Tag Archives: Belonging

Deep Rivers: Jose Maria Arguedes’ Exploration of Identity and Colonization

I found that this week’s reading was a lot less engaging for me. Maybe it was a result of my busy workload, or the fact that I exclusively read this book before I went to bed, but all in all I found this book a lot harder to follow than the last few we have done. I did however find the themes about identity and colonialism very interesting and I also found how Arguedes linked music into this story’s narrative intriguing.

The fact that Ernesto had Native heritage was not something that I realized until after I had finished the book and was reading some analyses of the book. This revelation opens up a whole new perspective onto his character and the experiences that he goes through. This being said, a big theme in this book was how Ernesto’s Native heritage affected his life and his interactions with other non-native kids. Having grown up in North Vancouver my whole life, I cannot really relate to his experiences of being ostracized by his peers or feeling alienated from the majority of people, but it was an experience that i am glad to have read about in this book. I think that the idea of assimilating into white society is one that is familiar with many Native populations around the world and is one that is important to bring to light. The conclusion of the book ending in the Native’s victory over the Western system also provides interesting commentary to the conversation of assimilation and colonialism.

I also found the way that Arguedes used music in the book interesting although I did not fully grasp the meaning behind the songs that he put into the chapters of the book. To me, the music provided Ernesto with a link to his heritage in the Western world that he is dropped in. Through out the book the music that he sings or hears reminds him of his people and provides a refreshing insight onto the cultural meaning of music and how powerful it is as a binding for cultures.

In conclusion, I found that that I appreciated the style that this book was written in a lot. I think that Arguesdes’ writing style aided in showing how important Ernesto’s identity was to his character and the experiences that he goes through in this book. The commentary on identity and belonging that this book provided engaged me especially after doing last week’s reading “Agostino” which also dealt with the theme of belonging and identity as well.

A bit hard to follow, but an interesting read overall.

My Question:  Do you guys find that music is an important mechanism for your memories and cultural identity?

Agostino: A Recount of the Experience of Growing Up With the Wrong Influences and Sexualizing Your Mother

Agostino was an interesting read to say the least… Although at first glance, the Freudian themes make it a bit of an uncomfortable read, once I turned my brain off to the perplexing sexualizations of Agostino’s mother I was able to appreciate the novella for what it was: an excruciatingly detailed recount of the experience of growing up and losing one’s innocence.

The first blaring theme that I think everyone reading noticed in this book was its themes about sexuality and more specifically, Agostino’s sexuality and how it related to his mother. Right out of the gate in the first few pages, Moravia showcases Agostino’s special relationship with his Mother. In my head, whether it is true or not, like to think that his affection for his Mother is spawned out of an innocent parental bond that he has formed as a result of his time spent with her without his father around. I think that the pride he feels in being around his Mother and kind of providing for her in a way shows his innocence and ignorance to how other people in the world like ourselves perceive his feelings. Although there are some descriptions of Agostino thinking of his mother in a sexual manner, at the beginning of the book he is sort of oblivious to what those feelings are and is just happy to be with his Mother and likes the attention that he gets from the other beach goers as a result of being around his Mother. I would like to think that at this point in the story, Agostino enjoys the affection of his Mother purely because she is his parent and kids tend to admire their parents. I think that this relationship is only turned sexual in Agostino’s mind when the other kids force him to see the sexual side of this relationship with his Mother, and it is sad to see him not be able to enjoy his Mother’s company after the fact.

In regard to the other boys that he meets in the story, I think that one of the biggest themes that is highlighted through them and his Mother is the need to belonging and needing a place to belong. From my observation, this story is one that is about Agostino’s search for a community. Once his Mother finds a lover, he is forced to find another place to go to feel at home which is where he finds the gang of boys. The gang of boys that he meets is abusive to say the least, and borderline psychopathic at most. It took me by surprise at how hostile all these boys were towards Agostino for absolutely no reason at all. If this was how mean boys were back in the day it’s no wonder why the fathers and grandfathers of today have so much repressed trauma… Social commentary aside, it is sad to see Agostino stumble through this transitional period with such predatory influences around him.  Although I can agree that friend groups of boys are always a little hostile in some ways whether it be through teasing or rough housing, I found that the extremes of bullying Agostino goes through is terrible, and it is sad to witness him be unable to acknowledge that the boys he is hanging around are manipulating and abusing him, and be unable to break free.

All in all, I think that Agostino speaks to a very personal experience of growing up and being jaded by the world around you. The Freudian themes were distracting to say the least, but in the ladder half of the book are kind of necessary to highlight Agostino’s disgust at the gross nature of sexuality that The Boys have introduced him to.  A very interesting read indeed!

My question for ya’ll: Have you ever found yourself wanting to belong so bad that you land yourself into an abusive or manipulative relationship?

-Jonathan