Student Blogs

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 >>

I can’t quite believe that just last week we were talking about incest and now we are making a sharp turn towards racism and colonialism. Black Shack Alley is one of the stand out novels that I have enjoyed so far in this class. This reading feels a lot more reminiscent of common literary novels […] read full post >>

For this week’s book I decided to read “Black Shack Alley” by Joseph Zobel. Objectively, this was a well written book that touches on larger topics such as poverty, racial inequality, and injustice through the eyes of someone who lived through this period. However, I did find the novel a little too long and did […] read full post >>

 I greatly enjoyed reading Black Shack Alley although it was at times challenging to read due to its subject matter and was certainly not the light reading I was hoping for in the midst of midterm season. The novel is set in Martinique, and detail... read full post >>

 I greatly enjoyed reading Black Shack Alley although it was at times challenging to read due to its subject matter and was certainly not the light reading I was hoping for in the midst of midterm season. The novel is set in Martinique, and detail... read full post >>

Hey everyone! This book was a struggle. I don’t know about y’all, but midterms are crushing me; I feel like I haven’t slept in a week, haha. “Deep Rivers” by José María Arguedas was one of the longest books I’ve read for this class. It was quite an adjustment compared to a short and captivating […] read full post >>

Black Shack Alley, a book by Joseph Zobel, is the story of a young boy navigating the struggles of childhood, in colonial Martinique. I especially enjoyed this book for its ability to weave intricate descriptions and exciting moments, capturing the essence of adolescence and its inevitable transition into adulthood. The novel is predicated on its …

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Deep Rivers by José María Arguedas tells the story of a young boy, Ernesto, who is of mixed heritage,and how he navigates the complexities of identity, culture, and tradition in rural Peru. This book is set in the  Andes, where Ernesto struggles with a clash felt between his indigenous roots and the colonial education he […] read full post >>