Rosaura A Las Diez

In “Camilo’s Closet,” Hebert J. Brant argues that Camilo Canegato is actually a closeted gay man. Read that article, and then respond to it. Do you agree with Brant’s reading of the novel? How do gender and sexuality factor into Rosaura a las Diez, both in terms of Camilo’s relationships and more generally?

While Rosa’s letter provides enough evidence for the inspector to arrest the hotel owner, it is unfinished. Does this create a satisfying resolution, or does it leave doubt?

The book is comprised of many literary forms, including testimonies, a dialogue, and an epistolary passage. What is the effect of compiling these different forms within the novel, and what narrative purpose does this effect serve?

Though there are several contradictions about the course of events between the various witnesses, they all agree that Rosa arrived at the boarding house at 10 p.m., and the book takes its title from this fact. What is the significance of this timing, and why is it something that all the characters agree on?

Why does Camilo fail to report his prior sexual relationship with Marta to the inspector? Is the resemblance between Marta and his portrait of Rosa truly an extraordinary coincidence as he claims?

The testimonies of David and Camilo make many references to the art and philosophy that developed between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries, and the book was published at the tail end of this period. How does Rosaura a las Diez respond to its own cultural era, and why does Denevi incorporate these issues into the text?

Consider the significance of the medications that Mrs. Milagros discourages Camilo from taking in Part 1, Chapter 2. What are the narrative implications of this detail, and how does it relate to the book’s broader exploration of mental health and psychology?

Beyond narrative consistency, what is the purpose of Marta’s letter to her aunt being left unfinished? Why did Denevi choose to end the novel in this way, and how does this ending impact readers’ experiences of the book?