Conclusion Post

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To conclude the term, I want to say that this course is different from what I had initially expected. I did not expect to be exploring the themes that I have in this class, including but not limited to; memory, war, betrayal, and loss. To start off, I enjoyed most of the texts in the course and felt as though they were different than what I had expected and had read in classes so far. Additionally, something I found interesting was that I was able to make connections between the texts that I had decided to read. That’s something that I enjoyed about the way that the course is structured, that the texts in the course are inadvertently related to each other in one way or another. Whether that be through similar themes or similar historical contexts and events occurring within the novels. Such as, when we read the text W, or the Memory of Childhood, with the theme of memory, I related the text to The Old Gringo. The expectations that I have for myself when it comes to reading or tackling texts have evolved while being a part of this course. For example, now I know how to analyze texts and read long texts without being intimidated by the prospect of reading them.

Additionally, I also believe that now with the texts that I have read sometimes they are confusing and difficult to understand, and after this course, I do not penalize myself for that. Sometimes, more than I would like to admit, with the texts in the course, I have found that some specific themes and ideas jump out at me and that I understand as opposed to others. Such as, when we read Soldiers of Salamis, for some reason, the theme of loss became clear to me when reading the novel. That was surprising to me with this course, to say the least. One of the expectations that I had set for myself in this course was to understand Latin American literature better, even though I have lived in different countries in Latin America. I can state now that I have a decent understanding of Latin American literature. On top of that, I do have a better experience of European literature as well. Also another expectation that I had made for myself in this course was to better my writing skills. Though I cannot state that my writing skills have improved with my time in this course, I can say that doing blog posts and comments weekly has aided me in bettering that skill. Thank you for a great and exciting semester. 

I would ask my peers: have you guys set expectations for yourself at the start of the semester, and do you believe you have better or achieved those expectations?

 

Week 12 – My thoughts on José Eduardo Agualusa’s “The Society of Reluctant Dreamers”

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The text The Society of Reluctant Dreamers by José Eduardo Agualusa is set after Angolia’s independence, which also reflects government structures and changes in that structure. The novel’s narrator, Benchimol, recently got a divorce and thus goes to a resort or hotel to be able to rest and recuperate. He’s also a journalist whole tends to have odd dreams about people that he has either met or never met before. That’s what I found interesting about the novel, the dreams that this character has. Such as when the narrator states; “You know, I dreamed about you,” even though he had never met the character that he is speaking to (Agualusa, The Society of Reluctant Dreamers). I’ve felt moments of deja-vu when it comes to dreams on occasion, that I have felt like this situation has occurred before, though, usually the case is that I might’ve had a similar dream regarding that moment. I somewhat related to the novel when it came to the similarities between dreams and reality. Though what I had also found odd was that the person that the narrator was speaking to, Hossi Apolónio Kaley, follows along with what the narrator has stated. Validating the claim of the narrator that they have met in a dream, and are now meeting in reality. He states that “It’s been a while since people dreamed about me,” and then proceeds to add on that he has appeared in people’s dreams before (Agualusa, The Society of Reluctant Dreamers). That moment in the novel made me doubt the notion of dreams in the novel. It could very well be possible that the dreams that the narrator is discussing are related to moments of Deja Vu as opposed to seeing people that the narrator has never met before. Therefore, I do not know whether this moment reflects dreams or a moment of Deja Vu where the narrator has the same or similar feelings, people, and location in the present day. 

I have mentioned in other blog posts how authors and by their extension narrators, are able to create a dream world. There is a moment in the novel where someone comments that there should be a “Republic of Dreamers,” as though dreamers are their own group of people (Agualusa, The Society of Reluctant Dreamers). The part of the quote that states that dreamers should be a “Republic,” goes to show the vast quantity of people who consider themselves and are “Dreamers,” (Agualusa, The Society of Reluctant Dreamers). The fact that I was able to find a connection between old blog posts and this one is interesting to me. 

A question that I would ask my classmates is; what other connections do you see between this book and other texts that we’ve read in class?

 

Week 11 – My thoughts on Javier Cercas’ “Soldiers of Salamis”

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Javier Cercas’ Soldiers of Salamis is a novel set after the Spanish Civil War, where the narrator is attempting to understand the story of one soldier. The story focuses on a political prisoner, I believe, at the time and how they escape from a firing squad. I had found interesting in the novel the topic of loss. There are two significant losses present in the novel, in my opinion. One of them is the loss of literature, as the narrator states. The narrator had stated that a person “had won the war but lost literature” (Cercas, Soldiers of Salamis). There’s also a question of how someone in literature is presented. Such as, the narrator had wanted to write “A true tale, I thought, but didn’t say. That’s what I’m going to write,” though there is a question of whether the tale is correct (Cercas, Soldiers of Salamis). The narrator follows by stating that through storytelling, Figueras’ “father wouldn’t be entirely dead,” which is a role of tales and storytelling (Cercas, Soldiers of Salamis). The novel is about the history and a historical figure and event, where the second form of loss is presented in the novel. 

The second form of loss in the novel is the loss of information. As stated in the novel, a document is mentioned:”  ‘the diary Sánchez Mazas had with him when he was in hiding in the forest,’” (Cercas, Soldiers of Salamis). Historical documents and historical figures’ stories tend to change and evolve as time passes on. As that occurs, as stated in the lecture, memory and misinformation become an aspect of history. The novel also noted that the diary was “like a family heirloom, my father was very attached to it,” (Cercas, Soldiers of Salamis). The dairy being “like a family heirloom,” shows that historical items can be passed on within a family from generation to generation. I do not own anything like that. Though, I believe that as generations go by, the story behind these items of history change and evolves. What is possible is that there could be a change in the story and thus a loss of information. Therefore, the person’s memory gets lost in a way, or an aspect of a story gets lost. This topic is interesting to me regarding the novel as the novel pertains to a journalist or a writer discussing historical events. These historical events gain accuracy based on shared knowledge of the time and historical artifacts. Therefore, both information and historical artifacts are essential when discussing a historical event, regardless of who’s side the story is about. 

A question that I would ask my peers is: do you have a historical artifact or item? Do you know the story behind this artifact?

 

Week 10: My thoughts on Roberto Bolaño’s Amulet

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Roberto Bolaño’s Amulet is the journey of a narrator who is originally from Uruguay but later shifted to Mexico with influences from other Latin American countries as well. The narrator and the author reflect on Latin America while living in another Spanish country. To start, I enjoyed reading this novel as, based on the migration of the main character through Latin America, it allows me to relate to the novel in a way I have yet to do. I found it interesting how the narrator described their journey as occurring due to “a lack of love that impelled me to travel,” as though the narrator needed some motivation to travel in the first place (Bolaño, 3). What is even more interesting to me are the words that follow that the narrator’s urge to travel came from “madness” of all the reasons to travel (Bolaño, 3). The narrator is almost self-diagnosing their situation and needs to travel through Latin America during their lifetime. The self-diagnosis is a factor that shows that, as stated in the lecture, the novel is a reflection and memory of Latin America and the narrator’s time in Latin America (Beasley-Murray).

Additionally, as the novel is a journey of memories, as stated in the lecture, Bolaño was able to redefine Latin America and its culture through the novel (Beasley-Murray). However, what I dislike about the novel is how it starts as “this is going to be a horror story,” which sents a predetermined notion in my head of the events that will occur in the novel (Bolaño, 1). Then the narrator either contradicts or changes what they are saying by stating that there is a drawback that the narrator is telling the story and the story is “the story of a terrible crime (Bolaño, 1).

Another part of the novel that was interesting to me was how the narrator had deemed herself as the “mother of all the poets” (Bolaño, 58). While the narrator does call themself the “mother of all the poets,” it seems as though her actions are only to observe the poets rather than take a direct role in their life (Bolaño, 58). There is also the mention of the birth of history, birthing being something that mothers do to become mothers, and has stated, “we’re just taking you to attend the birth of History” (Bolaño,152). I found the mentions of motherhood and how there is also the “birth of History,” to be fascinating and different compared to the over novels that I have read for the course so far (Bolaño,152).

A question that I would ask is: do you believe that the way that Latin America is presented is different than your previous notions of Latin America?

 

Week 9- My thoughts on Carlos Fuentes’ “The Old Gringo”

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Regarding the text; The Old Gringo by Carlos Fuentes, the novel is about the memories of a woman named Harriet Winslow during the time that civil war had begun and was occurring in Mexico. Firstly to start, I love reading novels that have historical aspects to them as I am incredibly interested in history. Another reason as to why I loved reading this novel is due to its Spanish roots, as I have lived in Latin America my whole life. 

What struck me as enjoyable was that the character, an “old gringo,” had come to Mexico to die in the first place (Fuentes, The Old Gringo). Therefore, to die in mind, it made sense that he would die closer to the end of the novel. There is a distinct foreshadowing there, which I found exciting and during my first read made me attentively look for where the character would die. Since the novel is based on a person’s memories, the novel’s central theme would be memory and history in this case. I believe that history may be a theme in the novel since it is set during a historical event, and there is one perspective on it. While memory may not be the most reliable manner to showcase historical events, as there should be some supporting evidence of events, they can give us an account of what occurred in a given place in a given spatial context. The vividness of the memories, such as the description of the “advance guards,” shows the credibility of these memories (Fuentes, The Old Gringo). Additionally, the fact that the novel beings with; “now she sits alone and remembers,” was interesting to me as the novel ends with the exact same line (Fuentes, The Old Gringo). 

What I found a bit confusing and off-putting was that the start of the novel, while introducing characters in a seemingly natural manner, also confused me. The novel mentioned some relationships and conflicts in the first place, which initially piqued my curiosity and made the introduction a bit off-putting for me. It could be different to others, but this was how I had received the start of the novel. In TV shows and movies, I have seen that sometimes they start with an end scene and then move towards the events that led to that moment. To me, it’s not as interesting as beginning with the story right away, but since some themes of the novel are repetition, history, and memory, there is some sense as to why the novel started the way it did. 

I would ask: did everyone enjoy the repetition of the start and the end? Why or why not?

 

Week 8 – My thoughts on Georges Perec’s W, or the Memory of Childhood

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The text W, or the Memory of Childhood by Georges Perec, is multiple different stories that are woven together in which the reader has to make sense of the novel. To begin with, the novel itself was incredibly confusing for me. I found that while the novel’s content was interesting, I was left confused from most of the initial reading. The text relates to the concepts of childhood and memory to me. The notion that the text is about childhood and memory is reflected based on the title. The title itself states that the novel is about the Memory of Childhood; and thus relates to the themes of childhood and memory. An aspect of the story that drew my attention was the narrator’s stance on how they “have no childhood memories,” which struck me as odd (Perec, 6). The lack of childhood memories may be due to traumatizing memories in their adolescence or the fact that the main character was put into a situation in which they had to grow up and mature. Additionally, what struck me as odd was that the narrator also found “comfort in such an absence of history” regarding their childhood (Perec, 6). The reason as to why this struck me as odd is that I believe that the history of someone stems from their childhood memories, as they are memories that define a person and their actions in the future. 

The lack of clarity that the narrator has on their childhood and their past may contribute to the confusion that the novel itself has. The initial confusion in the novel for me was from the title W, or the Memory of Childhood. The lack of clarity in the title reflects the different storylines in the novel, which the reader has to understand. Additionally, there is either a lack of clarity or a means to obscure information, but the naming of places with “K,” and “H,” also shows the gaps in the main character’s memory (Perec, 6). The obscuring of the name of the locations, while those add some anonymity to the novel, also confused me for the most part. As the characteristics were being listed for places, it seemed as though it was hard for me to follow what was occurring in the novel. Additionally, since these locations are based on the narrator’s memory, and as a narrator, as previously stated, they do not remember much from their childhood, I would question the reliability of the main character as a reliable narrator.

 

A question that I would ask the others about this novel is: based on the novel, does knowing childhood memories or knowing history seem an essential part of building a character?

 

-Muskan Shukla

 

Week 7- My thoughts on Mercè Rodoreda’s “The Time of the Doves”

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In regards to Mercè Rodoreda’s The Time of the Doves (La plaça del Diamant, 1962), I found the novel to be exciting, and I was engaged with the text throughout the entire reading. The novel is set somewhat before the Spanish Civil war and leads into the battle itself as the story progresses. The story is about a girl named Natalia who works in a pastry shop and continuously gains complications throughout her life. The story, for me, seemed to be more of a tragedy than anything else. The fact that Natalia attempts to kill herself and her children with hydrochloric acid was shocking to me as I believe that a mother’s first instinct is to protect her children, not harm them in any way. Therefore that moment was surprising for me. The purpose of committing these deaths is for the primary pursuit of happiness in which “everyone would be happy,” if Natalia had passed away to a world in which she “wouldn’t have done any harm,” (Rodoreda, 146). I believe that the pursuit of happiness is essential, which is shown in the last line of the novel. One of the novel’s last words, “Happy,” confused me as I did not understand how the novel could end happily (Rodoreda, 201). The moments of Natalia killing unborn pigeons and death’s surroundings make the novel more tragic than happy. Therefore, there is somewhat of a polar difference, with the ending being “Happy,” and the story shifting between romantic and tragic (Rodoreda, 201). 

There is also that trauma seems to be a recurring aspect in the novel. As the novel has shifted in the plot towards the start of the Spanish Civil war and somewhat after that event, the notion of history and trauma seemed to be critical aspects in the novel. Such as when it is stated that with her new husband and when he says that with him during the war, the people had “picked him up half ripped apart on the battlefield and pieced him back together as best they could” (Rodoreda, 160). The moment that would occur to a soldier seems traumatizing, and I would like to believe that due to the similarities and differences between Natalia and her new husband, they had found some form of solace with each other. The theme of trauma affects decision-making for Natalia, and it seems as though many of the events in the novel are out of Natalia’s control, and she becomes collateral damage. Somewhat like a war in itself. It could be said that while the novel was set during the Spanish Civil war, there is also another war within Natalia’s life. The troubles with her first husband, her consideration of death, the somewhat tragic story of Natalia’s life, and the trauma that Natalia seemed to suffer through reflect some aspects of war in Natalia’s life. 

 

I would ask: do you believe that the story could be considered a tragedy? Or is it a case of a woman trying to control a situation that is out of her control? 

 

-Muskan Shukla

 

Week 6 – My thoughts on Françoise Sagan’s “Bonjour Tristesse”

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The text Bonjour Tristesse (1954) by Françoise Sagan for me was an exciting text, to say the least, and additionally kept me engaged till the very end. The novel discusses a relationship between a wealthy father and his daughter. The main character is a girl named Cécile who is 17 years old and changing her family dynamic. The change in this family dynamic is reflected at the start of the novel, where we are introduced to the characters and the father’s mistress (Sagan, 3). However, it is essential to note that the father does consider the main character’s feelings. Though the main character does reply that her father’s mistress, “Elsa would not get in our way” (Sagan, 4). The father’s relationships change based on a given amount of time, though the main character did accept it as the father’s new lifestyle after he had lost his wife. 

Though, there is something perverse about the mentality that Cécile has when it comes to being interested in other men. Such as, when there is a mention of a university student, she states that she “much preferred my father’s friends, men of fourty, who spoke to me with courtesy and tenderness,” (Sagan, 5). The relationship that Cécile has with her father must be incredibly embedded in her due to Cécile losing her mother figure and growing up without her mother. That makes me wonder whether Cécile may lack attention from her father, and due to that, she prefers “men of fourty,” (Sagan, 5). There is also the relationship that Cécile has with Anne, her mother’s closest friend. Such as, when Cécile’s mother had passed, it was Anne who “taught me something of life,” while her father was managing his grief (Sagan, 7). Throughout the novel, we understand that Anne has intentions are not pure, as Elsa’s feeling of being threatened could show that. There is also an aspect in the novel that Cécile takes another role. Cécile also takes on the role of an adult when it comes to her father. Such as when she states that her “father must be protected. He’s nothing but a big baby,” when it comes to Anne interrupting the lives of Cécile, her father, and Elsa (Sagan, 66). The protectiveness that Cécile feels could stem from the fact that since her father has multiple partners over a short period of time, Cécile is the constant female in her father’s life. Therefore, there could be an understanding that Cécile must approve or agree to a relationship with her father and guide him to the right woman. This is also shown with Cécile’s judgments of her father’s mistresses. 

Therefore a question that I would ask is: does it seem as though Cécile lacks affection or attention from her father? If so, how does this reflect their relationship?

 

-Muskan Shukla

My thoughts on Alberto Moravia’s “Agostino”

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The text Agostino by Alberto Moravia discusses a period of time during a vacation between a mother and her son. For me, while the novel was short, I felt that the author successfully created a world that presents different themes, such as maternal relationships and the process of maturing. The text gives specific emphasis to the relationship between the mother and the son. The relationship between the two characters seemed strange to me at first, as the bond between the two seemed incredibly strong and has a strong emotional attachment. Such as when the narrator discussed the time spent with his mother before the two went their separate ways. When talking about his mother, the narrator speaks such as; “all the bathers on the beach seemed to be watching, admiring his mother and envying him,” (Agostino, 3). From the start of the text, I felt that the relationship between the narrator and the mother was of a different nature. The relationship between the two is also shown when the narrator states that they would “follow her anywhere, even to the bottom of the sea,” reflecting the narrator’s dependence and attachment to the mother (Agostino, 4).

Though, the act of growing up is shown in the novel as the narrator spends time with other kids while his mother is away with a “younger man,” (Agostino, 10). Though, it seems as though the kids that the narrator is hanging out with have different life experiences compared to the narrator. Such as; when Berto asks the narrator that “you don’t smoke?” and later states that the narrator does not smoke since his mother does not allow him to (Agostino, 20). Therefore, there is a clear boundary between the narrators and the group of kids that they spend time with within the novel. The distinction between the two worlds is reinforced when Berto calls the narrator a “crybaby” and states that the narrator should “go back to your mamma,” (Agostino, 22). The distinction between these two worlds and these two different groups allows for the narrator to experience a new world. In this case, the new world somewhat forces the main character to grow up and gain new experiences. Additionally, the experiences that the narrator goes through with the group of kids includes the fact that he did these events without the influence of his mother. Without the mother’s influence in this scenario, this allows the narrator to grow without adult influence and satisfy the curiosity that one would have.

 

The question that I would ask my peers is: How does the mother’s influence in the novel reflect the limitations of the main character?

 

-Muskan Shukla

 

My thoughts on Maria Luisa Bombal’s “The Shrouded Woman”

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Maria Luisa Bombal’s text “The Shrouded Woman,” written in 1947, discusses the state between life and death. The main character seems to be recounting her relationships with people in the novel who come and visit her body. The narrator recalls events related and moves on towards peace and moving to the afterlife through this process. The novel highlights the role of women in relationships and the role that gender plays in creating a societal norm for how both men and women should act in society. 

One of the themes in the novel is the power men have over women. Additionally how women tend to be controlled by these men. For example; when the narrator states that men “once in their lifetime long to make some great renunciation; [. . .] to tear to pieces a butterfly, in order to feel themselves masters of their own destiny,” (The Shrouded Woman, 166). Additionally, the narrator had reflected, “I persisted in linking my life to yours, not understanding why love should be incompatible with your career,” (The Shrouded Woman, 166). This shows that women in this scenario are somewhat dependent on men, and men can leave women without remorse. The power dynamic is shown when the narrator states that they “not for a moment [. . .] think of the consequences of all this,” with “this” being the relationship that they were in (The Shrouded Woman, 169). In the end, the woman is left with memories of her lover. Therefore, the relationship between a man and woman in this society is one where the woman is dependent on the man regarding most aspects of the relationship, especially with a woman having a more profound emotional attachment to the man. On the other hand, the man is either moved by duty or can leave when they choose to. 

Another interesting notion presented in the novel is the role of death in regards to the act of recalling previous events. It seems as though the narrator questions the role of death and questions whether “must we die in order to know?” (The Shrouded Woman, 176). In this case, the “in order to know,” is related to how the people in the narrator’s lives are honest only after she has passed (The Shrouded Woman, 176). This is another norm that is a part of society, not to be openly honest about your feelings and rather present negative feelings such as ego to repress honesty. 

The questions that I would want to ask for this week are; 

How did gender become a means to decide societal and social norms?

Why does the narrator choose the temporal context of the time between life and death to discuss topics of gender and recollection?

 

– Muskan Shukla