I want to begin by mentioning that I found this novel much easier to read than Proust. I was constantly engaged and interested in learning more about the main character. The amount of dialogue and the rate of story progression almost made Mad Toy seem like a playwright. As a result, I feel like the chapters can be considered as “Acts” of the work, with each section being a region of key character development.
One thing that Arlt did exceptionally well is demonstrate how a person is a product of their environment, but only to an extent. Each action performed or role undertaken by Silvio was clearly influenced by the people around him. For example, there was a slight group polarization effect when he assembled his “gang” in the first chapter, where all members pushed each other to enact their actions. Moreover, in the second and third chapters, the main character did his best to fit into the jobs imposed on him (at the bookshop or in the army), which he ultimately could not. The fact that he was unable to acclimatize to these roles may be attributed to the type of person he was; he was someone that enjoyed literature and logic, he always had an opinion. These inherent, unique traits are what prevented him from just following orders or being forever disrespected at his workplace.
This work really felt like an authentic coming of age story due to the apparent changes in the main characters thought processes, actions and morals. The development in Silvio’s character was solidified at the end of each chapter where he made a major, somewhat spontaneous decision. For example, he threw the piece of coal at the bookshelf at the end of the second chapter or chose to turn his friend in for this robbery attempt. Both these actions demonstrate how he is has changed from his previous self in various aspects, with a full circle moment at the end of the last chapter: at the beginning of the work, Silvio was a thief, but at the end he reported a robbery. This action really showcases how much Silvio had changed as a character throughout his adolescence.
Overall, I really appreciated how this work demonstrated the role of the environment in shaping people and portrayed “coming of age” in a more “circular” light. At the end of this work, I felt like Arlt wrapped up the “loose ends” by making connections to earlier on in the story (by either bringing characters back or referencing certain events). Doing so, made the Silvio’s development feel more rewarding as it seems like he learned from the past. To wrap up my post, a question I have for you all is whether you think this is a well done coming of age story?
6 replies on “Mad Toy, a well executed coming of age story?”
Hi Zara!
Interesting analysis!
“One thing that Arlt did exceptionally well is demonstrate how a person is a product of their environment, but only to an extent”, perfectly summarizes the novel. Well done.
Please share your thoughts and ideas on the class!
If you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to make two comments on your classmates’ blogs
See you tomorrow.
Julián.
Hi, Zara! I would say yes, this is a well done coming-of-age story. Not only does it depict an ambitious adolescent who receives many reality checks, it also depicts the city of Buenos Aires as it grows and bustles throughout Silvio’s teenage years. As mentioned in the lecture videos, Arlt does ‘bad’ writing, he breaks some literature boundaries and Silvio does this, too. He starts off a thief, and ends by betraying a good friend of his. He is an avid reader who aspires to be something great, yet has this malicious side of him that, at times, wishes ill on others. It is slightly confusing all the different parts of his personality we see, but when you think of Silvio and his actions as of as a (partial) product of his environment like you said in your post, you can begin to understand what drives him to act that way.
Hi Zara!
I definitely agree that this was a very much easier read than Combray.
I do think this is a great coming of age story, when compared to other novels i’ve read this one felt alot more real. I kept feeling bad for silvio throughout the novel partly because of his situation, but also because i was thinking there’s people out there in real life facing similar fates and can’t escape it due to the environments they’re in. I feel like everyone can relate to silvio to an extent whether when they were ambitious teens or when they were faced with the reality of adulthood which makes mad toy a very compelling read.
Hey Zara!! I loved your post, and I agree with everything you said. I agree that Arlt did a wonderful job showing Silvio growing up and changing as a person. What I especially liked is how he hints that Silvio wasn’t the only one that changed, all those side characters from previous chapters also changed (we see that through the conversation between Lucio and Silvio in the last chapter).
I think the idea of reading the chapter as acts is something i really like. This is because it captures both the pacing and the way each section marks a clear shift in silvio’s department. Thank you for sharing your thoughts 🙂
Great post Zara! I also agree that Silvio is shaped by his environment but his personality keeps getting in the way of him fitting in. I think it’s a good coming-of-age story just messier and more realistic than usual!