How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
Carmen closed her eyes and pretended to be tired. She prayed to Saint Rose of Lima. "Saint Rose, give me guidance. Saint Rose, give me clarity." She pressed her eyes closed and pleaded for the intercession of the only saint she knew personally, but a saint is very little help when it comes to smuggling a married man into an opera singer's bedroom. On this matter, Carmen was on her own. (8.160)
Carmen prays to Saint Rose of Lima a lot in the book—almost like Saint Rose is a kindly older sister. This is one of the few times Carmen doesn't seem to get an answer, and one of the few moments in the book when love and religion might seem to have different opinions about something. Mostly, Bel Canto imagines both love and religion as taking humanity to a transcendent experience, sort of like Luke finally learning to use the Force. But this is one moment when religion would recommend one thing, romantic love another. It's not a theme Bel Canto takes up often.