Author: Jennifer Kim

Categories
Moravia

Agostino – My New #1 (Almost?)

To start, I think there is so much to unpack in Agostino. I enjoyed how Moravia framed the story as it was easy for me to follow the protagonist’s experience. It was so good that I finished it all in one sitting and actually think it is potentially my favourite out of all that we have read so far. One of the things that made this novel so compelling is how descriptive each sentence is and the amount of detail that is intertwined. Not only is it descriptive, but it also showcases each character’s emotions very well.

In my opinion, I felt that Agostino was more mature and adult-like up until the point when he meets Berto, one of the boys from the loose gang. This is because he is closely stuck to his mother during the summer vacation. Another reason for this thought is “playing cops and robbers” was the first time I got a sense that Agostino was truly a child (17). In a way, Berto unlocked the childness in Agostino. Yet, their relationship actually represents the development into adulthood? Something about this scenario (wanting to hang out with friends) felt more fitting than being with his mother and her young lover. He even goes to the lengths of  “beg[ging] for acceptance” (18). I found Agostino’s desire to find belonging a little strange.

My initial thoughts on Agostino’s relationship with Berto soon crumbled when I realized the quick turnaround in his character. This is exemplified in “the boy tricked him by suddenly stubbing out the lit cigarette on the back of Agostino’s hand” (21).

Another thing that stood out to me is the class differences and how the different beaches represent these distinctions. For example, Speranza beach “belongs” to Agostino and Vespucci is where the gang stayed. Potentially, Agostino visiting Berto and the others demonstrates the realities of life. Before, he was used to living a luxurious, almost perfect lifestyle.

In one moment, Agostino is walking naked, “feeling a vague, desperate desire to cross the river and disappear down the shore, leaving behind the boys, Saro, his mother, and his former life” (63). From this, I got a sense that he is dreaming of purity because he is completely bare. To create a new life, possibly enter adulthood without being in the confusing in-between.

Honestly, Chapter 3 left me slightly confused. I could not fully wrap my head around why Agostino is trying so hard to embody a new life and be deceiving. I noticed another shift when Agostino begins to refer to his mother as “the mother” (87). Overall, the part where Agostino starts distancing himself is something that would be interesting to discuss.

Here is my question: How does Agostino’s childhood differ from a typical child’s experiences? Why does Agostino pretend to be living a life that he is not?

Categories
Bombal

The Shrouded Woman – Life After Death

To begin, I actually had a hard time reading this week’s literature. I felt lost and thought that Proust was somewhat more of an easier read. I am unsure if this is because it was written in a different perspective, something I am not used to or because I struggle to keep track of each character. Another reason may be that it is also quite unfamiliar since there is no big narrative plot, which is what my normal reads have. Despite being confused for one third of the work, I quite enjoyed the way in which Bombal unfolds Ana Maria’s life after death. I was fascinated at the author’s idea to continue the protagonist’s story even after her passing.

Something that stood out to me was Bombal’s use of language and how descriptive each sentence is. As an example, the rain is described to be “falling and sliding like tears down the windowpanes; falling and expanding the lagoons to the far end of the horizon, falling” (159). The use of language in The Shrouded Woman was beautiful. As a reader, I could truly imagine and visualize the story unfolding. While I initially thought it was hard to understand, going back multiple times helped me find pleasure in reading. Another part I was stuck on was where the woman shares “you found me cold because you never succeeded in making me share your passion; because I had no desire beyond the taste of dark wild flower in your kisses” (165). 

I would also like to discuss where “I never knew. I only know that the period following your departure was the most disordered and tragic in my entire life” (167). This reminded me of when a couple begins dating. For some reason, it made me think about how some people hope that their partner continues to live their life even when they start a relationship together rather than giving up on their individual hobbies.

To end off, here is my question for this week: Are there things we can’t find out until we’re dead? This is inspired by a quote that got me thinking, “must we die in order to know certain things?” (176). In my perspective, there are times when we do not realize how much we love someone or want something until we no longer see them. I would love to hear what others thought about the book and any other perspectives there might be.

Categories
Arlt

A Whole Day of Arlt

I genuinely spent almost the entirety of yesterday reading Mad Toy by Roberto Arlt. To my surprise, I actually fairly enjoyed this piece of literature. However, one thing I struggled with was the number of characters that were introduced in the first couple pages. It normally takes me a lot of time to remember character names. Therefore, I kept getting myself confused with all the different names and I quite literally had to write myself a character map.

The first chapter reminded me of children playing in a treehouse. In a way, it felt as though the robberies were simply a part of a child’s imaginative journey. Another thought that occurred to me was how novels may have been used to represent people’s socioeconomic status. From my personal understanding, Silvio’s mother tells him that Lila must borrow books from the library. To gain knowledge, one must either read or go to work. I related this to how Silvio’s family is challenging their social class and attempting to escape it.

Following this, another part that stood out to me was when Silvio started working for the owner of Don Gaetano’s bookstore, which I found slightly ironic because his first robbery took place at a school library. In particular, when Silvio visits the River Plate Market with Don Gaetano, it seemed like he was being mocked. This is just a personal opinion, but I believe this is partly because of how the foods were described. 

Additionally, Silvio was told that his new job would provide him a room and that he would be living like a prince. In reality, Silvio is expected to have brought a mattress to sleep on, despite not being told anything. This made me recall the working experiences of immigrants, something I learned about last term in one of my courses. Individuals would move to a different country after being promised a whole new life. They would arrive with hopes of earning a lot of money, which they planned to send to their family back home. However, they experienced precarious working conditions and their labour was taken advantage of. Also, when employers provided housing, it was often to surveil the workers. This connects to the lecture video as I discovered that the novel depicts how Argentina was transformed through mass migration. To this respect, the conversation video discussed the idea of disillusionment, which piqued my interests.

While I have so much more to write about, I would like to end off with a quote I enjoyed reading: “Now I was navigating the darkness, leaping over fences, trembling with the surge of feeling that raced through me.” (94)

In my perspective, this quote encapsulates Silvio’s betrayal and his attempt to make a name for himself. He goes from jumping fences when committing robberies to “leaping over fences” after betraying Rengo. How do you think this portrays the shift in Silvio’s life? What other meanings does it have?

Categories
Proust

Dreaming of Proust

To start off, I think “Combray” was an excellent choice for our first text in this course. At the beginning, I was utterly confused and lost. Yet, the story seemed somewhat familiar due to its use of sleep and childhood. It does a beautiful job at inviting readers with an experience they most likely have had. That is, tossing and turning in bed. Personally, I have been woken up because I thought the movie I fell asleep to was still running or that I had missed my alarm, even though it was still deep in the night. This is similar to the author’s reflection of wanting to put a book down that they believed was still in their hands. While my eyes moved across the page, my brain was busy piecing together the narrative. It was like trying to solve a large puzzle.

In all honesty, I felt overwhelmed and frustrated at myself for not being able to understand the text. In particular, I was worried because I still had many more pages to read but could not lay my finger on what was happening. This was one of the most unique experiences I have had as a reader, especially since I am more familiar with academic works that relay information in a clear cut way. However, I am starting to realize that the beauty of literature is how it can be interpreted differently. I truly spent the entire day pondering, rereading certain parts, and trying to venture into Proust’s special world.

An aspect that stood out to me was the sense of comfort gained from his mother’s goodnight kisses and the extreme lengths he would take for it. While reading about his deceptive plan, I was so hooked. I wanted to know if a mere letter would be enough for his mother to venture upstairs or if he would be caught before anything even happened. It made me reflect on my childhood to see if I could recall something that gave me a similar feeling that the kisses would for Proust. 

One memorable quote was from the madeleine scene where the author writes, “Clearly, the truth I am seeking is not in the drink, but in me” (45). In a way, this reminded me of a Bible verse. The lime blossom tea that Proust drinks reflects his childhood memories, something that can only be discovered internally. Likewise, I admired how the sight of the madeleine had no effect on rekindling memories until it was tasted. While this novel was definitely a harder read for me, I think it was a great introduction to the Romance World and literature. 

With all that said, my question to you is: Was there anything from your childhood that gave you a sense of comfort that you sought dearly? Does a certain food unravel emotions like how the madeleine and lime blossom tea did for Proust?

Categories
Introduction

Introduction

Hello everyone!

My name is Jennifer and I am a fourth year student here at UBC. I am currently majoring in Sociology with a minor in Education. Truthfully, it has been some time since I last read literature. However, I believe this course will be a great opportunity for me to rekindle the joy of reading and think about the different meanings texts can have. I quite enjoy reading, but I can take a long time to process and retain all of the information that is presented. Nonetheless, I hope to get into the habit of constantly reading and discover a few new favourites along the way. In the coming weeks, I hope to build a solid routine that helps me succeed in the course.

The question Where is the “Romance World”? from our online lecture video this week, really got me thinking. Initially, I pondered about what it means to me and where it comes from in my life. That is, from all of the dramas and movies that portray some type of affection or form of love. However, realizing that there is no Romance World came to me as a surprise! Yet, trying to buy a train ticket to the Romance World does seem quite impossible, so it makes sense.

So far, I truly enjoy how this class is structured as it offers insights that ignite more conversations. I am eager to listen and discuss with other peers in the class. However, I will admit that I am a fairly big introvert and I tend to do better in smaller groups. With this, one of my goals for this class will be to challenge myself as much as possible, to speak up, and to share my perspectives whenever I can. As well, another goal of mine is to stay on top of all class work, of course. I look forward to sharing our feelings together and exploring the many ways that literature can be interpreted. After all, I think that is the beauty of discussions. To bounce ideas off of each other and be open to different point of views.

I recognize that everyone has varying levels of knowledge and experiences with romance studies. I think this will actually make our conversations that much more enriching! Personally, romance is a fairly new topic and I have never previously learned about it, particularly in an academic context. Hence, I am ready to soak in the wide range of knowledge this course has to offer and I am excited for what is to come. It is nice to meet you all!

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