“Her childhood was unhappy: she was ugly; she stuttered; her mother persecuted her with sarcasms in an effort to arouse some social charms
and force her to go about the town in a veritable harness of jewels. She lived alone and thought alone “ 14.
According to Horman and Harmon, we can analyze the character through the explicit presentation by the author of the character 81. In the novel, Thornton
Wilder states explicitly that Dona Maria lives alone and thought alone in her childhood.
2. Dona Maria is introvert
Dona Maria always talks to herself audibly. Like a mad person, she has another world in her mind and becomes unaware of her surrounding as when the
people in the theater are laughing at her. She does not realize that they have just insulted her; in fact, she is happy visiting the theater for she has found some
blessed phrases during the visit; some phrases which might brighten her next letter to her daughter. And hopefully her daughter will say something pleasant to her
after reading it. “But the Marquesa remained unaware of what had taken place; in fact
she was quite pleased, for during the visit she had contrived a few felicitous phrases, phrases who knows that might bring a smile for her
daughter’s face and might make her murmur: “Really, my mother is charming” 28.
However, Pepita accompanies her; Dona Maria still feels lonely. Sometimes she neglects Pepita as if Pepita is not there. One day, Dona Maria asks
Pepita to accompany her to the church, but she leaves her alone there. She forgets about Pepita. Dona Maria is too busy thinking of her daughter. She draws herself
into her own world. One time, she has a humorous chat with Pepita but at other times, she is unaware if Pepita accompanies her.
“No less her heart suffered, for on some days Dona Maria would suddenly become aware of her and would talk to her cordially and
humorously, would let appear for a few hours the exquisite sensibility of the Letters; then on the morrows she would withdraw into herself again
and, while never harsh, would become impersonal and unseeing” 44. It is clearly stated in the quotation above that Dona Maria is an introvert.
She does not like to tell her problems to other people. An introvert is a quite person who is more interested in their own thoughts and feelings rather than
spending time with others.
3. Dona Maria is miserable
Dona Maria grows up in a luxury life, but without love and understanding. Her parents are too busy earning money. It has a bad effect on Dona Maria’s
childhood. There is no one to share her feelings and it leads her to be a lonely child who is craving affection.
“Her childhood was unhappy: she was ugly; she stuttered; her mother persecuted her with sarcasms in an effort to arouse some social charms
and force her to go about the town in a veritable harness of jewels. She lived alone and thought alone“ 14.
We can see that Dona Maria lives in lonely childhood and lack of affection from the last sentence of the quotation. She cannot share love and affection with
her parents. As Dona Maria is growing as an adult, many suitors want to propose to
her, but as quick as possible she rejects them and prefers to be alone. Her mother does not agree with Dona Maria’s decision. They quarrel. Finally, Dona Maria
obeys her mother and gets married to an arrogant nobleman. She decides to get
married with a wish that she can get love from her husband. Nevertheless, her husband does not give her the love, understanding, or companionship that she
wants and needs “ Many suitors presented themselves, but as long as she could she fought
against the convention of her time and was determined to remain single. There were hysterical scenes with her mother, recriminations, screams
and slamming of doors. At last at twenty six she found herself penned into marriage with a supercilious and ruined nobleman …..She still lived
alone and thought alone” 14.
From the last sentence of the quotation, it can be inferred that her marriage cannot give her the love she expected. She still cannot share what she
wants and feels with her husband, so again she lives with no love and care. Dona Maria lives in a depressed situation until her beautiful daughter is
born. On her daughter, she places all her hopes to love and be loved. As she perceives that children will love their parents, she tries to reach Dona Clara with
her “love”. But her love takes a wrong place when it changes to be possessiveness. Dona Maria is too afraid of losing Dona Clara since her only
daughter is her only hope of love; she poured her daughter with obsessive love. She does everything to obtain Dona Clara’s love even with the way which her
mother does to her; recriminations, screams and slamming of doors. Because of her possessiveness and obsessive love, her daughter leaves her alone in Lima. It
shows that Dona Clara rejects her mother. She wants to avoid her mother. Dona Clara does not want her mother to bother her, so she chooses Spain, where it
takes a year for a letter.
