"The Paradise Was a Bus" by Juan José Millás is a short story that tells the story of two strangers who ride the same bus every day but have never spoken to each other. They both work in different stores and take the same bus every day, but they get on and off at different stops. They only look at each other when there are free seats, and they stand near each other when the bus is full. They send unspoken messages to each other, and over time, they begin to develop a silent connection. The story explores their lives and feelings towards each other over the years. The characters in the story are two strangers who take the same bus every day. The story does not provide much detail about their personal lives, such as their names, ages, or backgrounds. …show more content…
The author does not provide a detailed description of the bus or the city. However, the setting serves as a metaphor for the characters' lives. They are stuck in a routine and cannot break free from it. They use their imagination to escape their mundane lives. The problems that arise in the story are related to the characters' personal lives. The female character undergoes a life-threatening operation but does not tell the male character because she does not want to miss their daily encounter. The male character neglects his personal hygiene and appearance when the female character is ill. He also loses interest in everything when she does not show up. These problems show the characters' dependency on each other and their need for human connection. The language in the story is simple but powerful. The author uses short sentences to convey the characters' emotions and thoughts. For example, "He lost interest in everything" shows the male character's disappointment when the female character does not show up. The language is also poetic at times, such as when the author describes the rain and the wind crushing the raindrops against the windows of the bus, blurring the