The start of this chapter focus’ on the various jobs that Eva had. Noting that she rarely held a position, due to either her efforts or the patrons own effect.
Chapter five begins with a scandal involving her Madrina. Eva Luna’s Madrina gives birth to a still-born child that has two heads, one black and one white. The mother discarded the child and this results with an uproar from the public calling her ‘The Little Monster Murderess’, this drive the madrina into madness and disappears for a long time collecting Eva’s wages.Madrina goes to Eva’s workplace and threatens the patrons and she became angry and fired Eva. Elvira becomes extremely distraught and the idea of being separated from Elvira but Elvira always managed to visit Eva when she can. Eva then finds a new workplace with a widow Yugoslavian woman who treats her well.
This woman had invented a material called Universal Matter, which can be formed to recreate almost anything once painted.This patron states “The day this county falls into the hand of the communists, evita, I will kill you so you won’t have to suffer at their hands, and then blow your own head off”. This is an example of a reference to politics that is an evident theme within this book. Eva’s work ended her as she Yugoslavian patron was “crazed with fear” and wanted to leave the company, due to the cruel antics to cats and she “was determined to escape the county before the Bolsheviks did to her what they did with the cats”.
Eva’s Madrina then found Eva new work in the house of the Cabinet Minister. Her new patron was divorced, without any children or friends, and lived in a house which was much too big for him. There were many empty rooms in this house. Eva spent a long time exploring this house, listening to the radio and daydreaming about the locked rooms. Eva’s two jobs here were to shine the misiter’s shoes and emptying his chamber pot. After a few days of doing the second job Eva felt like “she was dying and could not get breath”.
Eva fed up, lifted the chamber pot over the Minister’s head and pored it over him. Then quickly ran away. “Eva then walks towards the centre of the city in order to find Huberto Naranjo. ” A reference is made her in relation to the setting.
Another example of the theme of wondering. This can be compared to Ort from That Eye The Sky as he is wondering through the bush and town. Although, in the situation Ort is doing it to explore his town and environment where as Eva is doing it to find safety, food, work and a home.Huberto then introduces Le Senora and Melisio. Le Senora takes Eva in to stay with her.
Le Senora runs a group of prostitutes in her house but attempts to keep Eva innocent from this. Le Senora is very giving and takes care of Eva from Huberto’s order. Eva begins to live a much more luxurious life style than she was ever exposed to. Through living in this house Eva is introduced to Melisio, a cross-dressing man who performs at a bar, singing and dancing, but showing much more talent, compared to just plain amusement like the other cross-dresses.After living in harmony for a few years, a new police chief moves in and immediately storms the brothel that Le Senora owns. Eva is forced to flee, being abandoned by Le Senora and is once again left roaming the streets.
Eva Luna is characterised throughout the chapter and novel by her dialogue, interactions with other characters, her gift of story telling and her thoughts these are shown to the reader through her thoughts/story while she narrated the novel.In chapter Five, Eva Luna is shown to be a fairly accepting person, this may be due to her naivety (innocence) due to still being a child (This is similar to That Eye, The Sky). It is clear that Eva is an accepting person and she doesn’t treat people from a higher, lower or different social status as herself. For example after Eva reunited with Herbuto Naranjo and is introduced Melisio and Le Senora she doesn’t change her behaviour because they are wealthier or have jobs that are seen as ‘inappropriate’ to many.
Social Expectations are explored in this chapter.Gender – standards that women don’t have as much rights as they do today. What society expects of them “what you need to do is study to be a teacher or a nurse – those are decent jobs for a woman (pg 114) Prostitutes, cross-dressers and other members of the red-light district – Enjoyed by the public but seen as a disgrace Wonder is an obvious theme of this chapter – at the beginning of the chapter Eva is roaming until she finds Herbuto and then once she is forced to leave Le Senora’s home she ends the chapter wondering once again.
