Which two characters are at the center of the story and of Clay Are We Created?

Isabel Allende draws a parallel between Rolf and Azucena in the story “And of Clay We Are Created.” The little girl becomes a symbol or metaphor for Rolf’s hidden, tumultuous childhood.

What does and of clay we are created mean?

The title And Of Clay Are We Created could have many meanings, but one particularly stood out. The title comes from the proverb “we are all made of the same clay”, in which comes from biblical passages referring to humans being created of clay and “dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return”.

Why does Rolf work so hard to keep Azucena alive?

There are several reasons why Rolf Carle tries so desperately to keep Azucena alive. First of all, Rolf had a sister who died from abuse. Katharina was disabled, and Rolf would hide her to avoid their father’s abuse. Katharina dies, and Rolf feels overwhelming grief for “abandoning” her.

What do you think it means that time had stagnated and reality has been irreparably distorted?

What do you think it means that “time had stagnated and reality had been irreparably distorted”? It means that time had elapsed and all transportation means were not available for Rolf to transport the little girl Azucena to the hospital to be drained with water and be radioed.

Why does Rosenblatt respect the man in the water?

Why does Rosenblatt respect the “man in the water”? The man represents the best human qualities. How did the “man in the water” end up in the Potomac River? He fell in the river when the plane crashed.

How did Azucena’s death change Rolf?

Rolf no longer takes pictures; he no longer writes or sings. The speaker knows that he is in the process of coming to terms with the pain and the death of the past, and she vows to wait for him to “complete the voyage” of remembrance and “return from [his] nightmares.” This is what Rolf must endure to fully heal.

What happens to Azucena at the end of the story?

At the end of the story, Azucena dies and slides into the mud pit where she has been trapped after the volcano eruption. After spending three days in the mud and water, Azucena dies of hypothermia due to the cold, wet conditions.

Why don t the children give the man in the well Their names?

As for the boys, what seems to upset them more than anything is that their names are blurted out accidentally. As they don’t know his name, this creates a kind of power imbalance between them which makes them rather uncomfortable, to say the least.

What is the climax of and of Clay Are We Created?

In “And of Clay Are We Created ” the climax, the moment of maximum tension in the story, is where Rolf shares some of the traumatic details of his past with Azucena, the little girl trapped in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption, whose spirits he tries to keep up during her terrible ordeal.

What did Azucena come to symbolize as the story progresses?

In the short story “And of Clay Are We Created” by Isabel Allende, a young girl named Azucena (which translates to Lily) head sticking out of the ground. The child has strong symbolic meaning within the piece. Azucena is a symbol for death and the freedom from the natural world that comes with death.

What disaster is described in the man in the water quizlet?

What disaster is described by “The Man in the Water”? The crash of a plane into the Potomac River.

What does Azucena do for Rolf?

We have already seen how Azucena managed to “unlock” a variety of emotions and experiences in Rolf, and here we see that they are able to help each other accept death.

What is the conflict in the man in the water?

According to Rosenblatt, the man in the water symbolizes the conflict between nature and human beings. He characterizes nature as impersonal- making no distinctions between good and evil, and having no principles, sympathy or animosity. Man, on the other hand, functions with principles, distinctions, and even faith.

What sets the man in the water apart from others?

Terms in this set (12) What heroic thing did the man in the water do? What sets the man in the water apart from others? His selflessness. According to Rosenblatt, what 2 elements are in conflict?

How is the narrator made aware of what Rolf is doing?

The narrator is able to keep track of what Rolf Carle is up to through the television footage of the disaster, which as time goes by focuses more and more on the pitiful figure of Azucena, and Rolf Carle by her side, as he tries to comfort her and does everything he can to try and save her.

What memories disturb Rolf as he waits in the night with Azucena?

What memories disturb rolf as he waits in the night with Azucena? He remembers burying bodies in concentration camps, witnessing his mother’s humiliation, experiencing abuse by his father, comforting his sister, and seeing the sister he agandoned in his dreams.

Who is Rolf Carle?

Rolf Carlé is a dedicated reporter who is one of the first to reach the tragic scene of Azucena, who was stuck in the mud and debris after a sudden natural disaster. Rolf Carlé is a professional reporter who takes his job very seriously throughout the story.

How did the man in the water die?

Arland Dean Williams Jr. (September 23, 1935 – January 13, 1982) was a passenger aboard Air Florida Flight 90, which crashed on take-off in Washington, D.C., on January 13, 1982, killing 74 people.

What prevents Azucena from being rescued?

What prevents Azucena from being rescued? She is buried up to her neck in the mud and trapped by the bodies of her brothers and sisters clinging to her legs.

What does Rolf realize about himself as a result of talking to Azucena?

Throughout his professional life as a journalist, he has taken extraordinary risks, choosing to cover wars and natural disasters and placing himself in danger. Talking with Azucena, he comes to realize that these risks have been attempts to build up his courage so that one day he might face his memories and his fears.

Why was the man in the water considered selfless?

The man saves the others because he knew he was going to die, so he made sure someone else could live for him.

What finally happens to the man in the water?

He was one of the few who had initially survived the Flight 90 crash. He, however, kept passing the helicopter ropes to the others who were stuck with him in the water instead of saving himself. He drowns before the helicopter can come back to save him.

Why do you think Rolf was trying to distract Azucena?

Why do you think Rolf was trying to distract Azucena? He is no longer the same man, watches the videos and studies them looking for something he may had been able to do and sees himself in a mirror of himself and now spends most of his time in front of a window thinking.

What is the main idea of the man in the water?

While the focus of the essay is on the “man in the water”, the running theme is about the heroism of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.

What does the narrator mean when she says Rolf had completely forgotten the camera?

He had completely forgotten the camera; he could not look at the girl through a lens any longer. The damage from the volcano is massive and Azucena is only one facet of it, yet Carlé is obsessed with her rescue and ignores all other distractions.

What does the water represent in the man in the water?

(THE MAN IN THE WATER) According to Rosenblatt, the man in the water symbolizes the conflict between humans and nature. He characterizes nature as uncaring. The man in the water is the opposite of that – he cares.

Where did and of clay we are created take place?

The Setting of “And of clay we are created” is in Chile during the 1980’s. Rolf Carle: Rolf Carle is an Australian photographer there to cover the avalanche; tries to rescue Azucena; protagonist.

How does Rolf Carle change throughout the story?

Rolf shares stories of his past that he has repressed to avoid the pain that they invoke. He seems no longer able to hide behind his feats of bravery as a reporter and is instead overcome with emotion.

What is the first question Rolf asks Azucena?

What is the first question Rolf asks Azucena? Where do you live? How do you hurt? Are you alone?

What is the tone of and of Clay Are We Created?

The author sets an anxious, suspenseful, and sympathetic tone throughout this story.