of the mud?
Her legs are trapped by the bodies of her siblings under the mud.
What is our theme statement?
In Isabel Allende’s And Of Clay We Are Created, vulnerability proves to be the source of true love.
How is the TV screen a symbol?
It acts as a symbolic barrier between Eva Luna and Rolfe Carlé.
The volcano is called Nevado del Ruiz and the town is called Armero.
How is Carlé changed after Azucena dies?
He becomes withdrawn from Eva Luna and is trying to confront his past.
What is Allende trying to say about confronting painful memories?
It is necessary so that you can heal from them and be vulnerable.
What does the title of this story actually mean?
Represents vulnerability/fragility of a person, connection to the Earth, and a higher power.
How does Azucena become a symbol beyond being an individual victim?
The media presents her as a representation of the tragedy and suffering of the disaster.