Mad Toy is a story that evoked many emotions from me. From sadness, frustration, and unfairness, the harshness of reality was always apparent. Roberto Arlt did an excellent job allowing readers to understand Silvio’s character, as his emotions are elaborate and consistently intense. To be honest, the jumble of stories made my heart sink further and further. Once things started to look up, it would come crashing down. Silvio’s inner monologue drove this feeling further, from him saying things he cannot admit to his mother — “Don’t talk about money Mama, please” —to his frustration in the cards dealt in his life — “How can I study, if I have to learn a trade to make a living?” It was heartbreaking and made me quite sad. Despite these feelings, I tried to find the motive why the author wrote this short novel, the true meaning or takeaway.
There could be many things he can be addressing. Was it the cruel reality of poverty that is unfailingly perpetuated in a capitalistic society? The influences of dysfunctional relationships? The journey to find your true morals or purpose in life? Glory or betrayal? Again, there’s so much that can be made from this story. Personally, I believe there is no wrong answer. There is not just a sole reason or theme in this story, as it all connects to life. Repeated again and again within this narrative is “that’s life.” Life is complicated and harsh, and it is quite jarring to realize when you grow up. From Silvia desiring a sort of escape and thrill through being a “thief” to him having to provide for his family at the mere age of 15 — it’s shocking. What makes me sad is Silvio’s denial of him being young: “I’m not a boy. I’m sixteen years old.” Given the circumstances, he had to grow up faster, and if we connect it to our life circumstances — being young university students — it seems crazy.
Having to grow up can be a bitter, confusing, and resentful experience. It is draining and is filled with sometimes too many hurdles to overcome. We can see this with Silvio’s resentment, his suicidal ideals, his decisions like betrayal, and the side characters. But again, many of us will brush it off with the saying, “That’s life.” We cannot directly control the systems we are embedded within, so the most reasonable we can do is make the best of it. Though Silvio got some kind of success in the end, it left me bittersweet. Life did not go the way he planned, but that’s how life goes, right?
My take on this story might be too bleak, but I believe it might be more realistic. Times have changed, however, so this may not be all true.
Discussion question: How closely connected do you think the phrase “That’s life” is within the story? Did the story bring about any sad emotions for you too?
(Please leave your comments in the “leave your thought” section below!)
“Having to grow up can be a bitter, confusing, and resentful experience.”
Oh yes. We’re going to see other examples in the course…
But I wondered what you thought about the novel’s conclusion. Was that not optimistic and hopeful? A new career in a new town? If not, why not?
Personally, I had mixed emotions about the ending. Even though it seemed optimistic and mentioned the topic of joy and a new life, I have a feeling that he is going to struggle more down the road. The story is not a fairytale, so I cannot imagine a true hopeful ending (if that makes any sense?). Because this story is more picaresque, does that mean they will always (or even vaguely) have a hopeful, happy ending? I believe that’s the main reason for my confusion.
Hi Franny! I found Silvio’s inner dialogue very important and found this to keep me connected and be able to relate to him more. I’d say “That’s life” would be a phrase that is closely connected to the story. Silvio is constantly found in changes and instability: different homes, people around, jobs, etc. Given this, when one stage ends, the motto of “That’s life” is its closure. I’d say a lot of us if not all, experience this feeling. This is why, to your next question, him having to have that mindset, and me being able to relate, does bring sad emotions.
Hello Franny, I really enjoyed reading ur thoughts on Mad Toy, they’re actually really insightful and I also feel the same way on the portrayals of Silvio and the unfolding of his story. Many parts of the novel also reminded me of certain times when you run into the constraints of life. It sort of reminds me of a quote something similar to if you do all the right things and win, that’s luck; if you do all the right things and lose, that’s life. Although Silvio probably didn’t do all the right things, it sort of comments on this broader notion of limits of our capabilities to control our circumstances. So I guess I do think “that’s life” is largely relevant in this story. Which has a bittersweetness to it. In some ways it does feel like some sense of loss therefore it does feel sad, but I think that comes in tandem with peace. So I guess it’s not all bad.
Hello Franny, it’s cool to see how literature can evoke such powerful emotional responses! I like that you attached a common phrase that many know to your understanding of the themes in the reading, helps ground it in the present and common. To answer your question, I think the phrase “that’s life” is very connected to the reading, because of its exploration of the struggles of escaping socioeconomic barriers and having to accept conditions that aren’t ideal. Silvio is a character marked time and time again by ambition and failure, which is very connected to the phrase “that’s life”.
Hi Franny, I really like your blog post and the way express your thoughts on Arlt’s Mad Toy, from the emotionality to the different themes it explored. It really made me reflect on my emotions I felt during the reading and how the way I related with Silvio, also made me emphasize more with him as well. The part that personally ‘hurt’ me the most was the end of the first chapter when they all decide to quit thieving except for Enrique. It was very on par with my own experiences of shoplifting with my friends, and eventually all of us stopping except for one person, who eventually got caught by themselves and got into trouble. It felt so real with my own experiences and regretful that I did not get my own friend to stop early with me. Thank you for your post and I look forward to reading more of your analyses 🙂
Hi Franny,
I also sympathize with Silvio and found it heartbreaking how fast he had to grow up, when he was just a child. I am interested on how you think that growing up can be a bitter experience. I never really looked at it that way, I always wanted to get older faster and was upset at how young I was. I realize now how much I took my childhood for granted and I wish I could go back in time and relive the simpler days.