This week I read Agostino and it definitely was something. The whole time I was kind of weirded out by Agostino, to be honest. I actually said out loud to myself at one point is this boy attracted to his mother?! Freud would have a field day. But I do understand that this is a sort of coming-of-age story of a boy maturing and growing up. Agostino is just starting to learn about the world and about sex and sexuality and it just so happens that he has a very confusing relationship with his mother. This book was set in such a picturesque place that it made all the uncomfortableness seem even worse. I was so creeped out by Saro, the old man who is like the leader of the little gang Agostino befriends, and the whole thing with the boat ride was uncomfortable. But as much as the book was uncomfortable, I did enjoy reading it. The language was so descriptive, especially when Agostino was describing his mother. I had such rich images of the story in my head.
I noticed right from the first paragraph the interesting relationship between Agostino and his mother. He goes from referring to her as his mother, then for basically the rest of the book, just the mother, and even at one point, just a woman. Even when he still loved and respected her, their relationship felt weird. It was like her being beautiful was something that he found pride in and her attention was the most important thing. After his friend meets with the other boys who tell Agostino about sex and rudely talk about his mother, it’s like a flip has been switched within him and his mother becomes this disgusting person to him. It is not as much that the mother is actually a disgusting or pathetic person, I think Agostino doesn’t know what to do with his newfound attraction to women and his sexual discovery. Maybe because he didn’t have a father figure he didn’t know that those sorts of feelings were normal? I’m not sure.
One quote that I picked out that fit Agostino quite well was, “he had sunk so low that he could no longer live without deceit and vexation” (pg 78). Agostino hates his “old” life and has a lot of distance from his childhood and mother after spending time with the boys on Vespucci beach. Agostino realizes how sheltered his old life was and he doesn’t even seem to understand prostitution after Tortima tells him about the house with the women.
Overall, this was certainly an interesting read, and my question for this reading is, was there a certain time when you felt your childhood had ended? How did this make you feel? Did you feel resentful like Agostino?
See you all in class!
“I think Agostino doesn’t know what to do with his newfound attraction to women and his sexual discovery.”
Yes. Freud would say that the same desires are in play, but they just have to find a new object. Does that seem to make sense for this book?
Hi! I agree with a lot of your points – I think the book touched on a lot of uncomfortable topics, but that the writing was really descriptive and drew the reader into the scene. I think the themes of moving on from an old life and into a new are really interesting as well! Maia D.
I also felt weirded out about Agostino’s remarks about his mother. However, I think his thoughts and emotions were intensified when he learned about sex in a rather immature and unsafe environment. It made his perceptions around sexuality warped. Especially towards the end when he wanted to have relations with a woman and it was referred to as possessing a woman.
Hi！Thanks for your sharing. I think I have the same idea as you. I think Agostino has complicated thoughts about his mother. He may have a desire for sex because he is in adolescence, but the only woman he is familiar with is his mother, so he has impure thoughts about his mother. I also think this has something to do with his lack of father’s company.
Hi Grace! I enjoyed your blog and I also thought that Agostino was displaying a weird attraction to his mother. In response to your questions, I didn’t specifically noticed a sudden and particular time when my childhood ended, it was more like a slow realization. You look back and discover how far you had come and how much you’ve changed, it’s quite astonishing. I was not resentful like Agostino, but I definitely felt regret on some things that I could’ve done or how I didn’t cherish the childhood more.
Hi, Grace:
To answer your question, I believe my childhood came to an end when I started realizing that life is not set in stone. Previously, I might have thought that entering high school marked the end of childhood, but it was not the case. It was only when I began to realize that things around me didn’t always unfold the way I expected and that I couldn’t always have things my way, that I truly felt the conclusion of my childhood. This realization gradually led me to understand that adulthood is not just about growing older but involves a deeper comprehension of reality.
Jialu Xu
Hi Grace, I also had feelings of discomfort while reading this yet still enjoyed it. I think my childhood was lost gradually rather than at a distinct point in time. I think what happens to Agostino in this book is somewhat unique, as he goes from being very sheltered to hanging around some very morally questionable people within the course of a day.