Sierva Maria Character Analysis

When an individual finds the person who makes them happy, that person they can trust and will not give up on them regardless of what happens, the individual becomes a whole new person. That is the case of Sierva Maria; most see her as a possessed, evil young girl who has gone crazy, while Delaura sees the complete opposite. If we compare Sierva Maria from the girl she is at the beginning of the novel living in her basement, to the girl she becomes in the convent, most would be afraid to approach her. They would say she is a demon, but Delaura considers her a beautiful, amazing individual. He portrays her as an “angel” who deserves to be free and happy. Therefore he has an urge to save her from the evils of the demons such as the priest and

It first begins with a passion that he strongly believes. The research that he devoted himself in finding evidence for his beliefs only strengthens his passion, he is positive that he could help her, “[I feel] as if I had the wings of the Holy spirit” (84). The rejections of Sierva Maria when he would visit her, only make him stronger; he is not willing to give up on her. The attacks that he receives from her, do not mean he has lost the war, but only the first battle, as he is attacked the first time “he displayed his wounds as if they were battle trophies, and scoffed at the danger of contracting rabies” (pg. 85). Delaura knows what he wants and he is going to go after that regardless of the obstacles that come his way. He wants to prove that Sierva Maria is not possessed. As he continues and struggles to fight to receive Sierva’s acceptance, his passion begins to turn into an obsessive love towards her, he imagines telling her “for you was I born, for you do I have life, for you will I die, for you am I now dying” (88). That love becomes so strong that he is willing to give up his life for her. He wants to escape from his position as Father Cayetano Delaura and start a new life with Sierva. He is willing to take risks, because his love is so strong that all he wanted was

Because he is first hesitant to take the case of Sierva, he does not believe he is capable of being responsible for her exorcism, and he seems afraid. He tells the bishop, “I am not an exorcist, father, I do not have the character or the training or the knowledge to claim to be one. Besides, we know that God has set me on another path” (76). But by him accepting the responsibility that is where it all began. It starts with a belief that Sierva is not possessed and that took over his life because he knew he had to do something to prove it. In a way a demon inside of him began to control his life. He is not possessed but by demon I mean that a new personality arouse, appeared in him, a new attitude that those who know him become confuse and cannot understand his actions; “The bishop was disturbed that he had not come to read at supper. Delaura realized he was floating on a personal cloud where nothing in this world or the next mattered except the horrific image of Sierva Maria debased by the devil” (118). He has become a new person and that was part of the first step in escaping from his recent life, he is only focused on Sierva Maria. When one has high beliefs about a certain situation they do not give up, their attitude changes to achieve what they want. That is what Delaura does; he wants a change in his life. He has a new attitude, and now what he needs is