Jorge Aldaya Character Analysis in The Shadow of the Wind

Jorge Aldaya is Penélope’s brother, the arrogant and unintelligent eldest son of the Aldaya family. He’s too weak to interest his father, and comes to resent the extent to which Mr. Aldaya ignores him. Although he’s initially close to Carax, Jorge comes to blame him for his father’s disregard, his sister’s death, and the demise of the family fortunes that immediately follow. Jorge is a foil to Tomás, Daniel’s best friend and Bea’s brother. They both share a perhaps overblown sense of possession over their sisters and hostility to the men who threaten to take them away from the family. However, while Tomás eventually comes around to Daniel and Bea’s relationship, Jorge’s pride and hatred lead him to become Fumero’s pawn and entrap his old friend.

Jorge Aldaya Character Timeline in The Shadow of the Wind

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

...him and will continue to love him forever. She’s writing in secret, since someone named Jorge has promised to kill Carax if he ever turns up at her house again. (full context)

...Spanish fortune during the anarchist period of the Civil War and moved, with their son Jorge, to a property in South America. When Daniel asks about Penélope, the caretaker says he... (full context)

When asked about Laín Coubert, Nuria theorizes that this is the alias of Jorge Aldaya, whom she believes once called her anonymously to ask for Carax’s Paris address, but... (full context)

...Fermín meet at a café to plan their day’s investigations. Fermín theorizes that Carax and Jorge were best friends, like Daniel and Tomás, until a problem arose—in the form of Penélope.... (full context)

...in Barcelona in 1936, and that shortly afterwards a mysterious figure with some resemblance to Jorge named Laín Coubert appeared, bent on destroying all of Carax’s work. Daniel feels nauseous, and... (full context)

...Fernando Ramos, who just happens to have been the classmate and friend of Carax and Jorge. Fermín asks for any information he might have about their school days. Father Fernando remarks... (full context)

Fathers, Sons, and Masculinity Theme Icon

...and turn him into a banker. Mr. Aldaya also introduces Carax to his own son, Jorge. Mr. Aldaya speaks slightingly toward Jorge, which Carax can tell upsets Jorge. Jorge takes to... (full context)

As Jorge is showing him around the house, Carax glimpses the thirteen-year-old Penélope, the most beautiful “vision”... (full context)

...felt isolated and frightened, while the children sometimes disappeared for hours in the house. Once Jorge turned up after eight hours and said he’d been with a black woman who said... (full context)

Possessive and Obsessive Love Theme Icon

In Barcelona, Jacinta eventually found work caring for the pregnant Mrs. Aldaya. Soon after, Jorge was born, and Jacinta cared for him, engrossing herself in the life of the family... (full context)

...as a gift. Jacinta became close with young Carax, chatting with him when she picked Jorge up from school and even telling him that she saw the licentious Mr. Aldaya chatting... (full context)

Mr. Aldaya organized a huge party for Jorge’s eighteenth birthday, to which Carax insisted Javier be invited. Javier declined the invitation, feeling he... (full context)

Daniel declares his theory that Jorge Aldaya is hiding in the old mansion disguised as Laín Coubert, and accuses Nuria of... (full context)

One night, Jorge tracks Miquel down and hands him an obviously fake letter from Penélope to Carax, announcing... (full context)

...more about the son he never knew. Moreover, he has decided that his legitimate heir, Jorge, is weak and stupid, and has lost interest in him. When he meets Carax, Mr.... (full context)

...by her own father. The family buries her and the baby in the secret crypt. Jorge eventually tells Miquel of her fate, “drunk with guilt and shame” at not having protected... (full context)

...the family emigrate to Argentina to escape their creditors. During the voyage, Mr. Aldaya forces Jorge to promise he will one day kill Carax, then throws himself overboard and is eaten... (full context)

Jorge loses all his remaining money in Argentina and returns to Barcelona ten years later almost... (full context)

Jorge considers Fumero a friend and apologizes for mistreating him when they were children. Fumero wants... (full context)

...Penélope was completely pure, “like the ones you see in movies.” He decides to use Jorge just like villains use stooges in the movies, in order to lead him to Carax. (full context)

...building, bankrupt and ill with tuberculosis. She takes him home and marries him. One day Jorge shows up at their apartment asking where Carax is, and they lie and say that... (full context)

...assumes is an arrangement so that she can leave him her money. Fumero also tells Jorge that his old enemy is marrying into a fortune, stoking Jorge’s anger into fantasies of... (full context)

Eventually, Fumero prods Jorge into going to Paris and challenging Carax to a duel. Just as Fumero predicts, Jorge... (full context)