In grade 11, we read the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, and my jaw dropped through every page as the story played out. Then, I learned about the Oedipus and Electra complexes in psych, and felt a mixture of being unsettled and in disbelief. This book gave me that same feeling all over again (╥﹏╥) and each description of his mother made me physically move further away from the page (ᵕ —∧—)
The main thing I really liked about this book was its portrayal of the corruption (if that’s the right way to call it?) of childhood innocence and familial bonds. At first, since his father was dead, it made sense to me that Agostino would be attached to his mother. To a certain extent, I think many children go through a phase of overly relying on/be attached to their parent, before having to start figuring out their own individual person. However, within the first few pages, it began feeling more like possessiveness. Still, the jealousy and sulking he does near the beginning seems more petulant (the somersault he did after he was slapped got a surprised laugh out of me).
Then, he meets the gang of boys. Being from a wealthier social class, the difference in innocence/maturity (though I wouldn’t call the gang very mature either (╥‸╥)) between Agostino and the gang is striking. It reminded me of when we read Arlt, actually, where Silvio, being in poverty, is thrust into the adult world in his teens and forced to adapt.
Agostino’s meeting with the gang gives him a chance to spend some time away from his mother, but also exposes him to a lot of things he was probably protected from before. The way he peeked into his mother’s room for the first time after they went home had dread pooling in my stomach, and I gasped out loud when he lied for the first time to the rich man and son who hired him for a boat outing ( ˶°ㅁ°)!! To me, this signalled the transition of him losing his innocence, or maybe naivety?
(I also think this book portrays peer pressure and conformity really nicely! Changing the way you dress or the way you react to topics feels like a very relatable and common experience for any 13-year-old)
In the end, his failure to enter the brothel shows how he is still stuck at this stage. I found it very interestingly explained in both the lecture video (as getting stuck at the threshold) and in the conversation video (as a not so radiacal disruption, with similar events to come). When the summer ends and they return to Pisa, how do you think Agostino’s daily life will have changed?
This was a very fascinating read! I’m super curious to see how the discussion will go (ᵕ • ᴗ •)
See you tomorrow!
Julie ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
7 replies on “Moravia – more mommy issues than Proust”
“also think this book portrays peer pressure and conformity really nicely! Changing the way you dress, or the way you react to topics feels like a very relatable and common experience for any 13-year-old)I think you summarized the reading experience pretty well!!”
Totally, I think the ending says a lot about how this behaviour may continue even in adulthood.
Share it on class!
Julián.
Hi Julie,
I really enjoyed reading your perspective, especially with your previous knowledge of Freud and Oedipus to guide your reading/reflection. You mention quite a few topics covered in psych, such as peer pressure and conformity, which I hadn’t noticed until now! I also quite like your take on the ending, particularly his inability to enter the brothel. I find that it perfectly reflects on how transitioning from child to adolescence is out of our control, no matter how much we try to limit– or quicken– it. In my view, Agostino had tried to “get over it quickly,” but obviously that did not work, because one cannot control this period.
hi julie, the first paragraph of your blog truly represented everything I felt when reading the first few pages of the book! Especially about the Freud theory of the attachment which i too learned in an intro to psych class. I feel the way you described how relatable and common experience it was a 13 year old was exactly what the author was trying to convey so i wuite enjoy your interpretation of the text! I feel when he goes bacl to Pisa, his life truly changes and it could take quite and possibly even more lonelier? (since he doesnt have the boys’ company and assuming he has no friends back home either)
Ps. I love your colour scheme of the blog
Hello Julie,
Great analysis! I agree, I like how petulant and childish Agostino behaves in his attachment to his mother. It’s interesting to me, it’s not the kind of desire to be protected or to be pampered by showing any weakness in that kind of child-mother relationship, but more like showing off a trophy mother, or his favourite toy that he owns, and he doesn’t want to see it being used by any other male. Though maybe that’s a more common mentality for kids at that age.
I think lying to the family is a loss of innocence, but also an interesting display of his childish approach as to what “becoming an adult” is. The only way he knows how to get there is by imitating others. In this case, the sailor who’s stealing his mom, or the other boys in the gang and what he calls their “deceitful tone” (76). But he’s not anything new from the experience. So yeah, it’s a cool scene of loss but with nothing really gained.
Hi Julie! I agree with you about the discussion about peer pressure and conformity. I am thinking of as Agostino going back to Pisa, he will attempt to explore the adulthood, maybe by imitating the gang of boys.
Hi Julie! I really enjoyed reading your blog. “I also think this book portrays peer pressure and conformity really nicely!” I agree with this, especially because Agostino is at the age where he values other people’s opinions much more than his own.
“When the summer ends and they return to Pisa, how do you think Agostino’s daily life will have changed?” To answer this question, I think his relationship with his mother will never return to what it once was. I’m certain he’ll find himself missing the gang of boys, and this trip would have marked the change of something in him that would transform him forever.
Hi Julie!
I can definitely relate to the feeling of moving further away from the page as agostino kept describing his mother in an objectifying manner! As a reader, I felt like I’d be shielding myself away too since the text gave a feeling of being under an uncomfortable gaze.
Moreover, I found your discussion about peer pressure and conformity really interesting! I mainly thought of how he was being used for his material possessions and for their amusement so this aspect of associating agostino’s teen years with relatable experiences was eye opening!