The End or perhaps the beginning

It has been a very interesting course, with a different approach to literature. At first I was waiting for more background information, as a way to provide a context but then quickly realized that this class was approaching literature from a different perspective. That perspective for me, was to read beyond the words on the page and instead to think of things like the concepts of family, the dynamics of relationships, pushing beyond what we would consider a normal behaviour, examining motivations, questioning reality and being open to different ways of living life.

Once I stepped away from my own framework of expectation, I found ways to go beyond the written word. There were affirmations of my beliefs about human nature, some surprises and some thoughtful discussions challenging me to look from a different point of view.

I think literature in and of it self, helps you to understand the world beyond your imagination while at the same time teaching you to appreciate and value what is around you. Literature also has a way of grounding oneself within their beliefs and ideas thereby offering the means to define themselves within the context of their reality.

Cien Anos - Part 4

My curiousity was peaked from Friday's class wondering what would be revealed by the end of the book. I wasn't sure what to expect but I did find the ending interesting. It is as though all the pieces of the book finally come together. However at the same time there is the idea of fate within the novel. That is, Melquiades had written the history 100 years ahead of time and it seemed that the events were already predetermined in the lives of the characters. That could suggest that Melquiades was a 'fortune teller of sorts' or maybe it simply means that history has a way of repeating itself and Marquez cleverly supports that idea through the constant repetition of names, relationships and the passion of love between individuals. For example, the passion between Aureliano and Amaranta Ursula reminds me of the intense relationship between Aureliano Jose and Amaranta.

Perhaps the idea of fate means that we are inextricably linked to our past, our family and that we cannot change what is inevitable. And by the time we reach the end of our lives, we finally get it but by that time, it is too late to change it.

The last line which reads "porque las estirpes condenadas a cien anos de soledad no tenian una segunda oportunidad sobre la tierra" reminds us again that we only get to go around once and we should make the most of the time while we are here.

I think I appreciate more now the idea of magical realism. Even though the book is filled with many bizarre and magical moments, the thread of reality constantly permeates the book which is much like life. We introduce moments in our own thinking of fantasy and dreams, sometimes as an escape from our reality or a way to diffuse the intensity of life.

All in all, my first thoughts of the book have certainly changed in that I have a greater appreciation for what I think Marquez was wanting to say. Or perhaps it is that I was able to connect with the book on many different levels.

Cien Anos - Part 3

I certainly found the third part of Cien Anos very interesting to read. It has taken on a life of its own as I read it. The part that caught my attention was the chapter on Ursula as she looked back over her years and coming to the realization that she was losing her vision. However, she cleverly kept that information from the family. She used her sense of hearing to pay attention to voices. She used her sense of smell. In the darkness of a room for instance, she could thread a needle. She discovered that people had rhythms and patterns to their lives and used that ability to find Fernanda's ring when no one else could.

But the biggest changes came from her solitude of being blind. Through the solitude she saw truths of the family that she had never seen before. She realized for instance, that Colonel Aureliano Buendia had not lost his love for the family because of war but because he never loved anyone including Remedios. He was a man incapable of love.

The passage of time makes a difference in people's lives. It's as though the things one feels such as passion, outrage, or the need to control simply fade with intensity. They are replaced by wisdom, a clearer understanding of people and the unusual gift of letting most of it go and focusing on what really matters in the end.

For me it feels that Gabriel Marquez explored that process as he wrote the novel. He explored the passion and drive of youth with all its invincibility and adventure and as time progressed, people changed and the passion and drive were replaced by guilt, sadness, acceptance and the ever ending struggle to remember how it was.

There is a saying...."I wish I knew then what I know know" about sums it up.

Cien Anos - Part 2

After reading the second part of Cien Anos I'm still not sure what I actually think about this book. I will say that it certainly challenges me personally on many levels and I guess that makes it a thoughtful book. Not thoughtful in the sense of increasing my self awareness but in defining what my views are.

The elements I like are the inquisitiveness of the unknown. That is being open to figure out and explain the magic of inventions. I like the speed of the novel. It feels like so much happens in one or two pages that you have to keep focused on what you are reading.

Some of the imagery is definitely different. For instance, when Jose Arcadio is shot (or kills himself), the description of blood trickling from his body, onto the street, moving towards the Buendia house, under and around the furniture to where Ursula was standing. And to fake his death and perhaps create another legend, Colonel Aureliano Buendia, has the doctor draw a circle on his body so that when he shoots himself, the bullet passes through without touching any vital organs.

I think the circular motif of names and seemingly repetition of personality traits adds another dimension to the book.

One thing I noticed through this passage was the word 'solitary'. It certainly keeps the title of the book alive. And how 'solitary' is created always seems to be of a character's own choosing. For instance, Colonel Aureliano Buendia has a 10 foot circle drawn around him so that no one can get close.

On the flip side, the theme of incest continually interwoven throughout the book is not a part of the book I enjoy. It appears so casually within the pages of the book but for me, incest is anything but casual. I have been wondering whether there is really another message that the author is trying to say.

I guess, with any novels or writings, we examine it from our own perspective but perhaps at the same time, there maybe a part of us that wants to understand the author's point of view and what it is that he wants to say. That's true at least for me.

Cien Años de Soledad: Parte uno

Cien Años de Soledad es desde luego un cuento muy diferente que los cuentos hemos leído hasta ahora. Al principio era difícil para mí entender los personajes porque tienen los mismos nombres. Pero cuando leí otra vez, era más fácil para distinguir la diferencia entre ellos. También la relación entre los personajes es muy complicada. Por ejemplo, Arcadio, quien es el hijo de José Arcadio y Pilar Ternera, es como un hermano de Aureliano y Amaranta pero los dos son su tío y tía respectivamente. Los dinámicos entre ellos crean un aspecto muy diferente. Y entonces hay el personaje de Úrsula quien aparece jugar un papel importante en el cuento y desde luego añade una perspectiva muy interesante.

El elemento de mágico y fantasía era diferente para mí al principio porque me gusta leer los libros que representan la vida real. Una vez cambié mi enfoque leer este libro, yo descubrí que este cuento es muy agradable y al mismo tiempo tiene elementos que expresar la vida que experimentamos. Esto es, las relaciones cambiando, los dinámicos entre los padres, los hermanos, el deseo seguir el amor y la oportunidad para descubrir y explorar las cosas que son diferente y nueva.

Pienso que el resto del cuento será muy agradable. Es como la vida real sino un elemento de mágico y fantasía.

First Half Musings

This course is certainly proving to be interesting for me in a couple of ways. One has been reading literature from different times, in a different language and different cultures and the other is having an opportunity to 'hear' other people. I guess that is why I have enjoyed the blogs. In our busy lives, it is not often that you are able to sit down with different individuals and find out how they 'see' or interpret things.

What I have appreciated about the literature has been the constant reminder that there is more to our world than what is around us. There are relationships of every kind in every place in the world and the common thread that we all share is the ability to have relationships. Relationships are varied. Some are with families, some are with lovers, some are within communities and some are with an individual’s own thoughts and emotions.

For me, I have responded to the theme of relationships and dynamics that result from the interaction. Each character has revealed something of their perceptions, their hopes, their disappointments and how they see their world. One of the gifts of literature is that there are no masks. That is to say, we can take the time to see beyond what is written and understand. We as individuals can wear a mask when we personally interact with others but in literature that mask comes off and we can see within each character.

Cumanda once again reminded me that we all share common needs and desires and feel the same pain or joy. Las Memorias de Mama Blanca took me back to some funny moments in my own life when I was a child. Piedra Callada and Las Hortensias were like one of those twisted movies that sometimes I like to watch.

Overall, I have found the readings interesting. For me personally, my own growth in reading and comprehending Spanish (sometimes without using a dictionary at all) has been a joy and very rewarding.

Piedra Callada

Piedra Callada es un cuento muy diferente pero al mismo tiempo muy interesante. El cuento de Las Memorias de Mamá Blanca nos presentó uno aspecto de una familia. Una familia que tuvo la interacción con cada miembro de la familia en alguna manera. Pero en Pierda Callada vemos una interacción muy diferente. Un relacion hostil. Encuentro interesante que aunque hay muchas personas en este cuento, ingeniosamente la autor enfoca nuestra atención sobre la madre Eufrasia y el hombre Bernabé. Estos personajes llegan a ser más de gente en un cuento. Ellos llegan a ser la gente real. Brunet escribe en más detalle la apariencia de Eufrasia y Bernabé. Eufrasia era una ¨vieja alta, huesuda, con al perfil corvina¨. Para mí veo una mujer con un temperamento severo y casi sin una capacidad por amor. ¿Y porqué no? Le dio a Esperanza una paliza para quitarle la idea de casarse Bernabé.

Bernabé era un hombre que tiene ¨los hombros horizontales y unos enormes pies cuyas puntas se volteaban hacia fuera, colgantes los brazos y todo él anudado de fuertes músculos¨. Me recuerdo de un simio. ¿Y porqué no? Contestó con un gruñido ininteligible.

Es fácil entonces formarse una opinión usando las características físicas de una persona. Eso es decir, creemos que sabemos lo que ellos piensan y como harán los decisiones porque hacemos los decisiones basado en la apariencia exterior. ¿Verdad?

La madre dio a Esperanza una paliza y le dijo a Esperanza cuando se casó a Bernabé que Esperanza no tendría una madre. Éstos son crueles palabras. Pero ¿qué era su motivación? ¿Tuvo miedo de ser sola? ¿Tal vez estaba celosa de la feliz de Esperanza porque ella tuvo ninguno? Hay muchas preguntas que podríamos preguntar.

Cuando entendemos los deseos, motivaciones e influencias de gente, es más fácil mirar más allá de la apariencia exterior. Eso es algo yo me recuerda diario.

Las Memorias de Mama Blanca

I just finished reading Las Memorias de Mama Blanca. I'll be honest and say that it was a difficult read for me. It was very challenging to not look up every second word and instead try to get a sense of the passages I was reading. Thank goodness, there were some parts that not only did I find easy to read but also actually made me smile.

In reading this book, I was reminded of a 1950 movie called "Cheaper by the Dozen" based on the 1948 novel by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. As a teen I remember seeing the movie and thinking what an adventure to live in a family of 12 with all the fun and challenges they experienced (I have only one sister and it seemed magical to have many siblings). As I look back now what appealed to me was the ability to see or peek inside someone else's world. Maybe I'm some kind of voyeur???

I am interested in how people function together in their lives facing challenges, growing up, becoming self-aware. One of the best places to see this in action is within a family. I guess that is what both interested and frustrated me while reading Las Memorias. I connected with and understood some of the interaction but knew there was so much more to interpret but as I wrote above, I would have never finished the book if I had looked up every second word.

I loved the humour in the book. On page 81 for example, when the sisters were playing outside they were disturbing their father who was working in his office. He told them to be quiet and play elsewhere. I remember my father, when he was preparing his sermon for church, would also tell my sister and me the same thing. On page 83, de la Parra writes how the father wanted a boy but instead had six girls.

Imagine having people in your life like Primo Juancho who really had nothing to say but seemed to have everything to say. The character of Vincente Cochocho was certainly interesting to say the least. Isn’t it just like life. You are attracted to someone but your mother tells you they are not good for you and then somehow that person becomes even more appealing. On page 144, de la Parra points out that very same thing with the relationship between the girls and Vincente. Moreover, what farmer wouldn’t want Daniel to be taking care of his cows?

For me, Teresa de la Parra allows us to peek into someone else’s life. We see childhood, the dynamics between siblings, and the relationships between people within a household. More importantly, it is a moving picture of a family with different personalities. Individually they learn what life is, about growing up and discovering that change is inevitable.

Words, Words, Words: What do they Mean?

I enjoyed reading the poems of Neruda and began to understand and see beyond what appears to be every day words. The challenge for me is that what is written is not always what is meant. It is the same when a person reads Shakespeare for instance. It helps to learn how to read between the lines and be open to other interpretations. The ability to write poetry is gift just like other art forms. It is not what you see or read but what is NOT said or written. That is part of the purpose of studying literature or various forms of art. We want to understand what an author wants to tell us. Perhaps he will reveal to us his own struggles and beliefs or try to impart what the world looks like from another’s point of view.

I think that it is somewhat the same within relationships. Sometimes what someone says or does can have a deeper or hidden meaning. So how does one interpret the hidden meaning? That is where understanding ourselves can help. The more we choose to look beyond what are surface meanings or look past our immediate reactions, the better we might gain insight into what is not being said.

When I first read Neruda’s poems my first reaction was huh? And then I focused on what was not said. They were words that expressed love found, lost, worshipped, mourned, desired and embraced. Most of us might use phrases like “I love you, you’re beautiful, I miss you”. However how many of us would say “en mi cielo al crepúsculo eres como una nube y tu color y forma son como yo los quiero. Eres mía, eres mía, mujer de labios dulces, y viven en tu vida mis infinitos sueños.” Wow! Where do I find me someone like that!!!

My point is that these are words but when you look past the words, there is another meaning. It’s the passion and desire of someone who loves another. Or it might be the anguish of love lost or forbidden.

Maybe it can remind us that what we say or believe we are saying, is not always what another person might understand. How many relationships end, or wars are start or how many people are hurt over what is said because they interpret it differently. I wrote in an earlier blog about the power of words. Words give us the ability to create masterpieces in our own right. Words can express love, mutual respect, support and caring. Words can also express power, anger, manipulation and loss. I know it’s the psychologist in me but the gift of words can be one of the greatest and most challenging tools we each have within our grasp and how we use them reverberates more than we will ever know.

¿Quíen es usted realmente?

Ahora mismo, he terminado leyendo Cumandá. Me gustó esta novela. Había muchos elementos a mí que hizo la novela que interesa en leer. Primer el hecho de las descripciones de la tierra, el ambiente, la cultura de la gente que vivía en Ecuador durante el tiempo cuando Mera escribió Cumandá. Pero más importante para mí eran los elementos psicológicos. En otras palabras, naturaleza humana. Leemos de amor, familia, fidelidad, sacrificio, poder, y pesar y eso es apenas el principio de la lista.

Para mí sin embargo, sorprende de darse cuenta de que Mera tuvo una comprensión de naturaleza humana aunque poco había sido escribido sobre este tema. Pienso que nos ayuda reconocer como era el mundo durante 1879. El mundo estaba mucho menos fue avanzado y sofisticado entonces nuestro mundo hoy. Tan es importante no hacer comparaciones entre el mundo de Mera y nuestro mundo. El punto de tomar un curso de la literatura es que nosotros podemos enseñar y si posible, entender la historia de otras culturas, sus creencias, sus valores y las maneras en que ellos vivieron cada día de sus vidas. No es importante si estamos acuerdo de ellos sino es importante respetar y aceptar el hecho que vivieron en un mundo que ellos trataron de entender. Entonces, Mera quiso que las próximas generaciones entendieran su herencia, la pasión sus antepasados y el hecho que naturaleza humana nunca cambia.

Cada acontecimiento que pasa en una vida está afectado por otros acontecimientos y siendo humano significa que actuamos y reaccionamos a todo alrededor de nosotros. Tengo todavía encontrar una persona que está de acuerdo de mí sobre todas las decisiones que hago. ¿Estábamos acuerdo de el viejo (el papá de Cumandá) cuando él quiso a Cumandá ser dado como un sacrificio porque su deseo ser con Carlos? No obstante cuando leemos más tarde en la novela, entonces entendemos porque quiso Cumandá morir. En realidad, Cumandá no era su hija pero la hija del padre Domingo. El viejo fue un parte de la tribu que había atacado y había matado la familia de Domingo muchos años previos. Ahora podemos entender.

Es el mismo para nosotros también. A veces no entendemos que pasó o porqué nuestros padres hicieron algunos decisiones. Quizás cuando comenzamos a entender nuestra herencia y nuestro pasado con la ayudo de la literatura, serán entonces que podemos adelantarnos con un mejor conocimiento de que somos.

The Power of Words

The visual medium drives our world today. We do not need to use our imagination, but simply turn on TV, watch DVD’s, or look at pictures. How refreshing to read a novel where the visual pictures consist of words. One of the first things I noticed was Mera’s incredible ability to paint pictures using only words. The scenes unfolded like strokes of a paintbrush on canvas. To appreciate the words however, an individual also needs to be receptive to this medium. Have we lost the ability and appreciation of the written word? As much as I hate to admit it, TV was in its infant stages when I was a child and there was nothing such as videos, DVDs or MTV. I was dependent on words to capture my imagination. I wonder if our world today is so dependent on visual stimulation that we have forgotten how to use our imagination, appreciate what we read, and hear, which brings me to ask my next question.

Do families still tell stories of their lives to the next generation? How else can we understand our history unless we hear it or read about it? Fortunately, there are still cultures that pass their heritage on to the next generation through stories, songs and words. This tradition allows the explanation of culture, myths, ceremonies, beliefs and importance of families. This semester we are considering the relationship between family and literature. Words connect one generation to the next and literature can be that link offering far greater insight than even the visual medium can offer us. Is that what we are looking for: a greater understanding into where we came from and who we are now? Sometimes it is not what is said but how it is said. Other times words filled with passion and emotion allow hidden things to become known.

In these first chapters, we learn about the passion of first love between two people, the loyalty and devotion of family, the importance and preparation of ceremonies, the relationship between tribes, the desire of the church to ‘help’ the indigenous people and the horrible effects because of the interference. For instance, Orozco comes to realize his part in the tragedy that befalls his family. On page 133 we read “eres culpable – le dijo la consciencia - y en cierta manera tú mismo fuiste la causa del exterminio de tu familia”. We cannot gloss over the details, change the channel or fast-forward. We must read each word and experience the joy of first love, the love of family and the horror of revenge.

Cumandá is a love story. Cumandá is a young beautiful indigenous girl and Carlos is a young white man full of passion and life. They fall in love yet are from different cultures and ways of life. From Shakespeare’s ”Romeo and Juliet” to Sidney Poitier starring in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, the theme of forbidden love is timeless. The influences and dynamics of family play a crucial role in the development of our relationships and as we will find out, Cumandá is no exception.

literature and family: span365

The relationship between literature and family can be complex and yet at the same time, the knowledge that literature offers us can help to disseminate that complexity into a clearer understanding of who we are. It is not that we are ignorant of our family and our ancestors. It is that we don't always understand the motivation or the intentions of actions created by our family. Literature can bring to light some of that awareness. For example, the writings of Aristotle, Plato, Darwin and William James give us insight into the mind, the thought process and the psychological influences that have a strong bearing on decision making. What would motivate a member of our family to go to war? What would cause our grandparents to leave their country and all they knew, in order to move to a new place? And what secrets are never told yet seem to have a powerful hold on the family?

Literature from such writers as Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling and Ernest Hemingway bring to life times and events whether fiction or fact, that reflect a different time for our grandparents and great grandparents. That world determined paths and choices that we might not understand today except that these writers allow us to see and understand another place and time.

Who we are as individuals is a clear reflection of the values, judgments and beliefs that our parents have and those same influences determined how our grandparents raised our parents. So when we read through many types of literature, we begin to experience moments of insight that we might otherwise miss.

Literature provides an important connection to our past and to the heritage from which we come. Since we cannot escape the past, we are better served by embracing that which we don't know or understand, in order that we can accept fully who we are.