The Power Of Words In Isabel Allende's 'Two Words'

In Isabel Allende’s short story “Two Words”, readers follow the story of Belisa Crepuscalario, a woman who was born to an extremely poor family and sell words for a living. Colonel, a really tough and closed man who does not show his feelings easily and had spent his life serving homeland in the civil war. Late in the story she meets Colonel where the tough and closed man become a totally different person. In “Two Words,” Allende emphasizes the power of words through Belisa’s work to develop both Belisa and Colonel’s character, helping him realize that life is beautiful and enjoyable. To understand the power of words in Belisa’s life, it is important to know a little bit about her background. She was born in a very poor family where they did not have name to give to their children. Her name was not given by their parents, she researched by herself until she finds poetries about beauty and twilight where she baptized herself in it. She has a tough life in the neighborhood she was born, it was an inhospitable land with different natural and social problems, she even had to deal with hunger during her childhood. Even though it is a hard place to grow

She reads to whole speech aloud a couple time, so Colonel can understand and memorize it. Once she finishes reading it, she can see in his faces expressions of emotion, expressions that she did not see when she first met him. Colonel was convinced that he would win the election with those words. When Colonel goes to pay the amount he owes Belisa, he gives more than the amount charged and for his generosity Belisa gives him two secret words that is exclusive to him. She gives him the words and says, “You may use them as much as you please.” (86). None of the readers know what the two secret words are, but most of the readers conclude that for being a Latin America novel the words are Te Amo, which means I Love