The Bridge of San Luis Rey

A detailed Summary of The Bridge of San Luis Rey

Is it possible to show that each of the 'gesticulating ants' had in some way

reached an 'end' to his or her life, and what are the main themes of

each of these lives which might account for their deaths?

Love is an intricate emotion, expressing itself in almost every conceivable form (except romantic attraction in this novel). As Wilder philosophizes "Many who have spent a lifetime in it can tell us less that the child that lost a dog yesterday." Wilder endeavors to expose the complex underlying elements, which cause the inability to love without ulterior motive, which characterizes each of the relationships in the novel, Bridge of the San Luis Rey. Through exploring Wilder's ultimate question whether or not a divine plan organizes and validates life and death, we discover life does not require a plan, as love is the only meaning to life. It is what links the land of the living to the land of the dead and brings light to the darkness of suffering. Five seemingly unconnected lives plunged to their deaths when the bridge collapsed. Unconnected, apart from their experience with a perverse kind of love. From Pepita's almost religious idolatry of the Abbess to the Perichole's disbelief that someone could love her for whom

Uncle Pio was a wise and wily old man who was the devotee, instructor and worshipper of Camilla. His life was spent guiding and overseeing her acting career. His love of beautiful women and Spanish literature lead him to Camilla and the theatre. He had not loved anyone before he met Camilla and lived alone preferring his own company. He liked being alone; it gave him a sense of control, as his emotions were kept untouched to avoid being hurt. As quoted, "But even in this kingdom he was lonely, and proud in his loneliness, as though there resided a certain superiority in such solitude." Pio loved Camilla like a daughter, though she persecuted him for his this feeling, as she could not belief that anyone could love her in that way, "There is no such thing as that kind of love, and that kind of island. It's in the theatre you find such things." She herself had not experienced love and could not understand Pio's attachment. On contracting small pox Camilla's despair over her beauty caused her to become despondent. She perceived any affection shown by Pio as self pitying and condescending. "This assumption that she need look for no more devotion now that her beauty had passed proceeded from the fact that she had never realized any love save love as a passion." She isolated herself from the rest of the world as the result of her disfigurement. After many attempts to justify his love to Camilla, Pio accepted that she would never understand his love. "There is no longer any way I can help you. But I am always ready." Camilla allowed him to take her youngest child (Don Jaime) with him to learn to be a gentleman. Pio sees this as a chance to rectify his love gone wrong with Camilla and attempts to rectify the situation with Don Jaime.

Esteban and Manuel were inseparable. They did everything together; their minds were one. They gave meaning to each other's lives and shared timeless adventures and experiences. As Wilder fittingly explains "All the world was remote and strange and hostile except one's brother." Their need for each other was essentially powerful yet it was not fully recognized by the twins. The first disrupti

Some common words found in the essay are:
Dona Clara, Uncle Pio, Don Jaime, Esteban Manuel, Uncle Pio's, Luis Rey, , Abbess Perichole's, Captain Alvarado, Camilla Pio, don jaime, dona clara, separated people, perverse love, love pepita's, died bridge, chance love, passion love, love love, experienced love,

Approximate Word count = 1449
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English