The reading for this week was definitely not your average reading, for me, this book is practically screaming the Oedipus complex at me, although reluctant but I still tried to give the book a fair chance and it went similar to what I expected. Similar to the first book we read Proust’s Combray, it starts off with a boy named Agostino who has a strong sense of bond with his mother however as I kept on reading what seemed to be a normal bond between mother and son turned out to be very different. When Agostino realizes that his mother’s love was not exclusively shown to himself but to others as well, as a result, he becomes almost jealous of others and fears that others could take his mother away from him.
The narrative for this book was done in a way that through the first-person way where Agostino’s emotions such as fear, loneliness and desires are all brought out and made easier to understand. The book explores Agostino’s growth as a boy as the 13-year-old boy starts to transition from childhood to adolescence, where he is filled with questions and curious thoughts to the point where it seems like he is at a dead end unsure of what to do. From what it seems, Agostino had a very rough childhood where he experienced being left alone or even abandoned by people around him. For example, when the boys were playing cops and robbers Agostino asked if he could join in any play but instead, he was told “We only let our friends play” (pg. 17) which left him feeling left out. Not only that but he was continuously made fun of and eventually found solace in the company of his mother, who became his primary source of comfort and companionship.
Reading this book got me reflecting on my own life growing up, where the process of coming from childhood innocence to adult understanding is actually a journey that we all have to experience once in our lifetime but how it happens can vary for everyone. Ultimately, in the end, the experiences that we get around us will shape how we behave and who we are, and in Agostino’s case because of the people around him, he is left with the complexities of desire, identity, and the search for belonging to discover.
Discussion Question:
How does Agostino’s desire to fit in with his peers contrast with his longing for connection with his mother?
“How does Agostino’s desire to fit in with his peers contrast with his longing for connection with his mother?”
This is a good question, and I’d like to hear you answer! In my lecture, I suggest that to some extent there’s a tension between the sexual aspect of the book (which draws on Freud) and the social aspect (which draws on Marx).
I totally agree with you on the fact that this novel seemed like I was reading Sigmund Freud’s theory of Psychosexual Development all over again in which he explains the oedipus complex. This book captures the perfect transition of an innocent boy growing into a more knowledgeable man.
i very much agree and have the same thoughts as you. This was the embodiment of Freud’s Odious complex. All I can think of is and wonder, was there a way to prevent this in the first place?
Hi! I also agree with how Freud’s theory seemed to perfectly describe this book. The author definitely took a psychological approach to the topic which is why I think it translated so clearly throughout. Agostino seems to be like an outsider within and outside of his own life which is why I think his desperation to fit in with the group of boys and be seen as one of them and the desire to have a nurturing figure contrast so much.