Throughout Clarice Lispector’s novella, The Hour of the Star, colors and sounds are used to convey a feeling or message. The story is a very sad story about a young misfortunate girl from North-east Brazil who is suffering from tuberculosis. The story is told through the perspective of a male writer who is struggling with the young girl’s suffering. Lispector used an array of colors and sounds to entice emotion from the reader. This use of colors and sounds were both well-developed elements in the book, and these elements will be discussed throughout this essay.
The primary sound “bang” was referred to numerous times during the story. A reader could gather anticipation after reading the phrase and associating it with the sound only a few times. The word “bang” would appear in parenthesis following an important event in Maca’s life, and it would also appear in the story when Maca felt emotions. Maca had an unusual outlook on life; she did not see herself as living. She rarely was able to display emotion, so when she did the sound would follow. This bang amplified the emotion of the reader. Although Maca as in an abusive relationship with Olympico, emotionally, she still felt that he was the love of her life. When the relationship ended between the two characters, the bang sound immediately followed. This happened numerous times during the development of the story, and the sound appeared when Maca was very happy, which was not often. There was a mention in the story that Olympico may be able to help Maca get a job at the metal factory where he works, the writer expresses how Maca was happy after Olympico and her first met “In a downpour of rain (bang) she met the first boyfriend of any kind she had ever known” (Lispector 42). This sound is also seen other places in the book, such as when she was told she was going to fall in love with Hans and have a happy life.
A color that was referred to by Lispector in the story is red, especially scarlet red. This color can be associated with showing that a character is in want of something, and the color can also demonstrate a wanting or need for power. Olympico wanted to be a bullfighter when he was young “he shivered from head to foot when he saw the bullfighter extend his red cape” (Lispector 45). The reference to the bullfighter’s red cloak was symbolic to Olympico’s want for power. Olympico is a character that is driven to climb the social ladder and be a powerful individual, and the red bullfighter’s cloak can be seen a symbol for desiring power and wealth. Olympico also eats a red-hot chili pepper in the story in order to impress Gloria. The red-hot chili pepper could be symbolic for Olympico’s obsession for power. He wanted to keep Gloria’s affection, so he ate something dangerously hot to obtain what he desired. Her affection could mean a rise in the social ladder for Olympico, because she was from a higher class. Although not very high on the social ladder, Gloria’s status was higher than an unfortunate from the North-east. It was explained by the narrator, “Gloria had rich Portuguese wine in her blood” (Lispector 59). In the foreword the author stated, “I dedicate it to the very crimson color scarlet like my blood of a man in his prime so I dedicate it to his blood” (Lispector xiii). Lispector mentioned the color, scarlet red, which is also discussed later in the story. The protagonist did not have a fortunate life, in fact, she was only afforded a few luxuries. One luxury Maca enjoyed was painting her nails scarlet red, which is symbolic for her want to be connected to the outside world. Maca does not have friends, and her only connection to the world is Gloria, which she does not consider a friend. This scarlet red nail polish is a way that Maca can connect to the outside world; even if it is only nail polish. Red is also seen when Maca decides to wear bright red lipstick after Olympico left her for Gloria. She was made fun of by Gloria, but Maca was sincerely trying to appear as a “buxom beauty.” The writer referred to a time where Maca overheard a man tell a woman “You’re a buxom beauty! From that moment on she studied ways and means of putting on some flesh” (Lispector 61). This bright red lipstick was a want for attention and a want to feel prettier. The male narrator mentions several times that Maca’s physical appearance is very unattractive. Although her bright red lipstick application was not successful, it did show the reader that Maca wants to appear desirable to others. When Maca visits the Madame Carlota, she is told about the red-light district, where prostitutes from the north-east would earn income to survive. The red-light district is where unfortunate girls to survive and get what they want, which was the previous occupation of the fortune teller. The color red is seen throughout the story and is an important color, which helps readers understand the characters in the story.
The male figure writing the story discusses the importance of wanting to shout, which is an imperative noise in the story. He felt he must shout or he would go crazy. Maca was a protagonist who was not important to anyone. She had to beg to keep her job, which she was not good at, she subjected herself to an abusive relationship to feel loved, and she did not argue with anyone. She was silenced because she was an unfortunate from the North-east. This sound is crucial for understanding one of the central themes in the story, which is to display the harsh and sad lives of the unfortunates from the north-east. In the story, Maca is described as a usual unfortunate with the exception that she still holds her virginity as most unfortunate girls from the North-east resort to prostitution. This group of women were not important enough to anyone to have a voice; no one would listen to these girls. These girls did not have the power to voice their opinion or feelings because they were not seen as a valued part of society. The writer, who was a male figure that seemed to possess an education, mentioned he had a privileged life. However, he did state that he is an alien to any social class; he does not belong to the high, middle, or lower class of society. In the story, he states that he must shout because “For one has a right to shout” (Lispector 13). This is important because he has decided to submerse himself in becoming an unfortunate; he wanted to see what it felt like to be a lower class member of society. He knew that he was able to shout, and these unfortunate girls were not, so he felt he should shout on their behalf so their voice is heard. He wanted to share the amount of pain and suffering these young girls face with the rest of the world.
The story has several references to gold, which is mentioned primarily when the male figure writing the story tells about Olympicio’s gold tooth. A gold tooth was a symbol of wealth, and Olympico had his tooth pulled to be replaced with a gold tooth. Olympico’s obsession for wealth caused him to display a piece of gold in his mouth. The color gold seems to magnify the feeling of wealth for Olympico, and how important it is to most individuals. Yellow is a form of gold, and in the story it was mentioned that Gloria’s hair is bleached yellow, which was considered more desirable to Olympico. However, this also contributes to the falseness that Gloria’s character possesses. She was not a good person and this was displayed through her actions in the story. When Maca was a girl she witnessed fireworks that produced golden shower she is later reminded of this golden shower when she sees a rainbow. Maca felt extremely happy from the feelings that came from the golden shower. In this instance, Maca associates gold with happiness. She wanted to obtain the happiness that she felt when she saw the golden shower produced from the fireworks.
After Maca dies, there is a reference to silence “Should God descend of Earth one day there would be a great silence” (Lispector 85). Maca wanted to live and thrive, and the writer of the story also wanted her to survive. He was aware that she was going to die, and it was assumed that he had a hard time coming to terms with her death. He was not able to accept that she had died. However, after he wrote about her death he followed with silence “This silence is such, that one no longer thinks” (Lispector 85). This silence, or absence of sound, was vital for the reader. The reader was able to see that the male narrator had come to terms with the death of Maca. The young girl from the North-east is dead, and no one can do anything to change this fact. At this moment in the story, he was able to accept that she died. He was able to accept death and stated “Dear God, only now am I remembering that people die?”(Lispector 85). The content that followed the silence also warrants that the male writer has accepted the protagonist’s death. He immediately discussed that strawberries were in season, which would demonstrate the plaguing issues he had because of the girl were no longer present “She is finally free of herself and of me. Do not be frightened. Death is instantaneous and passes in a flash” (Lispector 85). In the story, Maca loved music and listening to the transmitter radio. She did not seem to enjoy silence. As Maca was dying, the male narrator described her as “struggling in silence” (Lispector 80). When she was able to stay home from work, because she told her boss she was getting a tooth extraction, she played the music at full blast. Maca also confessed to Olympico her love for music. The reference to silence, during her death, was also a reminder to readers that she had a love for music and noise, which were no longer present. Ultimately, the silence that was referenced at the end of the story conveyed a message of understanding and acceptance about death.
Clarice Lispector developed an emotional novella that shares the suffering unfortunate individuals in society must face on a daily basis. Lispector also showed the reader how can come to terms with death; by writing about the life and death of Maca, the male protagonist was able to come to terms and accept her death. The colors and sounds that were used in the story heighten a readers emotions, and colors and sounds also connect the reader to the characters of the story and their situations.
Works Cited
Lispector, Clarice. The Hour of the Star. Manchester: Carcanet, 1986. Print.
