Using this rather disturbing prose poem, show, line by line, the importance and interrelationship of the lines in the poem.
What you have heard is true – this tells the reader that the writer knows what she is talking about and that the suspicions (read: gossip) are true.
I was in his house – she experienced the family for itself (she was THERE)
His wife carried a tray of coffee and sugar – an air of domesticity, of normalcy. Coffee and sugar show the contrast between bitter and sweet, and are also colonial (read: repressive) crops.
His daughter filed her nails, his son went out for the night – the inequality between the kids. (Why can the son go out while the daughter stays in to file her nails?)
There were daily papers, pet dogs, a pistol on the cushion beside him. - Contrast between the normalcy of the household and violence, the symbol of violence is DISPLAYED on the cushion
The moon swung bare on its black cord over the house – gives the reader the impression that there is something wrong and very fake about this family. The black cord symbolizes the control the colonel has over his family, his world, and his country. The moon also shines at night (hidden things come to light)
On the television was a cop show – the colonel thinks that he is in the right, and is trying to show his authority
It was in English - in some dark way, is trying to make his guest feel at home. Does he think the English (read: American) way of doing things is better?
Broken bottles were embedded in the walls around the house to scoop the kneecaps from a man's legs or cut his hands to lace – a barrier around his house. This is an example of passive violence. Why the need for such a strong barrier?
On the windows there were gratings like those in liquor stores. – more protection, to go with the broken bottles
We had dinner, rack of lamb, good wine, a gold bell was on the table for calling the maid. – this man revels in luxury in his fortress of a house. He's such a proud man that he has a GOLD bell for calling the maid.
There was a brief commercial in Spanish – the only thing in the native language is a commercial, to sell things.
His wife took everything away – obviously, this is a patriarchal household. Women (his daughter, the maid, his wife) are not valued except perhaps as servants.
There was some talk then of how difficult it had become to govern – of course, this being a patriarchal household, the real talk begins after the women have left the room.
The parrot said hello on the terrace – this is the only entity to say hello so far! Rather ironic. This is a symbol of the people in this country who repeat what they're told and are told to shut up when they say something the leaders don't like.
The colonel told it to shutup, and pushed himself from the table – the only one to utter a greeting has been silenced. The colonel doesn't like that (so don't let it happen to you). This shifts the tone of the whole conversation, and the visit itself.
My friend said to me with his eyes: say nothing. – He said it with his eyes because it is unsafe to say it out loud. The friend probably knows what the colonel did, in fact, so we say nothing for fear of retribution.
The colonel returned with a sack used to bring groceries home – something not out of the ordinary; what does it hold? A revisiting of the contrast between the violent, repressive work the colonel does and the everyday, middle class life he leads. (example of magic realism)
He spilled many human ears on the table – He's showing off his trophies, and doesn't care who sees them. This is a rather gruesome and rather aggressive and arrogant way to entertain his guests, but from what we have seen so far, it's par for the course.
They were like dried peach halves – dead, dried up, completely transformed.
They don't hear anything, anymore.
There is no other way to say this – indescribable.
He took one of them in his hands, shook it in our faces, dropped it into a water glass. – another show of the man's arrogance. He's saying, "Look what I've done, and I'm not afraid to do it again."
It came alive there. – Like a person or animal crawling in the desert, the thing, previously dead, has come back alive once given some water.
I am tired of fooling around he said. – His unwillingness to negotiate regarding whatever is happening in his country.
As for the rights of anyone, tell your people they can go fuck themselves – self-explanatory, no? There doesn't seem to be any symbolism behind this line. He said what he said, and that's that. No negotiation here.
He swept the ears to the floor with his arm and held the last of his wine in the air – He's toasting and celebrating himself and his accomplishments.
Something for your poetry, no? he said – Looks like a sarcastic toast to the author's poetry. If the wine was red, it would also be an allusion to the spilled blood that accompanied the amputation of the ears, and what could possibly happen to the author if she doesn't stay silent about her experience at the man's house.
Some of the ears on the floor caught this scrap of his voice – some listened to what was doing on.
Some of the ears on the floor were pressed to the ground – some were listening to what might happen next.
