I Sell My Dreams Summary and Line by Line Explanation
CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Chapter 1- I Sell My Dreams Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from Kaleidoscope Book Short Stories
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CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Chapter 1 – I Sell My Dreams
By Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1927 – 2014)
Gabriel Garcia Marquez has effortlessly used magical realism, a literary style that combines realistic elements with magical aspects. Marquez’s story ‘I Sell My Dreams’ has an underlying theme of the Second World War and Post-World War in Colombia, though he has beautifully blurred reality and speculation. The story tells us about the narrator’s encounter with a strange woman named Frieda who had an exceptional ability to predict the future through her dreams. The title of the lesson “ I Sell my Dreams” is a dedication to this woman who got employment owing to this power of hers. The irony is that Frieda fails to foresee her death through her dreams.
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I Sell my Dreams Summary
One morning at nine o’clock, the narrator was having breakfast on the terrace of the Havana Riviera Hotel when a huge wave of sea hit several cars. As the hotel was located by the sea, the huge wave from the sea came up till the adjoining road and into the hotel. The impact smashed one of the cars into the hotel, creating a loud explosion-like sound that sent panic through the hotel building, shattering the hotel’s entrance window. Tourists in the lobby were thrown into the air along with furniture, and some were injured by falling glass. The wave leapt over the street, hitting with enough force to break the window.
The cheerful Cuban volunteers, assisted by the fire department, cleared the debris in six hours and replaced the gate to the sea. During the morning, no one noticed the car lodged in the wall, thinking it was simply one of the parked cars and nobody would be inside the car, but when the cane lifted the car, it revealed a woman behind the wheel, her bones were shattered and her features were distorted. The only intact item was her gold serpent ring with emerald eyes. Authorities identified her as the housekeeper for the new Portuguese ambassador, who had arrived in Havana two weeks prior.
The narrator was concerned about her as he had met an unforgettable woman in Vienna thirty-four years ago, whose real name he had never learned. She wore a unique serpent-shaped ring on her right forefinger and was dining in a tavern popular among Latin American students. He had just arrived from Rome and was struck by her soprano figure and the fox fur on her coat collar. Although she spoke basic Spanish with a metallic accent, she was a Colombian, having moved to Austria as a child to study music. Around thirty at the time, she didn’t age gracefully but was a delightful and an impressive person.
Vienna, an ancient imperial city, transformed into a hub of black market activity and international spying after the Second World War. The narrator’s refugee companion, Frieda, dined at a students’ tavern out of loyalty to her roots despite her wealth, never revealing her real name, so they called her Frau Frieda. When the narrator audaciously asked how she ended up so far from the windy cliffs of Quindio, she simply replied, “I sell my dreams.”
She was the third of eleven siblings born to a shopkeeper in old Caldas. From a young age, she started the family tradition of sharing dreams before breakfast, when their prophetic nature was strongest. At age seven, she dreamed of a flood taking one of her brothers away. Fearing for him, her superstitious mother forbade him from swimming in the ravine. Meanwhile, Frau Frieda developed her method of divination.
Frieda interpreted the dream as a warning for the boy to avoid sweets, which outraged the five-year-old who loved his Sunday treats. Their mother, convinced of her daughter’s prophetic abilities, enforced this warning strictly. However, during a moment of negligence, the boy secretly choked on a piece of caramel, leaving no way to help him.
Frau Frieda never thought she could support herself until the harsh Viennese winters forced her to seek employment. She found work in a household where she simply stated, “I dream,” to describe her abilities. Though her wage barely met her needs, she received a pleasant room and three meals a day. Each morning, the family—composed of a cultured financier, his cheerful wife who loved Romantic music, and their two young children—would gather for breakfast to discuss their upcoming destinies. They were a religious family with a penchant for old superstitions and were excited to have Frau Frieda interpret their daily fates through her dreams.
She excelled in her role, especially during the war when reality was more frightening than any nightmare. She decided each family member’s tasks at breakfast, guiding the household with her rules. Even the slightest sigh was under her control. When the head of the household passed away in Vienna, he left her part of his estate, provided she continued to dream for the family until she stopped dreaming, that is, until she died.
The narrator spent over a month in Vienna, facing financial hardships like his fellow students while waiting for money that never arrived. Amidst their struggles, Frau Frieda’s unexpected visits to the tavern felt like celebrations. One night, after drinks, she leaned in and firmly told him she had dreamed of him and insisted him to leave Vienna immediately and not return for five years. Her certainty compelled him to take the last train to Rome that night. From then on, he saw himself as a survivor of a disaster he had never experienced, and he had yet to return to Vienna.
Before the disaster in Havana, the narrator unexpectedly met Frau Frieda in Barcelona on the day Pablo Neruda first returned to Spain after the Civil War. They explored second-hand bookstores, where Neruda bought a worn book for two months’ salary from his consulate in Rangoon. He moved clumsily through the crowd, filled with childlike wonder, seeing the world as a giant toy where life unfolds naturally.
The narrator describes a man reminiscent of a Renaissance pope—indulgent and elegant—who always led mealtime despite his reluctance. His wife, Matilde, tied a bib around his neck to prevent messes. On a typical day at Carvalleiras, he devoured three lobsters while sampling dishes from everyone else’s plate, enjoying clams from Galicia, mussels from Cantabria, prawns from Alicante, and sea cucumbers from the Costa Brava. He also praised the ancient shellfish of Chile. Suddenly, he paused, examined his lobster’s antennae, and noted that someone behind the narrator kept staring at Pablo Neruda.
The narrator glanced over his shoulder and spotted a woman three tables away, leisurely dining in an outdated hat and a purple scarf. It was Frau Frieda, easily recognisable despite her weight gain and age, her snake ring gleaming on her index finger. She was on the same ship as Neruda and his wife, though they hadn’t met on board. They invited her for coffee, and the narrator suggested sharing her dreams to impress Neruda, who, however, remained disinterested, asserting that only poetry held prophetic power.
After lunch, the narrator walked down the Ramblas with Frau Frieda, falling behind to talk privately. She revealed she had sold her properties in Austria and moved to a faux castle in Oporto, Portugal, from where she could see the ocean. Although she didn’t state it outright, her conversation hinted that she had inherited fortune from her patrons piece by piece. The narrator, who believed her dreams were a way to survive, was not surprised by this revelation.
She called him rude and didn’t elaborate as others waited for Neruda’s conversation to end. When the discussion resumed, Frau Frieda suggested that the narrator could return to Vienna now. It dawned on him that thirteen years had passed since they first met. He told her that even though he believed her dreams weren’t true, he wouldn’t go back.
At three o’clock, they left Frau Frieda to take Neruda for his afternoon nap at their home, preparing the room in detail as was done in a Japanese tea ceremony. They adjusted the windows for warmth and light, creating a completely silent atmosphere. Neruda quickly fell asleep and woke ten minutes later, looking refreshed, with a pillow mark on his cheek. He shared a dream about a woman dreaming of him. Matilde encouraged him to tell her more. The narrator noted it sounded like something Borges would write, which disappointed Neruda; he wondered if Borges had already penned it. The narrator replied that he hadn’t, but thought it would make a good puzzle for Borges one day.
As soon as they boarded the ship that evening, Neruda sat alone at a table, writing verses with green ink which he uses for drawing in his books. When they heard “All ashore,” they searched for Frau Frieda and found her on the tourist deck, just as they were about to leave. She had napped and dreamed about the poet, sharing that she imagined he was dreaming of her. The narrator, taken aback, was curious about her dream’s meaning.
He ultimately forgot about Frieda until he heard about the woman with the snake ring who died in the Havana Riviera disaster. When he met the Portuguese ambassador at a reception months later, he inquired about her. The ambassador praised Frieda, saying she was an extraordinary woman, and told the narrator should write a story about her. However, he didn’t disclose what work she did, leaving the narrator disappointed when he learned that she simply dreamed.
Summary of the Lesson I sell my Dreams in Hindi
एक सुबह नौ बजे, वर्णनकर्ता हवाना रिवेरा होटल की छत पर नाश्ता कर रहा था, तभी एक बड़ी लहर पास में खड़ी कई कारों से टकरा गई। टक्कर से एक कार होटल में जा घुसी, जिससे विस्फोट जैसी जोरदार आवाज आई जिससे इमारत में दहशत फैल गई और प्रवेश द्वार की खिड़की टूट गई। लॉबी में पर्यटक फ़र्निचर सहित हवा में उछल गए और कुछ लोग कांच गिरने से घायल हो गए। लहर सड़क पर उछल गई, इतनी ताकत से टकराई कि खिड़की टूट गई।
क्यूबा के प्रसन्न स्वयंसेवकों ने, अग्निशमन विभाग की सहायता से, छह घंटे के भीतर मलबा साफ़ कर दिया और समुद्र के द्वार को बदल दिया। सुबह के दौरान, किसी ने दीवार में फंसी कार पर ध्यान नहीं दिया, यह सोचकर कि यह बस पार्क की गई कारों में से एक है। जब उठाया गया, तो पता चला कि गाड़ी चला रही एक महिला थी, उसकी हड्डियाँ टूट गईं और उसका चेहरा विकृत हो गया। एकमात्र अक्षुण्ण वस्तु उसकी पन्ना आँखों वाली सोने की नाग अंगूठी थी। अधिकारियों ने उसकी पहचान नए पुर्तगाली राजदूत की नौकरानी के रूप में की, जो दो सप्ताह पहले हवाना पहुंचे थे। वर्णनकर्ता को चिंता थी कि वह चौंतीस साल पहले वियना में एक अविस्मरणीय महिला से मिला था, जिसका असली नाम वह कभी नहीं जानता था। उसने अपनी दाहिनी तर्जनी पर एक अनोखी सर्प के आकार की अंगूठी पहनी हुई थी और लैटिन अमेरिकी छात्रों के बीच लोकप्रिय एक शराबखाने में भोजन कर रही थी। वह अभी-अभी रोम से आया था और उसकी सोप्रानो आकृति और उसके कोट कॉलर पर लोमड़ी के फर को देखकर चकित रह गया था। हालाँकि वह धात्विक उच्चारण के साथ बुनियादी स्पेनिश बोलती थी, लेकिन वह वास्तव में कोलम्बियाई थी, संगीत सीखने के लिए एक बच्चे के रूप में ऑस्ट्रिया चली गई थी। उस समय वह लगभग तीस वर्ष की थी, उसकी उम्र अधिक नहीं थी, लेकिन वह एक रमणीय और प्रभावशाली व्यक्ति थी।
वियना, एक प्राचीन शाही शहर, द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध के बाद काला बाज़ार गतिविधि और अंतर्राष्ट्रीय जासूसी के केंद्र में बदल गया। कथावाचक की शरणार्थी साथी, फ्रीडा, ने अपनी संपत्ति के बावजूद अपनी जड़ों के प्रति वफादारी के कारण एक छात्रों की सराय में भोजन किया और कभी भी अपना असली नाम नहीं बताया, इसलिए उसने उसे फ्राउ फ्रीडा कहा। जब उसने साहसपूर्वक पूछा कि वह क्विंडियो की घुमावदार चट्टानों से इतनी दूर कैसे पहुंची, तो उसने बस जवाब दिया, “मैं अपने सपने बेचती हूं।” वह पुराने काल्डास में एक दुकानदार के घर पैदा हुए ग्यारह भाई-बहनों में से तीसरी थीं। छोटी उम्र से, उन्होंने नाश्ते से पहले सपने साझा करने की पारिवारिक परंपरा शुरू की, जब उनकी भविष्यसूचक प्रकृति सबसे मजबूत थी। सात साल की उम्र में, उसने सपना देखा कि बाढ़ उसके एक भाई को बहा ले जा रही है। उसके डर से उसकी अंधविश्वासी माँ ने उसे खड्ड में तैरने से मना कर दिया। इस बीच, फ्राउ फ्रीडा ने भविष्यवाणी की अपनी पद्धति विकसित की।
महिला ने सपने की व्याख्या लड़के के लिए मिठाई से परहेज करने की चेतावनी के रूप में की, जिससे पांच वर्षीय बच्चा नाराज हो गया, जो रविवार की दावतों को पसंद करता था। उनकी माँ, अपनी बेटी की भविष्यवाणी क्षमताओं से आश्वस्त थीं, उन्होंने इस चेतावनी को सख्ती से लागू किया। हालाँकि, लापरवाही के एक क्षण के दौरान, लड़के ने चुपचाप कारमेल का एक टुकड़ा निगल लिया, जिससे उसकी मदद करने का कोई रास्ता नहीं बचा। फ्राउ फ्रीडा ने कभी नहीं सोचा था कि वह खुद का भरण-पोषण कर सकती है जब तक कि कठोर विनीज़ सर्दियों ने उसे रोजगार खोजने के लिए मजबूर नहीं किया। उसे एक ऐसे घर में काम मिला जहाँ उसने अपनी क्षमताओं का वर्णन करने के लिए बस इतना कहा, “मैं सपना देखती हूँ”। हालाँकि उसका वेतन बमुश्किल उसकी ज़रूरतों को पूरा करता था, फिर भी उसे एक अच्छा कमरा और दिन में तीन बार भोजन मिलता था। हर सुबह, परिवार – जिसमें एक सुसंस्कृत फाइनेंसर, उसकी हंसमुख पत्नी जो रोमांटिक संगीत पसंद करती थी, और उनके दो छोटे बच्चे शामिल थे – अपने आगामी भाग्य पर चर्चा करने के लिए नाश्ते के लिए इकट्ठा होते थे। वे पुराने अंधविश्वासों के प्रति रुचि रखने वाले एक धार्मिक परिवार थे और फ्राउ फ्रीडा द्वारा अपने सपनों के माध्यम से उनके दैनिक भाग्य की व्याख्या करने के लिए उत्साहित थे।
उन्होंने अपनी भूमिका में उत्कृष्ट प्रदर्शन किया, विशेषकर युद्ध के दौरान जब वास्तविकता किसी भी दुःस्वप्न से अधिक भयावह थी। वह नाश्ते के समय परिवार के प्रत्येक सदस्य के कार्य तय करती थी, अपने नियमों से घर का मार्गदर्शन करती थी। हल्की सी आह भी उसके वश में थी. जब घर के मुखिया की वियना में मृत्यु हो गई, तो उसने अपनी संपत्ति का एक हिस्सा उसके लिए छोड़ दिया, बशर्ते कि वह तब तक परिवार के लिए सपने देखती रहे जब तक कि वे सपने बंद न हो जाएं। वर्णनकर्ता ने वियना में एक महीने से अधिक समय बिताया, अपने साथी छात्रों की तरह वित्तीय कठिनाइयों का सामना करते हुए उस पैसे का इंतजार किया जो कभी नहीं आया। उनके संघर्षों के बीच, फ्राउ फ्रीडा की सराय में अप्रत्याशित यात्रा उत्सव की तरह महसूस हुई। एक रात, शराब पीने के बाद, वह झुकी और दृढ़ता से उससे कहा कि उसने उसका सपना देखा है और जोर देकर कहा कि वह तुरंत वियना छोड़ दे और पांच साल तक वापस न आए। उसकी निश्चितता ने उसे उस रात रोम के लिए आखिरी ट्रेन पकड़ने के लिए मजबूर किया। तब से, उसने खुद को उस आपदा से बचे हुए व्यक्ति के रूप में देखा जिसका उसने कभी अनुभव नहीं किया था, और वह अभी तक वियना नहीं लौटा है।
हवाना में आपदा से पहले, जिस दिन पाब्लो नेरुदा गृहयुद्ध के बाद पहली बार स्पेन लौटे थे, उसी दिन कथावाचक की अप्रत्याशित रूप से बार्सिलोना में फ्राउ फ्रीडा से मुलाकात हुई। उन्होंने सेकेंड-हैंड किताबों की दुकानों की खोज की, जहां नेरुदा ने रंगून में अपने वाणिज्य दूतावास से दो महीने के वेतन पर एक पुरानी किताब खरीदी। वह भीड़ में अनाड़ीपन से चलता रहा, बच्चों जैसे आश्चर्य से भर गया, उसने दुनिया को एक विशाल खिलौने के रूप में देखा जहां जीवन स्वाभाविक रूप से प्रकट होता है। कथावाचक एक ऐसे व्यक्ति का वर्णन करता है जो पुनर्जागरण पोप की याद दिलाता है – कृपालु और शिष्ट – जो अपनी अनिच्छा के बावजूद हमेशा भोजन का समय तय करता था। उनकी पत्नी मटिल्डे ने गंदगी से बचने के लिए उनके गले में एक बिब बाँध दिया था। कार्वेलेइरास में एक सामान्य दिन में, उन्होंने बाकी सभी से व्यंजनों का नमूना लेते हुए तीन लॉबस्टर खाए, गैलिसिया से क्लैम, कैंटाब्रिया से मसल्स, एलिकांटे से झींगे और कोस्टा ब्रावा से समुद्री खीरे का आनंद लिया। उन्होंने चिली की प्राचीन शेलफिश की भी प्रशंसा की. अचानक, वह रुका, अपने लॉबस्टर के एंटीना की जांच की, और देखा कि वर्णनकर्ता के पीछे कोई व्यक्ति पाब्लो नेरुदा को घूर रहा था।
वर्णनकर्ता ने अपने कंधे पर नज़र डाली और तीन टेबल दूर एक महिला को देखा, जो पुरानी टोपी और बैंगनी दुपट्टा पहने इत्मीनान से भोजन कर रही थी। यह फ्राउ फ्रीडा थी, जिसे उसके बढ़ते वजन और उम्र के बावजूद आसानी से पहचाना जा सकता था, उसकी तर्जनी पर उसकी साँप की अंगूठी चमक रही थी। वह नेरुदा और उनकी पत्नी के साथ एक ही जहाज पर थी, हालांकि वे जहाज पर नहीं मिले थे। उन्होंने उसे कॉफी के लिए आमंत्रित किया, और कथावाचक ने नेरुदा को प्रभावित करने के लिए उसे अपने सपनों को साझा करने का सुझाव दिया, हालांकि, नेरुदा उदासीन बने रहे और इस बात पर जोर दिया कि केवल कविता में ही भविष्यसूचक शक्ति होती है। दोपहर के भोजन के बाद, वर्णनकर्ता फ्राउ फ्रीडा के साथ रामब्लास से नीचे चला गया, और निजी तौर पर बात करने के लिए पीछे हो गया। उसने खुलासा किया कि उसने ऑस्ट्रिया में अपनी संपत्ति बेच दी है और पुर्तगाल के ओपोर्टो में एक नकली महल में चली गई है, जहां वह समुद्र देख सकती है। हालाँकि उसने इसे स्पष्ट रूप से नहीं बताया, लेकिन उसकी बातचीत से संकेत मिला कि उसे अपने रहस्यमय संरक्षकों का भाग्य टुकड़ों में विरासत में मिला था। कथावाचक, जो मानती थी कि उसके सपने जीवित रहने का एक तरीका थे, इस रहस्योद्घाटन से आश्चर्यचकित नहीं थी।
उसने उसे असभ्य कहा और विस्तार से नहीं बताया क्योंकि अन्य लोग तोते के साथ नेरुदा की बातचीत का इंतजार कर रहे थे। जब चर्चा फिर से शुरू हुई, तो फ्राउ फ्रीडा ने सुझाव दिया कि वर्णनकर्ता वियना लौट सकता है। उसे एहसास हुआ कि उनकी पहली मुलाकात को तेरह साल बीत चुके थे। उसने उससे कहा कि हालांकि उसके सपने सच नहीं हैं, वह वापस नहीं जाएगा। तीन बजे, हमने फ्राउ फ्रीडा को नेरुदा को दोपहर की झपकी के लिए अपने घर ले जाने के लिए छोड़ दिया, कमरे को जापानी चाय समारोह की तरह तैयार किया। हमने पूरी तरह से शांत वातावरण बनाते हुए, गर्मी और रोशनी के लिए खिड़कियों को समायोजित किया। नेरुदा जल्दी ही सो गए और दस मिनट बाद जागे, तरोताजा दिख रहे थे, उनके गाल पर तकिए का निशान था। उन्होंने एक सपना साझा किया जिसमें एक महिला उनके बारे में सपना देख रही थी। मटिल्डे ने उसे और अधिक बताने के लिए प्रोत्साहित किया। वर्णनकर्ता ने कहा कि ऐसा लग रहा था जैसे बोर्गेस कुछ लिखेंगे, जिससे नेरुदा को निराशा हुई; उन्हें आश्चर्य हुआ कि क्या बोर्गेस ने इसे पहले ही लिख दिया था। वर्णनकर्ता ने उत्तर दिया कि उसने ऐसा नहीं किया, लेकिन उसने सोचा कि यह एक दिन बोर्गेस के लिए एक अच्छी पहेली बन जाएगी।
उस शाम जहाज पर चढ़ते ही नेरुदा एक मेज पर अकेले बैठ गए और अपनी किताबों में ड्राइंग के लिए इस्तेमाल की जाने वाली हरी स्याही से कविताएँ लिखने लगे। जब हमने “ऑल एशोर” सुना, तो हमने फ्राउ फ्रीडा की खोज की और उसे पर्यटक डेक पर पाया, जैसे ही हम निकलने वाले थे। उसने झपकी ली थी और कवि के बारे में सपना देखा था, यह साझा करते हुए कि उसने कल्पना की थी कि वह उसका सपना देख रहा था। कथावाचक अचंभित होकर अपने सपने के अर्थ के बारे में जानने को उत्सुक थी। आख़िरकार वह फ़्रीडा के बारे में तब तक भूल गया जब तक उसने साँप की अंगूठी वाली उस महिला के बारे में नहीं सुना जो हवाना रिवेरा आपदा में मर गई थी। महीनों बाद जब वह एक स्वागत समारोह में पुर्तगाली राजदूत से मिले, तो उन्होंने उसके बारे में पूछताछ की। राजदूत ने फ़्रीडा की प्रशंसा करते हुए कहा कि वह असाधारण थी और अफ़सोस जताया कि कथावाचक ने उसके बारे में कोई कहानी नहीं लिखी। हालाँकि, उसने यह खुलासा नहीं किया कि उसने वास्तव में क्या किया था, जब वर्णनकर्ता को पता चला कि उसने बस सपना देखा था तो उसे निराशा हुई।
I Sell my Dreams Theme
Ambiguity Through Metaphysical World
Marquez has used the metaphysical world to open multiple interpretations through abstract philosophical concepts. He has beautifully used Frieda’s future telling skills to create ambiguity in the story, which eventually leads to contradictory opinions in the narrator’s and reader’s minds. Moreover, the prophetic dream of Pablo Neruda, though he didn’t believe in one, left the narrator conflicted.
Superstitions
Frieda’s household believed in prophetic dreams. She used to tell the future of other family members before breakfast just like she did to the Financer family in Vienna. Her prophecy did come true in both cases. Moreover, the same prophetic dream of Pablo Neruda and Frieda has somehow dwindled the Narrator’s scepticism.
Power of Prophetic Dreams
Frieda has the power over others because of her prophetic dreams. She has control over the Financer’s household; they would do things according to her will. She even had control over the narrator as he left Vienna when she told him about her dreams. Although Pablo Neruda didn’t believe in prophetic dreams, he ended up having one, leaving the narrator conflicted.
War
Marquez has brilliantly highlighted an underlying theme of the Second World War and Post-World War in Colombia and its effect on the inhabitants. The political and economic conditions of Vienna left the people to either survive like Frieda or leave the country like the narrator. Moreover, the spatial displacement can be seen in Frieda’s accent and her compatriot’s feelings towards Latin American students.
I Sell my Dreams Lesson Explanation
Passage:
One morning at nine o’clock, while we were having breakfast on the terrace of the Havana Riviera Hotel under a bright sun, a huge wave picked up several cars that were driving down the avenue along the seawall or parked on the pavement, and embedded one of them in the side of the hotel. It was like an explosion of dynamite that sowed panic on all twenty floors of the building and turned the great entrance window to dust. The many tourists in the lobby were thrown into the air along with the furniture, and some were cut by the hailstorm of glass. The wave must have been immense because it leapt over the wide two-way street between the seawall and the hotel and still had enough force to shatter the window.
Word meanings
avenue: broad road in a town
pavement: a path with a hard surface on one or both sides of a road that people walk on.
embedded: fixed firmly and deeply in a surrounding mass
dynamite: a high-explosive
hailstorm: sudden heavy fall of hail
Explanation of the above passage—One morning at nine o’clock, the narrator was having breakfast on the terrace of the Havana Riviera Hotel under a bright sun when a huge wave of sea hit several cars, as the hotel was located by the sea, the huge wave from the sea came up till the adjoining road and into the hotel. The cars were either driving along the avenue by the seawall or parked on the sidewalk. The wave crashed one of the cars into the side of the hotel, making a sound like an explosion. This caused panic throughout all twenty floors of the hotel’s building and shattered the large entrance window of the hotel. Many tourists in the lobby were thrown into the air along with the furniture, and some were injured by the falling glass. The wave was massive; it jumped over the wide two-way street that separated the seawall from the hotel and still had enough force to break the window.
Passage:
The cheerful Cuban volunteers, with the help of the fire department, picked up the debris in less than six hours, sealed off the gate to the sea, and installed another, and everything returned to normal. During the morning nobody worried about the car encrusted in the wall, for people assumed it was one of those that had been parked on the pavement. But when the crane lifted it out of its setting, the body of a woman was found secured behind the steering wheel by a seat belt. The blow had been so brutal that not a single one of her bones was left whole. Her face was destroyed, her boots had been ripped apart, and her clothes were in shreds. She wore a gold ring shaped like a serpent, with emerald eyes. The police established that she was the housekeeper for the new Portuguese ambassador and his wife. She had come to Havana with them two weeks before and had left that morning for the market, driving a new car. Her name meant nothing to me when I read it in the newspaper, but I was intrigued by the snake ring and its emerald eyes. I could not find out, however, on which finger she wore it.
Word meanings
debris: waste
serpent: large snake
crane: lifting machine
encrusted: covered or decorated with a hard surface layer.
emerald: bright green precious stone
Explanation of the above passage—The cheerful Cuban volunteers, with help from the fire department, cleared the debris in less than six hours. They sealed off the gate to the sea and put in a new one, so everything went back to normal. During the morning, no one was concerned about the car that was stuck in the wall because people thought it to be vacant and just one of the cars that was parked on the pavement, but when the cane lifted the car out, there was a woman behind the steering wheel and none of her bones were intact. Everything was distorted—her face, boots, and clothes. One thing that remained intact was her gold ring shaped like a serpent with emerald eyes. The authorities said that she worked as the housekeeper for the newly appointed Portuguese ambassador and his spouse. She had arrived in Havana with them two weeks prior and had departed that morning to go to the market, driving a new vehicle. Her name was unfamiliar to the narrator when he saw it in the newspaper, but he was captivated by the snake ring and its emerald eyes. Unfortunately, the narrator was unable to discover which finger she wore it on.
Passage:
This was a crucial piece of information because I feared she was an unforgettable woman whose real name I never knew, and who wore a similar ring on her right forefinger which, in those days, was even more unusual than it is now. I had met her thirty-four years earlier in Vienna, eating sausage with boiled potatoes and drinking draft beer in a tavern frequented by Latin American students. I had come from Rome that morning, and I still remember my immediate response to her splendid soprano’s bosom, the languid foxtails on her coat collar, and that Egyptian ring in the shape of a serpent. She spoke elementary Spanish in a metallic accent without pausing for breath, and I thought she was the only Austrian at the long wooden table. But no, she had been born in Colombia and had come to Austria between the wars, when she was little more than a child, to study music and voice. She was about thirty and did not carry her years well, for she had never been pretty and had begun to age before her time. But she was a charming human being. And one of the most awe-inspiring.
Word meanings
languid: unhurried
tavern: a pub
sausage: food in cylindrical form
Explanation of the above passage—This was an essential piece of information, as the narrator was concerned she was an unforgettable woman whose true name he never learned, and who wore a similar ring on her right forefinger, which at that time was even rarer than it was that day. His first encounter with her was thirty-four years ago in Vienna, where she was eating sausage with boiled potatoes and drinking draft beer in a tavern popular among Latin American students. That morning, the narrator had arrived from Rome to Vienna, and he could still vividly recall his immediate reaction to her magnificent soprano figure, the languid fox fur on her coat collar, and that Egyptian ring shaped like a serpent. She spoke basic Spanish with a metallic accent and never paused for breath, leading him to believe she was the only Austrian at the long wooden table. However, she was born in Colombia and moved to Austria as a child between the wars to pursue her studies in music and voice. The war conditions in Columbia had led to people’s migration to other countries. Frieda migrated from Columbia to Austria when she was a child and now she was thirty years old living in Vienna. She was around thirty and didn’t age gracefully, as she had never been beautiful and had started to show signs of ageing early. The narrator met her thirty-four years ago for the first time, she was thirty at that time, which means that she was around sixty four years old when she met with an accident in Havana. Yet, she was a delightful person and one of the most impressive individuals the narrator had ever met.
Passage:
Vienna was still an old imperial city, whose geographical position between the two irreconcilable worlds left behind by the Second World War had turned it into a paradise of black marketeering and international espionage. I could not have imagined a more suitable spot for my fugitive compatriot, who still ate in the students’ tavern on the corner only out of loyalty to her origins, since she had more than enough money to buy meals for all her table companions. She never told her real name, and we always knew her by the Germanic tongue twister that we Latin American students in Vienna invented for her: Frau Frieda. I had just been introduced to her when I committed the happy impertinence of asking how she had come to be in a world so distant and different from the windy cliffs of Quindio, and she answered with a devastating:
‘I sell my dreams.’
Word meanings
espionage: spying
impertinence: rudeness
cliffs: steep
fugitive: escapee
compatriot: fellow countrymen
Explanation of the above passage—Vienna, capital of Austria, remained an ancient imperial city, whose location between the two opposing worlds created by the Second World War had transformed it into a hub of black market activity and international spying. During the Second World War, Vienna became the target of allied bombing and Soviet troops captured Vienna. The narrator could not have envisioned a more fitting place for his refugee compatriot, who still dined at the students’ tavern on the corner solely out of loyalty to her roots, despite having more than enough money to pay for meals for all her companions at the table. The woman never revealed her true name, and the narrator always referred to her by the complicated German name that Latin American students in Vienna came up with: Frau Frieda. The reference to her German name, implicitly refers to conditions in Vienna after Germany took control over it. To survive in Vienna, she had to change her real name and no one knew her real name. They only knew her by her German name. The narrator had only just met her when he made the audacious move of asking how she found herself in a realm so far removed from the windy cliffs of Quindio, Columbia and she replied in a crushing voice: “I sell my dreams.”
Passage:
In reality, that was her only trade. She had been the third of eleven children born to a prosperous shopkeeper in old Caldas, and as soon as she learned to speak she instituted the fine custom in her family of telling dreams before breakfast, the time when their oracular qualities are preserved in their purest form. When she was seven she dreamed that one of her brothers was carried off by a flood. Her mother, out of sheer religious superstition, forbade the boy to swim in the ravine, which was his favourite pastime. But Frau Frieda already had her system of prophecy.
Word meanings
ravine: narrow steep-sided valley
oracular: prophetic
Explanation of the above passage—In truth, that was her sole profession. She was the third of eleven siblings born to a successful shopkeeper in old Caldas, Columbia and as soon as she was able to speak, she established the delightful tradition in her family of sharing dreams before breakfast, the time when one’s prophetic nature is most intact. At the age of seven, she had a dream where a flood swept one of her brothers away. Her mother, driven by sheer religious superstition, prohibited the boy from swimming in the ravine, which was his favourite activity. However, Frau Frieda had already developed her method of divination.
Passage:
‘What that dream means,’ she said, ‘isn’t that he’s going to drown, but that he shouldn’t eat sweets.’
Her interpretation seemed infamy to a five-year-old boy who could not live without his Sunday treats. Their mother, convinced of her daughter’s oracular talents, enforced the warning with an iron hand. But in her first careless moment, the boy choked on a piece of caramel that he was eating in secret, and there was no way to save him.
Word meanings
enforced: caused by necessity
infamy: disrepute
Explanation of the above passage—The woman’s interpretation of the dream isn’t about him drowning, but rather that he ought to avoid sweets. To the five-year-old boy, this explanation felt like an outrage, as he couldn’t imagine his life without his Sunday treats. Their mother, firmly believing in her daughter’s prophetic abilities, enforced the warning strictly. However, during a moment of negligence, the boy secretly choked on a piece of caramel, and there was no way to help him. Nothing else was mentioned about Frieda’s childhood and her family.
Passage:
Frau Frieda did not think she could earn a living with her talent until life caught her by the throat during the cruel Viennese winters. Then she looked for work at the first house where she would have liked to live, and when she was asked what she could do, she told only the truth: ‘I dream.’ A brief explanation to the lady of the house was all she needed, and she was hired at a salary that just covered her minor expenses, but she had a nice room and three meals a day—breakfast in particular, when the family sat down to learn the immediate future of each of its members: the father, a refined financier; the mother, a joyful woman passionate about Romantic chamber music; and two children, eleven and nine years old. They were all religious and therefore inclined to archaic superstitions, and they were delighted to take in Frau Frieda, whose only obligation was to decipher the family’s daily fate through her dreams.
Word meanings
decipher: perceive
archaic: old-fashioned
Explanation of the above passage—Frau Frieda had never believed she could support herself with her abilities until the harsh Viennese winters forced her to reconsider. The reference to ‘cruel Viennese winters’ refers to the war conditions in Vienna. She then sought employment at the first household where she fantasised about living, and when she was inquired about her skills, she responded honestly: “I dream.” A simple explanation to the lady of the house sufficed, and she was employed at a wage that barely met her modest needs, but she was provided with a pleasant room and three daily meals—especially breakfast when the family gathered to explore the upcoming destinies of each member: the father, a cultured financier; the mother, a cheerful woman who loved Romantic chamber music; and their two children, aged eleven and nine. Her bare minimum salary implicitly emphasises that the immigrants had to work on low wages to survive during the war times. They were a religious family, inclined towards old superstitions, and they were thrilled to welcome Frau Frieda, whose sole responsibility was to interpret the family’s daily destiny through her dreams.
Passage:
She did her job well, and for a long time, above all during the war years, when reality was more sinister than nightmares. Only she could decide at breakfast what each should do that day, and how it should be done until her predictions became the sole authority in the house. Her control over the family was absolute: even the faintest sigh was breathed by her order. The master of the house died about the time I was in Vienna and had the elegance to leave her a part of his estate on the condition that she continue dreaming for the family until her dreams came to an end.
Word meanings
sinister: threatening
Explanation of the above passage—She did her job very well, especially during the war years when reality was scarier than any nightmare. She was the only one who could decide the tasks for each family member at breakfast and how to carry them out. Her decisions became the main guide for the household. She had complete control over the family; even a small sigh was managed by her rules. The head of the household passed away while the narrator was in Vienna and chose to leave her part of his estate, as long as she kept dreaming for the family until her dreams eventually stopped.
Passage:
I stayed in Vienna for more than a month, sharing the straitened circumstances of the other students while I waited for money that never arrived. Frau Frieda’s unexpected and generous visits to the tavern were like fiestas in our poverty-stricken regime. One night, in a beery euphoria, she whispered in my ear with a conviction that permitted no delay.
‘I only came to tell you that I dreamed about you last night,’ she said. ‘You must leave right away and not come back to Vienna for five years.’
Her conviction was so real that I boarded the last train to Rome that same night. As for me, I was so influenced by what she said that from then on I considered myself a survivor of some catastrophe I never experienced. I still have not returned to Vienna.
Word meanings
straitened: poverty
fiestas: religious festival
euphoria: joy
Explanation of the above passage—The narrator spent over a month in Vienna, enduring the same financial hardships as his fellow students while he waited for money that never came. Marquez emphasises the financial hardships immigrants faced in Vienna during the Second World War. Frau Frieda’s unanticipated and generous visits to the tavern felt like celebrations amidst their struggling conditions. One evening, caught up in a merry haze from the drinks, she leaned in close and, with a firm belief that left no room for hesitation, she shared a message with him. She only came to tell him that she dreamed about him last night and that he needed to leave immediately and not return to Vienna for five years. Her certainty was so genuine that he took the last train to Rome that very night. The narrator was from Columbia who traveled to Vienna, and was now traveling to Rome. Her words affected him from that moment forward, he viewed himself as a survivor of a disaster he had never gone through. He still has yet to go back to Vienna.
Passage:
Before the disaster in Havana, I had seen Frau Frieda in Barcelona in such an unexpected and fortuitous way that it seemed a mystery to me. It happened on the day Pablo Neruda stepped on Spanish soil for the first time since the Civil War, on a stopover during a long sea voyage to Valparaiso. He spent a morning with us hunting big game in the second-hand bookstores, and at Porter, he bought an old, dried-out volume with a torn binding for which he paid what would have been his salary for two months at the consulate in Rangoon. He moved through the crowd like an invalid elephant, with a child’s curiosity in the inner workings of each thing he saw, for the world appeared to him as an immense wind-up toy with which life invented itself.
Word meanings
fortuitous: Unexpected
consulate: office of a consul
Explanation of the above passage—Before the disaster in Havana, the narrator met Frau Frieda unexpectedly in Barcelona. It felt like a mystery. This meeting happened on the day Pablo Neruda arrived in Spain for the first time since the Civil War. He was stopping briefly on his long journey to Valparaiso. That morning, they explored second-hand bookstores together. Neruda bought an old, worn book with a damaged binding. He paid as much as he would earn in two months at the consulate in Rangoon. He moved through the crowd like a clumsy elephant, filled with a child’s wonder about everything around him. To him, the world felt like a giant toy, where life unfolds by itself.
Passage:
I have never known anyone closer to the idea one has of a Renaissance pope: He was gluttonous and refined. Even against his will, he always presided at the table. Matilde, his wife, would put a bib around his neck that belonged in a barbershop rather than a dining room, but it was the only way to keep him from taking a bath in the sauce. That day at Carvalleiras was typical. He ate three whole lobsters, dissecting them with a surgeon’s skill, and at the same time devoured everyone else’s plate with his eyes and tasted a little from each with a delight that made the desire to eat contagious: clams from Galicia, mussels from Cantabria, prawns from Alicante, sea cucumbers from the Costa Brava. In the meantime, like the French, he spoke of nothing but other culinary delicacies, in particular the prehistoric shellfish of Chile, which he carried in his heart. All at once he stopped eating, turned his lobster’s antennae, and said to me in a very quiet voice: ‘There’s someone behind me who won’t stop looking at me.’
Word meanings
gluttonous: excessively greedy
prehistoric: period before written records.
dissecting: cut up
bib: a piece of cloth around the child’s neck
presided: be in the position of authority
Explanation of the above passage—The narrator has never met anyone who looks like a Renaissance pope quite like him: he is indulgent and elegant. He always took the lead at mealtime, even when he didn’t want to. His wife, Matilde, would tie a bib around his neck that looked more suitable for a barbershop than a dining table, but it was the only way to keep him from getting sauce everywhere. That day at Carvalleiras was typical for him. He ate three whole lobsters, cutting them apart like a surgeon, while also watching everyone else’s food and trying a little bit from each dish. He enjoyed clams from Galicia, mussels from Cantabria, prawns from Alicante, and sea cucumbers from the Costa Brava. He also talked about other culinary treasures, especially the ancient shellfish of Chile, which he loved. Neruda was a Chilean poet. Suddenly, he stopped eating, looked closely at his lobster’s antennae, and quietly said to the narrator that someone behind him wouldn’t stop staring at Pablo Neruda.
Passage:
I glanced over his shoulder, and it was true. Three tables away sat an intrepid woman in an old-fashioned felt hat and a purple scarf, eating without haste and staring at him. I recognised her right away. She had grown old and fat, but it was Frau Frieda, with the snake ring on her index finger.
Word meanings
intrepid: Fearless
Explanation of the above passage—The narrator looked over his shoulder, and it was indeed the case. Three tables away, a bold woman was wearing an outdated felt hat and a purple scarf, dining leisurely while watching him intently. He recognised her immediately. Though she had aged and gained weight, it was Frau Frieda, sporting the snake ring on her index finger.
Passage:
She was travelling from Naples on the same ship as Neruda and his wife, but they had not seen each other on board. We invited her to have coffee at our table, and I encouraged her to talk about her dreams in order to astound the poet. He paid no attention, for from the very beginning he had announced that he did not believe in prophetic dreams.
‘Only poetry is clairvoyant,’ he said.
Word meanings
clairvoyant: forecaster of the future
astound: shock or greatly surprise
prophetic: accurately predicting what will happen in the future.
Explanation of the above passage—She was on the same ship as Neruda and his wife, travelling from Naples, but they had not crossed paths on board. We asked her to join us for coffee at our table, and the narrator prompted her to share her dreams to impress Pablo Neruda. Neruda showed little interest, as he had stated from the outset that he did not have faith in prophetic dreams. For him, only poetry possesses prophetic abilities.
Passage:
After lunch, during the inevitable stroll along the Ramblas, I lagged with Frau Frieda so that we could renew our memories with no other ears listening. She told me she had sold her properties in Austria and retired to Oporto, in Portugal, where she lived in a house, she described as a fake castle on a hill, from which one could see across the ocean to the Americas. Although she did not say so, her conversation made it clear that dream by dream, she had taken over the entire fortune of her ineffable patrons in Vienna. That did not surprise me, however, because I had always thought her dreams were no more than a stratagem for surviving. And I told her so.
Word meanings
stratagem: a plan or scheme
ineffable: too great or extreme to be expressed
patrons: a person who gives financial or other support to a person
lagged: showing a delayed effect.
Stroll: walk in a leisurely way.
Inevitable: certain to happen
Explanation of the above passage—After lunch, the narrator walked down the Ramblas with Frau Frieda. They fell behind so they could talk privately. Frau Frieda told the narrator that she had sold her properties in Austria and moved to Oporto, Portugal. She lived in a house she called a faux castle on a hill, where she could see the ocean to the Americas. Although she didn’t say it directly, her conversation showed that she had inherited the entire fortune of her mysterious patrons in Vienna, piece by piece. The narrator wasn’t surprised. He always thought her dreams were a way to survive, and he even told her so.
Passage:
She laughed her irresistible laugh. ‘You’re as impudent as ever,’ she said. And said no more, because the rest of the group had stopped to wait for Neruda to finish talking in Chilean slang to the parrots along the Rambla de los Pájaros. When we resumed our conversation, Frau Frieda changed the subject.
‘By the way,’ she said, ‘you can go back to Vienna now.’
Only then did I realise that thirteen years had gone by since our first meeting.
‘Even if your dreams are false, I’ll never go back,’ I told her. ‘Just in case.’
Word meanings
slang: informal language
impudent: not showing due respect for another person
Explanation of the above passage—She laughed and called the narrator rude. She didn’t explain further because everyone else was waiting for Neruda to finish talking in Chilean slang with the parrots on the Rambla de los Pájaros. When the discussion resumed, Frau Frieda brought up that the narrator could now return to Vienna. It was then that the narrator realised thirteen years had passed since they first met. He told her that even though her dreams were not true, he wouldn’t go back, because he was aware about the war conditions in Vienna.
Passage:
At three o’clock we left her to accompany Neruda to his sacred siesta, which he took in our house after solemn preparations that in some way recalled the Japanese tea ceremony. Some windows had to be opened and others closed to achieve the perfect degree of warmth, and there had to be a certain kind of light from a certain direction, and absolute silence. Neruda fell asleep right away, and woke ten minutes later, as children do, when we least expected it. He appeared in the living room refreshed, and with the monogram of the pillowcase imprinted on his cheek.
‘I dreamed about that woman who dreams,’ he said.
Matilde wanted him to tell her his dream.
‘I dreamed she was dreaming about me,’ he said.
‘That’s right out of Borges,’ I said.
He looked at me in disappointment.
‘Has he written it already?’
‘If he hasn’t he’ll write it sometime,’ I said. ‘It will be one of his labyrinths.’
Word meanings
monogram: a motif of two or more interwoven letters
labyrinths: a maze.
Explanation of the above passage—At three o’clock, they left Frau Frieda to accompany Neruda who wanted to take his afternoon nap at their home, after making preparations similar to a Japanese tea ceremony. They opened some windows and closed others to get the right warmth and light to come from a specific direction while keeping the room completely silent. Neruda fell asleep quickly and woke up ten minutes later like children do when parents least expect them to. He came into the living room looking refreshed, with the mark of the pillow on his cheek, he said that he dreamed about a woman who dreams. Matilde wanted him to tell her more about his dream. He dreamed that she was dreaming about him. The narrator noted that it sounded like something Borges, an Argentinian poet, would love to write about. Neruda looked disappointed and asked the narrator if Borges had written something like that. The narrator replied that he hasn’t, but he will one day, as it would make a good puzzle for him.
Passage:
As soon as he boarded the ship at six that evening, Neruda took his leave of us, sat down at an isolated table, and began to write fluid verses in the green ink he used for drawing flowers and fish and birds when he dedicated his books. At the first ‘All ashore’ we looked for Frau Frieda, and found her at last on the tourist deck, just as we were about to leave without saying goodbye. She too had taken a siesta.
‘I dreamed about the poet,’ she said.
In astonishment, I asked her to tell me her dream.
‘I dreamed he was dreaming about me,’ she said, and my look of amazement disconcerted her. ‘What did you expect? Sometimes, with all my dreams, one slips in that has nothing to do with real life.’
Word meanings
disconcerted: confused
boarded: to get onto
verses: writing arranged with a metrical rhythm
siesta: an afternoon rest or nap
deck: a floor of a ship
Explanation of the above passage—As soon as the narrator got on the ship at six that evening, Neruda left them, sat at a quiet table, and started to write verses with the green ink which he used for drawing flowers, fish, and birds in his books. When they heard “All ashore,” they searched for Frau Frieda and finally found her on the tourist deck, just as they were about to leave without saying goodbye. She had taken an afternoon nap as well. Frieda said that she dreamed about the poet. The narrator, surprised, asked her to share more about her dream. She told him that she dreamed he was dreaming about her, which made the narrator look amazed and a bit uncomfortable. She then asked what he expected. She pointed out that sometimes, among all her dreams, one dream slips in that has nothing to do with real life. Here, Frieda proved to the narrator that her dreams were true, but also left the reader quizzical about her death, as she could have escaped it.
Passage:
I never saw her again or even wondered about her until I heard about the snake ring on the woman who died in the Havana Riviera disaster. And I could not resist the temptation of questioning the Portuguese ambassador when we happened to meet some months later at a diplomatic reception. The ambassador spoke about her with great enthusiasm and enormous admiration. ‘You cannot imagine how extraordinary she was,’ he said. ‘You would have been obliged to write a story about her.’ And he went on in the same tone, with surprising details, but without the clue that would have allowed me to conclude.
‘In concrete terms,’ I asked at last, ‘what did she do?’ ‘Nothing,’ he said, with a certain disenchantment. ‘She dreamed.’
Word meanings
disenchantment: a feeling of disappointment about someone or something you previously respected
diplomatic: acting in a way that does not cause offence
temptation: the desire to do something
concrete: existing in a material or physical form
obliged: make someone bound to do something.
Explanation of the above passage—The narrator never saw Frieda again or thought about her until he heard about the snake ring on the woman who died in the Havana Riviera disaster. He could not help but ask the Portuguese ambassador about her when they met a few months later at a diplomatic reception. The ambassador spoke highly of Frieda, showing great admiration. He said she was an extraordinary woman and that the narrator should have written a story about her. He continued with many surprising details but did not provide him with the key information that would have helped the narrator conclude. Finally, the narrator asks the ambassador what she did. With disappointment, the ambassador replied that she dreamed.
Conclusion
The story I Sell my Dreams by Gabriel Gracia Marquez gives a profound moral lesson about the war in Columbia and its effects on Columbian people. Students can take help from the post to understand the lesson and also learn the difficult word meanings to get a better grasp over the story. This lesson includes the summary of I Sell my Dreams which will help students of class 12 to get a quick recap of the story.