Character Sketch of the Narrator, Frau Frieda and Pablo Neruda from Class 12 English (Elective) Kaleidoscope Book Short Stories Chapter 1 – I Sell My Dreams
A character sketch defines what the character is like and how he/she evolves or develops throughout the story. In this post you can find the Character Sketch of the Narrator, Frau Frieda and Pablo Neruda from Class 12 English (Elective) Kaleidoscope Book Short Stories Chapter 1 – I Sell My Dreams
- Character Sketch of Frau Frieda
- Questions related to the character of Frau
- Character Sketch of Narrator
- Questions related to the character of Narrator
- Character Sketch of Pablo Neruda
- Questions related to the character of Pablo Neruda
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Character Sketch of Frau Frieda
She carries her mysterious and enigmatic aura throughout the story. Nobody knew her real name, and everybody remembered her by her snake-shaped gold ring with emerald eyes. She claims to sell her dreams, adding to her mysterious aura. Her dreams are accurate, leading her to work as a future teller in the family residing in Vienna. The narrator first met her in Vienna, she used to dine at a student tavern due to her loyalty towards Latin Americans. She was from Columbia but after the Second World War, she kept on changing her place. She even tells the narrator that she has dreamed about him and that he should leave Vienna for five years and never come back. Later the narrator even called out to her dreams as a stratagem for making money, but left the readers quizzical about the same in the end, when he asked the Portuguese ambassador about Frieda’s profession. Ironically, she couldn’t save herself from her death through her dreams, while she used to caution others by reading their future, but couldn’t escape from the clutches of fate.
Questions related to the character of Frau:
Q1. Justify the title of the story with reference to Frau Frieda’s life.
Q2. What is ironical in Frau Frieda’s life?
Character Sketch of Narrator
He is drawn towards Frieda’s mysterious personality. He is curious to know more about Frieda as he knows what she does still he asks the Portuguese ambassador about her profession, which tells that the narrator is left conflicted by Frieda’s personality. When Frieda told him about her dreams related to him, which eventually led him to leave Vienna. The narrator believed her at that time but later he told her that it was just her stratagem to make money as she owned a faux castle now. It emphasises his personal growth as he looks at things with scepticism. He was left conflicted when Frieda and Pablo Neruda dreamed the same dream. He was affected by her aura to the extent that he asked the Portuguese ambassador about her, even after her death.
Questions related to the character of the Narrator:
Q1. Describe the narrator’s encounters with Frau Frieda.
Q2. How does the narrator know the antecedents of the dead woman?
Character Sketch of Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda and the narrator met Frieda in Barcelona before the Havana accident, marking Neruda’s first visit to Spain since the Civil War on his way to Valparaiso. They explored second-hand bookstores, where Neruda bought an old book for two months’ consulate wages. He moved through the crowd with childlike wonder, resembling a clumsy elephant, and at mealtime, devoured three lobsters while discussing Chile’s culinary treasures. Noticing someone staring, the narrator invited Frieda to join them. Despite his disinterest in dreams, Neruda listened to Frieda’s stories but didn’t believe in them. After a brief nap, he shared that he had a dream about a woman dreaming of him, reminiscent of something Borges would write. As he prepared to leave on the ship that evening, he sat quietly, scribbling verses in green ink for his art.
Questions related to the character of Pablo Neruda:
Q1. Describe Pablo.
Q2. Describe Pablo and Frau’s meeting.