The Shadow of the Wind

What is the purpose of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books? Does Zafón want the reader to believe that it is a “real” place? Discuss the purpose and role of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books as a powerful metaphor in the novel, and its impact in Daniel’s, Bea’s, and Julian Carax’s lives.

Nuria Monfort's dying words are: “There are worse prisons than words” (p. 166). What does she mean by this? To what is she referring? Explain in terms of Nuria’s relationships with Julián and with Miquel Moliner, as well as Julián’s relationships with Nuria and Penélope.

There are many devil figures in the story, such as Carax's Laín Coubert, Jacinta's Zacarías, and Fermín's Fumero. How does evil manifest itself in each devil figure? What purpose do these figures serve in the novel? What is the significance of these devil characters’ male gender, if any? 

Typically, Zafón's female characters are depicted as mysterious angels full of power and wonder, especially when viewed through Daniel’s eyes. For example, Clara—the blind white goddess—ultimately becomes a fallen angel; Carax credits the sweet but courageous Bea with saving his and Daniel's lives; and Daniel's mother, becomes an angel so ephemeral that Daniel cannot even remember her face when she dies. What are the differences between Zafón’s depiction of his female characters and his male characters? What do these individual women represent in Daniel's life?

How does Daniel view female versus male characters? What is the significance of Daniel’s and other characters’ attempts to see women as angels and men as devils? What is the purpose of the cross-dressing figure of the apothecary, Don Fernando; or the loving friendship between Fermín and Daniel, or Daniel and his father? Does this stereotyping hold true throughout Zafón’s novel? How or how not? What is the result?

There are many devil figures in the story—Carax's Laín Coubert, Jacinta's Zacarías, and Fermín's Fumero, for instance. How does evil manifest itself in each devil figure? What are the characteristics of the villains/devils? How do these characters’ supernatural elements effect the narrative? What is their purpose?

Many of the characters in this novel are damaged by their parents’ actions. For example, Fumero finds himself frequently humiliated by his stupid, but well meaning, father and his delusional mother. Julián, troubled but imaginative, is the bastard son of his love-starved musical mother and an amorous, amoral business executive. In addition, he was raised by the hat maker, Antoni Fortuny, who severely abused both Julián and his mother. Penélope Aldaya also suffers for the sins of her father. How are the sins of the fathers and mothers visited upon each of these characters? 

What is “The Shadow of the Wind”? Where do characters in the novel refer to it, and what image does it illustrate? Discuss the title of the novel and its symbolic meaning.