This novel was, in a sense, eye-opening for me. I find this to be mainly due to the unfortunate circumstances that Lila and Elena endured from such a young age. From poverty to violence and just a struggle of trying to find a way to be something when surrounded by negativity. It really brought a […]
Posted in Blogs, Ferrante | Tagged with childhood, coming of age, Envy, friendship, growing up, jealousy, realistic, reflection, Romance text, separation, violence, Weekly Response, youth
Over the course, we have read many texts that have overarching themes of war, violence, and memories. We have even reflected on our own and focused on discussions of motherhood, growing up, betrayal, and context differences. My favourite conversation this far was when we talked about Amulet and connected mothers from the other texts like the Shrouded Woman or Time of the Doves. Some of the books I hadn’t read but diving deep into motherhood, the different types of mothers, and values they held, and what it truly means to be a mother was very eye-opening. For example, one book that I didn’t read had a mother who wanted to kill her children for their benefit, which seems very wrong in our definitions of motherhood. I loved all the books we read over this term, and connecting them was a great way to understand further what romance studies is and how you can connect themes and language styles to send a message.
Childhood was a big theme in many of the texts and growing up to adapting to be an adult, especially in Proust, W or Memory of Childhood, and Agostino. Many new experiences changed them to be more mature and develop their identity. Even though each story was set in a different time and place, the process is still somewhat the same. There are things to learn, achieve respect and maturity, and go through cultural events to shape you to become an adult. However, these stories are not neat; they are messy and come with betrayal, confusion, lost memories from trauma, and childhood experiences that hinder one from maturing. Children’s voices show us a new perspective that adults lack. The innocent curiosity and gratefulness to the world are essential childlike values that adults stray away from. Children are dreamers, and constantly focussing on reality takes us away from life, and we don’t take time to enjoy the little things children notice because they are seeing things and experiencing things for the first time. Children will ask questions, adults are too scared to, and they miss the true truths of life.
Unlike childhood, some texts focus on the present time being more important than memories, like the Society of Reluctant Dreamers, Bonjour Tristesse and the Shrouded Woman. In these texts, children take power and betray their parents/guardians. It doesn’t focus on the childhood memories but on the child’s ambitions, which most of the time end up hurting people because they are immature. It challenges the theme of ordinary parents always being in power over their children. In Bonjour Tristesse, Cecile plans to betray Anne, her guardian and does not care about any wisdom Anne has given her; instead lets her ambitions get the best of her and end in a sad betrayal.
All these texts challenge our world traditions and challenge language by revealing things that are not natural. They use words that uncover themes that the real world does not fully understand. Romance studies is not a representation of the real world. It represents the uncovered, unconscious, not natural world, as these texts travel around and are read in different contexts. Romance studies opens up this world and challenges the perspective of the real world. Romance studies is not separate; it fits into the world’s history and movements.
I loved the quote from the concluding lecture, “A minor literature doesn’t come from a minor language; it is rather that which a minority constructs within a major language” (Deleuze & Guattari)
Romance studies may be a minor language, not seen by the naked eye. Still, it is that minority that emerges itself into a majority language (ex. French) that all can understand so that Romance studies is shared throughout the world. Romance studies is ever-changing and growing, fighting its way to stay in the world, especially as a minor language, because everything today is read in English. Romance studies is connected and unconnected to this world; it is full of memories, dreams, hidden feelings, thoughts, revolutions, and betrayal. Most of all, Romance studies is hidden in everything.
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with childhood, context, dreamers, hidden, language, memories, perspective, reality, relationships, theme, war
Over the course, we have read many texts that have overarching themes of war, violence, and memories. We have even reflected on our own and focused on discussions of motherhood, growing up, betrayal, and context differences. My favourite conversation this far was when we talked about Amulet and connected mothers from the other texts like the Shrouded Woman or Time of the Doves. Some of the books I hadn’t read but diving deep into motherhood, the different types of mothers, and values they held, and what it truly means to be a mother was very eye-opening. For example, one book that I didn’t read had a mother who wanted to kill her children for their benefit, which seems very wrong in our definitions of motherhood. I loved all the books we read over this term, and connecting them was a great way to understand further what romance studies is and how you can connect themes and language styles to send a message.
Childhood was a big theme in many of the texts and growing up to adapting to be an adult, especially in Proust, W or Memory of Childhood, and Agostino. Many new experiences changed them to be more mature and develop their identity. Even though each story was set in a different time and place, the process is still somewhat the same. There are things to learn, achieve respect and maturity, and go through cultural events to shape you to become an adult. However, these stories are not neat; they are messy and come with betrayal, confusion, lost memories from trauma, and childhood experiences that hinder one from maturing. Children’s voices show us a new perspective that adults lack. The innocent curiosity and gratefulness to the world are essential childlike values that adults stray away from. Children are dreamers, and constantly focussing on reality takes us away from life, and we don’t take time to enjoy the little things children notice because they are seeing things and experiencing things for the first time. Children will ask questions, adults are too scared to, and they miss the true truths of life.
Unlike childhood, some texts focus on the present time being more important than memories, like the Society of Reluctant Dreamers, Bonjour Tristesse and the Shrouded Woman. In these texts, children take power and betray their parents/guardians. It doesn’t focus on the childhood memories but on the child’s ambitions, which most of the time end up hurting people because they are immature. It challenges the theme of ordinary parents always being in power over their children. In Bonjour Tristesse, Cecile plans to betray Anne, her guardian and does not care about any wisdom Anne has given her; instead lets her ambitions get the best of her and end in a sad betrayal.
All these texts challenge our world traditions and challenge language by revealing things that are not natural. They use words that uncover themes that the real world does not fully understand. Romance studies is not a representation of the real world. It represents the uncovered, unconscious, not natural world, as these texts travel around and are read in different contexts. Romance studies opens up this world and challenges the perspective of the real world. Romance studies is not separate; it fits into the world’s history and movements.
I loved the quote from the concluding lecture, “A minor literature doesn’t come from a minor language; it is rather that which a minority constructs within a major language” (Deleuze & Guattari)
Romance studies may be a minor language, not seen by the naked eye. Still, it is that minority that emerges itself into a majority language (ex. French) that all can understand so that Romance studies is shared throughout the world. Romance studies is ever-changing and growing, fighting its way to stay in the world, especially as a minor language, because everything today is read in English. Romance studies is connected and unconnected to this world; it is full of memories, dreams, hidden feelings, thoughts, revolutions, and betrayal. Most of all, Romance studies is hidden in everything.
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with childhood, context, dreamers, hidden, language, memories, perspective, reality, relationships, theme, war
After reading “My Brilliant Friend” by Elena Ferrante, I learned some clues about why Lila has disappeared. The most important clues of them all took place in her childhood. Unlike Elena, Lila had two characteristics that were different from any other kids at that time: Lila lives unconventionally and she challenges the authority. Born with […]
Posted in Blogs, Ferrante | Tagged with childhood, Italy, violence
I absolutely adored the concept of this book by Perec and I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter whether it made sense or not. The themes of fantasy and reality are really expressed here and it shows that the author may be contemplating the choice of W over the realism of his memories. The “real” portion of […]
Near the beginning of the novel, the narrator, Georges, explains that he has very little memories from his childhood. He has lived a very difficult early life, losing both his parents during WWII, and moving from different boarding houses to different family members as he grew up in a war-torn world as a young child. […]
Posted in Blogs, Perec | Tagged with childhood, memories, war
Hey everyone! This week I will be reflecting on my reading of Georges Perec’s novel, W or The Memory of…
Posted in Blogs, Perec | Tagged with childhood, form and structure, memory, reflection, title page
Georges Perec’s novel, “W, or the Memory of Childhood” is an interesting mix of reality and imagination. I found the writing style to be quite similar to Proust’s and Aragon’s as Perec often jumped between different memories and thoughts. Something I found intriguing was how Perec describes the relationship between writing and the people from … Continue reading Week 8: Perec’s “W, or the Memory of Childhood” →
Posted in Blogs, Perec | Tagged with autobiography, childhood, family, history, Imagination, memory, narrative, perspective, relationships, Romance Studies
I love world-building in fiction. This doesn’t necessarily mean the grand scope of Martin or Tolkien, or excruciating detail in location and set pieces, but rather the attention to the broader world that a story is set, and the development of systems within this world that echo our own. What most interested me in these two stories that Perec tells, was the specifics of W, and the sport-nation which he describes there.
I’d like to highlight some of the interesting things in this idea of a sport-obsessed world. First, there is a fantastical, mythical element about it: a secluded island where this athletic way of life is the only one. It is not far from our own way of living, where it is not only sport that is incredibly important (though it is often referred to in a religious sense, from the “Temple of Speed” at the Italian Grand Prix, to the “Hockey Gods” which are so often referenced by NHL media and fans), but also this sense of competition. Much of Western society is set up to compete by these same principles–for money, status or wealth.
On the topic of capital, the sporting organization in W revolves around sport and makes it seem as bureaucratic and boring as finance and modern capitalism, where low-ranking officials of the Central Authority, divy up the national organization. The way the sport is described is so organized and rule-driven, it echoes the numeric quality of the capital denominations, rather than the creativity and brilliance that drives our own love of sport in reality oftentimes.
I feel like this world borrows heavily from our own, but in a twisted sense, in that it takes something so beloved, but shows much of the less appealing sides of it, which ultimately also deliver to the reader some of the less appealing aspects of the remainder of society as well. It feels so capitalistic, bureaucratic, and dull, as opposed to romantic and glorious like the Olympiad we read about in myths. In terms of sport, I think this shows the beauty of the game itself, which as we move forward becomes more and more obscured by money. In terms of life, I think it highlights the competitive climate which our society builds in general.
I love world-building in fiction. This doesn’t necessarily mean the grand scope of Martin or Tolkien, or excruciating detail in location and set pieces, but rather the attention to the broader world that a story is set, and the development of systems within this world that echo our own. What most interested me in these two stories that Perec tells, was the specifics of W, and the sport-nation which he describes there.
I’d like to highlight some of the interesting things in this idea of a sport-obsessed world. First, there is a fantastical, mythical element about it: a secluded island where this athletic way of life is the only one. It is not far from our own way of living, where it is not only sport that is incredibly important (though it is often referred to in a religious sense, from the “Temple of Speed” at the Italian Grand Prix, to the “Hockey Gods” which are so often referenced by NHL media and fans), but also this sense of competition. Much of Western society is set up to compete by these same principles–for money, status or wealth.
On the topic of capital, the sporting organization in W revolves around sport and makes it seem as bureaucratic and boring as finance and modern capitalism, where low-ranking officials of the Central Authority, divy up the national organization. The way the sport is described is so organized and rule-driven, it echoes the numeric quality of the capital denominations, rather than the creativity and brilliance that drives our own love of sport in reality oftentimes.
I feel like this world borrows heavily from our own, but in a twisted sense, in that it takes something so beloved, but shows much of the less appealing sides of it, which ultimately also deliver to the reader some of the less appealing aspects of the remainder of society as well. It feels so capitalistic, bureaucratic, and dull, as opposed to romantic and glorious like the Olympiad we read about in myths. In terms of sport, I think this shows the beauty of the game itself, which as we move forward becomes more and more obscured by money. In terms of life, I think it highlights the competitive climate which our society builds in general.
