Apr
11
Reflection: Span365
Posted by: | April 11, 2010 | Comments Off on Reflection: Span365
It’s absolutely insane to think how fast this semester has gone. Where was this time-flying ability back in October?? Looking back through all my blogs, we certainly covered a lot of interesting material. I have never been much for literature, analysis, interpretation or anything of the sort, but I’m actually surprised at how much I have learned and how much I have understood while reading each book.
I do have to say my favorite book was El Reino de Este Mundo. The concept of ‘lo maravilloso’ instead of ‘lo magico’ was much more applicable in my mind – everyone seems to apply the word ‘magic’ to things beyond their understanding, even though it usually doesn’t work that way. I felt the integration and contrasts between the interpretations of the slaves and the ‘blancos’ was incredibly realistic, in that these differences still apply to the modern world. Also, I enjoyed the story which somewhat followed Ti Noel in his experiences – it was almost as though a movie could be made where a camera just follows his daily life/encounters (The Truman Show style). The question Jon asked in class (not too sure if it was specifically regarding this book or not…) that affected me the most was asking what exactly is real and what isn’t – I find it incredibly difficult to answer this question regarding any kind of book because it’s near impossible to apply modern day concepts and interpretations to non-modern ideas or stories, especially when the integrity of a culture is in question.
All side-tracking aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the open-mindedness of the course and the discussion/ideas that were brought up in class. And now… back to the Wikipedia project!
