The Bridge of San Luis Ray

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Thornton Wilder (1897-1975)

The Bridge of San Luis Rey

The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder, presents the ancient dilemma of whether tragedy is the result of chance or a manifestation of divine intervention. It explores the lives of five people and reveals their internal struggles for survival. The sadness that is created by the undying love of the Marquesa de Montemayor for her daughter, Esteban for his twin brother, Manual and Uncle Pio for the vain actress, Camilla Perichole, is so overwhelming in its enormity, that when tragedy strikes, we feel relief that their suffering is finally over. The scene is set in Lima, Peru, in 1714. One afternoon, an ancient bridge broke sending five people to their deaths. Brother Juniper, a Franciscan monk, witnesses this catastrophe and believes he can prove the existence of divine intervention. The first person is the Marquesa de Montemayor along with her servant and companion, Pepita. The Marquesa's love for her daughter is not returned which sends her into a state of borderline psychosis. She begins to drink heavily and neglects to take care of the most important things in her life. One night while Pepita lay sleeping, the Marquesa is struck with the realization that her love for her daughter is a selfish love and she decides to renounce this love and begin a new life. Esteban and Manuel are orphaned twins found on the steps of a convent and raised by Maria del Pilar. When Manuel dies of an infection, Esteban is in despair and is about to embark on a new life with Captain Alvarado when he crosses the bridge. Camilla Perichole did not die on the bridge but was a victim nonetheless. Uncle Pio, friend and confidant of the Perichole, takes her son to educate him in the Arts and literature. The two never make it across the bridge. The Perichole is a famous actress who plays an important role in the story. "She is the axis, as it were, around which everything...
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