Writing short stories is not an easy task for any author since he or she needs to accomplish the goal in few pages and keep the reader interested at the same time.
In general, while writing short stories, the author must be creative and inventive.
Furthermore, he must show action, originality, scandals, sex and violence; themes that the reader would find appealing.
The Stories of Eva Luna are an ensemble of interesting pieces of art where the unpredictable meets the magical. The aim of Allende is to keep the reader addicted to the stories of Eva Luna which can be compared with the Persian tales of Scheherazade. Allende. In fact, states that Eva is her favorite character. "Because she rebels against her own destiny using the gift that nature gave her 'the gift of telling stories'. Because she is feminine and a feminist. Because she has an honest heart and is not afraid of her own sensuality."(9)
Allende wrote The Stories of Eva Luna using a variety of themes from politics, poverty, gambling, sex, prostitution, perversity, adultery--nothing less than a scandal. Being that short stories in nature are much more challenging than a novel Allende expresses: "Un cuento en cambio, es como disparar una flecha, hay una sola oportunidad, se requiere la mano de un buen arquero: dirección, fuerza, velocidad, buen ojo."(10)
"A story on the other hand is like shooting an arrow, there is only one shot, it
requires the hand of an archer; direction, force, speed, good eye." Keeping in mind this analogy, Allende succeeds in giving the reader a handful of controversial themes, amongst them love.
In fact, scandals are the motor of a magical realist work, the force that leaves the reader breathless and the controversy is often the fuel inside of each story; for example in "Simple Maria" Isabel Allende starts: "Simple Maria believed in love. That was what made her a living legend. All her neighbors came to her funeral even the police and the blind man from the kiosk who almost never abandoned his business…She was not aware of the renown of her name, nor of the legend that has been created around her. She was an old prostitute with the soul of a young girl." Allende has chosen a name that is holy for the Catholic world in Latin America and creates a controversy. Even though Maria is an old prostitute, she is well respected and loved by the entire city. Juxtaposing the social status of Maria and the respect given to her after death, Allende overrules the questions of moral values and honors a simple human life which is Simple Maria.
The characters that Allende created are unpredictable and her stories have an unthinkable twist. For example, in the story "The Judge's Wife" the plot develops rapidly and the events are in fact unpredictable. The judge's wife, who comes from a very distinguished family, young and beautiful, facing the death of her husband and probably herself, makes love to a low-life scoundrel wanted for his crimes. "Allende has often emphasized that her aim in writing is to entertain her readers with a good story."(11) By using a variety of themes, interesting personalities, intrigues and passion, Allende allows the reader to go beyond the boundaries of reality and use the sky as the limit of imagination.
The characters in The Stories of Eva Luna are unique and never become redundant. They come from different backgrounds and complement the diversity of Latin American society. Allende wrote parts of her work in, Venezuela and even the United States. While reading her books, the reader understands the magnitude of Allende's acceptance toward the other cultures and races. As a matter of fact, her characters are diverse and come from different parts of the world including Latin America. The well-known theme of mestizaje is so greatly reflected and represented in all of her work that it reminds the reader of the unity of Latin American culture. Allende states: "Comprendí que soy hija de todas esas inmigraciones que llegan a la alucinada geografía de nuestro continente con su cargamento de tradiciones, lenguas, creencias, de codicia descabellada, odios y amores, para fundirse en un crisol de violencia, lujuria y también de amor."(12)
The Latin American woman is represented as an important figure in the society. Surviving the struggles of poverty and hardship, the woman in The Stories of Eva Luna becomes an icon of strength, very unusual in Latin American culture where the male figure is very possessive and dominant. Allende sees in womanhood the force that moves the society. She compliments her intellectually and physically and gives light to her wisdom. Allende gives credit and recognition to prostitutes, housewives and young girls. Expressing openly her partiality toward women, Allende never hesitates to represent men as selfish, controlling patriarchs. Once Allende places both sexes face to face she immediately becomes an advocate for women.
The story "If You Touched my Heart" has quite a symbolic meaning. A well known politician who was a womanizer has an affair with a young girl. He brainwashes and imprisons her in a Casanova like underground cell for forty-seven years. When she was discovered she did not resembled at all a human being, in fact, she was disfigured physically and mentally to fit in the little confinement. "Forty- seven years later, when Hortensia was rescued from the pit in which she had been entombed, and the newspapermen traveled from every corner of the nation to photograph her, not even she could remember her name or how she got there." The reporters accosted Amadeo Peralta "'Why did you keep her locked up like a miserable beast?'
"'Because I felt like it,' he replied calmly."(13)
Isabel Allende wrote "Two Words" as part of The Stories of Eva Luna , a collection of short stories. The majority of these fictions takes place in tropical villages or small towns where everybody knows everybody. Thus, rustic environments are the perfect setting in a magical realist novel or story. These rural atmospheres are commonly encountered in Garcia Marquez' work as well as in other authors. In The Stories of Eva Luna, the reader finds a mix of different tales, chronicles and anecdotes. When interviewed about the different themes and characters Allende has used as an inspiration, she states that they come from TV headlines, or old tales, some in Chile and some in Venezuela. What makes these adventures magical is the fact that they trespass the boundaries of the ordinary and enter a mystifying world. For example, in the story "Ester Lucero," Doctor Angel Sanchez saves, in an unconventional way, a dying girl who has fallen off a mango tree. "...placed both hands with Ester Lucero's head and began a frantic dance around the sick girl. He lifted his knees so high they touched his chest, he swooped low, he waved his arms and made grotesque faces."(14) Allende is able to successfully mix different elements and make them work perfectly in the setting where the events take place. She gives life to the old cultures of the continent and escapes from the traditional, or the daily routine. In the case of Doctor Angel Sanchez, the old rituals of a lost tribe saved the life of Ester Lucero. Emphasizing the presence of an extraordinary event, Allende does not only remain faithful to one of the characteristics of the magical realism, but also honors the roots of Latin American culture