Carmen (1845) novella by Prosper Mrime - Book Report/Review Example

Gypsies, according to Merimee (1989), have no real place they can call home and as such, they are scattered all over Europe. In addition, their original language is distorted and filled with loan words from all over Europe. Most gypsies prefer using the language of the place they settle in, only speaking their native language when they do not want a stranger to understand their conversation. Accordingly, in the novella, Carmen talks to the author in Basque, yet when Jose Navarro finds them at the house, she speaks to him in their Romany dialect (ibid).

While talking to Jose Navarro, Carmen constantly uses the word “payllo”, meaning someone who is not of the gypsy race. According to the appendix, gypsies are much darker than other indigenous peoples of the country they inhabit; thus, it is very easy to sport them even in a large crowd (Merimee, 1989). Gypsies are also said to have very wild eyes that resemble those of a wild beast – they are reflecting their character. This is why in the novella Carmen is depicted as having large eyes that have a fierce expression, resembling that of a wolf.

Most gypsies, both male and female, are considered ugly, and it is very hard to find a gypsy who possesses beautiful features, an observation which explain why Garcia, Carmen’s husband, is depicted as a one-eyed, utterly ugly man (ibid). In the appendix, Merimee (1989) writes that it is a common characteristic for all gypsies not to fear death, considering the kind of life they lead. This characteristic is well depicted in the novella when Carmen chooses to die rather than escape to America with Jose Navarro.

Even when she is sure that Jose is going to kill her for refusing to elope with him and admitting that she does not love him anymore, Carmen remains calm and waits upon her death. The same can be said of Garcia who draws his own blunderbuss and kills Remendado, who has been shot by soldiers, claiming that a corpse is of no use to the group. Gypsies are very secretive and have a certain sense of solidarity, such that they would do anything to help each other, even if it entails breaking the law.

This is manifested when Carmen escapes from Jose Navarro and the other two guards as she is being escorted to prison. When the guards ask the people around whether they have seen her, the guards are given wrong directions, thus allowing Carmen to get away. Their secrecy is also elucidated when Jose Navarro goes to Dorotea’s house in search of Carmen and everyone claims that she has gone Laloro, the gypsy equivalent of Portugal, on gypsy business. However, Jose Navarro soon realizes that they are lying when Carmen comes in in the company of a lieutenant from Jose’s regiment.

In the appendix, Merimee (1989) describes gypsy women in Spain as lacking beauty, going on further to state that once they have borne children, these women become repulsive. Nonetheless, there are very few girls who possess some kind of beauty, and these are the ones who often perform dances in public to earn money. It is no wonder then that in the novella Carmen is described as a young woman with copper-colored skin, big slanting eyes, full chiseled lips, white teeth, and long black, shiny hair - characteristics that make her more beautiful than most women of her race (ibid).

Accordingly, Merimee (1989) w