Act 1, Scene 4 Summary

Scene 4 is set in the Alcalar home. Santiago and Ofelia are not speaking to one another, but they use the hapless Marela to deliver barbs to each other. When Marela leaves in frustration, the spouses begin communicating directly. Santiago reveals that he has been enjoying listening to the novel in secret, not wanting to face Chechy until he has gotten the money to repay his loan. He identifies with the character Levin, particularly in the mistake he made giving Chechy too big a role in the factory. He is ashamed at his behavior. Ofelia wants to go to bed, but she agrees to talk about the book some more. The couple realizes that they still love one another.

Act 1, Scene 4 Analysis

Cruz again uses his characters to help the reader get a feeling for Tolstoy's novel. Santiago's identification with Vronsky helps...