And Of Clay We Are Created Summary

Isabelle Allende, author of “And of Clay We Are Created,” is a short story based upon the tragic tragedy of the volcanic eruption that left Armero, Colombia in despair. Rolf Carle a reporter who is displayed as the archetypal “The Hero,” in the story changes in the face of conflict when trying to rescue “The Damsel in Distress,” Azucena from the avalanche of mud. The archetype “The Damsel in Distress,” is incorporated to illustrate the focal point of the story where Azucena is covered by thick mud, soon to be swallowed below the surface to meet her death unless she is miraculously rescued. The situation that Azucena is in, makes it seem like she is the Damsel in Distress, but in reality she is the one who is saving Rolf Carle. Rolf Carle

Azucena helps him to shut the large gap between his past experiences and emotions so he can confront them. He sees that, “Azucena had surrendered her fear to him and so, without wishing it, had obliged Rolf to confront his own” (page number). Rolf remembers the time of his abusive father and how his disabled sister “who spent her whole life hiding,” would wish that her father would fail to recall the disgrace of her being born (3). Azucena is setting an example for Rolf bye letting him help her in a dangerous situation allowing Rolf to realize he can open up his fears from the past to her. Azucena appears to be the Damsel in Distress trying to seek help from Rolf Carle but the author unexpectedly twists the archetypes around by making Azucena the one who saves Rolf.

In conclusion, Rolf had wanted to comfort Azucena in her sorrow, but it was Azucena who had given Rolf the consolation. Rolf Carle “took excessive risks as and exercise of courage, training by day to conquer the monster that had tormented him by night. But he had come face to face with the moment of truth; he could not continue to escape his past. He was Azucena; he was buried in the clay of mud; his terror was not the distant emotion of an almost forgotten childhood, it was a claw sunk in his throat”