Carmen (1845) novella by Prosper Mrime - Essay Example

Carmen (1845) novella by Prosper Mérimée Affiliation: Discuss how the author’s mode of thought or attitude in appendix is reflected in the novella. How does this attitude reflect the way the characters are presented in the novella? The appendix is a bit different from the novella but it portrays the author’s attitude and thoughts about the novel in general. In the appendix, the author generally gives his views, thoughts and opinions about the people of Spain mainly the Gypsies. This is so because the characters are Gypsies and hence their behaviors are almost similar. There are several attitudes being brought up by the author and though they seem contradicting to some extent, it reflects the changes in the thought pattern of the author in the three parts of the novella and even in the appendix. These attitudes include but are not limited to: disdain, attraction, detachment, romanticism and roguish attitudes. Some of these attitudes are more evident and pronounced in the novella and specific for particular genders. The attitude of disdain of the author in the appendix is evident where he describes the facial features and ugliness of the Gypsies. According to his description, they are incomparable even to the dustiest, greasiest and most unkempt mane. This repulsiveness of their looks which according to him become worse as the individual ages can be said to be a reflection of the description of Don Jose Navarro whom the author meets in part one of the novella. He is a robber but that is not enough to make the author describe him as such. He is not the only one that the author criticizes about his looks because he does the same even for women. Even the seemingly beautiful Carmen (whose looks are described as good looking because she is young) is described as a witch by the author. This attitude is brought about by the fact that the Gypsy women are described by the authors as people dealing with illicit and secret dealings and those not involved in these dealings have their own mysterious associations with such women and that is evident in the author’s description of Carmen. The other attitude and thought of the author in the appendix and that is evident in the novella is romanticism. This involves impractical romantic ideals that the characters of the novel and the other gypsies in general have. According to the author, when courting a girl, she will prefer being given piasters by the man instead of gold. They also seem to be involved with the “bad boys” and that seems a good romantic deal. According to part three of the novella where Don Jose tells his story to the author, Carmen has always been involved romantically with the “bad boys” who are bandit members and even killers. The men on the other hand have their own romanticism ideologies intertwined with violence. Don Jose for example resorted to kill Carmen’s husband in order to show that he is more violent and even more deserving of Carmen’s love instead of that husband and even forces Carmen to get married to him and even further kills other men whom Carmen seems to flirt with because of jealousy. According to the author, it is this romanticism thought that finally leads Don Jose to kill even Carmen. Other than the two attitudes and thoughts mentioned above, Mérimée who is the author also indicates the attitude of the gypsies being detached. According to the appendix, this roguish attitude also leads to them being roguish. A perfect example of this is drawn from part two of the novella soon after Mérimée meets Carmen. After the initial encounter of the two, Carmen seems fascinated by the repeating watch of Mérimée. As a pretense, she invites him over to her house to tell him his fortune (one of the illicit and secret behaviors that the gypsy’s women commonly engage in and which are a fraudulent way to extort people of their money, most of whom are too dumb, ignorant or distressed to realize). Mérimée having been fascinated by the little beauty of this woman (in comparison with the rest of the women in Cordoba) agrees to go with her to her house. During the course of the interaction, Don Jose comes in and in what seems to have been an organized or coordinated move (though Carmen pretends by making throat-cutting gestures) Mérimée is escorted out by Jose and even steals his watch. The detachment of these people is evident here because earlier on in part 1 where Merimee and Don Jose meet (and even share the same inn), and Mérimée’s guard tells the authority about the presence of the dangerous robber in the inn, it is Mérimée that informs him and thus saves him from being captured. Thinking that this may be enough reason for him respecting the author, the opposite is experienced because their lack of feelings is what has made them turn roguish and even manage to remain so for long without being captured. It is this display of differing thoughts and attitudes in the novella by the author that leads him to generally present the characters (especially the main characters who are Carmen and Don Jose Navarro) as nothing other than detached rogues whose aim is to play people and their feelings and finally steal from them. It is also the reason the whole of part three just describes the two characters and their involvement in bandits that go around terrorizing and stealing from people even if not through violent means all the time but also trough fake fortune telling among other secretive illicit and mysterious ways. This attitude also leads to the author concluding the novella in the appendix part with the quote “a closed mouth no fly can enter.” This quote though it seems enigmatic describes the gypsies and their behaviors in general which is reflected in the other three parts of the novella and lead to the author coming up with such attitudes and thoughts. This quote matches the behavior of the characters who do not disclose their real and inner thoughts to others other than their own and sometimes keeps it only to them and hence they deceive many and in the process rob them but are not captured. References Merimee, P. (1989). Carmen and other stories. New York: Oxford University Press. Read More