Student Blogs

 This was a very difficult read this week. I don't know if it was the midterm stress or the context or length of the book in general, but I had difficulty grasping the nuances of Deep Rivers. However, I found the writing style flowed in a way that... read full post >>

Surprise surprise… today I will be discussing yet another coming of age story. José María Arguedas’s “Deep Rivers” is a journey through the heart of Peru and through finding a sense of belonging. For this blog post I’m focusing on the dynamics of the setting, because I’m getting a little bored of talking only about […] read full post >>

Impression   This week’s reading on Black Shack Alley covers underlying themes including slavery, poverty, violence, trauma, and colonialism. Readings of some of the descriptive writings illustrating the violence and infliction of pain such as the bruising instilled disheartening images to me as I read. The themes in this book are much more serious than […] read full post >>

Deep Rivers by José María Arguedas.   This week’s read was definitely a ride for me. I don’t think I’ve ever looked up words or referred to the footnote this much when reading a book, but it was fascinating reading about the culture, their language, and the nature of the Andean people. I really liked […] read full post >>

Going from Agostino to Black Shack Alley, I think I can appreciate that the latter really allows the reader to experience life as a child should, with elements of innocence and naivety despite the harsh circumstances that surround Jose. Although both books feature a young boy journeying through adolescence, I think I’m able to connect … Continue reading Thoughts on Black Shack Alley read full post >>

As I was reading through Joseph Zobel’s “Black Shack Alley”, I found myself immersed in a world that was both familiar and foreign. The novel, set in early 20th century Martinique, follows the life of José, a young boy grappling with the realities of post-colonial life which is greatly different from my life. However, his […] read full post >>

Hi everyone, this week I read “Black Shack Alley” by Joseph Zobel. The story follows José, who starts out living in Black Shack Alley, as he grows up with his grandmother M’man Tine. I found this book harder to get through than the other readings. Acce... read full post >>

Hi everyone, this week I read “Black Shack Alley” by Joseph Zobel. The story follows José, who starts out living in Black Shack Alley, as he grows up with his grandmother M’man Tine. I found this book harder to get through than the other readings. Acce... read full post >>

Joseph Zobel’s Black Shack Alley is a story encompassed with true raw human emotion and the brutalities of life. It was an amazing read, albeit there were heartbreaking moments of inequalities where I felt genuinely sad; Zobel does an incredible job of engaging the reader and evoking emotions. From the very first line, “Whenever the day had […] read full post >>

Hey everyone! I’m super excited to talk about this week’s reading “Deep Rivers” by Jose Maria Arguedas. The novel dives into the Peruvian Andean culture and surrounds the story of Ernesto, who is a young boy torn between two worlds.  Ernesto’s upbringing is a blend of his indigenous Quechua traditions and Western education as he […] read full post >>

Black Shack Alley by Joseph Zobel was a touching read that had so many unique perspectives on growing up. At the core of this novel, we are taken through Jose’s journey of growing up, which is what we have seen in quite a few of the books we have read so far. However, Jose’s experiences […] read full post >>

I liked this book a lot. The language seems to really encapsulate the characters’ backgrounds and delineate them in a detailed and representative way “I really enjoyed following the curves of her old straw hat, its form crushed by her basket, its rim water-soaked and made wavy by the rain” (pg. 6). It felt like […] read full post >>

This book was long. Yet so immersive and so interesting, with its integrated Quechuan words with their translations at the footnote. I found the usage of these untranslated words helped me understand and visualize the culture the author has tried to portray. In addition to the descriptions of towns, the churches, the bell ringing, lighting […] read full post >>

This book follows the hardships of those who were trapped by the French aristocracy and told they would be free, yet are still victims of poverty and oppression. Working in the sugar cane fields because it is their only source of income they are invisible to everybody else. I found this book extremely enlightening and […] read full post >>

For my week 6 reading I chose the book titled ‘Black Shack Alley’ by Joseph Zobel, a book set in colonial Martinique and follows the educational journey of the character of Jose. To start off, I am aware I am falling into a pattern of starting my posts this way, but I absolutely loved this […] read full post >>