Summary |
"Riverita" by Armando Palacio Valdés is a novel of customs written in the late 19th century. The story revolves around Miguel, a young boy about to have a new mother as his father, Fernando, considers remarrying after the death of Miguel's mother. The initial focus is on the family dynamics and societal expectations surrounding marriage and motherhood, portrayed through Miguel's interaction with his uncle, Don Bernardo, and his subsequent experiences within the household. The opening of the novel introduces Miguel as he learns about his father's intention to remarry, a subject explained to him by his stern uncle, Don Bernardo. The dialogue sets the tone of the familial expectations and the challenges Miguel faces, both in understanding adult matters and navigating his childhood antics with his cousin Enrique. As the story unfolds, it captures the tensions within the household, the differing approaches to parenting displayed by his father and uncle, and hints at the emotional complexities of growing up in a high-society environment, where appearances and manners are of utmost importance. Miguel's interactions and the familial pressures surrounding him lay the groundwork for themes of childhood innocence versus adult responsibility and societal expectations. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
|