World Literature: Touch in Pedro Paramo and Dom Casmurro

In novels as sensual as Pedro Paramo and Dom Casmurro, it is non impress that the authors employ a variety of literary techniques and imagery. Amongst them, not as prominent as the sense of hearing but lock up salient, is the sense of accomplish. I will demonstrate how narrators in Dom Casmurro and Pedro Paramo use the sense of touch to reveal their inner motivations and feelings much or less a situation or character. Touch tooshie symbolize relationships. When two characters touch shoulder joints in Pedro Paramo, for example, this seems to rise siblinghood.Juan and Abundio walk side by side, so close their shoulders argon more or less(prenominal) jot (5). Juan and Abundio turn out to be half(prenominal) br opposites. They sh are a father and are nearly br early(a)wises, s understructuretily as their shoulders nearly touch, but their several(predicate) m otherwises create two a genetic and physical gap between them. Later in the story, Doniss sister goes to stand be side him, leaning against his shoulder (53). Their shoulders do not merely touch, which would actualize that they are siblings she leans against Donis, suggesting their relationship extends beyond a familial one.Although this has already been strongly implied, Doniss sister leans against Donis before asking Juan whether he truly understands the relationship between her and Donis. Rulfo has already revealed that they are incestuous, but the action twin with her question shows that incomplete the reader nor Juan realizes to the full the nature of this relationship. Like Rulfo, Machado de Assis uses one elbow room of signature, in his case, workforce brushing against Capitus arms, in different situations. This results in different repercussions. Capitus shapely arms begin aid whe neer she and Bento attend b whollys.However, during the setoff dark they are merely admired and when other men touch her it seems incidental, innocuous only much they might touch other frock coats (183). Bento mentions this touch fleetingly. His focus is on Capitus arms, not male attention. On the moment night, the men are crasser, liberation from admiring to staring, almost begging for them, and brushed their filthy sleeves against them (183). Bento lingers more on the males touching and less on Capitus arms, give care he is more concerned about the attention his wife is garnering than the object of the attention.The details he notes similarly speak of his uneasiness. Whitheras during the first night, the men wear gentle humanityly frock coats, the second night they are dressed in black, which butt symbolize evilness. As a matter of fact, detail is used in both Dom Casmurro and Pedro Paramo by the narrators to reveal their feelings about other characters. When either narrator describes the touching at length, or notices horizontal the smallest aspects of it, he shows how grievous this touch is to him. As unseasoned Pedro Paramo and Susana San Juan fly kites together , Pedro urges, Help me, Susana. And light r from each one would tighten on his (12).The fact that Pedro notes Susanas men are soft suggests that he harbours a liking for her, for to notice her soft hands, he would need to pay more attention to her hands than the string he is letting out or the kite he is f hypocrisy. This action is in any case fact mood of their relationship. Susana is Pedros lifelong love, and though she enjoys his connection and likes him, it is only as a friend. Thus, piece of music she is simply happy to fly kites with him and tightens her hands or so his only to help him let out more string, Pedro takes note of how she acts around him and treasures her harmless actions.They appear much more meaningful to him than to her. Machado de Assis uses details in precise similar circumstances. As Bento combs Capitus hair, his fingers brush her neck, or her back with its cotton dress it is a delicious sensation (64). He does not simply concentrate on the prolet ariat at hand, he takes pleasure in accidental touches, no matter how minor, just like Pedro. While this earth-closet show the reader his sexual inexperience, as he has not seemed to have had a wild-eyed en reciteer preliminaryly and olibanum enjoys a seemingly chaste activity, it overly shows his eye for Capitu.If Bento was combing the hair of another girl, he may not notice such(prenominal) minor details. The contact may also not feel as delicious. He also touches Capitu although it is not necessary to do so. Even if this is accidental, he does not ready a move to shy forward from it, suggesting that he wants to touch Capitu and likes her in a more-than-platonic fashion. The fact that he brushes her hair is also signifi keept. Hair is considered a symbol of femininity, peculiarly long hair. Combing her hair could send Bento in a position of power.In fact, in the chapter after he combs her hair, Bento utters these proud speech communication I am a man (67). Hair is imp ortant when looking at their history, as well. When Bento thinks about his and Capitus past, he remembers how she ran her hand with his hair, saying she perspective it was very beautiful (24). However, he never reciprocated. By touching him so, and through other gestures such as counting his fingers, Capitu demonstrates her affection for him and shows that she is aware of her fondness.Bento remains oblivious, though, as shown by his lack of response. after he realizes that he too feels warmly about Capitu, he asks to brush her hair, proving both to himself and Capitu that he is at last aware of his feelings. In Dom Casmurro, touch can reveal character traits. Ezequiel is shown to be a warm and affectionate boy Ezequiel hugged Bentos knees, stood up on the tips of his toes, as if to climb up and give Bento his usual kiss (229). He is comfortable with touching his father, and does so on a regular basis to illustrate his love.This can be contrasted with Jose Dias who, even when ever yone else is hugging and kissing Bento word of farewell, remains tranquil and grave (98) and does not touch Bento at all. Jose Dias is not cold, but occasionally his regard as and charm seem debatably genuine. Moments such as when he does not hug Bento farewell add on to this idea. In Pedro Paramo, Juan Preciado does not touch the residents of Comala when he arrives. He cannot they are ghosts while he is still alive. Doniss sister touching his shoulder is the first time touch occurs in Juans Comala. She is also the first living somebody he encounters.Although there is some variableness over whether Juan actually died when his soul sour to ice (59), the fact that Dorotea is departed and lying in his arms, touching him, suggests that if he can touch the dead, then he is dead also. Moments of change are expressed through touch as well. After Bento sees that Capitu work Bento and Capitolina into the wall, their hands took hold of each other, clasping each other, melting into one another (28). Whereas previously mutual touching was done in childish jest, and Bento was oblivious to Capitus haul to him, now they touch each other with the ntention of holding hands like lovers. thaw into one another (28) can also show how they are thinking as one they both feel the comparable way toward each other. When Donis leaves, Juan wakes up beside Doniss sister. The majority of the tactile imagery thus far has been brief and subtle, but here Juan can feel the womans naked legs against his knee, and her breath upon his face (55). After being unable to touch the ghosts, Juan is all of a sudden pressed against a woman, a gesture that stands out from previous paragraphs due to its straight-forwardness.For Juan, it appears that the physical contact is like having to take care of the woman neither pleasant nor unpleasant, simply thrust-upon and unexpected. Unlike in Dom Casmurro, even feelings about environment can be revealed through touch in Pedro Paramo. As Juan approach es Comala, he observes that he and Abundio have leftover the hot wind behind and are sinking feeling into pure, airless heat. The stillness seems to be wait for something (5). While this airless heat adds on to the atmosphere, it also shows Juans state of mind.The purlieu in this scene mirror Juans mood, showing that he is waiting for something too. He may not expect to become his father, but he is coming with Comala with expectations, and the snuggled he gets to the town, the closer he is to purpose out the truth. The sense of touch is an important tool in both Pedro Paramo and Dom Casmurro. It can reveal aspects of character personality, relationships and inner thoughts and motivations. This symbolism, mate with the other literary techniques Machado de Assis and Rulfo employ, helps create the intense alternate reality of the novels. Word count 1470 words