I Sell My Dreams By Gabriel Garcia Marquez

                                                               I Sell My Dreams

By Gabriel Garcia Marquez

 

Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1927-2014) was a Colombian novelist, short story writer, journalist, and one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. He is best known for his masterful use of magical realism, blending fantastical elements with everyday life. His most famous works include “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and “Love in the Time of Cholera.” Marquez received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982, recognized for his vivid storytelling and imaginative narratives that explore themes of love, politics, and human nature.

“I Sell My Dreams” is a short story that explores themes of superstition, belief, and survival through the character of Frau Frieda, a woman who claims to have the ability to predict the future through her dreams. Set against a backdrop of magical realism, the story narrates how she uses her supposed gift to navigate and thrive in life, captivating others with her mysterious aura while leaving them questioning the nature of fate, coincidence, and the power of dreams.

 

Q: How did the author recognize the lady who was extricated from the car encrusted in the wall of the Havana Riviera Hotel after the storm?

 

Ans. The author recognizes the lady as Frau Frieda by her distinctive gold ring shaped like a serpent with emerald eyes. This ring was a unique and memorable piece of jewelry that the author had noticed earlier when he knew her, making it easy for him to identify her even after all those years.

 

Q: Why did the author leave Vienna never to return again?

 

Ans. The author left Vienna, vowing never to return, after experiencing an unsettling encounter with Frau Frieda. Her claim to have seen something ominous in her dreams that related to him made him feel deeply uneasy. The suggestion of doom or danger that she implied affected him so profoundly that he decided to leave Vienna and never come back.

 

Q: How did Pablo Neruda know that somebody behind him was looking at him?

Ans. Pablo Neruda, the famous poet, felt a sudden chill and turned around instinctively to see Frau Frieda staring at him. He seemed to have a heightened sense of awareness or intuition that made him feel her gaze upon him.

Q: How did Pablo Neruda counter Frau Frieda’s claims of clairvoyance?

Ans. Pablo Neruda challenged Frau Frieda’s claim of clairvoyance by dismissing her prophetic dreams as mere coincidences and not an indication of any real supernatural power. He seemed skeptical and used humor to belittle her alleged abilities, suggesting that dreams are subjective and unreliable indicators of future events.

Q: Did the author believe in the prophetic ability of Frau Frieda?

Ans. The author expresses a certain ambivalence regarding Frau Frieda’s prophetic abilities. While he acknowledges that she had a reputation for predicting events through her dreams and was often accurate, he does not seem fully convinced that her abilities were genuine. He hints at a certain skepticism and leaves room for the possibility that her predictions could be due to coincidence or manipulation.

Q: Why did he think that Frau Frieda’s dreams were a stratagem for surviving?

Ans. The author suggests that Frau Frieda’s dreams were a means of survival because she used them to gain influence and money. By convincing people of her prophetic abilities, she was able to secure a livelihood, living comfortably off the donations or payments of those who believed in her dreams. This practical approach to her supposed “gift” makes it seem more like a clever survival tactic rather than genuine clairvoyance.

Q: Why does the author compare Neruda to a Renaissance Pope?

Ans. The author compares Neruda to a Renaissance pope to highlight his commanding presence, his opulence, and his aura of authority and mystery. Like a Renaissance pope who is both a religious figure and a political leader, Neruda carries an air of power, charisma, and perhaps a hint of indulgence and grandeur.

Q: In spite of all the rationality that human beings are capable of, most of us are suggestible and yield to archaic superstitions. Discuss.

Ans. This discussion point suggests that, despite the advances in science and rational thought, many people still find themselves influenced by superstitions. The story of Frau Frieda shows how even the most rational minds can be swayed by the idea of dreams and prophecies when presented with compelling circumstances.

Q: Dreams and clairvoyance are as much an element of the poetic vision as religious superstition. Discuss.

Ans. This point explores the idea that the poetic imagination often embraces elements like dreams and clairvoyance, similar to how religious beliefs are interwoven with superstitions. Both are ways to interpret the unknown or the mystical aspects of life, allowing for a blend of reality and fantasy.

Q: The story hinges on a gold ring shaped like a serpent with emerald eyes. Comment on the responses that this image evokes in the reader.

Ans. The gold ring shaped like a serpent with emerald eyes is a powerful and evocative image. It conjures notions of mysticism, danger, and allure. The serpent is often associated with wisdom, secrecy, and sometimes deceit, adding layers of meaning to Frau Frieda’s character and her supposed abilities. The ring becomes a symbol of her identity and her enigmatic nature.

Q: The craft of a master storyteller lies in the ability to interweave imagination and reality. Do you think that this story illustrates this?

Ans. Yes, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s story is an excellent illustration of the interweaving of imagination and reality. He masterfully blends the real-world setting with elements of magical realism, creating a narrative where the fantastical and the real coexist seamlessly. This blend makes the story both intriguing and thought-provoking.

Q: Bring out the contradiction in the last exchange between the author and the Portuguese ambassador ‘in concrete terms,’ I asked at last, ‘what did she do?’ ‘Nothing,’ he said with a certain disenchantment. ‘She dreamed.’

Ans. The contradiction in this exchange lies in the expectation versus the reality of Frau Frieda’s influence. The author expects to hear of tangible actions or events that justify her reputation, but the ambassador’s response reveals that her only “action” was dreaming. This points to the irony of how much power and influence she had achieved through something as intangible as dreams.

Q: Comment on the ironical element in the story.

Ans. The irony in “I Sell My Dream” is rooted in the tension between belief and skepticism. While many people are captivated by Frau Frieda’s alleged clairvoyance and dreams, there is an underlying sense that she might be a clever manipulator using people’s superstitions for her benefit. The story’s title itself is ironic- she literally “sells” dreams, something that should be valueless, yet she thrives on it.

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