Author: TR

Categories
Arguedas

Feeling before Understanding

You know those books where the writer throws logic out the window and invites the reader to live in the character’s inner world. Deep Rivers is one of those. It feels as if Ernesto’s inner dialogue is being read aloud to us. A mix of memories, emotions, and observations with a touch of melancholy. 

Arguedas invites the reader to experience emotionally rather than logically. None of the emotions, like sadness, fear, or wonder, is explained but rather made to feel and get immersed in. It creates a sense of heaviness and quiet intensity, even when nothing ‘dramatic’ is happening. We feel Ernesto’s unsettledness, confusion, and loneliness through his perceptions alone. Each little part that possibly stood out as ordinary objects and environments was given so much significance. From stones to walls to rivers, they weren’t just physical elements as we know them to be, but symbolic ones, ones that had meaning. 

This consistent feeling of displacement is present throughout the novel. We feel unsettled as Ernesto does, not comfortable anywhere, reflecting the identity struggle and belonging Ernesto experienced. While this displacement is present, some moments reflect a breath of fresh air (the glimpses of nature), which slows the pace and heaviness. However, even during these calm moments, there is uneasiness and underlying tension that conveys suffering never truly goes away but is always present under the surface. 

On that note, this sense of identity struggle Ernesto felt was something very relatable. Through Ernesto, it is technically argued that living between cultures is hard but very human. Quite honestly, this makes some of us readers who are torn between cultures feel validated. This sense of feeling like an ‘outsider’ is rather comforting than isolating. Further, his intense reactions to injustice portray how having awareness can be painful, especially in a society filled with inequality, and as an ‘outsider’ we have definitely heard of, if not experienced, this exactly. 

What I found unique was that Deep Rivers does not really offer a solution, clarity, or closure. It actually asked us as readers to witness injustice, sit with that discomfort, and feel the emotions deeply. It seemed as if Arguedas also wanted to emphasize that understanding cultural divisions is only possible through feeling them rather than explaining them. All in all, it suggests how deeply one’s identity is rooted in cultures, languages, and the environments we grow up in. 

The question I want to discuss, or perhaps I wonder more about, is: Did you ever find yourself feeling confused or disoriented while reading this? If so, how does that confusion reflect Ernesto’s emotional state?

 

 

 

Categories
Laforet Nada Narration

Expectations vs. Reality

Hi again!

One of the elements that stood out to me the most in Nada was its irony, which is seen from the title itself. Nada, which means ‘nothing’, truly captures the space between the expectations Andrea came to Barcelona with and the reality she lived, learning that what she envisioned was nothing like it. She moves with hopes of this new life, in fact, a better one, only to receive poverty and oppression from her own. The irony here is that what’s meant to be a new journey filled with growth is instead filled with disappointment and frustration. The title largely reflects the emptiness inside of her due to the disappointment of unmet expectations, and I find that to be a very unique and fascinating choice. 

There is also irony that stems from my perspective as a reader. In today’s age, where many of us are encouraged to have new experiences, and as an individual who feels like new experiences are always about growth or learning, Andrea’s experience in Barcelona, which was supposed to expand her life, instead took away from it. So instead of growing, she left feeling empty, and that to me is very ironic as a reader today. 

As a reader, even though the novel is named Nada, which portrays Andrea’s inner feelings, it doesn’t mean that the novel feels like nothing to the reader. In fact, I think the abcscene is meant to be there, making the reading experience feel emotionally draining, to feel what Andrea is feeling, the discomfort and oppression. 

This novel also made me think about the effect of the Spanish Civil War on people. If this was the result, what are we made to think about the consequences of this war then? The novel shows us that the war’s damage was not only economic but also perhaps psychological and interpersonal. The cruelty and oppression portrayed by family members, forming this toxic environment at home, with each person’s trauma, sounds like a crisis that led to a dysfunctional family and environment. It shows how the war has ruined not just places but humanity as well, with no sense of empathy or warmth towards one another, ‘nada’. 

Lastly, a thought I had reading this was how Andrea’s experience strongly resembles many of the mindsets and stories I hear of immigrants who leave their home seeking a new life. Similar to Andrea, many come with these high expectations, but instead they are met with struggles, isolation, financial strain and emotional loneliness. Nada shows the irony of these narratives of moving to another place for a better life. Here, Andrea’s location does not give her freedom, it captures her in this restriction and emptiness, making the novel somewhat relevant to today’s time and people despite being written so long ago.

At the end of it, Andrea girl I’m so glad she got out of there. However, this leads me to think about how others in a similar situation. Was the impact similar on them? How does one get out of a situation like this? Is escape the only option?

 

Categories
Bombal memory Narration

Depth after Death? – Bombal

From the books we’ve read so far, I can definitely say this stood out to me, and I think it is due to the unique narrative voice Bombal has used alongside the depth. The narrative style and structure, especially its beginning after her death, are very unique. The way her awareness lies in her corpse and the memories she thinks about intersect makes the narration seem fluid, with no rigid sense of time. Normally, death is seen as this end, scary, and stoic thing, but here it doesn’t make death feel like the end of something; it seems as if she’s still living through life just through a coffin. Although dead, she hears family and friends who come to visit her coffin, which triggers these memories, which I feel is a very refreshing perspective. 

One thing I loved about Ana Maria, reminiscing on her life, was the way she recreated it through pieces of memories. This shows that it’s not just what happens in our lives that shapes us and our identity, but more so, how it’s remembered. Her reflection comes off as very introspective and emotional, which reflects her experiences. There was also no linear timeline as to which memories necessarily followed. It was this constant shift between her monologue and others’ perspectives that truly gave us/ the reader, an overall perspective of who she is and how she was perceived, which I think is key in understanding an individual as a whole. The way it was written, it truly felt like we were getting a visual glimpse into how her life was, which I find to be so moving. It really isn’t a book that you read to find out what happens at the end, like a book you seek answers for, but more so to make you slow down, feel different emotions, reflect on life and perhaps understand how life may be coming towards the end and what is actually important at the end, being loved and understood. 

That being said, I love how relationships/marriage were also portrayed in this book. Her relationships with Ricardo fascinated me the most. Her relationship with Ricardo portrayed this passionate young love and the intense emotions that came with making her feel a sense of longing for it, yet also loss as he abandoned her. I feel like much of what was described about their relationship is relatable, especially through the lens of our generation; it can be seen as a huge ‘red flag’. However, I also loved how Ana Maria comes to see the value he actually had when he shows up for her at the end, despite his actions. It feels like she is realizing and made to see things that she would have never seen or heard when alive.

Reading about how Ana Maria can fully reflect and think about her emotions after death made me think of something I’d really like to discuss: how much do we actually ever reflect and understand our lives when we’re still alive? 

Best,

Tripti

 

 

Categories
Arlt

Mad Toy – Overwhelming?

Reading The Mad Toy definitely took me some time because it was a little emotionally heavy. Similar to when I watch shows or movies, sometimes I get engrossed in a book, and this novel had that sort of effect on me. Reading about Silvio’s life and the hardships he’s had to face was slightly overwhelming. One of the main things I thought about was how Arlt conveyed that Silvio’s failures are not due to reasons like his lack of hard work or intelligence, but strictly due to the result of external reasons like the rigidity of the economic and class structures. Society plays a massive role in acting as a barrier towards any chance of success. While Arlt does acknowledge some of Silvio’s not so great choices, he critiques capitalism more and challenges the constant norm to hold individuals responsible instead of the system. With this, Arlt somewhat hints at an important question: whether hope is even a possibility under these circumstances?

This leads me to think about how Silvio is in a constant state of imagination through the adventure books and fantasies, which I find incredibly interesting. It seems as if Arlt showcases this state of mind as Silvio’s way of hope or sense of escape, perhaps. I feel that this is something many of us can relate to. We humans often use imagination in various ways, whether that’s watching a movie, a comfort tv show, or reading a fantasy book to escape reality sometimes. For Silvio, it seems as if doing this helped with momentary relief from the poverty, allowing him to imagine the roles and power he’d want to have. However, while temporarily it provides comfort, it simultaneously acts as a reminder of the life he can’t have, increasing the negativity he feels towards his reality.  

Additionally, I like how the novel has touched upon topics that do actually occur in the real world. Even if it is things we do not see every day, that does not mean they aren’t happening in the world. To some extent, the description of frustration felt by people in poverty, the oppression they face, limiting opportunities, and the constant failure are all very much still there today. Perhaps this may explain why reading this novel feels heavy and slightly overwhelming (at least it did for me). I would love to discuss what exactly is provoking such emotions while reading this novel. Is it the way Arlts wrote it, or is it the difficult realities of life we’re shown or perhaps our own knowledge of the inequality and poverty in this world? My question is, while reading this novel, did it elicit any specific emotions, and why?

Best,

Tripti

Categories
Family memory Narration Proust

Multiple Perspectives – Proust

Hi all!

To be honest, reading Proust, I definitely got lost sometimes due so I’d re-read the sentences quite often. Again, that might be just because I haven’t read something like this in a while. One thing that stood out to me is the way the narrator describes the character’s fascination with the architecture and natural landscape in and around Combray, perhaps giving a sense of Proust’s own interest or fascination with art. Whether that may be that he himself is an artist or collects art. Many of the descriptions the narrator has made seem to show Proust’s deep understanding of art, his attention to detail, how his writing and art seem to have some sort of relationship – or at least it’s something I wonder and am assuming. 

While the descriptions were detailed, reading this, I also sensed a theme connected to time and nostalgia, perhaps. For example, when Proust describes being pulled back into time to Combray just from tasting the cake dipped into the tea. This gave an illustration of how Proust may relate the two things and shows his understanding of the intersection between time and nostalgia. I think something we all can relate to – associating things or moments with a certain time. It seems as if a lot of what Proust has written about are things he may recall, experiences he had, like old days at Combray, his hopes, his fears, such as losing his sense of time, and his relationships, such that he has with his mother, the comfort she provides him through her goodnight kisses.

Another reason that makes me think that a lot of this reflects his own life is the section where he talks about the ‘magic lantern’, which projects pictures from children’s stories onto the bedroom walls. In my understanding, without any explanation, calling something a magic lantern can be truly subjective; I would think completely different and say it sings songs to you or is just a light that is always present, familiar to me through my childhood. That’s why this detailed description that Proust provides makes me think that a lot of it is Proust’s life, but through a different character. Additionally, the way the narrator has mentioned this routine of the goodnight kisses also gives us a sense of habit or structure or routine, whichever you want to call it, and how it’s something the character is so used to that straying away from it creates difficulty. Reading many Psychology books and just thinking from my perspective and experiences, we often don’t like the feeling of fear or change, it’s two very common feelings that we try to avoid, and some of us, when possible, want to stick to that or have the solutions that immediately solve it for us. In a sense, it is something all of us humans relate to, so as much as I may have felt lost sometimes, there were moments where I would make sense of what is being said and understand the feeling that is being conveyed – really tapping into this component of the novel that the readers as humans could relate to. 

So after reading this, something I’m keen on discussing in class is, depending on how much of the text we understood, especially if you didn’t necessarily understand each line like me, as humans did some of us still relate to these common themes of time and nostalgia or fearing losing structure or the habit?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Categories
Uncategorized

Hi!! – Introduction

Hi everyone!! Lovely to meet you all. A little bit about myself! My name is Tripti. I’m from Thailand, and yes, I don’t look like I am, but I assure you I am not fooling you. I’m in my fifth year studying Psychology and Business Management through the B+MM program. I absolutely love studying and understanding human behaviour, asking the questions of WHY someone does something. 

To be very honest, I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with literature, which is why I’ve deliberately pushed fulfilling my literature requirement till the end of my degree. I enjoy reading, but only certain things that I’m interested in. I love getting absorbed into a book, into a story, feeling like I’m part of it, but not where pieces have to get me thinking strategically or having to put too much thought into understanding what the author is trying to convey. I’ve always seen reading as an escape into a less complicated world than the one we live in. Therefore, choosing to be in this class, as much as it is to fulfil my literature requirement, is also a step outside my comfort zone that I’m choosing to take, very well knowing it might not be like books I typically choose to read. Being in this class, I’m hoping to leave with more open-mindedness on what is good reading for me, how others perceive it (intrigues me a lot when people have varying perspectives, as there’s so much to learn). 

Regarding the lecture “Inventing Romance Studies”, I love how it mentions the correct answer to ‘What the Romance world is?’, is simply “I don’t know”. Truly conveying the multiple inferences that can be made, the perspectives that can be developed and possibly even influenced by various factors like upbringing. This provides me with comfort to bring forward my perspectives or understanding of literary work, especially coming from someone who doesn’t know much about the so-called Romance World. I see Literature as I see any other form of art: as a method of expression and connection. As a dancer, we’ve always been told to add a part of ourselves to the piece we perform. Regardless of what the choreography may be, what truly makes the performance is your style, your personality, and the way you decide to perform it. It is very similar to how I perceive this concept of Romance Studies now, after the lecture. How learning that no single perspective or understanding can be claimed as ‘Romance Studies’. 

Again, I’m not too sure what I expect, but what I do know is that I’ll be learning a lot and I can’t wait! 

Best, 

Tripti 

 

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