Senator Sanchez was a powerful money hungry man who only had six months and eleven days to live went to the city of Rosal de Virrey for his reelection speech. He was married to a German woman and had five children, they were all happy in their home. After spewing false promises accompanied, he walked through the town like any political person would do. He met Nelson Farina during his walk, asking him how he was. Nelson just responded that he was fine, then his daughter came out. Sanchez reacted how any normal man would react to seeing a beautiful girl and Nelson noticed this. He decided to use it to his advantage. He sent his daughter Laura Farina to Sanchez. Senator Sanchez was very stunned by Laura’s beauty. Laura was sent to Senator Sanchez because her father needed Laura to convince the senator to get him false identity cards since he had escaped from Devil’s Island. Every time he had the opportunity, he would repeat his request to the Senator. Nelson was hoping that Sanchez will try to have sex with his daughter. Nelson Farina was right and Sanchez did try to do exactly that but found that Laura was wearing a chastity belt. In order to get the key, Nelson wanted Sanchez to straighten out his problems.
“The senator caressed her slowly, seeking her with his hand, barely touching her, but where he expected to find her, be came across something iron that was in the way. What have you got there? A padlock, she said… He told me to tell you to send one of your people to get it along with him a written promise that you’ll straighten out his situation”
The Senator finally agreed to sort out her father’s problem and has Laura just lay with him. He was just so worn down that he only wanted Laura to lay with him. He needed to have someone lay with him so it would make him feel better.
“Forget about the key, he said, and sleep awhile with me. It’s good to be someone when you’re alone”
He asks Laura what she had heard people talk about him. She said that “they say you’re worse than the rest because you’re different.” The senator didn’t get upset he just laid silent for a long time. This somehow ends with Sanchez dying amongst a scandal with Laura Farino.
Death is shown to be a constant. Sanchez had a little over six months to live. However he was shamed to die. Since Marquez’s form of writing is magical realism, the sense of karma was introduced. Since Sanchez was shamed to die, karma was seen and he was shamed at the time of his death. The use of the zodiac sign Aries, was being the sign of the lonely, which also factors in to the time of his death. He is left alone to die in the shame that the public can pile on him. Even the rose, which over time dies, shows that death is a constant. Because the senator knows he is going to die, he loses his care about his reputation and his values and loses himself to death. He gives in to his politically corrupt temptation because he is looking death in the eyes.
In conclusion this story is of power and money but it is also about a man who is told that he will die. He loathes having someone by his side when he dies. He likes Laura’s beauty and grace. But at the end of it, Laura was only using him to get something for her father. In the end, he died lonely.
As we discussed in class today, I know Màrquez had attempted to get the theme of loneliness across in the work “Death Constant Beyond Love.” However, Senator Onesimo Sanchez was unable to get my sympathy and compassion. The author made it seem that when the senator found out about his fast-approaching death, he became more caring and benevolent—attempting to help and do good for others. We learn about the woman who had begged for a donkey when her husband had left her, and how the senator had agreed to provide her with one, but not without advertising his good deed by painting a campaign slogan on the donkey so everyone would know its roots.
As an audience, we are meant to understand his feelings for Laura Farina as deep and profound—even though he has a wife and children, he still years to have her by his side, at his death bed. I would have to say that my view on this is the complete opposite, and I honestly view this scenario in complete disgust. The father of this eighteen year old girl, is using her virginity and sexuality as a means in getting what he wants out of the senator. He puts a chastity belt on her simply to ensure that the senator wouldn’t get what he wants before the man would get what he needs. The father anticipated this situation, and still allowed his daughter to willingly go see the senator. This entire situation is disgusting an inappropriate, even though Laura and Sanchez don’t end up being physically intimate.
Not once did I feel for any concern for this man, for even when he is dying, the only good he will do is the kind that will somehow work to his advantage.
-Raquel Prober
I think that the fact that you see death as a constant is very interesting. It seems to play on a similar level with the circle of life, and that death is inevitable. However, I disagree with you when you say he gives in to his corruption because he’s dying. I get the notion that he was always corrupt, or at least didn’t have to best intentions for his people in the forefront of his mind. It seems as if he wants to make some sort of a statement once he learns of his death. When he aims to show his people what the society would be like if he were to be elected, it struck me as an attempt to leave a legacy, or to leave some kind of accomplishment an good ideas to stick with his name. It also made me think that he was afraid of dying without anyone commemorating him.
I think that in the moment that he tells Laura to stay and just lay with him, instead of getting her chastity belt key from her father, he realizes that although he was married, he wasn’t romantically and emotionally secure and satisfied. Also, I think that if Laura retrieved the key and they had gone on to have sex, it would have solidified the deal and exchange of sex for getting her father identifications. This would have been solely a business related encounter, but if she stayed laying with him it would be her choice, not a choice made to get something from the senator.
As I said in class, I agree with Raquel in the sense that we shouldn’t feel bad for the senator. He was unjust and corrupt by his own means and his own choice. Someone who is willing to cheat on his wife to steal a virginity from a young girl in exchange for a favor is not someone who deserves any sympathy from the audience. While many might see his continuation of his campaign as a means of dedication, I see it as a selfish attempt to accumulate recognition. He made false promises, knowing fully well he wouldn’t live long enough to complete them, just because he wanted to die with power. I see him as a man without proper priorities and values, and again should not be sympathized with.
-Melissa Hacken
I agree with your point that this story is mainly about power and love. Marquez talks about how the Senator show his power and people looked up to him. It is clearly described on the conversation between the Senator and the lady with her six children. Besides that, he was also a candidate on presidential election which means that he must have position prior to the election. However, I am more interested looking at how people such as Senator Sanchez who has money and authority could be control by a poor person or a criminal like Nelson Farina.
Before Nelson Farina has a control over the Senator, he was nothing but a poor man and a criminal who escaped from “Devil Island”. In order to obtain his freedom, he has to get false identity from the Senator. However, the Senator rejected him for so many times over the ears and Nelson Farina didn’t stop begging for it until he found a way to control the Senator using his daughter. We could see Senator was deeply in love with his daughter from the first sight. Furthermore, he was lonely and he only had limited until his last breath. With that being said, the Senator fell into Nelson’s trap and now he was in control by Nelson. Through this scene, we can see that how Nelson was a sly where he maximized his opportunity to control the Senator and didn’t care he has to sacrifice. In addition to that, this statement by Senator Sanchez, “ ”Tell your son of a bitch of a father that I’ll straighten out his situation”, this quotation indirectly means that Senator Sanchez had enough power to straighten Nelson’s power where he was a criminal.
So, overall I agree with your point that the one of the point that Marquez want to point out from this play is about power. We can see that this story is reflecting the condition here nowadays. People don’t care what they are about to sacrifice as long as they gain power in return.
-Timothy Setiadi