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For this week’s reading, I read the novel “Black Shack Alley ” by Joseph Zobel. Before choosing this novel, I read a preface on it which deeply caught my attention and interest. I enjoy reading novels about real-life events/ history which is what this story entailed. The novel truly lived up to its expectations making […] read full post >>

I found that the novel ‘Deep Rivers’ by Arguedas was a little intimidating to read as it being set in Peruvian Andes emphasizes on the social injustices faced by different races, cultures and customs; racial inequality, colonisation and feelings of discrimination and injustice. To be honest, I was also a little confused at the beginning […] read full post >>

One thing that was interesting about this novel, similar to the others that we’ve read in this class, is that it is told from a child’s perspective and point of view. I expected that it would be a bit darker in a sense simply because of the fact that it deals with racism and plantations […] read full post >>

This book is a novel written in 1950 by Martinican author Joseph Zobel. The book paints a vivid picture of life on the French-colonized Caribbean island of Martinique through the eyes of a young boy named José. Through the eyes of the young protagonist, José, Zobel masterfully captures the struggles, hopes, and dreams of the […] read full post >>

February, 13th, 2024 Going into this week’s book, Deep Rivers, I was expecting to read a story about childhood, and finding yourself as you grow up. This is exactly what I got, yet it was so different from my expectations. But one can argue that there shouldn’t have been any expectations going into it. I […] read full post >>

This week’s reading took me on a journey into the world of growing up black and impoverished in Martinique during the colonial era, delving into themes of colonialism, slavery, colorism, and prejudice. At first, I found the book a bit hard to read, as it touched on topics outside my comfort zone – and such […] read full post >>

Arguedas’s portays Peru in this time, as a country immersed in a new pardigram, one of modernization and turmoil in order to articulate these changing times Arguedas frames the narrative through the eyes of a young boy named, Ernesto. The narrative concentrates on the boys life that has been structured between a soico-political dichotomy, he […] read full post >>

Hello! This week’s book is called Deep Rivers and it is written by José María Arguedas. The story is narrated by Ernesto, a young child of mixed blood (both indigenous and white), who is taken to a Catholic boarding school. Ernesto’s coming-of-age experience is chronicled in the book as he struggles with his identity and […] read full post >>

A. Initial Thoughts “Black Shack Alley” ruined me. I felt very sentimental as this was the first novel where I felt a connection with the novel’s protagonist, José. Specifically, his relationship with his grandmother, M’man Tine—a figure of strength and hard work to provide opportunities to José—demonstrates the hardships parents or parental figures go through … Continue reading Black Shack Alley: Sacrifices Made for Us (Feb 13) read full post >>

 I want to start by saying that I did not come to enjoy this book as much as the others we have read so far, maybe this is because the main character was so and his experiences are so different compared to mine so I was unable to relate to him as ... read full post >>

 I want to start by saying that I did not come to enjoy this book as much as the others we have read so far, maybe this is because the main character was so and his experiences are so different compared to mine so I was unable to relate to him as ... read full post >>

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well, todays blog is going to be about “Black Shack Alley” which is a novel written by Joseph Zobel in 1950. My general opinion is that I found this book interesting and thought it was a good reading, it didn’t feel to me like it was written in … read full post >>

This week’s reading was one of the better reads I’ve had, where “Black Shack Alley” by Zobel is a story about figuring out who you are and where you fit in. The main character, José, goes on to understand himself and the world around him. Right from the start, José feels pressure to do well […] read full post >>

This book was an easy read, although it was slow. The story is told from the perspective of a child who is first protected by the shield of his childlike innocence. It depicts a time when slavery had been abolished, but they were still forced to work under the same conditions. The book was delightful […] read full post >>

“For many days afterward I felt alone, completely isolated. I felt I should be like the great river, crossing the land, cutting through the rocks, undetainably and serenely flowing through mountains and forests, and entering the sea accompanied by a huge nation of birds that sang from the heavens” (63) This novel digs deep into […] read full post >>