Trigger Warnings: Mentions of incestuous behaviours, toxic masculinity, and pedophilia. Cover Painting: Tavik F. Simon “Sunny Beach” 1934 “He felt as if he had bartered away his former innocence, not for the virile, serene condition he had aspired to, but rather, for a confused hybrid state in which, without any form of recompense, the old […]
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with adolescence, innocence, Maturing, sexism, sexuality, Toxic masculinity, youth
While reading Agostino, I found myself saying “What?!” audibly every time a scene surprises me. During other times, I even physically back away from my screen when I feel uncomfortable. For instance, when Agostino describes his mother’s appearance, and…
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with Abandonment, class, youth
While reading Agostino, I found myself saying “What?!” audibly every time a scene surprises me. During other times, I even physically back away from my screen when I feel uncomfortable. For instance, when Agostino describes his mother’s appearance, and…
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with Abandonment, class, youth
In the beginning, Agostino’s jealousy toward his mother’s lover immediately reminded me of Proust, since he also yearns for his mother’s kisses. Both characters coveted attention from their mothers; their identities are partly contingent upon their mothers’ affection. For instance, the kisses from Prosut’s mother give him satisfaction and a sense of connection with her. […]
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with life, perspective, time, youth
Alberto Moravia’s novel, “Agostino,” follows the story of a young boy transitioning into adolescence while exploring themes like identity, loss of innocence and sexual awakening. While many adolescents struggle with a sense of identity during their journey of self-discovery and growth, Agostino seemed to have matured much too fast in the span of one summer. […]
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with adolescence, identity, innocence, relationships, youth
In contrast to Proust’s “Combray,” which I found to be longer and more difficult to read, this week’s reading was Roberto Arlt’s “Mad Toy.” I connected more deeply with “Mad Toy.” I couldn’t help but consider the difficulties individuals, particularly those from the working class, experience on a daily basis. I had the impression that […]
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with Friendgroup, growth, Roberto Arlt, seperation, teenage, youth
This novel was much easier to read than “Combray” and it was also more entertaining. I really enjoyed the structure of this book and how it was broken into distinct parts. I loved seeing the different stages of Silvio’s life. Right from the start I was very intrigued by Silvio’s fascination with bandits and theft. […]
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with intelligence, jobs, life, love, madtoy, mother, theft, youth
Roberto Arlt’s novel, “Mad Toy,” was a refreshing coming-of-age novel that invited readers to follow the harrowing journey of a struggling youth named Silvio Astier. In the first chapter, “The Band of Thieves,” Silvio befriended Enrique Irzubeta and Lucio. Together, the three adolescents became members of the “Club of the Midnight Horsemen,” entangled in a […]
Posted in Arlt, Blogs | Tagged with Argentina, crime, identity, madtoy, poverty, youth
Hey everyone! I’m so excited to do this first blog entry and get started with the course! This week’s reading, Marcel Proust’s “Combray” was genuinely like stepping into a whole new universe and was so different compared to anything I’ve read before. It was tough and there were moments of difficulty reading the text but […]
Posted in Blogs, Proust | Tagged with books, Characters, Dreams, family, Gothic, in-search-of-lost-time, life, literature, marcel proust, memory, time, youth
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
