At the beginning of chapter 19, it is night, and everyone is in a tent, trying to get some rest. Nadia is awake, and tells Kate that she is going to go out. Kate tells her that it is impossible with the guards on the lookout, but Nadia explains to her that she can become invisible just like the People of the Mist. Nadia goes off into the jungle and makes an eagle call to bring Walimai. Later on, Boroba comes with Walimai to free Alex from the tree. Walimai leads ALex to a clearing where Nadia is located, and they sleep there until the morning, when they discover a strong stench coming from the direction of Tapirawa-teri. During the night, two Beasts entered the camp and killed Captain Ariosto while stunning everyone else with their stench. The next morning, the Indians dragged the crew to a clearing. The crew woke up with no recollection of how they got to the clearing and terrible pains. Not too long after waking, the Indians materialized. Iyomi attempts to speak with the crew but with no avail. Later on, Nadia, Alex, Boroba, and Walimai enter the makeshift camp. Nadia translates for each side. Leblanc and Kate explain that they will turn the Eye of the World (the area in which they are currently located) into an Indian reservation and that there will be no more enemy foreigners coming into the jungle. During a lull in the debating, Kate confronts Alex and demands that he tell her about the Beasts because she suspects that there is much he hasn't told her. The next day, the People of the Mist lead the crew back to Tapirawa-teri where the helicopter is located. Before leaving, they exchange several gifts, and at the last second, Walimai hands Nadia a basket.
The remaining crew gets into the helicopter, and Santos flies the helicopter back to Santa Maria de la Lluvia while nearly crashing on the way. When they reach their destination, Kate, Leblanc, Santos, and Timothy Bruce begin talking about how they are going to manage to save the Eye of the World and the People of the Mist. When they believe that there is no way to prove that Carias, Ariosto, and Torres committed the genocide of the Indians, Santos pulls out a vial of the "vaccine" from his pocket. Shortly after, Bruce pulls out a few rolls of film that contain images of the shooting of Karakawe and several Indians by Captain Ariosto. With this proof, they feel that there is no way that they can't save the Eye of the World. During this time, Alex and Nadia are sitting on the same dock where they held their first conversation before embarking on the journey into the Amazon. At this point, Nadia reveals the contents of her basket: three crystal eggs, which are in reality gigantic diamonds. She gives the diamonds to Alex, telling him that they will help bring peace and safety to the Eye of the World.
In my opinion, the ending to this book was too abrupt. Although it is obvious that the two children will meet again somewhere along the line, it does not change the fact that there is no real conclusion. We don't know what happened to Alex's mother, or whether or not the People of the Mist will be saved. Also, we have no way of knowing what will happen to Mauro Carias and Dr. Omayra Torres for their mass murdering of the Indians. I can only hope that Isabel Allende resolves these matters in the sequel to this book.
Another thing is that I feel that this book needs a little more emotion. There was a ton of description, but very little of it dealt with the feelings of the characters. I know that Alex and Nadia are best friends, but it seems that they are closer than just friends, even though nothing ever happened between them. I'm assuming that if they were older than 15 and 11-ish, there would have been more love scenes and such occurrences.
All in all, I found this book to be very good. It kept me interested the whole time, even when Allende was giving longwinded descriptions of the vegetation and other unimportant or uninteresting topics. I would definitely recommend this book for people who enjoy reading Fiction. Even if you don't particularly enjoy reading works of Fiction, it is still a very enjoyable book, although it is a bit on the long side at 406 pages.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Chapters 16-18
Now it is Alex's turn to go on his journey. The gift that he desires, the Water of Health, is only found near the center of the earth. Walimai shows Alex where he must commence his journey, which is at a small tunnel that leads down into the earth. He begins crawling down and the passage becomes ever smaller and tighter. When he finally reaches a large chamber where he can stand, he discovers that there is a lake in the middle, and on the other side is a girl who appears to be a mermaid. She sings to him, trying to draw him into the milky white water, but he locates an exit, and bolts out of the first chamber. The next room contains a large drop off with a skinny ledge upon which he must circumnavigate the hole. After reaching the far side and nearly falling along the way, he comes upon a dark hallway with the end blocked off by a wall of rocks and pebbles. At first, he feels that his journey was a waste, but he realizes that this must be the way, and slowly clears the rocks away. As soon as he creates a hole in the wall, a rush of hot air comes through that smells of sulfur. When the heat wave finally dies away, he looks through the hole and discovers that there is another ledge, but this time the middle of the chamber contains a pit of lava. When he enters the room, he looks across the cavern and spots a dragon-like creature that seems to be guarding a fountain of some sort. As soon as he takes a few steps on the ledge, the ancient bird charges toward him. He whips out his flute and begins to play, which has a soothing effect on the bird. The bird goes back to the spring and no longer prevents him from acquiring the Water of Health from the fountain. There is one condition that he must follow, just as Nadia did, and that is that he must give something of value in return for the healing water. The only thing that he possesses is his flute, which he is incredibly reluctant to give up since it has helped him numerous times. After acquiring the water, he retraces his steps, and begins his ascent to the top of the tunnel that leads back to El Dorado. Upon reaching the top, Walimai and Nadia are waiting for him. They must leave immediately or forever be trapped in the city. They retrace their steps through the ancient tepui, but once they reach the end, Walimai gives them a drug that will make them forget the way through the maze to El Dorado.
The next day, Alex and Nadia, no longer with Walimai, headed back toward Tapirawa-teri. When they got close enough, they discovered that helicopters had landed in the village, and that a camp had been set up with soldiers guarding and everything. Alex and Nadia waited outside the village until they discovered that César Santos and Kate were also at the camp. They walked into the camp, and the guards surrounded them until Kate and César realized who they were. Around midnight that night, Nadia snuck off into the woods to talk with Walimai. She asked him what they should do about the People of the Mist getting vaccinated by Dr. Omayra Torres. They finally decided that the tribe should get vaccinated, and Walimai left to discuss the matter with Iyomi, chief of chiefs. The next day, Iyomi came into the camp. Mauro Carias demanded that Nadia speak with Iyomi and convince her that the tribe needs to get vaccinated. The next day, Iyomi came back to the camp with the entire tribe. To the soldiers and other campers, the tribe seemed to materialize out of thin air. Finally, the tribe was convinced to get the vaccines, and a line was set up with Dr. Omayra Torres at the front administering the vaccines. The previous night, Nadia had seen Torres and Carias kissing in the woods and talking about the Indians. She told Alex about the conversation, and they came to the conclusion that the vaccines were not truly vaccines, instead they were diseases. They ran back to camp and pushed Tahama out of the way, preventing him from receiving the shot. Nadia quickly explained to the People of the Mist, "...she was wrong, that the vaccine would not save them, just the opposite, it would kill them, because the Rahakanariwa was in the syringe" (351).
Only seconds after the disruption caused by the two children, Karakawe revealed himself as an officer of the Department for the Protection of Indigenous Peoples. He explained why he had been snooping through Dr. Omayra Torres's vials of "vaccines", saying, "I will have them examined in the laboratory. If I am right, these vials do not contain vaccine but deadly doses of the measles virus" (353). As soon as he finished his sentence, Captain Ariosto shot him in the chest, and Mauro Carias shot the vials, destroying any possible evidence. All in a rush, Tahama beat Mauro on the head with his club, soldiers began shooting blindly at the Indians, the Indian warriors launched a few arrows at the soldiers, the women and children Indians dematerialized, and the International Geographic crew stood openmouthed, watching the madness. In the aftermath, Torres ran over to Mauro Carias, praying that he wouldn't die since they were arranged to get married, and Captain Ariosto had the crew line up against some trees. Also, Ludovic Leblanc's entire perspective on Indians changed; he previously viewed them as cruel, treacherous people, but now he views them as the victims of the foreigners. Leblanc managed to cool Ariosto down a little, and by nightfall, he got him to have a drink and play cards with him. Before nightfall, Ariosto sent the injured soldiers and all but five uninjured soldiers back to civilization in one of the two helicopters.
During these three chapters, many things changed. First of all, Alex and Nadia were reunited with the crew. Without this event, none of the killing or other changes would have occurred. Second of all, we discovered that Dr. Omayra Torres is the accomplice to Mauro Carias's plan. She is the one who Carias and Ariosto were talking about as being part of their plan to get rid of the Indians. Another change that occurs is that Leblanc finally comes to his senses. He sides with the Indians and tries to help the crew out by making Ariosto feel all-powerful and as if he is in full control of the situation. We also discover the full extent of Carias's plan, and that he has been behind several other operations such as this one where he gives the Indians "vaccines" that in reality kill them.
The next day, Alex and Nadia, no longer with Walimai, headed back toward Tapirawa-teri. When they got close enough, they discovered that helicopters had landed in the village, and that a camp had been set up with soldiers guarding and everything. Alex and Nadia waited outside the village until they discovered that César Santos and Kate were also at the camp. They walked into the camp, and the guards surrounded them until Kate and César realized who they were. Around midnight that night, Nadia snuck off into the woods to talk with Walimai. She asked him what they should do about the People of the Mist getting vaccinated by Dr. Omayra Torres. They finally decided that the tribe should get vaccinated, and Walimai left to discuss the matter with Iyomi, chief of chiefs. The next day, Iyomi came into the camp. Mauro Carias demanded that Nadia speak with Iyomi and convince her that the tribe needs to get vaccinated. The next day, Iyomi came back to the camp with the entire tribe. To the soldiers and other campers, the tribe seemed to materialize out of thin air. Finally, the tribe was convinced to get the vaccines, and a line was set up with Dr. Omayra Torres at the front administering the vaccines. The previous night, Nadia had seen Torres and Carias kissing in the woods and talking about the Indians. She told Alex about the conversation, and they came to the conclusion that the vaccines were not truly vaccines, instead they were diseases. They ran back to camp and pushed Tahama out of the way, preventing him from receiving the shot. Nadia quickly explained to the People of the Mist, "...she was wrong, that the vaccine would not save them, just the opposite, it would kill them, because the Rahakanariwa was in the syringe" (351).
Only seconds after the disruption caused by the two children, Karakawe revealed himself as an officer of the Department for the Protection of Indigenous Peoples. He explained why he had been snooping through Dr. Omayra Torres's vials of "vaccines", saying, "I will have them examined in the laboratory. If I am right, these vials do not contain vaccine but deadly doses of the measles virus" (353). As soon as he finished his sentence, Captain Ariosto shot him in the chest, and Mauro Carias shot the vials, destroying any possible evidence. All in a rush, Tahama beat Mauro on the head with his club, soldiers began shooting blindly at the Indians, the Indian warriors launched a few arrows at the soldiers, the women and children Indians dematerialized, and the International Geographic crew stood openmouthed, watching the madness. In the aftermath, Torres ran over to Mauro Carias, praying that he wouldn't die since they were arranged to get married, and Captain Ariosto had the crew line up against some trees. Also, Ludovic Leblanc's entire perspective on Indians changed; he previously viewed them as cruel, treacherous people, but now he views them as the victims of the foreigners. Leblanc managed to cool Ariosto down a little, and by nightfall, he got him to have a drink and play cards with him. Before nightfall, Ariosto sent the injured soldiers and all but five uninjured soldiers back to civilization in one of the two helicopters.
During these three chapters, many things changed. First of all, Alex and Nadia were reunited with the crew. Without this event, none of the killing or other changes would have occurred. Second of all, we discovered that Dr. Omayra Torres is the accomplice to Mauro Carias's plan. She is the one who Carias and Ariosto were talking about as being part of their plan to get rid of the Indians. Another change that occurs is that Leblanc finally comes to his senses. He sides with the Indians and tries to help the crew out by making Ariosto feel all-powerful and as if he is in full control of the situation. We also discover the full extent of Carias's plan, and that he has been behind several other operations such as this one where he gives the Indians "vaccines" that in reality kill them.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Chapters 13-15
This section starts off with Alex having a vision. He sees his mother in the hospital in Texas and is able to actually touch her. His mother experiences the same type of thing except for the fact that she is not asleep. She sees Alex in the room with her, sitting on her bed, talking to her and holding her hand. As soon as Alex awakens, Alex, Nadia, and Walimai set off on their journey to the realm of the gods to locate the three crystal eggs that are supposed to save the People of the Mist. Upon reaching the tepuis, the ancient mountains and entrance to the realm of the gods where the famed city of El Dorado is supposed to exist, Walimai leads them through a long series of tunnels and secret passageways. Alex pulls out his compass to find out which way they are headed, but the needle gives no sign of a direction, instead it spins around, pointing every which way. After believing to be lost, Walimai leads them into a large clearing inside the mountain with seven separate paths to chose from. Without hesitation, Walimai choses one and. After hours of walking through what seems to be endless darkness, they come upon several chambers with species of animals never before seen by more than a handful of men. Suddenly, out of nowhere, they reach the exit to the labyrinth and come upon an astonishingly bright clearing between the mountains. The clearing is the infamous El Dorado. They begin climbing down a staircase carved into the side of the mountains, astonished at the discovery, but upon descending further down into the opening, they find that the "city of gold" is simply a formation of outcroppings made of substances such as fools gold and and other cheap minerals.
When they reached ground level of the crater, a Beast appeared. Walimai went forward and spoke with the Beast. After an incredibly slow conversation, since the Beasts do everything at a sloth-like pace, Walimai returned and told Alex and Nadia that a council of the gods would take place tomorrow. Apparently, the Beasts are the People of the Mist's gods. At the meeting, after two days of deliberation, it was decided that Alex and Nadia would have to fight the Rahakanariwa. The Beasts are able to speak in the People of the Mist's tongue, they have lived since at least the start of the People of the Mist's existence, and they have a memory that remembers all of the stories told by the Messengers of the Gods. After deciding that Jaguar and Eagle would have to fight the Rahakanariwa, Jaguar and Eagle, against the customs of nature, asked for something in return. Eagle asked for the three crystal eggs, and Jaguar asked for the water of health to cure his mother. The Beasts became enraged upon the request, so Alex whipped out his flute and began to play, while Nadia danced to the music. Had Alex and Nadia not offered the scene they gave the Beasts, they would have most likely been murdered.
The Beasts, having received the gifts of music and dance, informed Alex and Nadia that to acquire the water of health and the three crystal eggs, they would have to go on a journey to the land of the spirits, and they would have to go alone. The next day, Walimai sent each of them their separate ways. Eagle was to climb to the top of the tallest tepui, and Jaguar was to go down into the earth, but neither of them could return to the land of the living empty handed or after nightfall. Eagle climbed up the stairs the way the came down, and once she reached the top of the stairs, she discovered that she would have to climb the face of the mountain. Upon reaching the top, after several hours of climbing, she searched for the nest that contained the three eggs. When she found it, she discovered that she would have to give something to the nest in return for the eggs. The only thing of value that she possessed was Walimai's talisman, which she reluctantly put in the nest. Then she grabbed the three eggs and began her descent.
Over these three chapters, Nadia, or Eagle, undergoes several changes. First of all, she becomes closer and and more dependent on Alex, or Jaguar. They do nearly everything together whenever possible, but now that she has to go on her journey alone, she feels like she will be incapable of accomplishing her goal to retrieve the eggs. But she remembers the words of confidence that Alex gave her, and she gains the strength required to scale the mountain. Secondly, she becomes more mature. She was already more mature than any girl Alex had ever known before, but she now becomes more self confident. With the help of Alex, she is able to overcome obstacles, such as her fear of heights, which has hindered her several times in the past.
When they reached ground level of the crater, a Beast appeared. Walimai went forward and spoke with the Beast. After an incredibly slow conversation, since the Beasts do everything at a sloth-like pace, Walimai returned and told Alex and Nadia that a council of the gods would take place tomorrow. Apparently, the Beasts are the People of the Mist's gods. At the meeting, after two days of deliberation, it was decided that Alex and Nadia would have to fight the Rahakanariwa. The Beasts are able to speak in the People of the Mist's tongue, they have lived since at least the start of the People of the Mist's existence, and they have a memory that remembers all of the stories told by the Messengers of the Gods. After deciding that Jaguar and Eagle would have to fight the Rahakanariwa, Jaguar and Eagle, against the customs of nature, asked for something in return. Eagle asked for the three crystal eggs, and Jaguar asked for the water of health to cure his mother. The Beasts became enraged upon the request, so Alex whipped out his flute and began to play, while Nadia danced to the music. Had Alex and Nadia not offered the scene they gave the Beasts, they would have most likely been murdered.
The Beasts, having received the gifts of music and dance, informed Alex and Nadia that to acquire the water of health and the three crystal eggs, they would have to go on a journey to the land of the spirits, and they would have to go alone. The next day, Walimai sent each of them their separate ways. Eagle was to climb to the top of the tallest tepui, and Jaguar was to go down into the earth, but neither of them could return to the land of the living empty handed or after nightfall. Eagle climbed up the stairs the way the came down, and once she reached the top of the stairs, she discovered that she would have to climb the face of the mountain. Upon reaching the top, after several hours of climbing, she searched for the nest that contained the three eggs. When she found it, she discovered that she would have to give something to the nest in return for the eggs. The only thing of value that she possessed was Walimai's talisman, which she reluctantly put in the nest. Then she grabbed the three eggs and began her descent.
Over these three chapters, Nadia, or Eagle, undergoes several changes. First of all, she becomes closer and and more dependent on Alex, or Jaguar. They do nearly everything together whenever possible, but now that she has to go on her journey alone, she feels like she will be incapable of accomplishing her goal to retrieve the eggs. But she remembers the words of confidence that Alex gave her, and she gains the strength required to scale the mountain. Secondly, she becomes more mature. She was already more mature than any girl Alex had ever known before, but she now becomes more self confident. With the help of Alex, she is able to overcome obstacles, such as her fear of heights, which has hindered her several times in the past.
Chapters 10-12
Alex and Nadia begin by telling Dr. Omayra Torres about how Karakawe had been searching through the vaccine supplies. Torres seemed uneasy during the telling, but she was relieved when the kids told her that Karakawe had not broken the seals on the vaccines. Following the incident with the attack on the crew member, it was decided that no one could leave the camp alone. Later on, Nadia and Alex went into the forest once again because they suspected the People of the Mist had returned. They were correct in their assumption, and they were carried off by the People of the Mist to be taken to Tapirawa-teri, the village of the People of the Mist. On the way, they were required to climb a sheer cliff behind a waterfall. Nadia, who was afraid of heights, would not have been able to climb the cliff if it had not been for Alex coming up with the idea of tying a rope between the two of them. The cliff had only one path up to the top, and if the route is unknown, the cliff is unclimbable. Mokarita, the chieftain of the People of the Mist, nearly perished on the ascent, but was saved thanks to the rope furnished out of lianas. After scaling the cliff, they, Alex, Nadia, and the group of warriors from the People of the Mist tribe, set out on a long journey to reach Tapirawa-teri. The village came upon them out of nowhere. It seemed invisible to Alex and Nadia until they were right on top of it. After the initial surprise, Alex and Nadia became essentially part of the tribe. They participated in the daily chores of the People of the Mist. Soon after arriving, Mokarita died. The men of the tribe induced visions to discover who was to be the next tribal leader and who had killed Mokarita. In one man's vision, he saw that it was Alex who had killed M0karita. This unwarranted accusation led to Alex being chased for several hours, and him being tied up to a tree. During this time, Nadia had blown her talisman from Walimai to summon him. Upon his arrival, he exerted his leadership and helped chose a new leader. The new leader was Iyomi, the wife of Mokarita. As leader, she decided to name chiefs of certain things, "A chief for war and hunting: Tahama. A chief for soothing the Rahakanariwa: the honey-colored girl called Eagle. A chief for negotiating with the nahab and their birds of noise and wind: the foreigner named Jaguar. A chief for visiting the gods: Walimai. A chief for the chiefs: Iyomi" (230). Following Alex's naming as "chief for negotiating with the nahab and their birds of noise and wind," he underwent a series of rites to become a man, which included sticking his arm in a sieve filled with red ants.
During these three chapters, Alex and Nadia underwent many changes. Alex became almost formally known as "Jaguar," and Nadia found her totemic animal to be the Eagle. Each of these animals is symbolic of certain aspects that each of them possess. The Jaguar symbolizes strength and invincibility, while the Eagle represents freedom and vision. In one of the induced visions, Nadia, or Eagle, viewed three crystal eggs in a nest atop one of the most ancient mountains in the entire rain forest. This vision led to Walimai declaring that Eagle and Jaguar must go on a journey together to locate and return the eggs, or "eggs", to Tapirawa-teri.
Throughout these chapters, more and more native tongue words are added, and an increasing amount of knowledge is discovered on the subject of the People of the Mist.
During these three chapters, Alex and Nadia underwent many changes. Alex became almost formally known as "Jaguar," and Nadia found her totemic animal to be the Eagle. Each of these animals is symbolic of certain aspects that each of them possess. The Jaguar symbolizes strength and invincibility, while the Eagle represents freedom and vision. In one of the induced visions, Nadia, or Eagle, viewed three crystal eggs in a nest atop one of the most ancient mountains in the entire rain forest. This vision led to Walimai declaring that Eagle and Jaguar must go on a journey together to locate and return the eggs, or "eggs", to Tapirawa-teri.
Throughout these chapters, more and more native tongue words are added, and an increasing amount of knowledge is discovered on the subject of the People of the Mist.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Chapters 7-9
Before setting out on the actual expedition, the crew was invited to Mauro Carias' camp, which was about one mile away from Santa Maria de la Lluvia, in a large clearing. Carias is rich enough to have his camp filled with trailers that were flown in from far away and to have "real" food (according to Alex who was an incredibly picky appetite) flown in as well. After having been given a tour of the camp, Carias invites them to view a jaguar trapped in a cage. He explains to the crew that the jaguar is to be sent to one of his zoo's. As soon as Nadia and her pet monkey Boroba lay eyes upon the jaguar, Boroba goes crazy and runs away, forcing her to leave the crew to chase after the monkey. Suddenly, with seemingly no reason whatsoever, Alex approaches the cage in a trance-like state. His grandmother gives him a few warnings, but he does not heed them.
"He saw the cat open its jaws, he saw the gleam of its enormous pearl-white teeth, and in a human voice, but one that seemed to issue from the depths of a cavern, it spoke his name: Alexander. And he answered in his own voice, but it, too, sounded cavernous: Jaguar. The cat and its counterpart repeated those words three times: Alexander, Jaguar; Alexander, Jaguar; Alexander, Jaguar, and then the sand of the plain became phosphorescent, the sky turned black, and the six moons began to whirl in their orbits and scatter like slow-moving comets." (105)
Suddenly, out of the blue, Alex leaped at the lock of the cage and attempted to unlock it so as to set the jaguar free. Two guards grabbed him and prevented him from unlocking it, but Cesar Santos whipped out his pistol and shot the jaguar right between the eyes. He explained to the appalled crew that captured animals were better off dead. Later on, after the incident had subsided, Alex tried to explain his experience to Nadia who had not observed the madness on account of her chasing Boroba. She explained to him in an understanding tone that:
"Your name is Jaguar," said Nadia.
"Jaguar?"
"Alexander is the name your parents gave you. Jaguar is your real name. But to use that name, you must be like a jaguar." (108)
Later on, when they were getting ready to embark on their expedition, Nadia came out of nowhere and declared that she was coming along on the journey. Ludovic Leblanc refused to allow her to go, and another debate erupted; it ended with Kate saying, "Like you, Professor, I have a bad back. I must have a personal assistant. I have hired Nadia Santos to carry my notebooks and fan me with a banana leaf" (114).
After embarking on the expedition, Alex told Kate about the conversation between Mauro Carias and Captain Ariosto that he and Nadia had overheard. She listened intently and agreed with him that she didn't like Carias. While on the boat, Cesar Santos told Alex all about leeches and insects, and how it was futile to try to prevent them from attacking you. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a short arrow-like projectile pierced the heart of one of the soldiers. He died instantly, and they sped the boats up to top speed to get away from the area where he had been shot. After giving the man a brief burial ceremony, they came upon a small lake in the river. Everyone got out and swam for a while, when suddenly, Joel Gonzalez, one of the photographers, was attacked by an 18-foot anaconda. Everyone rushed over to try to save him, but it was Cesar Santos who decapitated the anaconda with a knife, saving Joel. Dr. Omayra Torres arrived at the scene with a medical kit and a shot of adrenaline for Joel. After removing the anaconda, she discovered that Joel had several broken ribs, but otherwise was not dying. They made a makeshift full body cast out of bark and mud, and decided that he needed to be sent back to Santa Maria de la Lluvia to receive further medical treatment. For dinner that night, they cooked the anaconda, which was described as having the texture of chicken and the taste of tuna. Also, several men skinned the anaconda, and Ludovic Leblanc bought the skin on the spot to use at future lectures to boost his prestige, even though he had no part in the killing of the anaconda (he stayed on the boat and fired shots into the air for no apparent reason). After dinner, Alex had a clear-as-day vision of his mother that Nadia described as seeing with the heart.
That night, the crew set up guard shifts. During Alex's shift, a large pig came out of the bushes. Alex yelled to wake up the camp, but no one hurt the pig. Instead, they left it alone, and it eventually left. After Alex's shift, he went to bed, but woke up suddenly several hours later. The rest of the camp was awake as well for one of the crew members was missing. A small search party was set up, and the body of the missing crew member was found with it's head facing the complete opposite direction. Around the body and throughout the camp, there was a terrible stench. That morning, Matuwe, a soldier, and Joel Gonzalez took off back down the river to get medical treatment for Joel and to get reinforcements on account of the several deaths and injuries they had encountered. The remaining crew at the camp decided to create a trap for the Beast or whatever had mauled the soldier. After hours of digging a whole, they realized that it would be impossible to dig through all of the roots, so they gave up the project. Later that night, Nadia asked Alex to play his flute for a while, which helped to calm everyone's nerves a bit. Suddenly Boroba began jumping up and down, frightened. Alex and Nadia quietly left the camp without anyone knowing. They went a few yards into the jungle and stopped. Only a few yards away were approximately twenty Indians, blending into the surrounding woods. As quietly as they had arrived, the Indians departed without making any sound. Nadia explained to Alex that the Indians they had just encountered were the People of the Mist.
Nadia is a round character. She is constantly being described by new terms and is always surprising Alex with new skills and intelligence. She is quite childish, but is also very mature in different ways. One example of her being childish is when she and Alex paint themselves and dance around like Indians. A counterexample to her childishness is when she knows exactly what to do when the People of the Mist come and surround them in the forest.
One element that adds to the background of the novel is the use of Spanish and Indian words. Throughout the book, many words have been used from different languages such as: nahab, caboclos, shabono, papagayos, surucucu, pirarucu, iraras, and urucu. The use of these native tongue words draws the reader even more into the plot because it makes it seem as if you are in the story and not reading the translation of the text.
"He saw the cat open its jaws, he saw the gleam of its enormous pearl-white teeth, and in a human voice, but one that seemed to issue from the depths of a cavern, it spoke his name: Alexander. And he answered in his own voice, but it, too, sounded cavernous: Jaguar. The cat and its counterpart repeated those words three times: Alexander, Jaguar; Alexander, Jaguar; Alexander, Jaguar, and then the sand of the plain became phosphorescent, the sky turned black, and the six moons began to whirl in their orbits and scatter like slow-moving comets." (105)
Suddenly, out of the blue, Alex leaped at the lock of the cage and attempted to unlock it so as to set the jaguar free. Two guards grabbed him and prevented him from unlocking it, but Cesar Santos whipped out his pistol and shot the jaguar right between the eyes. He explained to the appalled crew that captured animals were better off dead. Later on, after the incident had subsided, Alex tried to explain his experience to Nadia who had not observed the madness on account of her chasing Boroba. She explained to him in an understanding tone that:
"Your name is Jaguar," said Nadia.
"Jaguar?"
"Alexander is the name your parents gave you. Jaguar is your real name. But to use that name, you must be like a jaguar." (108)
Later on, when they were getting ready to embark on their expedition, Nadia came out of nowhere and declared that she was coming along on the journey. Ludovic Leblanc refused to allow her to go, and another debate erupted; it ended with Kate saying, "Like you, Professor, I have a bad back. I must have a personal assistant. I have hired Nadia Santos to carry my notebooks and fan me with a banana leaf" (114).
After embarking on the expedition, Alex told Kate about the conversation between Mauro Carias and Captain Ariosto that he and Nadia had overheard. She listened intently and agreed with him that she didn't like Carias. While on the boat, Cesar Santos told Alex all about leeches and insects, and how it was futile to try to prevent them from attacking you. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a short arrow-like projectile pierced the heart of one of the soldiers. He died instantly, and they sped the boats up to top speed to get away from the area where he had been shot. After giving the man a brief burial ceremony, they came upon a small lake in the river. Everyone got out and swam for a while, when suddenly, Joel Gonzalez, one of the photographers, was attacked by an 18-foot anaconda. Everyone rushed over to try to save him, but it was Cesar Santos who decapitated the anaconda with a knife, saving Joel. Dr. Omayra Torres arrived at the scene with a medical kit and a shot of adrenaline for Joel. After removing the anaconda, she discovered that Joel had several broken ribs, but otherwise was not dying. They made a makeshift full body cast out of bark and mud, and decided that he needed to be sent back to Santa Maria de la Lluvia to receive further medical treatment. For dinner that night, they cooked the anaconda, which was described as having the texture of chicken and the taste of tuna. Also, several men skinned the anaconda, and Ludovic Leblanc bought the skin on the spot to use at future lectures to boost his prestige, even though he had no part in the killing of the anaconda (he stayed on the boat and fired shots into the air for no apparent reason). After dinner, Alex had a clear-as-day vision of his mother that Nadia described as seeing with the heart.
That night, the crew set up guard shifts. During Alex's shift, a large pig came out of the bushes. Alex yelled to wake up the camp, but no one hurt the pig. Instead, they left it alone, and it eventually left. After Alex's shift, he went to bed, but woke up suddenly several hours later. The rest of the camp was awake as well for one of the crew members was missing. A small search party was set up, and the body of the missing crew member was found with it's head facing the complete opposite direction. Around the body and throughout the camp, there was a terrible stench. That morning, Matuwe, a soldier, and Joel Gonzalez took off back down the river to get medical treatment for Joel and to get reinforcements on account of the several deaths and injuries they had encountered. The remaining crew at the camp decided to create a trap for the Beast or whatever had mauled the soldier. After hours of digging a whole, they realized that it would be impossible to dig through all of the roots, so they gave up the project. Later that night, Nadia asked Alex to play his flute for a while, which helped to calm everyone's nerves a bit. Suddenly Boroba began jumping up and down, frightened. Alex and Nadia quietly left the camp without anyone knowing. They went a few yards into the jungle and stopped. Only a few yards away were approximately twenty Indians, blending into the surrounding woods. As quietly as they had arrived, the Indians departed without making any sound. Nadia explained to Alex that the Indians they had just encountered were the People of the Mist.
Nadia is a round character. She is constantly being described by new terms and is always surprising Alex with new skills and intelligence. She is quite childish, but is also very mature in different ways. One example of her being childish is when she and Alex paint themselves and dance around like Indians. A counterexample to her childishness is when she knows exactly what to do when the People of the Mist come and surround them in the forest.
One element that adds to the background of the novel is the use of Spanish and Indian words. Throughout the book, many words have been used from different languages such as: nahab, caboclos, shabono, papagayos, surucucu, pirarucu, iraras, and urucu. The use of these native tongue words draws the reader even more into the plot because it makes it seem as if you are in the story and not reading the translation of the text.
Chapters 4-6
The first few chapters of this book were very dull and slow and had very little action. The most action was Alex trying to find his grandmother's place in New York. Now that I'm past the boring part of the book, it's becoming more and more exciting with each page. Chapter four starts off with Alex and his grandmother Kate on a plane, flying to the Amazon. When they arrive at their destination, they discover that they will now have to take a long boat ride up the Rio Negro to arrive at Santa Maria de la Lluvia where they will start their expedition.
When they arrive at Santa Maria de la Lluvia, Alex and Kate meet up with the rest of their crew for the expedition. Alex meets a girl named Nadia who is a couple years younger than he is, but she has far more experience than he, so she acts older than she really is. While everyone was waiting for the weather to clear up and for all of the supplies to be prepared, Nadia escorted Alex around the small village. When a downpour commences, Alex and Nadia find shelter in the church where Nadia introduces Alex to Padre Valdomero. Valdomero tells his story of the Beast upon Nadia's request.
The next day, the crew disputes over who can come and who can't on account of their budget. Everyone finds a way to come along, but not after hours of debating. Later that night, Alex and Nadia find themselves on the dock. Suddenly, Nadia stops moving and makes a strange call into what seems to be the darkness of night. She signals Alex to follow her into the jungle where they come upon a clearing, and an ancient Indian materializes. Nadia and Walimai, the Indian, engage in a conversation involving strange sounds and gestures, which seems to revolve around Alex. Following the conversation, Walimai gives Nadia an amulet that is supposed to protect her and Alex from all dangers.
Upon returning home, Alex and Nadia go to sleep, but Alex can hardly sleep. He wakes up in the middle of the night due to voices coming from outside. He wakes up Nadia, and the two of them sneak outside and observe two men conversing in Spanish. After Nadia removes the snake that becomes curled up from Alex's leg, she explains to him what the men were saying, which had something to do with getting rich and the crew telling some sort of cover-up story. The next morning, everyone except Ludovic LeBlanc goes swimming in the river to cool down and clean up for the journey that lies ahead.
Isabel Allende describes everything new to Alex with excruciating detail. For example, when Alex meets Nadia for the first time, he describes her as, "Alex guessed that the girl was about the age of his sister Andrea, maybe twelve or thirteen. Her curly hair was wild, bleached by the sun, and her eyes and skin were the color of honey. She was dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, and plastic sandals. Several colored ribbons were tied around her wrists, a yellow flower was tucked over on ear, and a long green feather pierced the love of the other ear" (65). Isabel describes new things with incredible detail so the reader can imagine exactly what the new person or thing looks like, or how it will act.
In addition to using great detail, Allende foreshadows certain events. For example, when Nadia is recounting what was said between her and Walimai, she tells Alex, "Walima says that foreigners should not go looking for the Beast. He says that several will die. But you and I must go because we have been called, and that is because our souls are pure" (87). This passage foreshadows that something bad will happen to the crew, but Alex and Nadia will remain unharmed, most likely due to the talisman she was given by Walimai.
When they arrive at Santa Maria de la Lluvia, Alex and Kate meet up with the rest of their crew for the expedition. Alex meets a girl named Nadia who is a couple years younger than he is, but she has far more experience than he, so she acts older than she really is. While everyone was waiting for the weather to clear up and for all of the supplies to be prepared, Nadia escorted Alex around the small village. When a downpour commences, Alex and Nadia find shelter in the church where Nadia introduces Alex to Padre Valdomero. Valdomero tells his story of the Beast upon Nadia's request.
The next day, the crew disputes over who can come and who can't on account of their budget. Everyone finds a way to come along, but not after hours of debating. Later that night, Alex and Nadia find themselves on the dock. Suddenly, Nadia stops moving and makes a strange call into what seems to be the darkness of night. She signals Alex to follow her into the jungle where they come upon a clearing, and an ancient Indian materializes. Nadia and Walimai, the Indian, engage in a conversation involving strange sounds and gestures, which seems to revolve around Alex. Following the conversation, Walimai gives Nadia an amulet that is supposed to protect her and Alex from all dangers.
Upon returning home, Alex and Nadia go to sleep, but Alex can hardly sleep. He wakes up in the middle of the night due to voices coming from outside. He wakes up Nadia, and the two of them sneak outside and observe two men conversing in Spanish. After Nadia removes the snake that becomes curled up from Alex's leg, she explains to him what the men were saying, which had something to do with getting rich and the crew telling some sort of cover-up story. The next morning, everyone except Ludovic LeBlanc goes swimming in the river to cool down and clean up for the journey that lies ahead.
Isabel Allende describes everything new to Alex with excruciating detail. For example, when Alex meets Nadia for the first time, he describes her as, "Alex guessed that the girl was about the age of his sister Andrea, maybe twelve or thirteen. Her curly hair was wild, bleached by the sun, and her eyes and skin were the color of honey. She was dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, and plastic sandals. Several colored ribbons were tied around her wrists, a yellow flower was tucked over on ear, and a long green feather pierced the love of the other ear" (65). Isabel describes new things with incredible detail so the reader can imagine exactly what the new person or thing looks like, or how it will act.
In addition to using great detail, Allende foreshadows certain events. For example, when Nadia is recounting what was said between her and Walimai, she tells Alex, "Walima says that foreigners should not go looking for the Beast. He says that several will die. But you and I must go because we have been called, and that is because our souls are pure" (87). This passage foreshadows that something bad will happen to the crew, but Alex and Nadia will remain unharmed, most likely due to the talisman she was given by Walimai.
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