Analysis Of Relationships In The Shadow Of The Wind By Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Relationships and its Subconscious and Extreme Nature Love, vengeance, and general relations can subconsciously unmask human behaviours. In The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, the relationships between the characters develop as each storyline intertwines. The importance of relationships and their impact can cause irrational or extreme actions as demonstrated through Julian’s relationships with Miquel, Daniel, and Penelope. To begin, Julian and Miquel’s friendship surpasses any other, and the sacrifices Miquel makes for Julian clearly exhibits extreme actions. As children, Miquel Moliner was always overprotective of his best friend Julian Carax. During this time, Julian began having a relationship with Penelope Aldaya. However, Javier

Although Julian and Daniel only meet at the end, Daniel’s fascination and appreciation for Julian displays true commitment. To start, the book revolves around Daniel, the protagonist, attempting to discover the secrets of Julian Carax, an author of a book entitled The Shadow of the Wind. Daniel constantly searches for clues, intertwining with the lives of people that have interacted with Julian. He visits Nuria Monfort, a Priest who went to school with Julian, and even Javier Fumero, a life-long enemy, just to get answers. Daniel hunts them down and essentially interrogates them, travelling through regions just in search of them. His dedication of his life, time, and safety, reveals his extreme and stubborn nature to find out about a single individual. Another instance of this behaviour is when Daniel breaks into Julian’s home and the Aldaya Mansion. On Daniel’s search for answers, he comes across Julian’s old, vacant home. He does not have access, so he goes to the caretaker and encourages her to open the door, and the two then breaks in and start observing all the rooms. Likewise, continuing this search, Daniel follows his girlfriend Bea to the Aldaya Mansion where the two break in. They look around for clues, eventually finding the coffins of Penelope Aldaya. In both instances, Daniel’s drive to unveil Julian Carax’s past

Foremost, Julian loves Penelope so much that he dedicates his entire adult life writing books for her. This is implied when Nuria Monfort opens up one of Julian’s books. Nuria reads, “On the first page, as in all Julian's other novels, was the handwritten dedication: For P.” (369). Julian could not see his one true love, nor could he find her, so he spent his entire life writing to her in hopes she will eventually find the books and they can reunite again. Julian could have spent his life finding happiness, being more open to new relationships, but this one person prevented him from pursuing his life. His devotion to only Penelope illustrates how a single relationship can prohibit life from flourishing; an extreme consequence caused by love. Next, the events that lead to Penelope’s death demonstrate the extremities caused by two lovers. Julian and Penelope had a secret relationship. They decide to have sex, and are eventually caught by Mrs. Aldaya, Penelope’s mother, who tells Mr. Aldaya. Julian eventually flees to Paris, and Penelope does not go with him for a reason unknown to him. In Nuria Monfort’s manuscript, readers find out Penelope’s fate; she had died. Nuria recalls, “… the doctor who came to examine Penelope confirmed that the girl had been deflowered and that she was possibly pregnant.… Penelope Aldaya gave