April 2024

Cue the tears and sentimental speeches about the meaning of life and literature

Conclusion View all 4 comments

Alas, we have reached the end of the semester… crazy to look back at all the books we’ve studied over the past three months. If anything, this course has shown me that I do in fact have time to read, and need to stop making excuses for why I’m too busy to do so. I’m grateful that this course allowed me to reconnect with my love for reading, while encouraging me to read in new ways and consider perspectives that might have previously escaped me. These texts, for better or for worse, forced me to face unfamiliar realities, and to confront them in the contexts in which they were born. Black Shack Alley, for instance, is a text I likely wouldn’t have picked up on my own, and it made me aware of a place and time period that previously seemed distant. This novel, and many others this semester, really placed you inside the story, and often inside history, in a way that I don’t think could be achieved through any other means. There is something deeply personal about many of these texts that has left a lasting affective mark on me.

I truly believe that the discussions we had in class, as well as those outside of it with my peers, have shaped the way I read and will continue to stay with me long after the end of the semester. There is something refreshing about the way we approached texts in this course- not trying to exaggerate meaning or intent, a feeling I often have in English courses, but rather drawing our own, sometimes questionable inferences. The beauty is in the not always getting it or not knowing what the “right” answer is- it challenges you to think further. I enjoyed the surprises throughout these texts- Proust is a good example. While I might have described his writing as dense and tedious at first glance, Combray showed me his wonderful affinity for humour, woven into the text in a subtle but brilliant way.

Perhaps most importantly, this class influenced my thoughts on writing, and even inspired me to pick up a pen and start writing again myself. I loved how many of these novels were heavily influenced by the authors’ own experiences. It got me thinking about the various forms of meaning in my own life, especially those that might not be as obvious; little things that I might look back on in twenty years with newfound appreciation. Anyway, it’s safe to say that this has been one of favourite classes throughout my time in university, and definitely one that I’ll actually remember. Thank you to Jon and the TAs for making this such a fun and engaging course!

Oh and a final question – if you had to live inside the literary world of one of the novels we’ve read this semester, which one would you pick?

Sono stanco… but this book was great

Ferrante View all 2 comments

Ahh last book of the semester! This was definitely a fun one to end with. I watched the HBO show a few years ago and fell in love with the characters, so I had a preformed image of how they looked and acted. I watched the show with my dad, who is also Italian (but only half so that makes me a quarter!), and speaks the language fluently. His family lives in Sardegna, an island I’ve been very lucky to visit several times over the years, and I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between some neighbourhoods there and the one described in the book. Cagliari (the city my dad is from) isn’t Naples, but while I was reading I pictured the familiar graffitied streets I walked down on summer vacations, the buildings crowded together, the laundry hanging between balconies. It helped conjured an image of the world depicted in this novel.

What first struck me was the acceptance of violence in the neighbourhood, as this is how things have always been. The tensions between the various families are seen as part of life, not something to be solved or ameliorated. Lenu is aware of this from an early age, and it carries into her later experiences. Even when she is assaulted, she tells no one, and while she is tormented and disgusted by it, she accepts it as part of the violence she’s known her whole life.

I also find it interesting to observe the role of class in Lenu and Lila’s relationship, how there is a constant back and forth between them- first Lenu is above Lila for her ability to go to school and further her education beyond what Lila is capable of. Lila finds another way to rise above Lenu, however, by marrying Stefano, the wealthiest and most respectable man in the neighbourhood. Sometimes it seems that the two only make decisions based on each other, either to compete with the other or help her in some manner. They are truly bound to each other, and it makes sense when their relationship appears to be deeper and more real than many of the ones they see around them. While Lenu serves as the sole narrator of the story, there are glimpses of Lila’s equally warm feelings to her, such as when she refers to her as “my brilliant friend” at the end of the novel.

While Lenu’s education may offer her a way out of the neighbourhood, out of the constant cycle of violence and allow her to reach the world beyond, Lila is confined by her marriage to that familiar poverty. It’s quite sad in the end, as it seems this isn’t a fate she wanted but one that she was forced into given her family’s situation. There’s lots more to discuss about this novel, but I’ll try not to ramble. Overall, one of my favourites!

My question- do you think there were some aspects of Lila and Lenu’s relationship that were toxic or unhealthy?