Monthly Archives: October 2021

10/17/21

Cryptic Whistle-Blower

I found the cyclical nature of the way Piglia’s The Crazy Woman and the Tale of the Crime was told to be particularly interesting. It makes you question the intention of the narrative. Could Piglia be writing about his own experience? Or, is he simply trying to embody a fictional character, while provoking a sense of realism to the purpose of the narrative? The self-reference to the beginning line “fat, broad, melancholy, the nile green polyester suit floating on his body…” gave me chills when I first read it. It forces reflection on why. I think it draws more attention to the societal issue of censorship many Latin countries have dealt with throughout time. Out of fear for one’s personal security, they cannot overtly criticize the government or any governmental bodies. This theme seems so prevalent in Spanish fiction literature that it makes you wonder, how much of it is actually heavily based on reality? Why is freedom of the press something that is such a privilege in the modern world?

Another interesting thing about this text’s self-reference is in respect to how it reads. Most fiction is just told to you. It’s taken for granted that this character/narrator’s inner dialogue is just available to us to consume. Rarely do we question it, until we are given an example of a narrative with purpose. It cycles and makes you re-read it. When you re-read this story already knowing the ending, you can feel how the author may have written this out in a hurry. You can feel the sense of urgency and desperation in his attempt to unveil the truth.

10/16/21

Borges’ Rules and the Tale of the Crime

In “The Crazy Woman and the Tale of the Crime”, the combination of Piglia’s unconventional take on crime fiction alongside the implementation of Borges’ rules allows readers to better understand the influence that the totalitarian government had on the media in late ‘70s and early ‘80s Argentina. First, though he includes seven main characters as opposed to the recommended six, they each provide a clear contribution to the plot and are distinct enough to stand out from other characters (though I found myself confusing Rinaldi and Renzi at times!). As per rule B, Piglia establishes the circumstances of the crime before introducing our protagonist⁠, who then goes on to confront the state-imposed limits on the press at the time. There is no typical reveal in the conclusion, since the victim and the murderer are introduced even before we meet Renzi, who fills the role of the detective, and the focus of the story is not on apprehending the true murderer but rather on the percepticide Renzi experiences. In this way we can see Piglia following Borges’ rule C by having the police play the villain, which is much more thematically fitting. The subsequent two rules⁠—prioritizing plot advancement over character development and minimizing death⁠—are also applied. Because the focus is on the interaction between journalists and the state, who tries to suppress the truth when it isn’t in their favour; instead of being on the investigation of the murder itself, our attention is drawn towards the Argentine government censorship and repression. Though it doesn’t focus specifically on how the murder happened or the intentions behind it, the story is still very plot-driven, managing to lay out a complex plot in just five pages without relying too heavily on any sort of gore. Finally, the resolution is complex and unique while remaining consistent and plausible within the story. Altogether, the incorporation of Borges’ rules in this unorthodox story provides us with better insight into Argentine society in that era.

10/15/21

Audio Imagery: “Thursday’s Widows”

Amazingly, I found the movie to include not only just visual imagery but audio imagery as well; which is something I believe I have not yet experienced. There were three scenes in which seemed like certain sounds were pulled out intentionally above the others so the audience can place particular attention to them: (1) Fireworks, (2) the sound of tennis racking hitting the ball during in which reminded Carla of the assault, and (3) the sound of Gustavo hitting Carla when he felt vulnerable. 

The sounds all contained a similar repetitive and frequent harsh banging sound that could lead the audience (at least to me) to naturally develop an unpleasantness and unbearable sensation when hearing them. In addition, it is interesting to note that these sounds each involved one of these “trophies” that is intensely valued by high society (e.g., beautiful wife/girlfriend, luxury experiences, statuses). Furthermore, each of these scenes that contained the sound included an insinuation of damage/violence being inflicted onto a person. For example, in the scene involving the firework, the cinematography carefully framed the firework appearing to almost hit Tano. And in the tennis competition, the sound of the tennis ball hitting the racket reminded Carla of the assault. 

Thus, the connection between these scenes leads me to conclude that the way that the characters indulged in these ‘trophies’ is damaging to an individual. Depending on one’s worth and identity in these societal prized items would lead an individual to more harm. It was clever for the director to use the sensation of hearing in order to present this analysis to the audience.

 

10/14/21

Ronie is the one who watches TV.

One of the most eye-catching subjects in the film “The Widows of Thursdays” is its evaluation of masculinity. Each one of the members of the group of men (Ronie, El Tano, Gustavo, and Martin) has some struggle– or lack thereof– with their masculinity. Martin’s is very obvious; he has just been laid off from work in the middle of an economic recession and cannot bring himself to tell his wife. His wife and his daughter both address him without much respect if any. Ronie is in a similar situation– but I’ll get back to him later. Gustavo, easily the most unsympathetic of the bunch, has rages and abuses his wife despite some part of him not wanting to do so. Arguably this frustration is what leads him to join Tano in his group suicide.  Tano is interesting, as he seems to not be struggling at all with his masculinity. However, I think he is a representation of toxic masculinity and sets up expectations for the rest of his compadres. He is the one with the perfect family, the money, the soulless attitude towards business and those he takes money from. Martin in specific I think is someone who compares himself with Tano a lot. Tano is the first whom he tells about losing his job, he takes Tano’s advice and ultimately is the first one to follow Tano to death. Next to Tano, Martin feels inadequate. However, it’s clear that Tano’s way of life is not healthy and that it doesn’t lead to the paradise imagined by the rest of his orbiters. His failure to be loved by his wife ultimately leads to the life he built around himself to seem hollow. Tano’s fortress of masculinity is broken in a single stroke.

This is where Ronie comes in. Unlike Martin, Ronie doesn’t fall in line with Tano’s way of thinking. Instead, he questions it and explains how he sees things. He might be a burden to his wife, he says, but that is not all she loves him for. Ronie recognizes that this pursuit of masculinity leads to nothing, and that he is better off living an honest life. Despite his circumstances (jobless and disconnected son) he is able to escape his friends’ fate by evading toxic masculinity.

10/14/21

Justification of Lack of Justice

At several points throughout “The Crazy Woman and the Tale of the Crime,” the concept of justice is viewed by the characters as discardable and/or unachievable. Some have the privilege of being above justice, such as Almada, who is “being protected by the higher-ups” (pg. 561). Others aren’t so lucky. Rinaldi is certain that Antúnez is the criminal; he claims that he “can smell a criminal from a hundred yards” and that “they all have the same look” (pg. 561). Labeled as a “gigolo,” Antúnez’s access to justice is denied based on his social status and his “look” as a criminal (pg. 560-561). Risking trouble with the police is, according to Luna, not worth it “to save a gigolo” (pg. 563). Even when faced with evidence of his innocence, his social status is used against him to justify allowing him to be “stuck in the can for the rest of his life” (pg. 563).

Antúnez is not alone in being denied justice based on his social status; the refusal to publish the identity of the real killer allows Larry’s death to remain unavenged. Furthermore, in reference to Larry, Luna claims that “in the long run those crazy women always end up like that” (pg. 563). This outcome is seen as common, and moreover, acceptable – it’s thought of as inevitable that this would happen to someone like Larry. This perceived inevitability, rather than being challenged, is used as justification for forgoing justice.

Justice is viewed by Luna as too great of a risk – it’s something that one might have to ruin their whole life to strive for (pg. 563). According to him, it’s something that should be shrugged off; he suggests that Renzi “take the day off” and “go to the movies” (pg. 563). Pursuing justice for the sake of those of low social status is considered unreasonable; the forgoing of justice is therefore seen as inevitable.

10/14/21

Story Telling

This week I was most interested in the story-telling similarities between the film and the short story. Both “The Crazy Woman and the Tale of the Crime” and “Thursday Night Widows” experiment with temporal shifts, blurring the perceived reality of the observer. In Piglia’s work, the story begins with the actions that occurred prior to the murder. The storytelling is ominous and Almada so unlikeable that the reader immediately senses something suspicious about the night that will unfold. Piglia then shifts the narration to the future where detectives are tasked with solving the crime, only to reveal that the introduction was Renzi’s newspaper article in the works. By distorting time Piglia is able to break a sort of fourth wall where the reader is privy to the character’s own words. In comparison, “Thursday Night Widows” also plays with time and storytelling yet there is much more jumping back and forth. Like “The Crazy Woman and the Tale of the Crime” we begin with a clearly ominous scene veiled in mystery. However, the “murders” have already occurred whereas in the short story the reader only has a premonition. The shifting back and forth of the film also has a similar effect, yet the suspense and mystery are heightened as the viewer is always on edge trying to keep pace.

Playing with time and distorting time is in a way one of Borges’ rules. He states that the author must lay everything out first meaning that any movement to examine the moments before the crime immediately alters a linear chronology. For me personally, I found that the time shifts in the film gave the final reveal a sort of magical realism feeling. As we only saw snapshot moments, it was very surprising to me that Tano was the one to bring up suicide and get the others to partake. From the moments we see him, he is calm, seemingly overconfident, a leader, and highly competitive. However, Carlos and Martin’s participation made more sense to me as they were struggling more overtly. The suicides create a surreal feel within this context.

10/14/21

Tough Decisions lead to Empathy

Tano, Gustavo, and Martin commit suicide in order to give their families money in the beginnings of economic collapse. The Argentina implemented neoliberal economic policies in the late 1980s in order to bring itself out of a recession, yet these reforms led to its total collapse in 2001. Much like the men in the story, the state was doing what it thought it needed to do in order to survive, yet for both, this ended in disaster.

The men make decisions they think will help and protect their families. For example, Martin is scared to tell his wife that he lost his job and they could no longer afford their lavish lifestyle, so he avoids doing so, and she never finds out until his death. On the other hand, Tano steals money from terminally ill patients in order to get money for his family. He also suggests that they commit suicide and make it look like an accident in order for their families to get insurance money, which could help them make it through the impending economic collapse. Although these acts are not necessarily illegal, besides the insurance fraud, they are not ethically correct; yet, the men see no other way to support their families, and feel they must.

Similarly, Argentina is forced to implement neoliberal policies into their government in order to become economically stable. As these policies were implemented in the late 1980s, economists knew that they would not be sustainable and eventually lead to another recession. They were correct, and the stock market crashed in 2001. Argentina felt it needed to implement these reforms to pay back debts, stop hyperinflation, and get out of the recession. 

The decisions of the men and of Argentina led to demise, despite their intentions. I think Piñeiro uses this to comment on the decisions many Latin American countries are forced to make in order to save themselves economically. Through the use of the male characters, readers/viewers develop empathy towards the questionable decisions they make. By equating the men and the state, Piñerio transfers the empathy towards the state. Government officials knew that linking the Argentinian peso to the US dollar was a mistake, yet they did so anyway, because it is what they thought was a solution. Outsiders may criticize the decision, but, government officials did what they thought was best, much like the men of Thursday Night Widows.

10/14/21

In God we Tru$t

In Claudia Piñeiro’s Widows on Thursdays, the gated community of The Cascades have almost unanimously elevated money into the position of religion, and thus, they have constructed a new morality based on capital gain. Tano begins the movie preaching to the other husbands about the role of money as religion — in an incredibly ironic moment, he says that they must have faith in money. To some extent, everyone that lives in this gated community has subscribed to this religion because if they had not, they would not be here — clearly demonstrated by Ronnie and Mavi’s family departure at the end. Tano banks on the death of others to take their life insurance, and he is unabashed and even proud of this scheme. He explicitly expresses his belief that he cannot be doing the wrong thing because he is only doing what he has to do to achieve success. Morally, the religion of money does not subscribe to the good and bad of ethical norms, good and bad is in relation to earning and losing. In all fairness, Tano is not a hypocrite. While he banks on the death of others, he also understands the value of his own death. Him and the other husbands’ suicides demonstrates the extent of how much these people truly do believe in the religion of money. They genuinely believe morally that their death is for some greater good, that their death is spiritual as it relates to their religion. Money has truly become God, and they are willing to kill themselves in service of this god. 

The most bleak part of the movie is that Tano was right — his and his associates’ death do help propagate the lives of their wives. In a way, Tano’s death has illuminated the fact that Tano and Teresa are alike in ways — this is exactly what Tano would have wanted Teresa to do. In death, Tano and Teresa are truly partners in this crime.

10/14/21

What would happen if we lived underwater?

I would like to discuss the motif of water in “Thursday’s Widows.” As we discussed today, the opening scene is surprisingly relaxing and calm despite the fact that we are watching dead bodies floating in the water. This tranquility associated with the water suggests to me that water in this story acts as a refuge from the chaos in the characters’ worlds, it is almost like a utopia. Tano even alludes to this, he asks “what would happen if we lived underwater?” (I have a screenshot of this but I am not sure it is copyright-free to post), additionally acting as an element of foreshadowing of his death. For Tano, Gustavo, and Martín, the economic and personal stressors in their life become too much to bear and the three of them fantasize about death as an escape from it all. I think that this is reflective of capitalist societies and the idea that there is no peace in capitalism, and so the men resort to finding peace and freedom in the water because the economic stress becomes overwhelming.  

Thursday for Widows is definitely a complex piece of detective fiction, with multiple crimes and criminals. The important message to take away from it is that when death becomes glorified over living in a broken economic system, there is a problem, and there are many victims. It is interesting because while three characters are dead, I would hesitate to say they are the true and only victims in this story. These characters caused just as much damage as they endured, they represent the ways that capitalism causes pervasive damage by creating an unlivable world. Claudia Piñero creates a story that unveils the intricate ways that the economic collapse in Argentina caused widespread tragedies with multiple victims. In the scene in which Tano attempts to convince his friends to end their lives, there is an overpowering sense of defeat; as if they have lost this game of survival. They are resigned to their fate, not even Ronnie attempting to change their perspective works. This attitude is what makes me consider that the water is a symbol of freedom and escape, the ultimate end to a hopeless system.  

10/14/21

It All Comes Back To Anahí

We touched on how, in “the Crazy Woman and the Tale of the Crime”, by Ricardo Piglia, Anahí represents the Argentinian society as a whole; however, we never really dove deep into it. Therefore, I want to expand on the little hints and big clues that demonstrate Anahí as symbolism of the post-neoliberalism social structure. For example, Anahí kissed the fat man’s feet in exchange for “a thousand pesos” (558). If Anahí represented Argentinian society and in the process, Argentina as a whole, then the fat man represents American neoliberalism. Thus, it symbolizes the kind of relationship between the two countries during such a time. Therefore, the bar, the New Deal, represents all the different countries in the world that America has tamed, with money, to further its liberalistic policies.

In order to truly understand this short story, one must read between the lines. Yet, reading between the lines has an entirely different meaning in this text as Renzi had to read between the delirious lines of Anahí in order to understand what she was trying to say. Just like how Argentina had to rely on literature to maintain free speech / history and how we had to delve deeper into this rabbit hole to figure out why this Anahí is so significant. 

The relationship between Anahí and Evita Peron further illiterates on Anahí being a symbol for Argentina. Notice how Anahí “was a queen and was a friend of Evita Peron”(561). The past tense is important because it implies that Anahí was friends with Evita at some point. However, in Evita’s biography there is no mention of Anahí anywhere; because it would only make sense if she was never real in the first place and a symbolic representation for Argentina. Anahí being a queen also suggests that Argentina was way better off before America intervened.

This literature acted as the “fourth estate” for Argentina when all other forms of resistance or criticism has failed.  I believe this makes it so that if this form of fictional literature as critique were to be silenced, then it would cause mass suspicion and ultimately cause more harm than good to neoliberalism.