Is a girl not allowed to like Coke in peace??? Is a girl not allowed to have some blood on her underwear??? Why did she have to die???? As much as the plot and writing of this book pained me to read, I actually enjoyed it a lot this week, and that is not because it’s only 77 pages long <3 . While the writing of the book initially bored the shit out of me because that man just won’t stop yapping about anything and everything, I think even beyond the writing of the book, the construction of the book is worthy of greater examination and praise. Because how is there an author that is female writing as someone that is male that is writing about someone that is female? The story of Macabea is also being part of a larger story or narration of people like Rodrigo who look at Macabea- so it really is a story within a story leaving a lot of layers to unpack. From this, I guess I have to not complain about his yapping because without his yapping I would not be able to clock his personality, and the larger purpose this characterization serves in dissecting class and gender within this book through his narration of a character like Macabea. I still think he’s an asshole though.
In response to the feedback from last lecture, I will attempt to make my reflections and comments more true to my personal feelings when reading this book. And additionally I will try to keep my complaints for male characters to a minimum. But what can I say, this class and its choice of books almost resembles gender studies so we always have a lot to say. Here is my male character complaint of the week: There is a special place in hell for people that have the name Olimpico like if your name is Olimpico I already know you are up to no good.
To summarize my personal thoughts on this book, God gives his strongest battle to his strongest soldiers; the last one Macabea succumbed to is one no one can defeat (I’d like to see you not die from getting hit by a car like her)- so in some ways, this book is a testament to her strength in spite, or even maybe because of her circumstances, which is a point I think the narrator intentionally conceals / is ignorant to in some aspects.
This week my question to you all is: What is your take on the intended impacts of having Macabea die in the end?