Author Archives: ashley haines

04/11/23

Week 13: All done!

Hi everyone!

I really can’t believe we have come to the end of this class already. This semester has gone by so fast…almost too quick at times I think. Come to think of it, full honesty, I’m glad this semester is coming to a close. But, that’s not to say there weren’t good memories, too!–Thankfully, this class was one of them:) I won’t lie, the past few weeks have been pretty chaotic and unforgiving these past 3 weeks, with lots coming up out of my control, but this class is a nice constant.

This semester I really challenged myself with this class. I haven’t taken a literature-based class since 2016-2017 when I took AP Lit in high school, and I am a terribly slow reader (trust me, my friends comment on this all the time when we split up our readings for our history classes lol). I also have little to no background in Latin American literature but knew that that was okay. I was initially nervous going into this class, especially because I joined a bit late too–I think second week? But, upon entering class for the first time, I realized that this would be a class that I enjoy for multiple reasons: a smaller class size, small discussion groups, and being able to tell right away that I will have a prof and TA who truly values learning and growth over harsh assessments or status-quo assignments–this goes into one of the very small handful of classes that I have felt this way. I quickly felt comfortable and any nerves I had dissipated with time. I REALLY enjoyed this class. I’ve been at UBC for a while now, taken a couple gap years, gone out and worked in the non-profit sector for a bit, travelled, came back, and I can honestly say I’ve never taken a class like this at UBC–it was so refreshing:)

I want to bring it back to my point on small-group discussions: I really loved this part of the course. Typically, I am very extroverted and love connecting with others, but at times, I get really nervous about participating in class due to being anxious that my thoughts will never carry over well. But, I am so thankful to Jon and Daniel for encouraging us to just say our thoughts and share them with the class/our small group because it really did contribute to my learning and pushed me to engage with the course content in a more meaningful way. I also think that reading a book each week pushed me to look for patterns or things that I might not have originally jumped to in our first week reading Mama Blanca. Toward the end of the semester, whenever I approached a book, it’s almost like I had a system–watch/read the lecture, get some background, do some external research, then delve into the book. From that point, I’d then look for words repeated throughout the book. I was no longer just trying to get to the next page, but I was thinking more deeply about the overall themes and connections throughout the book, or I would try to think about what messages the author is trying to convey, or I would try to consider the setting/history of the time of when that book was written. Having these things in mind each week really equipped me to allow myself to conduct more meaningful work and really take in what Jon was trying to teach each week–this made it all the more worthwhile. For example, in Jon’s concluding lecture, he mentions the central theme of time and temporality of many of the books we read. We see history shaped and warped in different ways, and as Jon mentions, even catches up with people in different ways, too (e.g. Cartucho). This is a central theme that I began to look for in every book, every week.

Overall, I was able to take away a great amount for this course, and full honesty, although my initial intentions were taking it as my literature requirement only, I would love to take another literature course before I graduate! Thanks so much to Jon and Daniel for everything, and thanks to my classmates for the many great and insightful conversations! It’s been a blast, for real:)

My question for you: Did you have a favourite central theme that repeated itself through many of the books we read this semester? How did that central theme often play out or represent itself throughout the novels?

See y’all around:)

 

04/10/23

Week 13: Samanta Schweblin’s “Fever Dream”

Wow, I can’t believe it’s the last week of classes–I will definitely miss this class! It has been a great sense of routine and normalcy for me each week, so thanks to everyone for being so insightful all throughout this term for each book we explored:)

This week I had the pleasure of reading “Fever Dream” by Samanta Schweblin. It is a book that made me think of three words in particular: eerie, thought-provoking, and suspenseful. Schweblin’s writing style has a way in which she is able to show the effects of environmental harm, familial love and protection, and psychological unease all in one book–three topics, that in my opinion, are usually not seen all together at once. The book centralizes on the characters of Amanda and Daniel, two polarizing figures that perfectly depict the three words I listed above. Amanda becomes suddenly very ill from suspected poisonous insecticides that were sprayed throughout the area in which she was staying in. David, a boy who continually questions her, helps provoke her memories and recollections to come back to her as the toxins from the insecticide presumably affected her memory and prompted her illness. She is oftentimes discombobulated and her memories are disjointed, but David acts as a constant to help her memories come back. Although it is not exactly implied, it could be suggested that human contact or action/intervention on the environment can have profound impacts on both humans and the earth–typically negative. I keep coming back to this theme of environmental degradation that runs simultaneously with psychological aspects or memory loss–it’s very interesting–I really haven’t seen it done before. I found it refreshing and an interesting way to portray the impacts we as humans have on our surroundings. There is a sense of urgency throughout the novel in which we aim to find the truth, for example, what REALLY happened to Amanda–was it actually the insecticide? David’s questioning throughout makes not only Amanda more curious or uncertain, but perhaps has the same effect on the reader as well. It made me want to keep reading more and more until I reached the end of the book. When faced with memory loss, it is certain that one likely grapples with what is real and what is not, as we see Amanda struggle with that throughout. Overall, I found this novel to be an interesting read. It was unique, and I am thankful for the chance to have read it in this class.

My question for you: I mention that it seems a central theme to this novel is that of environmental harm or the impact that humans have on it–what are some concrete examples of how this plays out in the book? Do you think Schweblin is trying to convey a certain message about the environment through her writing?

04/3/23

Lemebel and “My Tender Matador”

Hi everyone! I can’t believe we are in the home stretch of this class and the semester! 

I had a lot of fun this week reading My Tender Matador by Pedro Lemebel. The book itself is representative of the time it was set–1986 in Chile–when if you know, was around the time that Pinochet experienced an assassination attempt. Not only is it representative of the historical period in Chile, when things were rapidly changing, but it is also representative on a micro-level account of love amidst the chaos between the “Queen of the Corner”, a gender-fluid individual who at first at first befriends Carlos but eventually become lovers. It is one of the first cases in which we get to read about an LGBTQ love story in class, and I think that is really refreshing! I have been looking forward to getting to delve into this book further. 

My Tender Matador is an effort to “reclaim history” as noted in lecture, almost an attempt to turn failure into a kind of success through the insertion of a queer love story at the centre of a resistance effort against a dictator. For example, the usage of “loca”–typically used as a slur against gay people–was reclaimed and worn with pride and is seen at the very centre of this novel. We see names closely tied to the value of identification throughout this novel. For example, we see how names ARE political–for example, Carlos’ real name and La loca’s drage name. I am sure this also provided people in Chile during such an unstable time, with some sense of agency or security in their own day-to-day actions. Although it is fictional, there are elements of reality–I am sure some that the reader can connect to through the depiction of queer relationships, hope, and change. We also see identity through La loca expressing herself via a gender identity that makes her feel more comfortable–as Jon mentions she “invests in her self”–to one that is more closely to how she aligns and can therefore set the stage for how she goes about her relationships, routines, and her overall identity. 

My question for you this week is: What are some other examples of how we see La loca express her identity or femininity? How is this important to the overall novel, especially in regard to her romance with Carlos and how she navigates the external political circumstances at hand?

03/27/23

Week 11: Bolaño and “Distant Star”

Hi everyone,

I was really looking forward to this book this week, especially because I have briefly gotten to do some high-level research into these types of events all throughout Latin America–but I have never gotten to explore the situation in Chile in-depth and have always wanted to. Luckily, Bolaño’s book provides an account or an idea of just how violent the Pinochet regime was, and how deeply that impacted those such as poets, as many featured in the book, or artists, singers, and more. From my little knowledge on Chile during the Pinochet regime, I was aware that artists and poets were some of the most targeted and effected, so I think this book is helpful in furthering that understanding.

 

Though through various means, but especially poetry considering his background, Bolaño effectively highlights the political and economic and cultural and social implications of the time and how political upheaval reaches every corner of society. This makes me think that accounts like this, especially the ways in which this book is written, is incredibly powerful in maintaining and highlighting memory, despite being traumatic. This concept of withholding and protecting memory is almost symbolic because it highlights the deeply violent impacts of the disappeared in Chile, many of them being writers or even poets, like in the book. Like Deeba mentioned in their blog, I am also an IR student and am VERY used to analyzing the political circumstances and outcomes of an event, but getting to learn more about the technological and artistic aspects of this representation of many Chilean’s lives was impactful and refreshing in many ways. It challenged me to think about how despite the style of writing, it serves as a form of. resistance and memory. Additionally, like some of my peers have mentioned, I am also sure that Bolaño was the first narrator himself, and utilized this form of writing to release his feelings and experiences in a way that is meaningful and comfortable with him. Similar to Wieder, although his art is not exactly great in terms of what it represents, it could be said that this plays the same case for himself. Having photography as an element of this books helps the reader further their main arguments, and I think all together, it ties well.

My question for you is: Can you think of any other examples of artists who faced similar forced and unfair prosecution? How else did Bolaño utilize his writing to maybe share some specific parts of his life with us?

03/20/23

Week 10: I, Rigoberta Menchu

Hi everyone,

This was the week I was most interested in because I have friends I met while I was in Guatemala who were affected by the Civil War in the 1980’s and likely have some experiences close to that of what Rigoberta Menchu may have gone through. For quick context, I went to Guatemala in 2019 for a Rotary International trip and visited the same Highlands K’iche region that Rigoberta is from (I was staying in a small village called Cementario Jolomtaj near Barillas in Huehuetenango). I met a good friend of mine who had to flee into the mountains when CIA-backed death squads arrived into his village to murder Indigenous peoples in cold blood.

This book has been on my reading bucket list for years now, ever since I came back from Guatemala. I am happy we got the chance to read it in class. As mentioned in lecture, it is an example that portrays a level of agency on Menchu, to tell her story to the extent in which she feels comfortable, by holding back certain aspects of information through her repeated references to “secrets”–distinguishing the aspect of a testimonio from an autobiography.

What stood out to me most in this book was the recurring theme of moving forward despite the many challenges they face in protecting their land, people, and culture. Guatemala is historically a region very soughted out by “Western” liberal democracies and private fruit companies–ie United Fruit Company–who often resort to the highly-populated Indigenous areas of the highlands to utilize the land for food production–most times it being crops that aren’t even native or widely consumed by Guatemalans (check out an article on this–it is super interesting and highlights the negative impact foreign investment in agriculture has had on Indigenous communities).  Rigoberta and her community in Altiplano aim to resist such changes and burdensome endeavours from white men or other people seeking to strip her people of their land. For example, when some came to take the land in Altiplano, Menchu’s community mobilized to stop that from happening even if it may have been done in a violent manner. This is definitely not just the case for Menchu’s community, but also I am sure that most Guatemalan’s were able to relate to this in some manner, given the fact that these types of interventions are a constant threat to the many diverse Indigenous communities within all 22 Departments of Guatemala.

My question for you is, in what ways do you think this book may have contributed to discourse on human rights? How does Menchu portray memory throughout her novel?

03/13/23

Captain Pantoja and the Secret Service: Reflections

This week’s reading was definitely a different feeling from the other books that we explored up until this point. I actually found this book to be one of the more enjoyable reads thus far, particularly because it really reminds me of a book I recently read–a Narcos literary adaptation that is about a Colombian National Police officer who is originally very passionate about his new job but quickly realizes the darker side of it (the CNP’s close ties and influence from Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel) and results in a deep moral conflict that he eventually forgoes and embraces. This theme of sacrifice reminds me deeply of what Captain Pantoja experiences at first too. It is evident that he takes his new position very seriously and is truly passionate about bettering the environment around him, but he eventually experiences a moral conflict with the development of the “Secret Service”. Aside from this, I won’t lie, I did feel a bit nervous to read this book at first because I felt like it would definitely cater to a dominantly male audience and could potentially portray women in a negative or objectifying light, but it ended up being okay to read in the end.

I also think that utilizing different forms of documentation and memory throughout the book was interesting and definitely gave a “diary” feel to it at times. The reports and other notes and even diary/journal entries themselves provided Llosa’s useful and diverse storytelling mechanisms. We see that even though Pantoja, the perfect candidate to oversee the Secret Service who is dedicated to his role, eventually succumbs to his environment by having his own mistress, the Brazilian, but in the end vouches for her respect after she died. Still, it at times felt a bit weird to read comedic elements that also discussed themes of rape and violence and military, while being combined with the objectification of women. However, I do completely understand that it was intended to be satirical. But, it did feel easier to read than some of the other books (for example, Borges, haha–it always comes back). But, perhaps one of my most favourite parts of the book, like a few of my other peers, was the letter between Pochita and her sister. It definitely reminded me of some conversations that my little sister and I have, especially now that we are both adults and can relate to each other a lot, and also enjoy sharing updates on aspects of our lives.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this book! My question for you is: What was a specific comedic moment that genuinely made you laugh? How did you feel about some of the ‘dark’ humour used throughout?

 

03/6/23

Marquez: Part 2!

Hi everyone!

Wow, two weeks have flown by! I can’t believe we are already on our way to wrapping up with this book. I won’t lie, although I enjoyed this book, I have been DYING to get to Rigoberta Menchu’s book as I have always wanted to delve into that. But, for now! Let’s continue to unpack Maquez’s work:)

This past week was a bit of a struggle for me, so I had a hard time reading in larger chunks as per Jon’s recommendation because I came down with a nasty flu that made me bed-ridden–it sucked. So naturally, while reading it in smaller chunks, as some of my other peers had mentioned, it was much more difficult to keep up with all of the different characters–in fact, a bit overwhelming at times. I also love how this recurring theme of time throughout all books appears and reappears for us to investigate how the author uses it and makes meaning of it to contribute to a certain goal within their writing. In this book, we see how time breaks down not only Macondo, but everyone in it, including the Buendia family. More importantly, we see how time impacts that of memory. What was a town of memories and family and love and fun (with its bad parts, too) eventually becomes one of disillusion, lack of strength AND memories, and dullness after the massacre and plague. But with all this in mind, however you may try to change the trajectory of your own history or actions, or avoid making the same mistakes as the past, they will continue to haunt you–as seen in the book and as mentioned in lecture. We also see a search for eventual longing,  Aureliano through the quote that says: “Aureliano did not understand until then how much he loved his friends, how much he missed them, and how much he would have given to be with them at that moment.” (329). Even though the past leaves memories behind, and that history may repeat itself, Aureliano finds himself missing what once was–something I could relate to.

Overall, despite feeling confused by this book at times, I am glad for the opportunity to have read it. I’m thoroughly excited to delve into the second half of this book in class on both Tuesday and Thursday! For now, I’ll leave you with a question:

 

I notice a lot of people saying the second half of the book was more difficult to follow than the first? What do you consider the main reason for that to be?

02/28/23

Week 8, Part #1: Márquez and “100 Years of Solitude”

Hi everyone! I hope your reading break was restful and enjoyable:) Daniel, sorry for the later post this time around–I’ve encountered quite a few flight cancellations and delays over the past few days so have been playing catch-up–excited to get back into the swing of things! 

I have really been looking forward to getting to delve into this book by Márquez, especially after Jon talked about how highly acclaimed it was within Latin American literature. As some of my other peers have mentioned, this book seems to have been much easier to navigate compared to others, such as Borges (sorry Jon–we can’t escape Borges, haha)–we were even given a family tree at the beginning of the book this time around! I’m glad we get to spend two weeks on it. This theme and legacy of magical realism within this realm of literature excites me. Before I delve into the rest of my blog, I wanted to attach a link to a clip of an episode of Netflix’s Narcos (my favourite TV show) that talks about Colombia’s close ties and roots in magical realism. It was my first ever introduction to this concept! 

Back to discussion on the first half of this book, I usually have gotten confused and had difficulty keeping up in past books when there are multiple characters and they are introduced in various ways, especially when the story is non-chronological, but I feel that Márquez did an effective job of introducing and developing characters throughout. My favourite character so far is Ursula. She is a strong woman who holds her family together. It is oftentimes these characters that I closely relate with and I admire her efforts to show love and care for those around her, even if she was a bit harsh at times. For example, she is assertive in her care, such as telling her husband that “if [he] has to go crazy, please go crazy all by [him]self!” (9). Although tough love can be hard, the matriarch of the family tries to bring light to the curse on her family. As the lecture mentions, Ursula is well aware of the repetitive nature of events that her family experiences–one that at one point was feared for being eternal (396). I appreciate her as a grounding sense of character throughout the book. 

I’m very excited to continue reading this book as we progress into the next week! Before I leave, my question for you is: Can you provide an example of where this theme of time/repetition repeats itself? How does it contribute to the greater overall story? 

See you next week:)  

 

02/13/23

Week #6: Rulfo’s “Pedro Paramo”

Like a good chunk of my peers, I find myself in agreeance that this week’s read, Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo, was a more enjoyable read because I quite enjoy stories that run along the themes of memory, family, life, and death itself. Even though the book wasn’t exactly in chronological order, I still found it easier to understand, follow along with. The first theme I felt showed very strongly, however, was that of memory.

The book itself begins with Juan Preciado’s visit to Comala to fulfill his promise to his mother, who was presumably on her death bed (4). When his mother says, “make him pay, son, for all those years he put us out of his mind,” the reader can make some general assumptions of what may have went down years prior, but we are not yet aware–but for the mother, the memories are there. Rulfo soon sets the scene, to help the reader, by describing the “dog days” with hot August wind and saponaria blossoms (4). While Paramo enters the town of Comala, the ghost town, this theme of continual scene-setting utilizing first-person narrative and imagery helps effectively portray memory in its entirety–not just memories about or from one person, but from each person that Juan encounters throughout his time in town. From Juan’s interactions with the dead, to Preciado dying partway through the book, to the retelling of memories fron Pedro Paramo’s time, this book constantly thrives off memory and nostalgia. These memories, often filled with the ideas of hope, despair, truth, and longing, are consistent throughout all timeframes and stories told or recounted by each character in the book. In memory, life and death are constant. Not linear, not interchangeable, but always present. Whether that be the characters in which Preciado faces, or the fate he eventually leads to himself. Life and death are all around us, and we can learn from both the present and the past. As mentioned in the video lecture, “the distance between life and death is apparently minimal, almost discernable.” These voices, these stories, they are almost eternal in a way. A quote from the book itself reminded me and really drove home this theme of memory for me–I’ve pasted it below:

“Nothing can last forever; there is no memory, however intense, that does not fade.” (217)

Even the word “fade” or “fading” shows up almost ten times throughout the book–almost each time it is mentioned, whether it is used in a literal or figurative way, refers to memory–with a fear of it being lost or maintained. I found it to be powerful, and it being consistently used throughout the story made the theme stand out all the more overall.

 

My question for you is: Did you pick up on any other central themes in to how memory was conveyed throughout this book? How did these make you feel? How can they assist the reader in understanding the events of the book, especially as it in a non-chronological order?

02/6/23

Week #5: Borges “Labryinths”

This week I decided to take the advice of my peers this week and alternate the ways in which I normally approach the weekly blogs: to watch the lecture first, then read the book. I think I’ll be doing this from now on as I was able to grasp on to the central themes of the book for effectively–so thank you to whoever recommended that (I can’t remember whose blog it was that referenced that:( )–but thank you!! If I’m being honest though, although I am not usually a huge fan of poetry, I enjoyed last week’s more than this–but still, a great experience to explore Borge’s work:)

Reading Labryinths by Borges this week was…interesting? I enjoyed it but I was a bit confused along the way, although again, watching the lecture helped clear up some of that confusion before delving into the book. Dr. Beasely-Murray was correct when he mentioned that there is not other literary legend unlike Borges who loves to ‘play’ with the reader; with the ideas of reality, time, and journeys–perhaps through that of a literal and metaphorical labryinth or maze.

A favourite of mine was “The Circular Ruins”. I thought this story was not void of any confusing plotlines, but that’s on me in all honesty, because I usually get confused with stories about realities, immortality, and dreams (you should have seen me when I first watched “Inception”). But, nonetheless, I found Borges writing style to be so effective and imaginative, especially when he talked about bringing about reality from dreams. I thought it was such an interesting concept. It made me wonder that despite being published in the early 1940’s, if this concept of dreams and what IS reality has been explored in literature? The title itself, “Circular Ruins” right away made me think that the ruins themselves are…circular. But, thinking about Borge’s central ideas of time, reality, and dreams, perhaps it could suggest a figurative meaning, as well, such as that dreams are neverending or continuous, much like that of a circle. This made me curious, so after I was done reading the book, I went and searched how many times “infinity” was mentioned–14! Although maybe not the most significant, I still found it to be interesting and how these themes can be seen all throughout–not just in one story.

 

A question I have for you is: Which short story was your favourite? Did you also find the book to be somewhat confusing?