Mama Blanca’s Memoirs was an interesting read, namely because it was just recounting memories of a past filled with happiness and joy. Typically, when I read memoirs, they’re filled with sorrow and failure, so reading something that just felt like a nostalgic memory threw me off for a bit. It almost felt like I was reading something with no point, as the main character, Blanca Nieves, never really goes through a proper “character arc.” At the end, she does realize that all things change, but I wouldn’t say she went through a drastic personality or mindset change.

But as I listened to the lecture and thought about the memoir more, I began to appreciate the simplicity and beauty of such a nice childhood, where it felt like the entire world centered around Blanca Nieves. I think the fact that it was published in Paris, contrasts the content of the story, making the commentary between countryside and city more apparent. City folk oftentimes think of the country side as less civilized or sophisticated as the city, but the memoirs clearly show the benefits of living in the country, specifically if you’re wealthy enough to own servants and hired hands. Maybe that was the reason why the unnamed editor published the work, to show a different perspective to city life.

Putting emphasis on not taking the story at face value and imagining what could’ve happened also helps add another layer to the memoir. Thinking about the perspectives of the other characters like Evelyn or Daniel completely changes the story, probably painting the events in a more somber light. Of course Blanca Nieves felt like the entire world centered around her. In a way, it did. But for the hired help or servants on the plantation, life would’ve been a lot less fairy tale like and more hard labor with little reward.

Another part that got a lot of emphasis in the story was names. However, only names that were important to Blanca Nieves as a child. Governors and generals are never mentioned, but all of the cow’s names and their young are named and described in great detail. The entire memoir puts emphasis on names from the very beginning, and the fact that the only names deemed important enough to be mentioned are ones that would mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. But to a child, that’s their entire world: the cows and the hired help.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I liked the simplicity of life through a child’s lens. Oftentimes, we get too caught up in the future and what comes next, so reading about someone just enjoying life was refreshing. It’s always good to take a step back and appreciate everything for what it is.

Question:
Why do you think there is such an emphasis on naming throughout the memoir?