How I Became a Nun Literary Elements

Novel

Rosario, Argentina

Told from the point of view of César Aira, the main character.

The book has a very surrealist tone; it is difficult to tell reality from César's intense imagination.

Protagonist is César, no fixed antagonist.

After waking up from an eight-month delirium, César must navigate her life again, visiting her father in prison, learning how to read in school, and getting over the incident that led to her hospitalization.

The climax happens when the wife of the deceased ice-cream vendor kidnaps César and throws her into a huge bowl of strawberry ice-cream, which triggers memories of the incident for César.

The entire darkly humorous scene of the cyanide-poisoned strawberry ice-cream can be seen as foreshadowing for the climactic scene.

Throughout the book, César repeatedly understates her situation in a rather comedic and childish way, adding to the sense of surrealism the book creates.

The book alludes to César Aira himself; the titular character literally has his name. It is rather ambiguous the author's connection to the character of César.

César describes things in a very evocative way; her imagination is extremely vivid. For example, she describes visiting her father in prison: "Each successive incident, right from the start, from the moment I tasted the strawberry ice cream, had been leading me to this crowning moment, preparing me to be the angel, the guardian angel of all the criminals, the thieves and murderers."

The paradox of César's gender is an interesting topic throughout the story.

The parallel incidents of the poisoned strawberry ice-cream incident at the beginning and the kidnapping of César and subsequent shoving into a tub of strawberry ice-cream is significant.

No significant instances.

The character of César herself personifies the poisoned strawberry ice-cream: bitterly sweet.