“Start tomorrow” (155).
This was the moment that probably gave me the most emotional reaction or hit me the hardest. I was completely shocked when Natalia made the decision to kill herself and her children, and since there was still 50 pages left in the novel I was sincerely wondering how it was going to end. But this moment with the grocer really connected to me because after her deciding that it was over, someone actually looked out for her and changed around the course of her life. Despite all of her struggles, Natalia showed tremendous determination and resolve to continue on and forge a new and different life for herself and her children.
I thought this novel showed the unique perspective of everyday people in the face of tragedy, poverty, and war. Often the point of view of women and mothers is left out of history and out of the stories, but this novel shone a spotlight on the unique interiority of Natalia and how she went about her day-to-day life working and living her own unique life.
Also I was really mad at Quimet whenever he showed up because he kept making excuses!! Like boy I know your leg isn’t really hurting and you better help Natalia with that wallpaper!!
Ugh. Anyways.
I think because I felt like Natalia was struggling in silence and her marriage I just wanted things to change and improve for her and for people to really see her and help her out, especially when she talked about everyone expecting her to be superhuman on page 107 because I think that’s a thought that is echoed by a lot of mothers or primary caretakers who do so much for their families. I liked the characters of Senyora Enriqueta and Julieta even if she only showed up a bit because they were prominent women in Natalia’s life and they listened to her and provided a way for her to connect with community outside of her dove-infested home. Also, I found Quimet’s friends interesting, particularly Mateu because I think he and Natalia had an interesting connection.
Even though this focused on the supposed “mundanity” of everyday life that some can see as too simple or boring, I found this novel very interesting and the point of view very easy to connect to. I think it showed there is so much beauty in the “mundane”. A lot of the topics the author talked about were engaging and the narrator’s voice was clear and I feel like this perspective of a mother or everyday women is important to read about because it gave a voice to experiences and circumstances that may be different or not as often talked about.
My question for the class would be: were there any moments, quotes, or parts of the text that you connected to emotionally or that struck you?
Memorable quote: “And while he sipped his coffee he went on to say it was better to read about history in books than to make it with guns” (125).
Peace,
Maia
Hi Maia,
I enjoyed reading your blog post and agree with a lot that you had to say. First, I also found the part where Natalia decided to end it all very emotional and dark. I think it really showed how dark of a place some people can get to and how lonely one can feel. Also, I did not like reading Quimets parts as there always seemed to be an excuse like you mentioned. He was not there for his wife despite all the struggles she was going through which provoked feelings of frustration.
-Puneet
“I think it showed there is so much beauty in the “mundane”…I especially like this idea. In my case, perhaps that was what amazed me most about the novel. It creates a whole new way of looking at the mundane that, when looked at properly, can be exceptional. Any other writer with less conscience would have written a melodramatic work. There is a certain power in everyday life that Rodoreda has been able to capture.
Hi Maia, great post! There was one quote that I thought was so good and had me laughing. It was “Antoni gave her a lot of money so she shouldn’t be without a dowry. Vicenc said he was grateful but it really didn’t matter because he’d have married Rita with or without a dowry and Rita said the dowry would come in handy when she got separated from Vicenc.” (189). Not only did I find this quote funny, but I think it tied up the overall theme of female dependence on men throughout the novel in a way that addresses a change for the future while also referencing the past.