Tag Archives: memory

Final- Agualusa’s “The Society of Reluctant Dreamers”

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In this final week of class, I have chosen to read The Society of Reluctant Dreamers, which I found was an interesting story that ties in dreams, memories, and politics: the rich that benefit, the poor that suffer, and the quiet ones. 

The novel starts out with Daniel Benchimol who was getting a divorce from his wife, Lucrecia because he was “criticizing mistakes made by [their] government” (6) in a newspaper as he “dreamed of a better country” (6). Homero, his father-in-law didn’t like, and Daniel ended up getting fired from his job which led to him being a stay-at-home father for a few months because he couldn’t find a job. However, Armando, who was his friend, saved him from his misery and he lived with him for a while. Daniel “was able to live on almost nothing and be happy” (12) from Armando’s philosophy: “if you have nothing, you have more time for everything that really matters” (10) which is a quote I found quite interesting because I can’t decide whether I agree with it or not. 

I also liked how in Hossi’s perspective, when “Daniel snatched the keys from [his] hand” (18) without answering his question or thanking him, Hossi’s first thought was that “something must have happened to upset him” (19), which I thought was nice because I think most people might’ve been offended by Daniel’s behavior.

Daniel was obsessed with a woman, who he later discovered was Moira Fernandes, because of a camera he found. He eventually visits her in Cape Town, and within their first meeting, he thought that “she seemed fake, … a rather crude copy of the woman from my dreams” (94). Later Moira tells him that “[she’s] not the person [he’s] inventing in [his poems] (we always invent the people we love)” (160), which is a quote I found true, since I think some people like to imagine being with their ideal partner, instead of who their partner really is. 

When Daniel returned, Armando told him Karinguiri was arrested because she was in a group of revolutionaries that protested “against the dictatorship” (115), something that Daniel and Armando “never did out of cowardice and conformism” (114). But Karinguiri’s hunger strike led to more and more people protesting against the government, even Daniel who was considered a coward, eventually did as well. 

“Fear isn’t a choice. There’s no way to avoid feeling fear. And yet we can choose not to give in to it” (217). Karinguiri’s quote, along with her actions and behavior were inspiring. Even though she had been suffering from a hunger strike, to the point Daniel thought her body looked dead, her determination never wavered. 

A question I have for my classmates is: Armando mentions that “people should only be allowed to marry when lucid” (11), do you agree with his belief that marrying someone when you’re in love with them is the same as drunk driving? 

Week 11- Bolano’s “Amulet”

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This week’s novel was Amulet, written by Roberto Bolano. The novel begins with the line, “this is going to be a horror story” (1), and my mind instantly thought of ghosts, demons, creepy dolls (watching Chucky at 5 years old has forever changed the way I see dolls). However, the narrator also claims that “it won’t appear to be, for the simple reason that I am the teller” (1) and I was intrigued to read this novel as I was wondering how the narrator may tell this “horror story” in a way that does not appear to be horror. 

This novel took place in 1968 when the student movement occurred in Mexico City at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where the narrator, Auxilio Lacouture, was locked in the women’s bathroom in the “faculty of Philosophy and Literature” (16) all alone for 12 days. As she didn’t want to be taken “prisoner” (26) nor did she want “to be in [a horror] movie” (26). This line of her precise location is repeated throughout the novel which reminds me of The Old Gringo, where the line, “now she sits alone and remembers” is also repeated throughout the story. Perhaps the use of this repetition is a way of reminding the narrator of her location and surroundings so she doesn’t get swept up by her past and future memories, even though it seems that the narrator struggles with some of her memories, “let me try to remember” (2) and “[she] can’t remember exactly” (18), which also reminds me of Perec’s “W, or the Memory of Childhood”, as both narrators seem to have troubles with their memories. Auxilio seems to try and drown in her past memories as a way of coping with her situation, as she is completely alone during this terrifying time. 

I found that this line, “history is like a horror story” (66) is powerful because it is, unfortunately, a true statement. Horror movies have been around for many years, whether it is about supernatural beings or creepy dolls, it makes it easy to forget the true horror story (or rather stories) that has actually occurred in reality, which is history. Something that every country has, and some may even try to hide it. For Canada, one of the dark histories was the residential schools that were (and still is) extremely traumatic to Indigenous people. 

A question I have for my classmates is: what are some similarities between this novel and Perec’s “W, or the Memory of Childhood” as memories are one of the main themes in both stories.

Week 10- Fuentes “The Old Gringo”

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For this week, I have chosen to read “The Old Gringo” written by Carlos Fuentes, which from the book cover I thought this novel would be mainly focused on the Mexican revolution. However, there seemed to be so much more themes in this story. 

One of them was an unexpected love triangle of some sort between Harriet Winslow, Arroyo, and the old gringo, who is later revealed to be Ambrose Bierce, an American author who went to Mexico with a desire to die in the Mexican revolution. The old gringo seemed to have developed romantic feelings towards Harriet, who is an American woman that traveled to Mexico to teach children, and his feelings seem more genuine compared to Arroyo. Although personally, I find it quite odd and uncomfortable, as in the novel, it also seems to imply that the old gringo and Harriet have a father-daughter dynamic. As when he was killed, she said that he was her father and she wanted to “[bury] him in Arlington Cemetery beside her mother” (179). She also called the old gringo, “papa” (182) to his corpse. I’m not exactly sure how the author would want the readers to think of this pair, but I think it seems that both the old gringo and Harriet’s love for each other are one-sided in a way. As the old gringo has a romantic love for Harriet, while she has more of a parental love (implied) towards the old gringo. While Arroyo mainly targeted Harriet because he wanted to hurt the old gringo for betraying him. He threatens her that he will murder the old gringo if she doesn’t have a sexual relationship with him (which is very disturbing). Harriet wanted to protect the old gringo which began their side of the “love” triangle. 

Also, the lectures mention how repetition is a common theme in this novel, as the story begins and ends with the same line, “Now she sits alone and remembers” (3 and 199). I find stories that start and end with the same line quite interesting as it symbolizes coming full circle. Towards the end of the novel, Colonel Frutos Garcia tells Harriet that they respect her “because [she is] the one who will remember it all” (183), and I found that line extremely powerful and tragic. As both the old gringo and Arroyo are dead, their “love” triangle story, the memories between them, only exists because Harriet is the only one alive. The memories from the old gringo and Arroyo all cease to exist when they have passed, Harriet is the unfortunate one that will remember everything.

She is the only one left.

A question I have for my classmates is do you think Harriet viewed the old gringo as a father figure or as a love interest?

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