A flashback is a scene or collection of scenes set in a time prior to the primary narrative. They often occur through the gaze of a character’s memory, and may provide plot exposition, mark or drive forward character development, or further characterize one of a story’s figures. It is not uncommon, as in Allende’s piece, for flashback to accomplish all three of these aims. The story opens with a recollection of the days and events that preceded the volcanic eruption. Though it’s the narrator who relays these scenes, they constitute a collective flashback informed by the memories of all of the unnamed characters who have either directly experienced or are privy to the disaster.

A more typical example of flashback appears in connection to Rolf, whose traumatic memories not only deepen his character by allowing the reader to understand how much he relates to Azucena, but also allow him to directly confront the solemnity of the human condition. His reacquaintance with this darkness in his past is what primes him for a similarly dark experience that ultimately proves fatal for the affected person. By contrast, Azucena’s flashback to her life in the village reaffirms her as a person who is more than what has happened to her, as the act of remembering the most significant people, places, and things is a radical proof of selfhood.