Final Blog: farwell

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RMST really was a nice change of scenery in place of the usual academic course. I was able to learn while not feel immense pressure from the course matter. I really was surprised by a lot of the books in the course, they covered themes I was not at all expecting. I thought of a romance studies course would carry more traditional themes of love, but instead we saw mostly themes of growing older and the challenges that come with it. That being said we also saw a lot of books that were hard to decipher, so while there wasn’t the traditional academic pressure there was a lot of confusion that I had to work through. I was also really proud of myself once I worked through those initial tough chapters and got into the flow of the book. Outside of this course I may have set the book down facing those challenges but I now have an increased appreciation for different styles of writing that at face value are not as straight forward. That being said my favourite book was still one of the more straight forward ones. I liked Augostino the best. I’m not sure exactly why but I think one of the biggest reasons was I had more time that week to slow down while reading the passages. That was my goal (to slow down and take the time to read my books) for the starting of the course and to be honest I didn’t really follow it for all the books, academic stress got the best of me. For Augostino I also enjoyed that we as readers are challenged to read a different perspective, even as it is off putting that his train of thought leads this way, its still interesting to follow his journey of exploration. As well I thought the characters were very unique, from his mother to his friends, they all had details that kept me curious throughout the book and asking questions even as they may not have been answered. My least favourite book would have to be Nadja, I didn’t like how the author framed the narrative about the woman. I thought he was doing too much at times and found it frustrating to keep reading. Overall I enjoyed the lectures, without them I would be very lost and the fact that we had it there ready to describe the book was nice. The lectures either reaffrimed what I had thought or rather pieced together the pieces of the puzzles.

Faces in the Crowd: This is a ghost story

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I really liked how this final novel seemed to link back to Marcel Proust’s novel (our very first book in the course) with the mechanism of using a train/subway to represent motion wether in time for Proust or in different stories for Luiselli’s novella. I think its interesting the emphasis on the subway being below the surface and that is what is relevant, where the dead linger as the novel puts it. I found the author’s style of writing interesting, even as there was at least more than one story they were almost interlinked. From when it would go to her revelling in her youth or then return to the picture of her being interrupted by her children. I thought it was a little weird how she described her children as the “boy” or the baby and how they were such a bother in her life. But even as some of the parts of the books were linked in their story themes, these interruptions from her family also caused an interruption in how readers read the story and paused at places where it seemed we would finally hear a longer anecdote. The addition of the poet, Owen was also peculiar to me, because we move from a female centred perspective to that of a male, but he is still part of this novel and its stories? Like how they were connected, with the mention of a red coat and how ghosts connected the different narrators. I think if anything the book represents how fragmented and all over the place the writers thoughts were. I know she kept insisting to her husband that her writing is fiction, but I think the scene of her in the family home may be a symbol of being confined in a space and that her life is constantly interrupted, too much so to write a coherent continuous book. And even the ghosts, I find it hard to believe they were fiction, but rather reminders of people from her life in the apartment which she often gave away spare keys of. However the part about Owen seemed to be somewhat fictional, to me, like the idea of the family model I wonder if Owen is another model, used to orchestrate her story.

My question for the rest of the class is about the use of ghosts, how do you think they were used to describe the life of the author in different stages, how did Owen put it to describe the woman?

Death with interruptions: If we don’t start dying again we have no future

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This book was really interesting to me in that it brought up conversations on how death is inherently linked to politics and that it brings value to the policies of politics. Saramago shows that death is what brings value as he highlights how starting with the queen evading her death led to bringing monarchy to its limits. I did think however the book did drag on when the author wrote about the “maphia” and how it would be a sort of solution to this new world. I didn’t like that the “maphia” had moments where they would cross the border as it was a little repetitive and made the book drag on. However I did find it curious that even with this huge new issue, the government still found a way to instill control using the “maphia” to contain the growing population. But it did get better later with the female persona that death took on. I think it is interesting the author brought into the aspect that death has feelings of remorse and rethinks that making people immortal was not the right choice. In terms of the greater themes of the book I think it is really relevant in whose life matters, who deserves rights and when a nation thinks it is important to intervene to prevent the possibility of death. People facing poverty for instance are seen as less important and are not taken care of as much in Canada in terms of benefits. As well to an extent even if we don’t have immortality, the average lifespan in wealthy countries has increased and people live longer. In countries like Japan there’s an old age epidemic. Like in the book where hospitals are being filled up, the same happens in Canada, where people struggle to get healthcare in time because of high demand. Moving on I liked the concept of the week long warning to get your affairs in order. I thought it was such a simplistic solution on the leaders’ part to solve the immortality issue. 

 

My question for the rest of the class is what would you do in this situation, would you relax with your life more and not be worried about all of life’s stressors or would you take advantage of the new found time you have and accomplish all you can (without the possibility the maphia would get rid of you and you could do whatever you wanted)?

Money to Burn: “I’ve never told anyone, but its the truth”

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Just based off the tags of the book, I was interested to get myself in some sort of thriller novel that to according to different people was either loose fiction or way to open truth. The idea of truth comes to the forefront here on wether or not it is acceptable to construe the truth for a better story. In my opinion I only read thrillers, mysteries, action books, etc. for the pieces of life in between that hold the smaller tales hidden within the novel. In this novel playing with fiction allowed for the stories of the working class/ gang members were able to be told, and brings out details such as their masculinity. For instance their masculinity is almost shaped by the fact they are in their position, Brignone had to face his past and seek to re-enforce his masculinity through his present life decisions of being a robber. As well for Borda we see that even as he shows lack of remorse for killing, he still holds a soft soft for the kid. I also find the concept of money interesting in this book, in that by burning the money the robbers are reducing the worth of the cash to nothing. It makes us question where us the worth really placed, especially as the audience who watches them is outraged. Weird to see they were essentially mad at them for not having a good enough motive and were more so mad at them for this then the lives lost during this situation. I think this action perhaps shifted readers standpoint on crimes, even knowing what we know and after humanizing the criminals, how do we place ourselves in our opinions about them burning the money after all the work to obtain it. One thing I will give to the author is that it was real in the sense that I wasn’t rooting for a particular entity. While the robbers were humanized and the cops were also dipicted, I could not really find myself gravitating to either side. I think this gives credit to the author in that it is a book based off of true events, in the real world, people are complex and is difficult to glamourize a person because there are so many layers to their glamour.

My question for the class is do you think it is appropriate to adjust the level of glamour in a character and to what extent should they be seen as complex entities rather then perfect beings we would always root for? Or does not having someone to root for ruin the book for you?

The Lover: Is she really in control

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I want to start by saying this book surprised me in that the relationship with the older man was so readily accepted. The narrator explains the story as if the natural hierarchy is dismantled, which would be nice in theory but I believe she is deluded in her train of thought. In the lecture, it is discussed that the love interest is a victim to the gaze and that by making him look she is the one with power. This book is written from the narrators perspective, and if she thinks it is true then of course she is going to tell the story as if it is true. While her lover is a coward, avoiding talks of marriage and being subservient to his father, he will always have some sort of upper hand just be being older and having money. I will give her credit in that she is very intelligent for her age and does manage to gain benefit for herself through this inappropriate relationship. I think in part that is why the relationship might not be such a red flag at first glance because the narrator presents and describes herself as a rather mature woman than a teen. I also find it interesting the racial dynamics in the novel. While the usual expectation would be for them to get married, their racial identities create barriers. No matter their economic status, her and her family maintain a level of self assurance simply because they are white. Her family looks down upon her lover in a way where they ignore him (ignore him but not his money). While the narrator is also faced with being scene as prostitute or rather ‘the little white whore’. Their ‘love’ contended with this obstruction and is not accepted into greater society. Its interesting to read this book while I am learning about Vietnam in history, we don’t focus too much on France’s colonial rule but I find the white persons presence in Vietnam and their relationship to the native people relevant to know about. As I have said, her family even while being poor, hold their heads high because they believe their skin colour makes them the better.

My question for the class is, how their relationship stood to represent a time in history before a long devastating war, what anecdotes can we take away from the timeline and how does it fit into the larger story the political landscape that is to come? (sorry thats a little wordy)

The hour of the star: a fresh flower

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I to start did not really enjoy this book however it did make me ponder. Macabea a complicated but rather very simply presented character as being extremely passive has made me think. Think just as the author had at the start of the novel has they sparced through their thoughts trying to figure out the conjunction between beginnings and endings. At the start of the novel my opinion that the narrator was trying too hard to find complexities and be unique, but as readers we really see how these abstractions develop. Especially in the importance of the end, where Macabea loses her life in rather a harshly poetic way. Her last moments hit by an expensive car contrasting her strikingly impoverished life and the moment of her passing being described as her being finally born. Like in the lecture I thought here about titles how that this moment of her passing she is supposed to be a star, the “fresh flower” deep within her finally surfacing. I wonder if like the professor pointed out that if I had considered the other titles I would have a different interpretation of the ending. Such as “a sense of loss”, I think I may have focused more on her passing and loss she experienced throughout her life rather then her death supposedly being a shining moment of birth. I also find it interesting the conversation about ethics in writing a book about a topic that the author has not experienced. They make claims such as sadness is a privilege to the poor and harsh descriptors, but I’m struggling to decide if that is enough. What makes them qualified to create such claims and assumptions, and what business they have writing it. But I also believe it is important to share these stories of not only poverty but in doing so it must also ensure that the writing is true to retelling an experience. Its also interesting but not surprising to me that a character as mundane as Macabea, has hyper fixations such as collecting ads and drinking cola. I wonder how she perceives her collections and fixations or if it is her own way of making her life a little less mundane.

My question for the rest of the class is what do you think makes an author qualified to write stories on experiences they have not had to live through and what title do you think is most appropriate for this book?

The Time of the Doves: Colometa

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While reading this book I couldn’t help but wonder why Natalia was so clueless and naive to the world. Perhaps its because I am coming as a woman, but I really was confused on why Natalia did not immediately spot the red flags in Quimet. The author at the start of the novel sort of justifies it as Natalia is the way she is because she doesn’t have a mother figure, but I honestly don’t think thats excuse enough to negate her naivity. Throughout the novel but especially in the first half I kept getting frustrated with her for dealing with Quimet’s red flags and abusive behaviours. It’s interesting to see how their relationship evolved and how the couple falls into this sort of routine. I wonder what the author is trying to make us think, that Quimet is a distasteful husband or does the author believe even if just in part that Quimet’s behaviours are normal and that they are just the harsh realities of life to have a husband like him. And I also wonder, even as Natalia’s character becomes more complex as the novel goes on, whether the author believes that women should be docile and go with the flow. I think the end of the book kind of challenges my questioning of the author but just by reading the beginning that is what I would assume. Perhaps this set the author has designed is for highlighting the social issues within domestic settings and highlighting the burden a women has to face with being this figure in a family.

Moving on from their relationship I appreciated how the book brought to light the unique perspective from a woman during war when usually it is focused through the lens of a man. Like the doves that this book is named after and that Natalia herself is called, being a woman during the time can be suffocating and often times feel like they are in a cage. She was trapped for so long unable to fly free. This kind of was highlighted when Quimet realesed some birds and was nervous about it until he saw they didn’t fly far. Natalia’s freedom was like the doves lasting on a leash. Which is why her choices of contemplating her life is so very sad, she was a dove trapped in a cage looking for some sort of escape.

My question for the class is do you think Natalia’s story would be different if she had a mother figure in her life or if her father was more vocal and present? Would she hold more agency?

 

Black Shack Alley: Beyond Tangible Limits

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I really liked this novel and the themes of perseverance throughout. From the start of the book where a younger José despite his circumstances is seen meeting up with his friends and causing a raucous. While I can’t relate completely to his situation, I found myself reminiscing on my own childhood where my own gang went on adventures. A quote that stuck out to me was “As for us, all the obstacles cluttering up our plans could not keep us from pursuing our adventure to its end.” I think this quote kind of foreshadowed José’s will to pursue greater liberation from marginalization constraints. And more his Madame Tine was the first to ignite this “will” to push against bounds and/or rules. It’s disheartening almost, even as expected as it was by the reader, to see José realize that there is further discrimination even after seeking educational status. Even though I cannot say my situation is the same as José’s, as a second generation immigrant I also have this belief that if I were to obtain higher education, my socioeconomic status will change and improve. While this is possible, Zobel’s story highlights that even with increased educational attainment, marginalized people will still continue to face barriers due to discrimination. And similar to how José felt, that realization can be very lonely in a way that it is easy to look around and realize you are the only one in a classroom of a certain marginalized background. However there is another side to the coin in that seeking education allowed José to realize he is also capable of doing what his white classmates can do and that he isn’t inferior simply to his race. For me I wonder how his educational attainment shifted how he was perceived by others in his life. Madame Tine for example seemed to care for him more but it is uncertain if this was love or rather Madame Tine falling for the trap of class superiority and seeing him as now above what he used to be and therefore worthy of her care. However, even as people like his grandmother may view him differently we then again see that when he seeks education in Fort deFrance, the white Europeans still continue to discriminate against him.

My question for the rest of the class is do you all believe there is still racialization or discrimination against marginalized communities in a classroom/school setting? And if yes, in what ways are they still prevalent?

Agostino: A Murky Sense of Impurity

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Moravia’s novel Agostino honestly did not go in the direction I thought it was leading towards. From reading the very first few pages I thought it would be about family dynamics and his relationship with his mother. While even as I read some hints of whats to come with his strange perceptions of his mother, I thought that I was looking too much into his thoughts making crude assumptions. Then after he met Berto I thought ok perhaps this book is about stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring new horizons. I did not think this book would be about the transition from adolescence and coming to terms with feelings of unease related to brimming feelings. All things considered I did really enjoy this book and I appreciated how it brought about important themes, especially from a boys point of view, which is usually not written about as often as a girls. I really like the authors style of writing in describing Agostino’s feelings and could feel his explanations resonating with creating a picture of Agostino’s inner feelings. Such as “he cried softly so as to not disturb the painful workings of memory” and “it had been his fate to fall from the summit of an allusion and crash to the ground aching and bruised”. While Agostino’s character was often times very annoying, through him I also realised how ridiculous overthinking is, but that was more so in the start of the novel before it took a turn. I also wonder if anyone else was disappointed by Saro’s character. Perhaps I was naive but I thought he would have an interesting story and be a role model for the gang of boys, but instead he was vulgar and disgusting. Once his true character came out, Agostino’s description of Saro as a toad could not be more accurate. On top of that while I understand the mother may be dealing with her own grief as a widow, I didn’t like her character and how she treated Agostino. I was not impressed with her lack of care and thought she lacked that sense of paternal instinct to be attentive in changes of her child. I also think it was interesting on how the author highlighted that Agostino never really knew what he wanted. Did he want the man to ask her mother out or not? Did he want to be friends with the boys or not? And the list goes on, I think this uncertainty highlights that he is still figuring out growing out of adolescence and that his journey has just begun. My question for everyone is how did you feel about the shift in the story, were you surprised? 

The Shrouded Woman: Slander a reward for liberty

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This book took me through a whirl wind of emotions. I felt very closely connected to the character that was “the shrouded woman” and felt myself relating each of her past interactions wether it be with her father or with her siblings, I felt what she may have felt through the author’s words. I found it interesting that even in death the woman was conscious of her appeal and/ or attractiveness as a woman. It was a recurring theme throughout the book, where even her daughter (and daughter in law) were comparing themselves to the beauty that was Maria Griselda. What more is that those who envied Maria could not even really be spiteful towards her because it was not Maria’s fault she was beautiful and exposed their partners lack of un-based desire. I really found the anecdote of Elena, (shrouded woman’s son’s old love), and how that her free spirit, which had attracted her son, also was a sort of punishment. That Elena and other women could not truly enjoy being a free woman without facing the shackles of slander following in whispers where ever they may go. I think this was the authors way of noting that courageous women had so many barriers and were brought down and ridiculed for their bravery at the time. I think this is even true now but it’s less apparent and more of a systematic issue that women face when finding their footing in the world. I then found it interesting how there was a paradox throughout the book in which women (Anita and Elena) were berated for being brave but men who were “allowed” to be brave were described to be cowards. The one instance of “cowardliness” that stuck out to me was of Ana Maria’s father who could not admit to his daughter that he too loved his late wife for the “silly” things such as her perfume and that he only grieved her death in the quiet of his room. I wonder if it was in either of their control to be cowardly or to be brave or if this was a reaction to their lived experiences.

My question for the class is do you think it is a choice to be brave or to be a coward and do you agree with the authors way of dividing this in terms of belonging to either a man or woman? And on another note I wonder if anyone else noticed how flawed each of Ana Maria’s children’s love lives were. Do you think that their love lives were a result of learning from their parents?