When thinking back on Joseph Zobel’s “Black Shack Alley” I am struck by theme of the individual seeking liberation from the limitations placed on them socially. The journey that young José embarks encapsulates the duality that many people, especially marginalized people, experience trying to affirm themselves and establish their own voice within a society whose […]
Posted in Blogs, Zobel | Tagged with classism, community, eurocentrism, marginalization, nostalgia, racism, simplicity, stories
When thinking back on Joseph Zobel’s “Black Shack Alley” I am struck by theme of the individual seeking liberation from the limitations placed on them socially. The journey that young José embarks encapsulates the duality that many people, especially marginalized people, experience trying to affirm themselves and establish their own voice within a society whose […]
Posted in Blogs, Zobel | Tagged with classism, community, eurocentrism, marginalization, nostalgia, racism, simplicity, stories
I want to start by saying that I enjoyed this week’s reading due to it being a linear storyline which makes it much easier to read but also by the fact that it is narrated which for me makes you feel much more in interaction with the reading and everything that is happening and because […]
There is an inherent classist structure which dominates the life described by Zobel, from the plantation workers to the Beke wealthy white island-dwellers. What struck me as interesting was the underlying Marxist tensions of the world that Zobel describes, and which is developed and more apparent in a few choice scenes, especially concerning Jose’s schooling, and his uncertain future working on the island.
The school scenes provide the most detailed development of these themes, especially when contrasted with a future of manual labour. In school, the teacher asks them to repeat the answers to the questions over and over in hopes of memorization. Rather than learn through understanding, it is hopes that pure repetition will create a positive experience and outcome. This is not an enviable way to learn and the class struggles with this method. It also showcases one of Marx’s main critiques of the modern labour era, where repetition and input were prized over creativity, or foundational ability.
We can see the flip side of this argument later, when Jose reveals that his marks are improving, and that he finally feels successful later in his third term, as he is finally “contributing to the class”. Marx believed that like students, workers would only be satisfied in their work if they were able to contribute to the end goal of the production in a meaningful way. Simply doing meaningless or repetitive tasks would not bring them satisfaction at work. Here, Jose feels like is improving and adding to the class and his education, and his ability is improving, as Marx writes in his critiques of work and classism.
I think overall, these themes are very important to the world of Black Shack Alley. The colonial nature of their life on the island makes these issues important–work and especially where these oppressed citizens work is key to their livelihood. M’man Tine says that Jose won’t have to work in the plantations like the rest of their community, and instead he may be able to work in the factory, which Jose likens to his new big school he attends outside of the village. The segregation of the people, and the nature of the work which rules their lives in Martinique exemplify much of Marx’s principles, and their is a deep social commentary at work here, as Zobel narrates his account of life on the island under colonial rule.
What social issues can you compare from Black Shack Alley with problems in current Western culture? Is colonialism, and the problems which stem from it, still affecting certain groups’ daily lives?
Posted in Blogs, Zobel | Tagged with Marx, Social Issues
There is an inherent classist structure which dominates the life described by Zobel, from the plantation workers to the Beke wealthy white island-dwellers. What struck me as interesting was the underlying Marxist tensions of the world that Zobel describes, and which is developed and more apparent in a few choice scenes, especially concerning Jose’s schooling, and his uncertain future working on the island.
The school scenes provide the most detailed development of these themes, especially when contrasted with a future of manual labour. In school, the teacher asks them to repeat the answers to the questions over and over in hopes of memorization. Rather than learn through understanding, it is hopes that pure repetition will create a positive experience and outcome. This is not an enviable way to learn and the class struggles with this method. It also showcases one of Marx’s main critiques of the modern labour era, where repetition and input were prized over creativity, or foundational ability.
We can see the flip side of this argument later, when Jose reveals that his marks are improving, and that he finally feels successful later in his third term, as he is finally “contributing to the class”. Marx believed that like students, workers would only be satisfied in their work if they were able to contribute to the end goal of the production in a meaningful way. Simply doing meaningless or repetitive tasks would not bring them satisfaction at work. Here, Jose feels like is improving and adding to the class and his education, and his ability is improving, as Marx writes in his critiques of work and classism.
I think overall, these themes are very important to the world of Black Shack Alley. The colonial nature of their life on the island makes these issues important–work and especially where these oppressed citizens work is key to their livelihood. M’man Tine says that Jose won’t have to work in the plantations like the rest of their community, and instead he may be able to work in the factory, which Jose likens to his new big school he attends outside of the village. The segregation of the people, and the nature of the work which rules their lives in Martinique exemplify much of Marx’s principles, and their is a deep social commentary at work here, as Zobel narrates his account of life on the island under colonial rule.
What social issues can you compare from Black Shack Alley with problems in current Western culture? Is colonialism, and the problems which stem from it, still affecting certain groups’ daily lives?
Posted in Blogs, Zobel | Tagged with Marx, Social Issues
Wow. This book floored me. On its own, it’s an incredibly engaging and well-written novel. However, it’s rendered so much more impressive when you factor in how young Françoise Sagan was when she wrote it. The uniqueness of a teenage author writing this narrative centered on the interpersonal relationships and teen angst of an adolescent […]
Posted in Blogs, Sagan | Tagged with coming of age, family, love, summer, teenager, youth
Sagan’s Bonjour Tristesse was an interesting read. I enjoyed reading about the privileged Cécile and her problems, more so because her issues seemed both superficial and deep simultaneously. While reading this text, I couldn’t help but make parallels to Moravia’s Agostino because of how the genders have reversed in Sagan’s text. Cécile is more mature about her feelings for her father as opposed to Agostino, a boy at the verge of puberty. I found the bond between Cécile and her father quite interesting because of the possessiveness she has over her father and how she views him more as a friend than a father in most situations.
I was quite perplexed about what to feel for Anne, as our narrator herself kept swaying between love and hate for her. Initially, she was excited at the prospect of her joining them, but over time she grew more impatient with her because of Anne’s need to ‘fix’ her. Moreover, it was hard to tell who was being ‘dramatic’ and who wasn’t solely from Cécile’s perspective because she switched from emotion to emotion herself. I found her awareness of her privilege and her spoilt lifestyle quite funny because of how openly she expressed her joy for the frivolous parties she attended. Her father supported this and even found joy in the fact that she thought this way. His character was also a weird one, and I found Cécile’s description of him as a ‘big baby’ to be quite accurate.
Often, it felt as if Cécile played the role of the parent instead of her father. This was an intriguing dynamic to read because both made careless, impulsive decisions, often without considering others. Overall, I found this portrayal of frivolity to be humorous to read.
Additionally, I agree with the idea proposed in the lecture that certain words and phrases cannot be translated as their meaning is only conveyed in the intended language. I find how Cécile welcomes this feeling of melancholy funny, purely because she adds her twist to it with the sarcastic tone she seems to say it with.
All in all, I enjoyed this text thoroughly. My question to the class would be: what did you think about Cécile’s privilege? How do you think it impacted the decisions that she made and the way she views people?
Posted in Blogs, Sagan | Tagged with family, narration, relationships
Sagan’s Bonjour Tristesse was an interesting read. I enjoyed reading about the privileged Cécile and her problems, more so because her issues seemed both superficial and deep simultaneously. While reading this text, I couldn’t help but make parallels to Moravia’s Agostino because of how the genders have reversed in Sagan’s text. Cécile is more mature about her feelings for her father as opposed to Agostino, a boy at the verge of puberty. I found the bond between Cécile and her father quite interesting because of the possessiveness she has over her father and how she views him more as a friend than a father in most situations.
I was quite perplexed about what to feel for Anne, as our narrator herself kept swaying between love and hate for her. Initially, she was excited at the prospect of her joining them, but over time she grew more impatient with her because of Anne’s need to ‘fix’ her. Moreover, it was hard to tell who was being ‘dramatic’ and who wasn’t solely from Cécile’s perspective because she switched from emotion to emotion herself. I found her awareness of her privilege and her spoilt lifestyle quite funny because of how openly she expressed her joy for the frivolous parties she attended. Her father supported this and even found joy in the fact that she thought this way. His character was also a weird one, and I found Cécile’s description of him as a ‘big baby’ to be quite accurate.
Often, it felt as if Cécile played the role of the parent instead of her father. This was an intriguing dynamic to read because both made careless, impulsive decisions, often without considering others. Overall, I found this portrayal of frivolity to be humorous to read.
Additionally, I agree with the idea proposed in the lecture that certain words and phrases cannot be translated as their meaning is only conveyed in the intended language. I find how Cécile welcomes this feeling of melancholy funny, purely because she adds her twist to it with the sarcastic tone she seems to say it with.
All in all, I enjoyed this text thoroughly. My question to the class would be: what did you think about Cécile’s privilege? How do you think it impacted the decisions that she made and the way she views people?
Posted in Blogs, Sagan | Tagged with family, narration, relationships
Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan was a bittersweet book about Cecile, a 17-year-old girl, as she grows up and learns…
Posted in Blogs, Sagan | Tagged with coming of age, France
With each reading we have read, the easier and more enjoyable they are. I wonder if I’m getting better at reading translated works, as I originally found them tricky to digest, or if they are simply more interesting or are written using easier language. Perhaps for this one, it’s the fact that the narrator is […]
Posted in Blogs, Sagan | Tagged with cecile, hellosadness, literature, romancestudies, romanticliterature, ubc
