Author Archives: jerry wang

Roberto Arlt, “Mad Toy”

This week’s reading was Roberto Arlt’s “Mad Toy”, compared to Proust’s “Combray” it was much easier to read and a shorter read for me. However, “Mad Toy” was a much “heavier and more serious read for me since it dives into topics such as social inequality, the struggles of the working class, and the impact of modernization on society. Compared to “Combray,” where the writing was quite complex, “Mad Toy” to me felt more straightforward. It got straight to the point about the challenges people had to face. The book really helped me see how life can be drastically different for certain people, especially those who are working hard but still struggling.

Unlike “Combray,” which might have been more complex in its own way, “Mad Toy” spoke to me on a deeper level. It made me think about the challenges people face in their everyday lives, especially those struggling in the working class. The book explored how societal changes impact individuals, and it made me reflect on the issues of inequality that persist today. Also, in “Mad Toy,” every page seemed to carry the weight of real-life societal issues, making it a compelling and thought-provoking read. The characters faced dilemmas that echoed the challenges many individuals in real life can encounter in their daily lives. The portrayal of a society divided by class distinctions and the impact of economic pressures felt like a mirror reflecting some harsh truths. For example, when Silvio leaves his days of thievery behind him and proceeds to find actual work which leads to him basically working throughout the entire day, this is one of the first signs of personal growth, where in order to survive in society, you must be prepared to do things that you don’t want to or not interested in doing.

Silvio’s experience of parting ways with his childhood friends struck a personal connection with me. I went through a similar situation when I had to say goodbye to all my childhood friends in my home country and move to Canada. This brought to mind a quote that felt really fitting, “life is made up of meetings and partings.” This resonates with me deeply because, just like Silvio, I realized that not everyone will stay with you throughout your entire life. It’s a tough reality that involves separating from some people you care about, but it also opens the door to meeting new individuals and creating fresh connections. Life is this continuous cycle of saying goodbye and saying hello, and Silvio’s journey in “Mad Toy” vividly mirrors this aspect.

Question 1: If you were in Silvio’s shoes, would you have done anything differently?

Marcel Proust’s Week

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This week’s reading material Marcel Proust’s “Combray” was very confusing to me, it felt like taking a stroll down memory lane. At first, the writing seemed a bit confusing, with long sentences that felt never-ending. But as I kept going, the vivid descriptions painted a picture of the author’s past, and it made me think about my own memories. Where more and more descriptions of events in the story became relatable to my own experience in growing up.

The story talks a lot about growing up and how it feels. It reminded me of when I was a kid, having those big moments of fear and comfort, for example, when the author talks about hiding under the pillow during nightmares. It’s funny how we all share similar experiences. After some more reading, I’ve come to the realization that A big theme of this is about getting older and how it affects family relationships. The narrator, like everyone else, grows up, and the bond with parents changes. There’s a special moment where the narrator talks about the nighttime routine with his mother. It’s a way of showing how eventually dependence turns into independence. While it’s thrilling to grow up and step into a new chapter of life, there’s also a realization that parents will age too. It’s never just about one person growing up; it’s about how everyone changes together.

Proust’s writing places heavy emphasis on the connection between kids and parents. The impact the narrator has on his mom is beautifully portrayed as “traced in her soul a first wrinkle and caused a first white hair to appear” (p. 39). Where this really made me emotional since it became clear to me that time does not stop for anyone, your parents are continuously growing older regardless of whether you become mature or not, eventually, they are the ones that needs to depend on you.

Although Proust’s “Combray” was written in a unique structure that used mainly run-on sentences, where it felt like too much information was compacted into one sentence. This really did not fit well with how I read, however, further down the story the structure slowly started making sense of why it was done this way, it added depth to the story, where it is almost as if the author is trying to blend the words and feelings together to create a mix of feelings and thoughts that could let the reader connect with the story more. With that being said, this book was a very unique read for me, although I would not go out of my way to read this but it certainly was not a bad read.

A question I’d like to ask is:
Did this structured style of writing make you feel like you are more connected with the story?

Introduction

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Hello everyone!

I’m Jerry Wang, a fourth-year student majoring in economics. Though I was born in China, at a young age my family and I moved to Canada so I actually grew up here in Canada. I am extremely passionate about photography. It provides me with a unique opportunity to capture the beauty and memorable moments in everyday life, allowing me to record and share these memories with others of how I see the world. After looking at the course introduction it made me a little nervous since I haven’t properly sat down to read so many books at such pace in a while but I am sure it will be an interesting experience.

One of my primary goals in taking this course is to gain deeper insights into the diverse styles of literature and storytelling. Despite my passion for capturing moments through a digital lens, I haven’t been an avid book reader for most of my life. This lack of exposure to different literary styles motivates me to explore how various genres and writing techniques can appeal to different audiences. Not only that, but at the same time I hope to discover which literary style resonates with me the most, giving me a greater appreciation for storytelling.

This also course serves as a personal challenge to improve how I read. I want to take on materials that I wouldn’t typically choose to read. From that, I aim to enhance my literary analysis skills, an area that has been a long-time weakness for me. I see this course as an opportunity to push me out of my comfort zone and to a better version of myself.

Reading materials outside my typical comfort zone will for sure be a hurdle, but I see this challenge as essential for self-improvement. I hope that by exploring unfamiliar genres it will not only expand my literary knowledge but also contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the vast world of literature.

Before the class started I had my worries about this class, whether it was about the way how the assessment was being done specifics about the material that was going to be taught or other questions about the professor. However, all of these doubts and worries went away once the class started, seeing how relaxed and engaging the professor made the class to be, and on top of that the unique grading scheme, so far really made me enjoy the class more than I expected and I look forward to future lectures.