February 2024 – Jennifer's RMST 202 Blog

Time of the Doves: I Actually Liked Quimet (Feb 24)

A. Initial Thoughts

This book has quickly become my favourite among the ones we’ve read in class. While both novels explore the lives of women, I find myself deeply in love with “Time of the Doves” and Natalia’s journey, far surpassing my like for “The Shrouded Woman.” There’s something about the raw, beautiful writing of “Time of the Doves” that made me feel a connection to Natalia I just didn’t feel with Maria Luisa, whose narrative seemed too comedic and novella-like by comparison. Watching Natalia grow from a young woman into a mother was moving for me; and even though I initially hated Quimet, the way he was described through Natalia’s eyes changed how I saw him and I felt quite fond of him by the end.

B. Key Themes: A Mother’s Resilience and Her Unrecognized Labor

The story unfolds with Natalia, our protagonist, going out to the shops alongside her friend Julieta. Natalia shares the loss of her mother a few years back and her father’s subsequent remarriage. Her recounting how her mother’s “only joy in life had been to fuss over [her]” and how she “couldn’t give [her] advice” anymore (Rodoreda 16), paints her mother as a pivotal figure, rendering Natalia somewhat innocent and unprepared for life’s complexities, much like Maria in “The Shrouded Woman.” Natalia’s life takes a turn when she meets Quimet, leaving her then-fiancé Péré to be with him.

Quimet, who nicknames her “colometa,” or little dove, immediately strikes me as unpredictable and reckless, a contrast to Péré, her stable ex-fiancé. Quimet has outbursts over Natalia expressing her opinions — insisting that “to be his wife [she] had to start by liking everything he liked” (Rodoreda 22) — and his complaints about his mother’s cooking, expose him to be extremely petty and similar to most men of the 19th century. Further, Quimet insisted on splitting their apartment expenses and felt emasculated and insecure when Natalia revealed how her father had helped with her expenses — I honestly hated him at this point. Lastly, when Natalia and Quimet get married he states how “this marriage business-is just a moment, and the less it costs the better and if we can do it in five minutes instead of ten that’s fine” (Rodoreda 38), highlighting his dismissive attitude towards their relationship, and I cannot help but also feel frustrated at Natalia, since she seems to overlook the glaring red flags due to her mother’s absence of guidance on men.

Natalia then has a chance encounter with Péré on the street who is sullen and wants her back. At that moment, Natalia felt how Péré “saw everything inside [her], all [her] secrets and [her] pain” (Rodoreda 56) during her early stage of marriage. This deepened the narrative’s emotional impact, prompting me to contemplate on what might have been had Natalia chosen her life differently. Natalia then becomes pregnant, which brings challenges. Specifically, her baby’s ill health is blamed on her supposedly having “strangled it” (Rodoreda 62) during birth, allowing us to see the shame and hardship Natalia has to grapple with as a woman during this period. Further, Natalia and Quimet start facing financial troubles due to Quimet’s dwindling carpentry commissions. She has to take on a laborious job of cleaning wealthy households and she loses moments with her children, finding “them asleep, sometimes right next to each other and the boy with his arm around Rita (her daughter)” (Rodoreda 96).

As the story progresses, Natalia has to grapple with the burden of domestic and professional responsibilities. Meanwhile, Quimet’s complaints about leg pain and his expectation for Natalia to handle the household chores and care for the doves he brings home underscore his lack of supportiveness. But strangely, and I think this is an unpopular opinion, Quimet grows on me a little. Yes, they struggled and he was not a very good husband — but Quimet was nonetheless a good father to their kids and tried his best to provide for his family, which is especially shown when he has to leave his family to fight on the frontlines during the Spanish civil war. Though Quimet was frustrating, Natalia hoped for his return and “wanted things to be like they’d always been” and wanted so badly for him to “come home with that pain in his leg” (Rodoreda 138). After seeing how much Natalia misses Quimet, I too, started to miss him. However, Quimet does pass away due to the war, thrusting Natalia and her children into deeper hardship with Antoni (her son) sent to a refugee camp due to financial constraints. The family’s dire situation is captured when they start sleeping “all together… if [they] had to die [they’d] die together” (Rodoreda 140), painting a stark imagery of the realities of families during the Spanish civil war.

But eventually, Natalia encounters a grocer named Antoni, leading to a job and eventually a marriage, paving the way for stability and happiness. Her children’s acceptance of Antoni as a father figure and their eventual successes (Rita’s happy marriage; Toni’s return from military enlistment) provide a satisfying resolution to their earlier harsh trials.

C. Concluding Thoughts

As the story wraps up, I find Natalia embracing contentment in her life—her and her children are flourishing after she navigated the challenges of single motherhood. Natalia is also in a happy marriage with Antoni, shown as they sleep peacefully with “[her] arm under his arm and hugged his chest” (Rodoreda 200). Yet, that same night Natalia’s thoughts drift back to Quimet, compelling her to revisit their old apartment building—a reminder of her past—where “[she] had gone in that door many years ago married to Quimet and [had] come out with the children behind [her] to marry Antoni” (Rodoreda 196). In her reflective moments, she conjures up an image of Quimet, “in the middle of a field by the sea when [she] was pregnant with Toni [where] he gave [her] a blue flower and then laughed at [her]” (Rodoreda 196), a memory so vivid and bittersweet. Despite my initial disdain for Quimet, the connection and history he and Natalia shared ultimately left me feeling a surprising sense of loss. Even as I want to celebrate Natalia’s newfound happiness, there is a lingering memory of her past with Quimet.

D. Questions for Discussion

Q: What was your genuine impression of Quimet? Did you like him or dislike him? Did your feelings for him change?

Q: What was your view on Quimet and Natalia’s marital relationship?

Q: Do you think Quimet and Natalia’s relationship changed from when they were first dating to when they got married?

Black Shack Alley: Sacrifices Made for Us (Feb 13)

A. Initial Thoughts

“Black Shack Alley” ruined me. I felt very sentimental as this was the first novel where I felt a connection with the novel’s protagonist, José. Specifically, his relationship with his grandmother, M’man Tine—a figure of strength and hard work to provide opportunities to José—demonstrates the hardships parents or parental figures go through to provide for their children, something that we children are often ignorant to. In the beginning, “Black Shack Alley”’s tone was humorous and light, but it evolved into a narrative that was both heartbreaking and inspiring.

B. Important Themes: Sacrifice

The story starts with 5 year old José’s experiences in Black Shack Alley, a plantation village in colonial Martinique described as “comprised [of] three dozen ramshackle wooden huts” (Zobel 11), shadowed by the white overseer’s residence. We see how the residents of Black Shack Alley are living in poor conditions when José describes the clothing of his boy peers as having “so many holes in them that they in no way covered the frail bodies that pretended to wear them”, and how the dresses for the girls were so loose that they really “hid nothing at all” (Zobel 11-12). Despite poverty, José’s recounting of his youth is filled with a sense of happiness, joy, and mischief—a stark contrast to the reality of their living. A memorable moment involves José and his friends’ attempt to steal pomme-lianes, leading to a dangerous encounter with Mr. Gabriel, the overseer. Despite the fear this scene evokes, demonstrating the harsh conditions of black individuals during the colonial era, José interprets their frightened state as “proof of [their] bravery” (Zobel 15), illustrating how childhood innocence often masks the grim realities of life, such as racism. Another instance of childhood joy was when José and his friends played a game of chasing dragonflies, which ends in them making a mess in M’man Tine’s home. José’s recounting of the event, including the humorous punishment from his grandmother, offers a lighter perspective on his day-to-day life.

However, this childhood bliss is sharply contrasted with the reality of the adults’ world, filled with labor, pain, and the harsh truths of racial discrimination. I enjoyed how Zobel contrasted the children’s perceived freedom with the burdens the adults faced. Specifically, M’mam Tine, a central figure in José’s life, is a symbol of hard work and perseverance. Her dedication to laboring in the sugarcane fields to provide José with educational opportunities represents a beacon of hope for a better future. The narrative reaches its emotional climax as M’mam Tine’s health deteriorates, forcing José to face the demanding realities of adulthood and the value of hard work. Sadly, José starts to recognize the adults’ toil and suffering as a normal aspect of life, an acceptance that reflects a child’s perspective of the world around them. This shift in awareness marks the loss of a child’s innocence and when they become conscious of the harsher aspects of life.

C. Concluding Thoughts

I enjoyed how this novel illustrates everyday lives, as well as struggles faced by Black individuals during the colonial period. Specifically, the book highlights the crucial role of education as a pathway for these marginalized communities to progress in terms of social class. As a person of color and the child of immigrants, I deeply connected with José’s experiences. His youthful obliviousness to the sacrifices his grandmother made, ensuring he had opportunities she herself never experienced, resonated with me. The narrative was very moving and made me more conscious of how the parental figures around me have shaped my life.

D. Questions for Discussion

Q: What is your view on education? Do you agree with M’man Tine’s emphasis on pushing José to prioritize his education?

Q: Did you sympathize more with the characters in this novel than the ones we have read so far?

Agostino: The Cost of Adulthood (Feb 6)

A. Initial Thoughts

I quite liked this book. Moravia’s straightforward writing, reflecting the post-WW2 shift to realism discussed in lecture, appealed to me. It felt fresh, especially compared to the flowery language in “Combray”. Additionally, I appreciated that the book primarily used internal monologue instead of dialogue. This provided a deep dive into Agostino’s (or “Pisa’s”) inner world, giving us an introspective view into his journey from boyhood to adulthood. In contrast, I found “The Shrouded Woman” less appealing due to its heavy reliance on dialogue, which often felt extremely cluttered and made it difficult to grasp the characters’ nature.

B. Important Themes: Loss of Innocence and Exploring Adulthood

The story starts with 13 year old Agostino and his mother on their summer trip in Italy. The mother, described as a “big” woman, embodies both a physical and metaphorical largeness in Agostino’s life. This characterization, alongside Agostino’s declaration that he would “follow her anywhere, even to the bottom of the sea” (Moravia 4), illustrates the depth of his attachment on her, positioning her as the central figure in his life. Their daily routine of visiting Vespucci beach is a symbol of the simplicity and predictability of Agostino’s childhood, a safe and familiar environment where his innocent relationship with his mother remains unchallenged. However, the young man who garners his mother’s interest disrupts this stability. Agostino’s subsequent “unconscious desire to make his mother suffer” (Moravia 2) marks the onset of his emotional conflict, signalling a departure from the innocence of childhood as he grapples with feelings of jealousy.

To escape witnessing his mother’s new romantic interest, Agostino befriends Berto, a local boy from a poorer background. This friendship, deemed as a “justified form of revenge” (Moravia 21) against his mother, represents Agostino’s initial step into a broader, tumultuous world, signifying his transition towards manhood. Berto introduces Agostino to his friends at Speranza beach, which means “hope” in Italian. Here, Agostino is surrounded by new peers and an older (and disturbing) man named Saro and endures their teasing about his mother’s attractiveness and relationship with the young man. The boys’ revelations about Agostino’s mother complicates his perception of her, and his simple filial affection for her becomes intertwined with an emerging sexual awareness. This newfound awareness leads to a pivotal shift in Agostino’s relationship with his mother, where the “innocent fervor [of] his mother’s kisses and trusting sleep” is replaced by “the burning, shameful indiscretion” (Moravia 71), illustrating the transformation of his innocent love into a complex mix of desire and shame.

C. Concluding Thoughts

One thing I noticed in this book was the settings. In the story, Vespucci and Speranza beach symbolize Agostino’s growth from childhood into adolescence. Vespucci beach represents a secure haven for Agostino, evoking memories of his affectionate bond with his mother. Speranza beach, which means “hope” in Italian, marks Agostino’s transition into the unpredictable journey of adolescence, moving him away from the once familiar and comforting Vespucci beach. I think Speranza embodies his hope to confront his challenges of maturing; such as navigating changing feelings—especially that towards his mother—after losing “his original [innocent] identity” (Moravia 78). These beaches show the journey Agostino takes, not just physically moving from one place to another, but also psychogically, as he navigates the process of growing up.

D. Questions for Discussion

Q: Why do you think Moravia added the storyline of Agostino and Saro on the boat? Do you think it was necessary for Agostino’s journey?

Q: Why do you think the boys of the group always teased and made fun of Agostino? Agostino attributes this to his social class, do you think this is true?