Penélope Aldaya Character Analysis in The Shadow of the Wind

Penélope is the Aldayas’ young and sheltered daughter, who falls in love with Julián Carax (who is actually her half-brother, though neither know this) at first sight. While Carax’s search for her dominates his life, she always appears as a distant and ethereal girl with little characterization. After Mr. Aldaya finds out about her affair and resulting pregnancy, he locks her in her room and forces her to give birth unaided, after which she dies. Her gruesome death at her own father’s hands represents the brutal consequences of the male desire to completely possess the women they love. Like Bea, her counterpart in Daniel’s narrative, Penélope shares her name with a literary heroine, Odysseus’s enigmatic wife in the Greek epic The Odyssey.

Penélope Aldaya Quotes in The Shadow of the Wind

The The Shadow of the Wind quotes below are all either spoken by Penélope Aldaya or refer to Penélope Aldaya. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Penguin Books edition of The Shadow of the Wind published in 2005.

Nobody had noticed, nobody had paid attention, but as usual, the essential part of the matter had been settled before the story had begun, and by then it was too late.

Related Characters: (speaker), , ,

Page Number and Citation: 265

Explanation and Analysis:

Fumero was very keen on movies and went to the cinema at least twice a week. It was in a cinema that he had understood that Penélope had been the love of his life. The rest, especially his mother, had been nothing but tarts.

Related Characters: (speaker), (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 390

Explanation and Analysis:

The hatter…had no doubt that Penélope was that love in his son’s life. Without realizing it, he thought that if he helped him recover her, perhaps he, too, would recover some part of what he had lost, that void that weighed on his bones like a curse.

Related Characters: (speaker), , ,

Page Number and Citation: 407

Explanation and Analysis:

Penélope Aldaya Character Timeline in The Shadow of the Wind

The timeline below shows where the character Penélope Aldaya appears in The Shadow of the Wind. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...of them Daniel finds a photograph of the same girl from the first picture, captioned “Penélope, who loves you.” (full context)

...and opens the envelope from the Fortuny apartment. It’s from 1919, and the sender is Penélope Aldaya. In the letter, she tells Carax that she knows he’s left Barcelona and that... (full context)

...moved, with their son Jorge, to a property in South America. When Daniel asks about Penélope, the caretaker says he must be mistaken, because the Aldayas didn’t have any daughters. (full context)

Before he leaves, Daniel takes a last look at the house, imagining Penélope having her picture taken in the courtyard and Carax looking at the photograph, “contemplating a... (full context)

Daniel asks about Penélope, but Nuria denies having ever heard of her, even when Daniel shows her the pictures.... (full context)

...Jorge were best friends, like Daniel and Tomás, until a problem arose—in the form of Penélope. Penélope’s letter suggests that when Carax left for Paris she was a prisoner in her... (full context)

As Jorge is showing him around the house, Carax glimpses the thirteen-year-old Penélope, the most beautiful “vision” he’s ever seen, although Jorge dismisses her as his “nutty” little... (full context)

In fact, Javier had also glimpsed Penélope when she visited the school one day with Mr. Aldaya and her governess, Jacinta. He... (full context)

...Carax during their last year of school after spying on him and observing him kiss Penélope in secret. Only a lucky shove from Miquel saved Carax. Daniel tells Father Fernando what... (full context)

All three men realize they need more information about the mysterious Penélope. Father Fernando believes her governess, Jacinta, might be able to provide it. Jacinta currently lives... (full context)

Mr. Aldaya soon moved his family into the mansion, where Penélope was born. Although Mr. Aldaya denied there was anything supernatural about the house, the family... (full context)

...jewelry was missing and was later found in the courtyard pond next to one of Penélope’s dolls. (full context)

...and Fermín finally locate Jacinta. She’s in very bad condition, but still remembers her beloved Penélope. They gain her trust by mentioning Father Fernando. Jacinta says that everyone has conspired to... (full context)

...cursed mansion, which she perceived to be inhabited by Zacarías but did not fear. When Penélope was born, Jacinta cared for her fiercely, especially given that Mrs. Aldaya was distant and... (full context)

When Penélope became a beautiful teenager, she met Carax, and Jacinta noticed their immediate connection. Even though... (full context)

In order to see Penélope and be around her in the house, Carax began to feign an interest in banking... (full context)

Jacinta also noticed young Javier’s growing obsession with Penélope. One day he stole a photograph of the girl out of her purse, and weeks... (full context)

...while the other guests laughed. At the peak of his humiliation, Javier spied Carax and Penélope kissing against a window. (full context)

...plotted to send him to the military out of spite. Carax was too preoccupied with Penélope to think about the future. He was also worried to discover that Sophie sometimes met... (full context)

Miquel encouraged Carax to elope with Penélope and offered to finance the venture, planning a detailed escape to Paris. After finalizing the... (full context)

Afterwards, Penélope and Carax had sex on the floor of Jacinta’s room, only to be discovered by... (full context)

...flee immediately. On Saturday, Carax went to the train station where he’d promised to meet Penélope, but she never arrived. Miquel promised to keep him abreast of any developments and exhorted... (full context)

As it turns out, Mrs. Aldaya had confined Penélope to the house and told her husband everything. Mr. Aldaya was so angry that the... (full context)

...angels, is ajar. He descends the staircase behind the door and finds a crypt containing Penélope’s coffin, with 1919 listed as the date of death. While Daniel is looking at the... (full context)

...Nuria died in his arms, and that she told him to tell Daniel to let Penélope go. Palacios assumes that she was referring to Daniel’s girlfriend. (full context)

...but to Carax, whom she must have loved for years even though he only loved Penélope. (full context)

...identity of “P,” to whom he dedicates all his books, and Carax tells her that Penélope is the only woman he’s ever loved. (full context)

...Paris as his lover, but knows he will never love her the way he loves Penélope. Meanwhile, she’s sure she’ll never love another man as she loves him. (full context)

...of the gloomy house, and partly because she can talk to him about Carax and Penélope. She has become obsessed with the idea of Penélope, whom she imagines as a supernaturally... (full context)

One day after a fight, Miquel tells Nuria that in 1919, when Carax and Penélope’s affair was discovered, Mr. Aldaya locked Penélope in her room and forbade anyone to see... (full context)

One night, Jorge tracks Miquel down and hands him an obviously fake letter from Penélope to Carax, announcing her marriage and claiming she has never loved him. Knowing that it... (full context)

...a ship to America. Miquel visits her there and shows her the fake letter from Penélope. Sophie begins to cry and whispers to him that Carax and Penélope are brother and... (full context)

...image. He never realizes that Carax only tolerates him in order to be close to Penélope. (full context)

...Carax that he conspires to have him killed once he’s in the army and locks Penélope away for the duration of her pregnancy, not even allowing to the servants to help... (full context)

Finally, Penélope gives birth to a stillborn boy. Because Mr. Aldaya doesn’t allow a doctor to help... (full context)

Fumero considers that his passion for Penélope was completely pure, “like the ones you see in movies.” He decides to use Jorge... (full context)

...and challenging Carax to a duel. Just as Fumero predicts, Jorge tells Carax all about Penélope’s imprisonment, without mentioning that she died soon after. Carax gets so angry that he kills... (full context)

...Fumero is looking for his son, so he goes out to search the city for Penélope while Carax hides in the apartment. He’s unable to find any trace of her. (full context)

...saying that he only has a month to live, while Carax could keep searching for Penélope or settle down with Nuria, who’s waiting for him. Carax escapes while Miquel fires at... (full context)

Nuria knows that Penélope is dead, but can’t bear to tell Carax, so she just insists on accompanying him... (full context)

...the carved angels on the original door. He goes into the cellar, and finally sees Penélope’s marble tomb and that of his own stillborn son, David. (full context)

...“Laín Coubert, impersonating Julian,” has been returning to the Aldaya mansion every night to open Penélope’s coffin. (full context)

...Aguilars’ apartment, determined to fight for Bea so he won’t lose her as Carax lost Penélope. (full context)

At the Aldaya house, Daniel quickly finds Bea, who is huddled in Penélope’s old room. She has also met Carax, who knew who she was and provided her... (full context)

...eyes for a long time and feels sure that Carax has never found out that Penélope is his half sister. Daniel tells Carax to take the fountain pen and start writing... (full context)