The hour of the star really stood out to me as a book unique in the way it’s spoken, as it reminded me to shift my perspectives. The storytelling felt like I was listening to a writer wrench with their thoughts while completing their novel. At introduction to Macabea, I realized how she seemingly floats through her day to day life, bad and all. I hoped that she would speak up at times, but her either her nature or way of going about. She doesn’t question the things which happen to her, and it seems like I root for her more than she roots for herself.
As the doctor had diagnosed her with the early stages of pulmonary tuberculosis, I felt quite bad for poor Macabea, who didn’t understand the issue at hand. But moments before, I found her behaviour at the doctor’s to be quite funny, with her diet of hotdogs and soft drinks. Macabea believed that simply meeting with a doctor could cure her, but her lived experience and lack of visiting a doctor before have been the root of this belief.
As she’s floated through life, it only made me feel better when she met the fortune teller and was rejuvenated. Her life and meaning reconfigured to transform, so much so that Macabea even felt it was divine and overwhelming. I felt happy for her, for 4/5th of the book had gone by and she had finally found a passion and been enriched in becoming something of the countless possibilities, full of life. For the moment she was suddenly full of life and it’s endless options, destiny appeared and took her away. Not only her, but the future, the potential, the what ifs and what could have beens. I felt shocked, and for some pages I hoped she may make it. But it was a hope, and the truth wrote that she died.
Macabea lived through her life unnoticed until death, where she remained under the gaze of others who did not help or interfere, just as they had as she lived. The only thing that existed was her, a sense of loss, and anguish. It’s almost a juxtaposition of one having a whole like to awaken, but only awakening at the moment when their life is over (without realizing this of course). A half alive and half dead state of existence.
The narrator only seems to complain at times, “I shall do everything possible to see that she doesn’t die. But I feel such an urge to put her to sleep and then go off to sleep myself” (pg. 80). Why do we only feel these emotions and perspectives when we realize loss such as Macabea’s awakening and sudden death? I also wanted to ask, why does it take extrinsic motivation for Macabea to finally find her meaning and hope for the future? How did you get your own meaning?
“ It’s almost a juxtaposition of one having a whole like to awaken, but only awakening at the moment when their life is over (without realizing this of course). A half alive and half dead state of existence.”
Interesting! That in between position is a constant throughout the whole novel.
We can discuss it on Wednesday.
Julián.
Hi Julián, that sounds great, I’m looking forward to it!
Just to confirm, is our class on Wednesday and not on Monday? The course schedule mentioned that Lispector’s class would be March 2nd, so I was just wondering once I saw your reply 🙂
I agree with you that she floats through life, bad and all. Is that perhaps why she doesn’t care about the doctor’s diagnosis? regarding your question, most people need someone else to motivate them in life, only the successful have an internal locus of control.
Hi Neil,
I also felt better once Macabea met the fortune teller and began feeling rejuvenated and hopeful. Then when she abruptly met death, I felt extremely shocked as well.
I liked your deeper analysis of her death, and how it ended not only her current life, but her potential future” “not only her, but the future, the potential, the what ifs and what could have beens”