Hi everyone,
For week three of the course I read the novel Mad Toy written by Roberto Arlt. This novel is about a young criminal and his life in poverty as he grows older. In comparison to Proust’s Combray I found it to be a faster, more enjoyable, immersive read. If I was rating this book I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.
To continue, the most prevalent theme within this novel is the reality of the poverty cycle and class. One of the most realistic aspects of Silvio’s character as an impoverished person is his inability to escape poverty, despite his numerous attempts. He is full of ambition and drive to succeed and escape a cruel situation that he is disgusted by and knows is wrong. He demonstrates the cycle of poverty because everytime he seems to break the cycle, he fails. For example, after the failed robberies his mother tells him to go to work, and he begins working for a man who provides room and board. He is told he will have a warm bed and proper pay. However, he sleeps in a broken cot with no mattress and his boss is abusive and refuses to pay him. Similarly, when he begins working as a paperboy he believes that this is his ticket to success. However, he discovers that it is difficult to obtain clientele, profit margins are small and sometimes people would complain and not pay him at all. Both of these situations describe false hope for Silvo, and situations in which the system was working against him. His consistent struggle to survive may seem repetitive and uneventful but actually represents the reality for many individuals like Silvo.
Another interesting aspect of the novel is Silvo’s character development. He begins as a refined young criminal but in the end is unsure of his actions and considers turning in his friend who wants to commit a robbery. The total reversal of his ideas reflects how much he has changed and grown throughout the novel. He realizes something every young adult does. He says, “ We work to eat and eat to work”(Arlt 137). He realizes that he is ultimately a slave to a capitalist society and the ultimate goal is to survive in a system built on the premise that the poor remain poor and the rich get richer. He highlights that he was born out of love and care, but forced to live a life of cruel difficulties.
Discussion Question: If Silvo made different choices, would he have been successful or is he already successful? (because the novel was left slightly open ended)
Thanks,
Nadia
I think that you’re right that the ending was “slightly open ended,” but can you explain more why you think so?
Hi!
I think that the novel is slightly open ended in that it is not clear if Silvo escapes poverty or if he reverts back to his lifestyle as a criminal. Near the end he becomes a sort of hypocrite and betrays his friend. He then wants to find a job in the city, but is never clear what the “job” entails.
Hello Nadia, great post! I really liked how you compared Madtoy to Combray, I think that for my own posts I might try to consider the readings in relation to previous ones as well! I like your piece on how the struggles faced by Silvio can be a point of commonality amongst the character and the readers. Touches on the identification discussion we were having in class!
To answer your question, I’m not sure that Silvio’s specific decisions in the novel would have mattered for his success. Given the novel’s exploration of systemic barriers and the cycle of poverty, it suggests that individual choices might not be enough to overcome the societal structures that dictate our life trajectory.
Hey Nadia,
I also enjoyed this book more compared to Proust’s and in general I agree with this being a really good book.
To answer your question I also believe the ending was a bit “open ended”, but ultimately I don’t think the systemic barriers and challenges that he has been facing since he was born would have allowed him to escape.
Hi Nadia, I agree with your assessment of how this book compares to Combray, I found that I enjoyed this one quite a bit more.
Answering your question, it would be hard to tell if Silvio would’ve been successful if he made different choices, but it was possible that if he stayed in school since he has a real talent in engineering and literature things could turned out differently.
Hey! I feel like if Silvo had made different choices the end result wouldn’t change much. In my opinion, I feel like people who grow up in poverty will have a disadvantage, and it’s definitely harder to become successful than people who were born well off. However, I do believe if he was able to continue his education and pursue his dream career in engineering, it could give him more chances of being successful.