Black Shack Alley left me feeling a certain numb sadness that I can’t quite describe. It felt like I was watching José slowly lose himself and his joy/passion as he followed the path of education and achieved these milestones, and it was quite sad to watch this progress. I could feel my mood dropping throughout […]
This book left me feeling quite despairing. I knew we were going to lose M’man Tine as soon as things started looking up for José but it still devastated me. She fought so hard for that boy, and he in turn was kept going with the hope of making her life better when he finished […]
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with black shack alley, family, oppression, poverty, sacrifice
It took me longer to get through this novel, but as I slowly warmed up to the setting and the narrative, I became drawn in by Zobal’s world and character building. M’man Tine’s character, in particular, was what struck me the most. Her sacrifices and strict expectations since the time of raising Delia are what allowed the later generations of…
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with class, education, hope, liked, racism, regret, sacrifice, Zobal
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 […]
Posted in Blogs, Zobel | Tagged with education, inequality, racism, sacrifice
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)
Posted in Blogs, Zobel | Tagged with 4 Stars, family, sacrifice
This week I decided to read The Time of the Doves by Mercé Rodoreda. I really felt a difference engaging with the novel by having the paper copy rather than a PDF. I really enjoyed reading Rodoreda’s detail and uses of literary devices such as “cool as a cucumber”(pg.25) and “raining cats and dogs”(pg.67). At …
Posted in Blogs, Rodoreda | Tagged with doves, sacrifice, Spain, war
