Jan
31
Carpentier: Post 4
Posted by: | January 31, 2010 | Comments Off on Carpentier: Post 4
The book culminates in a very powerful ending, and as I did kind of expect the book ends with ‘lo real maravillosos.” In the book, Ti Noel watches as the power gets transferred from white, slave owners, to Henri Christophe, to a new mulatto ruling class. But consistently those in power exploit and dominate those below them, the blacks, no matter if those ruling are white or black themselves. Carpentier writes moving descriptions of Ti Noel experiencing abuse from his own race. One example Carpentier writes, “había una infinita miseria en lo de verse apeleado por un negro, tan negro como uno, tan befuldo y pelicrespo, tan narizñato com uno; tan igual…” (p. 103).
During these transitions much time has passed and Ti Noel has grown old. I think the end represents his reflections of what he has seen. Ti Noel begins to transform himself into many different things: tree, bird, donkey, bee, worm. And as I said before this part is an explicit example of “lo real maravilloso.” Ti Noel then transform into a goose, but is shut out of the clan. He then realizes that history is a repetitions of oppression and that society has to continually fight to make the future better. He says, “comprendía, ahora que el hombre nunca sabe para quién padece y espera. Padece y espera y trabja para gentes que nunca conocerá, y que a su vez padecerán y esperarán y trabajarán para otors que tampoco seán felices…” ( 152-153).
In which case, Ti Noel, declares another war against the empowered, and then dies.
I enjoyed reading the book a lot especially the more I read because I became less confused. I especially liked Carpentiers ideas of “lo real maravilloso,” that reality is “lo maravilloso” not that the “lo maravilloso” exist outside of reality.
I guess one question I had, is who exactly is Ti Noel. I think he was described when he was introduced but I must have missed it. Was he previously a slave?
