Ireland, Samantha Entry #3: The Mud Swallows Children

   The Mud Swallows Children  

           

        In Isabel Allende’s short story, “ And of Clay Are We Creating” Azucena symbolizes the innocence natural disaster strips from people as the meaning of her name represents the emotions survivors go through.

            Azucena is a name of Arabic origin and when translated to English means “Lily”. This name is generally used in Italian and Spanish cultures and for that reason has 7 different spellings. Moreover, a young woman who has this name is generally humble and modest. Additionally, a woman with this name is usually from a poor community. She may experience hatred from other members of society who are of higher class because of her lower socio-economic status and as a result will feel doubt and emotional pain throughout her life. Lastly, women who possess the name Azucena will triumph with the success and strength she has developed after overcoming several obstacles (Think Baby Names, 1990).

            Allende’s short story, “And of Clay Are We Creating” uses the meaning of the name Azucena to explain the hardships and stripped innocence people who lived in communities nearby the Nevado de Ruiz volcano experienced. As Rolf and Azucena wait for a rescue team to come and save her, Rolf begins to realize how little of the world she has seen: “She was thirteen, and she had never been outside her village.”(Allende, 174). Here, Rolf is expressing the sadness he feels for this young girl as her life is ending at such a young age. Unfortunately, this volcano eruption steals the innocence and childhood of young members of the Nevado de Ruiz community. Allende shares this diminished innocence when Azucena shares the depression she feels because her sibling’s dead bodies are below her. Therefore, surviving this natural disaster is twice as difficult for Azucena as she is mourning the death of her family while also fighting to keep her childhood innocence and life.

            As the story progresses, Rolf continues to stay with Azucena with the hope that they will receive a pump to save her life. Contrasting with the names definition, a reporter of higher class is helping her fight for survival. He realizes all of the opportunities she has never had and wishes to give her the chance to see more of the world. Allende shares Rolf’s wish by stating: “she perhaps did not know there was a world beyond the sea or time previous to her own; she was not capable of imagining Europe in the years of the war…How could he tell this dying child about ovens and gallows?”(Allende, 175). For a moment, Rolf contemplates sharing the parts of the world she has never seen so she gets the chance to understand the world better through stories. However, he decides not to share those stories so she can hang on to her childhood innocence and positive memories.

            As Rolf and Azucena establish a friendship, she opens up to him and shares her fear. This connects to the meaning of her name because she is expressing her doubt of survival as well as the physical and emotional pain she is feeling from being stuck in the mud. During one of their late night conversations Allende shares: “ Azucena had surrendered her fear to him” (Allende, 175). When she opens up, Rolf and Azucena begin to form a friendship that develops as they spend all day and night together. As it “drizzles” Azucena mumbles: “The sky is weeping. And she began to cry” (Allende, 175). Here, Azucena is realizing that she is going to die. Allende uses the rain to represent the sadness and depression survivors are feeling as they have lost so many loved ones to the volcano eruption. The three days continue to pass and on her last day Azucena tells Rolf: “Don’t cry. I don’t hurt anymore. I’m fine.”(Allende,177). Azucena is staying strong and is accepting her near death. Even though she does not survive, Azucena experiences the “triumph” her name stands for because she stays proud of her accomplishments in life while she fights for survival. After they have the conversation about what life will be like if she dies, the president comes to visit and finds a pump to help her. Sadly enough, the pump does not arrive fast enough and Azucena dies: “She sank slowly, a flower in the mud”(Allende,178). Her death symbolizes her lost of innocence to the volcano eruption along with her siblings and the rest of the children who were killed while.

            In conclusion, the natural disaster strips children of the innocence they still had as young members of society. Allende uses the short story “And of Clay We Are Created” to represent children’s loss of innocence and uses the meaning of the name Azucena to explain how disasters of the world end lives before they have even begun.