A conversation with Gaoheng Zhang
Questions on Agostino
1962 adaptation of Moravia’s novel
Agostino is a coming-of-age novel that follows the very short timeline of the main character, a young boy Agostino’s loss of innocence. In the novel, Agostino (13) and his widowed mother are on a vacation in which his mother sparks … Continue reading
This was a very interesting and enjoyable read. The story delves into the psychological torture that the innocent and timid Agostino must endure as he accompanies his mother on her boat rides. Growing up in a sheltered and conservative household, I saw myself empathizing with him. I felt as if I was right there with […]
While reading “Agostino,” I was struck by a distinct tone of the Freudian; the ways in which maturing from the child to the teenager–and various ventures into adulthood in-between–are contrasted with a love, innocent or otherwise, of a maternal figure central to one’s life. Although one may be tempted to refer to the relationship between […]
Okay, so I finished reading Agostino, and I would definitely say that I have some mixed feelings about this novel (to say the least). It is absolutely a novel about coming of age, class, self-discovery, but has some other themes such as love, lust, brutality, and low-key incest. I particularly enjoyed how it was written; […]
The novel Agostino by Alberto Moravia was an interesting read. I can confidently say that the story was not what I was expecting it to be. When the novel started, I enjoyed reading the story and seeing the progression of the character. It began to confuse me and then shock me with the content of the story. It followed a young Agostino on a vacation with his mother and all of the things that happen to them. The story examines the intricacies and confusion of growing up. He struggles with bullying and being picked on by older boys. He then becomes eager to belong to the group that had previously picked on him. He explores his confusing feelings surrounding his mother as she leaves him alone daily. He feels overprotective and confusing sexual feelings.
Most of the story takes place on the beach and I enjoyed reading that. I like when stories take place in natural environments and can greatly explain the setting of the story. A strong story setting creates a more enjoyable reading experience.
The first theme I noticed, as I am sure everyone else did, was how it seemed a bit Oedipus-like. The Oedipus Complex is a widely known theory where a young child will view their opposite-sex parent in a sexual manner and compete with their same-sex parent. Eventually, as the child grows, they lose those desires. It was pretty uncomfortable to read, especially after the bullies spark Agostino’s thoughts. He then begins to spy on his mother in hopes of seeing her naked. He describes her movements in great deal as he peeks on her. He has a seemingly love-hate relationship with his mother and almost uses his newfound friends as an escape from her. After this, he and his friends go spy on a brothel although they do not enter it. I was very shocked that the boys did not enter the brothel as it seemed like they were going to. It was important to the story that the boys showed the restraint to not enter the brothel. Because of that, I thought that he would have clarified his feelings surrounding his mother before the end of the story.
My question is, how do you think the story would have changed had Agostino entered the brothel?
Personally, I think that he would have lost all of his childhood innocence in an extremely short amount of time. That exposure would have been too mature and scaring for the young boy.
The novel Agostino by Alberto Moravia was an interesting read. I can confidently say that the story was not what I was expecting it to be. When the novel started, I enjoyed reading the story and seeing the progression of the character. It began to confuse me and then shock me with the content of the story. It followed a young Agostino on a vacation with his mother and all of the things that happen to them. The story examines the intricacies and confusion of growing up. He struggles with bullying and being picked on by older boys. He then becomes eager to belong to the group that had previously picked on him. He explores his confusing feelings surrounding his mother as she leaves him alone daily. He feels overprotective and confusing sexual feelings.
Most of the story takes place on the beach and I enjoyed reading that. I like when stories take place in natural environments and can greatly explain the setting of the story. A strong story setting creates a more enjoyable reading experience.
The first theme I noticed, as I am sure everyone else did, was how it seemed a bit Oedipus-like. The Oedipus Complex is a widely known theory where a young child will view their opposite-sex parent in a sexual manner and compete with their same-sex parent. Eventually, as the child grows, they lose those desires. It was pretty uncomfortable to read, especially after the bullies spark Agostino’s thoughts. He then begins to spy on his mother in hopes of seeing her naked. He describes her movements in great deal as he peeks on her. He has a seemingly love-hate relationship with his mother and almost uses his newfound friends as an escape from her. After this, he and his friends go spy on a brothel although they do not enter it. I was very shocked that the boys did not enter the brothel as it seemed like they were going to. It was important to the story that the boys showed the restraint to not enter the brothel. Because of that, I thought that he would have clarified his feelings surrounding his mother before the end of the story.
My question is, how do you think the story would have changed had Agostino entered the brothel?
Personally, I think that he would have lost all of his childhood innocence in an extremely short amount of time. That exposure would have been too mature and scaring for the young boy.
Agostino by Moravia caught me by surprise, to say the least. At first, I found myself enjoying the book on…
