The landscape and settings described in chapter six do help us to understand selected characters that little bit more personally. At the beginning of the chapter Joaquin's personality is explored and we get to know a more relaxed home life side to him. This takes place at the arrival of his mansion in Spain. .
Mark compliments the luxurious home but Joaquin does not seem to agree, "Nonsense. A ruin." he says in response, then suggesting to Mark his satisfaction with the appearance of the grounds contrary to the house. I think this is where we are first presented with simplicity of Joaquin and his distant feelings towards material things. However an appreciation for the nature that surrounds him.
Another example of this is in the discussion of the previous owner's "acts of idiocy" and "foolish decisions" when choosing to cut down eucalyptus trees for firewood and the construction of a desk so large it cannot be moved.
Upon entering the house, the three walk through the big empty rooms, in which Joaquin suggests are much like Mark's living room. I imagine at that stage Mark feels a sense of comfort in familiar surroundings. When Joaquin says that he could "never decide what to do with these rooms" and that he "just ignored them" in a way it could relate back to Marks ignorance towards his experiences whilst away at war, then coming back to his empty living room to seek comfort.
They are then lead through to Joaquin's wife's section of the house and the contrast to the previous empty rooms is "remarkable". Violeta's rooms were decorated elegantly from wall to wall. I think that Elena could relate to Violeta's need to decorate, and we realize that Mark and Elena are just like Joaquin and Violeta in this sense.
