THE HOUSE ON THE LAGOON BY ROSARIO FERRE

Running Head : The House on the Lagoon

THE HOUSE ON THE LAGOON

THE HOUSE ON THE LAGOON

Rosario Ferre is one of the most noted and famous Puerto Rican who have made their mark in the world of literature . Her books illustrate the political and social conditions of her native land . In this , we attempt to review and understand her book `The House on the Lagoon ' which is extremely famous and provides an interesting insight into the Puerto Rican conditions and the views of the writer as a supporter of feminism p

`The house on the Lagoon ' was nominated for the National Book Award in 1995 . The story revolves around Isabel and Quintin Mendizabal who are a quintessential Puerto Rican couple belonging to the privileged section of this society . The wife , Isabel , has a streak of independence and she feels suffocated in the typically bourgeois environment . She wishes to fulfill her long cherished dream of becoming a famous writer . For the fulfillment of this dream she decides to write a novel based on the life and family history of her husband and herself . However , the husband suddenly discovers the less than flattering of his family that his wife wishes to make public by getting it published . He is obviously shaken and tries to alter the version that his wife has written in to make it more appreciative of his family

The story appears to be simple on the surface . However , while reading it , so many undercurrents appear that it becomes a delightful experience to discover the countless nuances . Many special features and styles of writing adorn the book . The most famous , the most talked about and perhaps the most exciting is the concept of two distinct narrative voices . In the beginning , the book proceeds as a simple family history being retold by a woman . However , a few chapters into the book , suddenly we discover that the narration switches over to the woman 's husband Quintin , who discovers that his wife is writing a novel . Surprises do not cease here . We are treated to another surprise as we discover that the book we are reading i .e . `The House on the Lagoon ' is the book that the husband is so incensed on finding . Thereon the narrative continues to switch from Quintin to Isabel and vice versa and this turns out to have far reaching consequences on the novel as a whole

The double narrative allows for a more democratic unfolding of the story than a single narrative . It allows us to find out Quintin 's reactions to his wife 's narration of his family history . It puts in more animation into a mundane story of family history . Their arguments keep the narration alive and keep the reader guessing at reality and the next sequence of events . Also , there is a marked difference in the ways Quintin and Isabel approach the novel . Quintin , as we are told , has been a student of history in Columbia . To him , misinterpretation of...