Student Blogs

Being one of the most influential authors of the 20th century, Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time is an important piece in the literature of the Romance World, which gave us a good understanding about the everyday lives of French people in the late 19th century. This week’s reading Combray part 1 and 2 […] read full post >>

Hey Everyone, I found myself highlighting almost half of every page while reading Paris Peasant. All that and I still don’t understand the main concept. This is often the case for me when it comes to reading mixed-media pieces, as they do not necessarily make up a single story rather many small stories that intertwine.  […] read full post >>

Marcel Proust is an author who, despite the age of his works, portrays with great creativity the ever-present human condition–it is for this reason that his writing remains relevant. In his story “Combray,” readers are taken on a lucid journey not unlike a dream. The subjects ranging from childhood innocence to loves lost are made […] read full post >>

For a lack of better introduction, this week’s reading reminded me of one solitary thing; the concept of deja-vu. I found that with the beginning of the chapter, the vivid imagery persisted and felt so increasingly reminiscent that I could no longer decipher whether the character was asleep or awake. I found myself making sense […] read full post >>

This is my first time reading Proust. What I liked about the reading was the power of his imagination that imbued his experiences. His imagination seems to constantly overpower his reality but he eventually manages to subsume his reality, which is often disappointing, into his imagination. Reading this novel is also a form of cultural […] read full post >>

Hey everyone! This week’s reading, part 1 of Marcel Proust’s Swann’s Way was a peculiar read. One of the things... read full post >>

Before starting this text, I will say that I found the idea of it daunting. I did not have much of an idea of what to expect, other than the thought that probably I would find it challenging, and didn’t know if it would end up being something that I enjoyed. This mindset, I found, … Continue reading Proust → read full post >>

Marcel Proust’s Combray was a challenging yet profound read for me. I expected to run into some trouble trying to... read full post >>

Proust’s “Combray” has many different elements working all at the same time. There are many aspects of the text to discuss and infinitely more meanings to take from these aspects. Throughout the text, I had an issue pinning down the tone which Pr... read full post >>

Proust’s “Combray” has many different elements working all at the same time. There are many aspects of the text to discuss and infinitely more meanings to take from these aspects. Throughout the text, I had an issue pinning down the tone which Pr... read full post >>

I found Marcel Proust’s “Combray” to be a great portrayal of his main ideas in the novel for many reasons, and I also found it to be quite enjoyable read. I specifically enjoyed the way in which he gets his … Continue reading → read full post >>

As the first text of the semester, it was definitely an interesting experience as it was, as I’m sure was the same for many, my first piece translated from a romance language. I can definitely agree with having difficulty reading through it, often going back through sentences and paragraphs to make sense of what I […] read full post >>

Combray - Proust 

Part 1 of Combray definitely left me confused. Although it was beautifully written and was clear on some aspects of the plot, I still found it very difficult to follow any kind of storyline. This may because, from my understanding, Marcel is going back and fourth from reality to dreams/memories. If that is the case then maybe I was not supposed to follow a direct plot and it was supposed to feel like it was jumping from one thing to another. I'm not sure which parts Marcel was awake and which were dreams. Since I do not feel like I understood the story a whole lot, I will speak on the few themes I did catch from my reading and some things I liked about it. 

The first thing I noticed within the first page was the use of imagery. Throughout the entire book I was able to visualize exactly what the author was trying to describe. One major example of this is when he was describing the stained - glass windows. I thought it was beautiful when he was speaking about how the light shining through the glass changed at all different times of day creating different shapes and colours, giving the illusion of a different room even though it was the same one, providing a sense of unfamiliarity as the glass changes. Giving Marcel relief from bad memories that took place in that place. 

Another part that I thought was very real and stood out to me was Marcels relationship with his mother. There is a sense of attachment to her and the goodnight kisses she would give to him before bed. He would listen for her and when she would leave he wished he could get another. When she took too long to come or the goodnight was not long enough, a major anxiety was caused. This showed insight into Marcels characters emotions and the relationship he has with his parents. He says that his father would not approve of this deep connection he has towards these goodnight kisses as it would hold him back from independence. When Swann would visit, his mother would not come give him a goodnight kiss resulting in sadness. I believe these types of experiences can easily be related to many peoples childhoods and positive or negative relationships with parents. 

Overall I thought this book used amazing description and imagery to bring each sentence to life. Although I didn't completely follow, it was still enjoyable to visualize the locations described and appreciate the moments of the book I did understand. 

read full post >>

Combray - Proust 

Part 1 of Combray definitely left me confused. Although it was beautifully written and was clear on some aspects of the plot, I still found it very difficult to follow any kind of storyline. This may because, from my understanding, Marcel is going back and fourth from reality to dreams/memories. If that is the case then maybe I was not supposed to follow a direct plot and it was supposed to feel like it was jumping from one thing to another. I'm not sure which parts Marcel was awake and which were dreams. Since I do not feel like I understood the story a whole lot, I will speak on the few themes I did catch from my reading and some things I liked about it. 

The first thing I noticed within the first page was the use of imagery. Throughout the entire book I was able to visualize exactly what the author was trying to describe. One major example of this is when he was describing the stained - glass windows. I thought it was beautiful when he was speaking about how the light shining through the glass changed at all different times of day creating different shapes and colours, giving the illusion of a different room even though it was the same one, providing a sense of unfamiliarity as the glass changes. Giving Marcel relief from bad memories that took place in that place. 

Another part that I thought was very real and stood out to me was Marcels relationship with his mother. There is a sense of attachment to her and the goodnight kisses she would give to him before bed. He would listen for her and when she would leave he wished he could get another. When she took too long to come or the goodnight was not long enough, a major anxiety was caused. This showed insight into Marcels characters emotions and the relationship he has with his parents. He says that his father would not approve of this deep connection he has towards these goodnight kisses as it would hold him back from independence. When Swann would visit, his mother would not come give him a goodnight kiss resulting in sadness. I believe these types of experiences can easily be related to many peoples childhoods and positive or negative relationships with parents. 

Overall I thought this book used amazing description and imagery to bring each sentence to life. Although I didn't completely follow, it was still enjoyable to visualize the locations described and appreciate the moments of the book I did understand. 

read full post >>

Hi again! Before explaining my thoughts and interpretations of Proust’s novel, I want to briefly talk about what the content of my posts will look like. Since the literary analyses I have written in the past have mostly focused on … Continue reading → read full post >>