I have listened to a podcast about people commenting on Elena Ferrante’s writing before I read this book. People said they were impressed by how honest Ferrante’s writing is. Therefore, when I was reading this book, I attempted to find clues and check if the book is really honest. The Childhood section was quite satisfying, as I read about the friendship and envy between the girls.
But the Adolescence section is fabulous!!! I really like the term “dissolving margins” invented by Lila. Writers usually claim that they are people who are able to describe the feelings that everyone has in detail because they can express those precisely.
Ferrante wrote the following for describing how Lila feels the dissolving margins for the first time:
She seemed to see him for the first time as he really was: a squat animal form, thickset, the loudest, the fiercest, the greediest, the meanest (90).
When I was reading, I felt like I have experienced the same thing before, and I can’t even tell when. It happened with the closest people around me. All of a sudden, I could not tell who that person is and they became something super negative.
Lila is gifted. Not just because she is “smart”. Even though she is always described to be the one who is calm and rational, I think she is also pretty sensitive because of she is aware of the subtle feelings that most people may not be able to accurately describe or recognize as different.
This is also proved by how Lila is able to tell that the “development between Carmela and Alfonso” is constrained by the incidents between their fathers.
I observed that Lenu’s interactions with the world are impacted a lot by Lila and people around her. She makes decisions (romantic relationships) because of Lila; she tries to behave and talk like Lila; she tries to assimilate with her peers but also tries to have some superiority. But Lila never listens to anyone around her. She always has her own opinion and makes her own decisions. For example, when people are blaming Melina, Lila does not do that, and it turns out it’s Donato Saratore’s fault to have a family and also show his affection to Melina at the same time (126). Also, as Lila’s father does not allow her to be educated, she reads the most number of books in the town and self-taught Latin. Phew! Lila is great!
The question I have for this book is: Have you experienced the “dissolving margins” in your life?
5 replies on “Growing up and dissolving”
Hi, it is really nice to read your blog! To answer your question, I have never experienced the dissolving margin before. I think my life experiences are mostly smooth and happy. Also, the environment around me is not violent and messy so I could not have that kind of feeling.
After complimenting the “childhood” section, for a second I thought you were going to say you didn’t like “adolescence”! Also I was completly misreading “dissolving margins” as “dissolving migraines” for half the book then I got consufed so thank you for reassuring me ha. To answer your question yes I think I have experiences something similar to Lila’s dissolving margins and I also found the way she described them to be very interesting
“Therefore, when I was reading this book, I attempted to find clues and check if the book is really honest.” This could pose a problem: we would need, at least minimally, to define what we mean by “honesty” in a novel like this, or even in a series of novels like Ferrante’s. I can’t imagine what the podcast hosts were referring to. It would be interesting if you could discuss it with us in class!
I think many people have experienced something like “dissolving margins.” It’s that sudden moment when someone familiar becomes almost unrecognizable, and you see them in a much harsher or clearer way. Sometimes I even wonder whether I had just never noticed that side of them before, or if they had actually changed.
I feel like most people have experienced these dissolved margins! I guess it can be akin to the classic statement about how the line between love and hate is thin and blurred, or perhaps even the more modern rendition of “getting the ick”. I’ve experienced this many a time, where I just felt myself getting disgusted with things that I once used to love.