Descriptions in Pedro Paramo: An Essay Regarding Confinement G. Guagliardo 10th Grade

The work Pedro Paramo, written by author Juan Rulfo, explores in an abundance the notion of confinement in relation to its physical, mental, and metaphorical manifestations. Through his use of temperature description, overwhelming sound imagery, and oppressive family characterization, Rulfo emphasizes how confinement can come in many forms as well as how it negatively affects those who are confined.

Initially, to explore the meteorological representation of confinement in Pedro Paramo, Rulfo includes a wealth of detail about changes in temperature. This heavy emphasis, especially on heat, accentuates the pressing, suffocating nature of Comala's weather. As Juan Preciado and Abundio are first making their way down to Comala, Rulfo includes details about their venture such as, "… the August wind blows hot," (Rulfo 4), "We had left the hot wind behind and were sinking into pure, airless heat," (Rulfo 5), and even uses a biblical analogy, writing, "That town sits on the coals of the earth, at the very mouth of Hell," (Rulfo 6). This heat is oppressive simply because of how insistent its existence is—Juan cannot escape it, and it is constantly pushing down on him, a reminder of how close he is to Hell. It demands to be acknowledged....