1) The Mario Vargas Llosa telling the story is obviously older than the “Marito” who is living it . . . how would you describe the tone? what is the attitude of the narrator to the young man he was?
Mario Vargas takes a character and develops its characteristics through his experiences growing up. Marito in the book is portrayed as wreckless, this is evident through the many irrational and rushed decisions he makes when it comes to his forbidden love with aunt Julia. The character of Marito emerges himself at the moment and incorporates aspects of passion, blindness to reality and living in the moment. This could be an indication of what the Mario Vargas Llosa wished he lived his life by when he was younger, ultimately presenting an alternative and imaginative younger self. In general Mario Vargas could be using Marito as a form of reminiscence and reflection on the mistakes he made as a young adult.
2) If every other chapter, basically, represents one of Pedro Camacho’s serials —if they didn’t happen, in other words, what is the point of spending so much time on these characters/events/conflicts?
This allows for the recurring theme of imagination v.s. reality to be implemented throughout the story. Pedro’s serials are portrayed as impossible and unrealistic however Mario’s life is simply used as evidence that imagination can come true and that these crazy stories have a possibility of being true. Furthermore, the serials incorporate Pedro’s love with his stories whilst Mario’s forbidden love with aunt Julia is being told, ultimately portraying two alternative forms of love. There is an overarching idea of fiction within fiction and what is actually considered unrealistic in reality?
3) If a story is basically, “one time, in one place, something happened” then it’s not really literature —it’s journalism or history or maybe even just gossip. Literature is usually thought to express something timeless —something true in a bigger sense. What might this novel be saying about life?
Reality can present something unexpected
