In all honesty, I was not as big of a fan of Borges as I was of Cortazar and Marquez and therefore, I will certainly not be writing my literary critique on him! I could definitely sense that he was much more of an intellectual rather than an emotional writer in comparison to the other two. I do have a few things to say on his behalf though, and I do find it interesting that he worked with concepts of meta-awareness.
I enjoyed the aspect of time being multifaceted as conveyed through his story, “The Garden of Forking Paths”. The idea of a parallel universe has always both intrigued and bemused me. An old friend of mine once introduced me to the topic of quantum mechanics, and having somewhat of a base of knowledge on the matter (which later made its resurrection in class), that much more appealing to me. I can’t help but to agree with Borges when it comes to the multiplicity of possibility, the concept of all sorts of happenings, happening simultaneously. I liked the general mirage of the story (especially after having reviewed it in class) but I must admit that after the first run-through I felt doltish.
The other concept to be touched on regarding “The Garden of Forking Paths” is the notion that ignorance can destroy greatness. Clear examples of this (in my personal life) were exhibited in my past as an inadequate student. My inexperienced, childlike behavior prevented me from succeeding in my classes. The thought of such a brilliant, innocent man being sacrificed for such a petty, useless end, is tragic.
The theme of ignorance is revisited in Borges’ story “The Gospel According to Mark,” particularly when the people of the Catholic Church are unwilling to analyze and interpret the readings literally rather than metaphorically. Also, the phrase "blind faith wins" is relevant because Borges is arguing that ignorance always wins.
I agree with Baltasar Espinosa and his belief that science and faith should be able to coexist peacefully. I’ve never understood why the evolution vs. creationism debate has always been so intense. Isn’t “God created the Earth… and then it evolved” a valid option?
Coming full circle, back to the field of a parallel universe, the final reading Borges, “Emma Zunz” surfaces. This is a brain buster, let me tell you. I read the story of Emma Zunz five times over and could not figure out the twist. The underlying theme of “humans creating their own reality” most certainly exists in this story. Emma creates a new past and therefore, everything in her conscious universe continues on as if this false past is true.
I really admire Borges’ abstraction and notion that people decide different meanings of things and travel different trails. The idea of reinventing paths to create a past reality is truly disturbing- for people have no solid base anymore. Appreciating the fact that Emma’s false story becomes her reality is arguably evidence that she is, in fact, slipping into a different universe.
1.30.2011
1.25.2011
Marquez
Just as I enjoyed Cortazar’s stories, I thoroughly enjoyed the readings of Marquez; I love the metaphorical aspect of him. My major is Pre-Middle Childhood Education, so I was really able to appreciate that both of his stories were labeled as “A Tale for Children”. I also thought it added a nice layer of sarcasm to Marquez’s overall demeanor.
While reading “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”, my empathy meter went sky-high. The way they treated the poor angel almost brought me to tears. However, I can relate to Pelayo and Elisenda in the sense of their believing the angel to be a hindrance rather than a miracle. At the beginning of the story they are incredibly stressed; their infant was very ill due to a deceased-crab-infested home. My particular favorite description of their life, “The world had been sad since Tuesday”(“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings 1885). Sometimes, when I am that stressed and loved ones come to my rescue, I see them as annoyances. I mistreat them and take advantage of their help. When it comes to school, for example, my parents have always asked me how I was doing and if they could help me in anyway. I’d always brush them away and continue my nonsensical way of battling college courses. After a few quarters of futzing around, I was hit with academic probation from UC. Before I knew it, my financial aid was gone. My parents came to the rescue and worked very hard to pay off massive fines (all while I continued being a teenage brat). There I was again, a gifted, full time student at the University of Cincinnati. I didn’t take advantage of this second chance, and before I knew it, I was living my “dream” as a full-time waitress. Well, I quickly realized that being a full-time waitress isn’t my calling, and begged my parents for mercy.
Naturally, my parents weren’t so quick to help this time, so I worked and worked until I had the means to be a full-time student here at Raymond Walters. I liken my full-time waitressing gig to the unfortunate looking angel- a miracle that didn’t fit my “normative”. It was a brutal way to bring me to reality. College is great fun, especially when you stay on top of things, so the idea of “life itself being the miracle and to want more is greed” that Marquez is stressing is something I am personally living by. I was hoping a college degree would just fall into my lap, but I needed to learn that life without a degree is no fun, and it does take effort to get one. Luckily, learning is great fun and I now know the more you put in to things, the more you’ll get out of them.
As for “The Handsomest Downed Man in the World”, I thought this bash on society was hilarious. Humans can be so ridiculous when it comes to appearances. I found it funny that all of the women assumed that “…his house would have had the widest doors, the highest ceiling, and the strongest floor, his bedstead would have been made from a midship frame held together by iron bolts, and his wife would have been the happiest woman”. They assume that because he’s so handsome, everything else in his life would be perfect. I’ve found myself making that assumption before as well. I used to work with this girl named Kelly. Kelly was from a very, very wealthy family. She could have anything she wanted! She only worked as a waitress because she hadn’t currently been enrolled in school and needed a way to pass the time. She was also incredibly beautiful. She had golden highlights, perfectly manicured nails, and pearly white teeth; but despite this, natural beauty shone through her like rays of sunshine. I liked Kelly at first; she came off as smart and friendly. I imagined what it would be like to be her: living in a beautiful mansion with a closet full of clothes. A backyard with the most gorgeous swimming pool/hot tub combination I had ever seen. A brand new car where every gadget worked! Long story short, Kelly seemed have it all, but unfortunately she had some skeletons in her closet. Her life as a rich girl wasn’t perfect at all. In fact, it was far worse than my impoverished childhood. Her mother had been an alcoholic since Kelly was seven. Everyday, Kelly would get off the school bus to a dangerously intoxicated mother. Her father cheats on her mother multiple times a year, and Kelly was battling alcoholism herself at the time I knew her. I was sadly mistaken; just because you are rich and beautiful doesn’t mean you have a better life. I quickly realized how lucky I am to have such a great family and great parents.
It’s also incredibly sad that the men in the story say, “since when has there ever been such a fuss over a drifting corpse, a drowned nobody, a piece of cold Wednesday meat”, only to later realize he’s handsome and treat him like gold. So, because his face is proportioned a certain way, he is no longer regarded as a ‘piece of cold Wednesday meat’, whereas someone they behold as unattractive, is?
Which brings me to my conclusion. I loved reading Marquez because it is an interesting memo to follow the golden rule of treating others the way you want to be treated. It is also a friendly reminder not to judge a book by its cover. I think people sometimes need to read stories like this to get reacquainted with reality and their kindergarten selves.
While reading “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”, my empathy meter went sky-high. The way they treated the poor angel almost brought me to tears. However, I can relate to Pelayo and Elisenda in the sense of their believing the angel to be a hindrance rather than a miracle. At the beginning of the story they are incredibly stressed; their infant was very ill due to a deceased-crab-infested home. My particular favorite description of their life, “The world had been sad since Tuesday”(“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings 1885). Sometimes, when I am that stressed and loved ones come to my rescue, I see them as annoyances. I mistreat them and take advantage of their help. When it comes to school, for example, my parents have always asked me how I was doing and if they could help me in anyway. I’d always brush them away and continue my nonsensical way of battling college courses. After a few quarters of futzing around, I was hit with academic probation from UC. Before I knew it, my financial aid was gone. My parents came to the rescue and worked very hard to pay off massive fines (all while I continued being a teenage brat). There I was again, a gifted, full time student at the University of Cincinnati. I didn’t take advantage of this second chance, and before I knew it, I was living my “dream” as a full-time waitress. Well, I quickly realized that being a full-time waitress isn’t my calling, and begged my parents for mercy.
Naturally, my parents weren’t so quick to help this time, so I worked and worked until I had the means to be a full-time student here at Raymond Walters. I liken my full-time waitressing gig to the unfortunate looking angel- a miracle that didn’t fit my “normative”. It was a brutal way to bring me to reality. College is great fun, especially when you stay on top of things, so the idea of “life itself being the miracle and to want more is greed” that Marquez is stressing is something I am personally living by. I was hoping a college degree would just fall into my lap, but I needed to learn that life without a degree is no fun, and it does take effort to get one. Luckily, learning is great fun and I now know the more you put in to things, the more you’ll get out of them.
As for “The Handsomest Downed Man in the World”, I thought this bash on society was hilarious. Humans can be so ridiculous when it comes to appearances. I found it funny that all of the women assumed that “…his house would have had the widest doors, the highest ceiling, and the strongest floor, his bedstead would have been made from a midship frame held together by iron bolts, and his wife would have been the happiest woman”. They assume that because he’s so handsome, everything else in his life would be perfect. I’ve found myself making that assumption before as well. I used to work with this girl named Kelly. Kelly was from a very, very wealthy family. She could have anything she wanted! She only worked as a waitress because she hadn’t currently been enrolled in school and needed a way to pass the time. She was also incredibly beautiful. She had golden highlights, perfectly manicured nails, and pearly white teeth; but despite this, natural beauty shone through her like rays of sunshine. I liked Kelly at first; she came off as smart and friendly. I imagined what it would be like to be her: living in a beautiful mansion with a closet full of clothes. A backyard with the most gorgeous swimming pool/hot tub combination I had ever seen. A brand new car where every gadget worked! Long story short, Kelly seemed have it all, but unfortunately she had some skeletons in her closet. Her life as a rich girl wasn’t perfect at all. In fact, it was far worse than my impoverished childhood. Her mother had been an alcoholic since Kelly was seven. Everyday, Kelly would get off the school bus to a dangerously intoxicated mother. Her father cheats on her mother multiple times a year, and Kelly was battling alcoholism herself at the time I knew her. I was sadly mistaken; just because you are rich and beautiful doesn’t mean you have a better life. I quickly realized how lucky I am to have such a great family and great parents.
It’s also incredibly sad that the men in the story say, “since when has there ever been such a fuss over a drifting corpse, a drowned nobody, a piece of cold Wednesday meat”, only to later realize he’s handsome and treat him like gold. So, because his face is proportioned a certain way, he is no longer regarded as a ‘piece of cold Wednesday meat’, whereas someone they behold as unattractive, is?
Which brings me to my conclusion. I loved reading Marquez because it is an interesting memo to follow the golden rule of treating others the way you want to be treated. It is also a friendly reminder not to judge a book by its cover. I think people sometimes need to read stories like this to get reacquainted with reality and their kindergarten selves.
1.18.2011
Cortazar
I was incredibly entranced by all of Cortazar’s stories. I was glad to have read The Continuity of Parks first because it really gave me an efficient idea of what magical realism is. I felt as though I was becoming one with the book; a part of the story. It also gave me a great a sense of what Cortazar is like as an author. I really admire that he is able to fit such incredibly elaborate and magical tales into such a short read.
Reading Our Demeanor at Wakes really hit home for me. The first death I experienced was that of my best friend. He died in a freak car accident coming home from hockey practice when we were sixteen. I was very grateful that so many people showed up to his funeral, but I knew a lot of the students crowding the room were there for entertainment. I remember feeling incredibly angry at the phony cries of popular girls trying to get attention while I was experiencing absolute devastation. I had lost the person I ate lunch with everyday and talked on the phone with every night. They were hypocrites, using the funeral as a way to get the night off of work.
Despite relating the story to such a tragic time in my life, I found sincere humor in Our Demeanor at Wakes. It is so ludicrous- I couldn’t contain my giggles while reading it! The serious themes of hypocrisy, social competition and social control make it that much better; it’s such smart humor. Competition is something I’ve never agreed with and I’ve always found watching others compete to be quite silly. It was beyond obvious that people were competing at my friend’s funeral- who loved Craig more? Whose life is affected most?
After reading The Continuity of Parks and Our Demeanor at Wakes I seriously couldn’t wait to read Axolotl. I think it was my favorite of the three, but I honestly have a hard time deciding. It was so beautiful. When asked if I think the text is a work of art, I’d definitely answer yes, especially to this particular one. Cortazar is so descriptive in Axolotl; I was able to see right into the tank being described. I felt that great high you feel when you’re in an aquarium while reading this.
The idea of anyone or anything suffering makes me weak. I am an incredibly empathetic person, which is a nice thing, but sometimes I can’t bear the sadness. I felt tears come to my eyes reading about the idea of axolotls being sentient, conscious creatures that are unable to share their thoughts. I feel that way when I write (unable to share my thoughts), even writing this now. I have such a hard time putting the dazzling thoughts and ideas in my mind into words.
(A quick side note regarding Axolotl; while reviewing it and remembering that he becomes obsessed with the axolotls I chuckled to myself, because after reading this I myself became obsessed with axolotls! The moment I finished the story I ran to my laptop to Google axolotl. They’re so awkwardly adorable!)
In lump sum, I really learned a lot through Cortazar. First and foremost, I discovered him and magical realism, two topics I was completely unfamiliar with two weeks ago. I also learned a lot about written art; how it’s transformative, and how isolation can be alleviated by art. I’ve always loved reading, but my love for reading was affirmed after reading these stories. They are so full of imagination and really bring the spirit of an entertaining read back into the picture.
Reading Our Demeanor at Wakes really hit home for me. The first death I experienced was that of my best friend. He died in a freak car accident coming home from hockey practice when we were sixteen. I was very grateful that so many people showed up to his funeral, but I knew a lot of the students crowding the room were there for entertainment. I remember feeling incredibly angry at the phony cries of popular girls trying to get attention while I was experiencing absolute devastation. I had lost the person I ate lunch with everyday and talked on the phone with every night. They were hypocrites, using the funeral as a way to get the night off of work.
Despite relating the story to such a tragic time in my life, I found sincere humor in Our Demeanor at Wakes. It is so ludicrous- I couldn’t contain my giggles while reading it! The serious themes of hypocrisy, social competition and social control make it that much better; it’s such smart humor. Competition is something I’ve never agreed with and I’ve always found watching others compete to be quite silly. It was beyond obvious that people were competing at my friend’s funeral- who loved Craig more? Whose life is affected most?
After reading The Continuity of Parks and Our Demeanor at Wakes I seriously couldn’t wait to read Axolotl. I think it was my favorite of the three, but I honestly have a hard time deciding. It was so beautiful. When asked if I think the text is a work of art, I’d definitely answer yes, especially to this particular one. Cortazar is so descriptive in Axolotl; I was able to see right into the tank being described. I felt that great high you feel when you’re in an aquarium while reading this.
The idea of anyone or anything suffering makes me weak. I am an incredibly empathetic person, which is a nice thing, but sometimes I can’t bear the sadness. I felt tears come to my eyes reading about the idea of axolotls being sentient, conscious creatures that are unable to share their thoughts. I feel that way when I write (unable to share my thoughts), even writing this now. I have such a hard time putting the dazzling thoughts and ideas in my mind into words.
(A quick side note regarding Axolotl; while reviewing it and remembering that he becomes obsessed with the axolotls I chuckled to myself, because after reading this I myself became obsessed with axolotls! The moment I finished the story I ran to my laptop to Google axolotl. They’re so awkwardly adorable!)
In lump sum, I really learned a lot through Cortazar. First and foremost, I discovered him and magical realism, two topics I was completely unfamiliar with two weeks ago. I also learned a lot about written art; how it’s transformative, and how isolation can be alleviated by art. I’ve always loved reading, but my love for reading was affirmed after reading these stories. They are so full of imagination and really bring the spirit of an entertaining read back into the picture.
1.07.2011
Popol Vuh: the Dawn of Life
In response to Popol Vuh: the Dawn of Life.
This ancient Mayan mythology is centered around the creation of man, relating to me in the sense that although I am not a man, I am human.
I'd have to say that I disagree with the Mayan forefathers and their ideals of mankind praying without cease and constantly invoking the gods in their minds. I do, however, agree with the Mayans mentality in being honest, humble and unconcerned with money, though I think the extremes to which the gods handled their discontent with man was somewhat insane.
My ideals of being an overall honest, humble, unconcerned with money kind-of-person has strengthened since reading this. The consistent argument of respect and perhaps 'be thankful for (and consider what) you have' mentality is clear and concise, regardless of being read in Hieroglyphs, Spanish or English. Though I have always aspired to be an honest, humble person, I found affirmation in this text, especially the thought ofmy puppy dog ripping my face off with his teeth due to my lack of acknowledgement!
Despite my opinoin regarding time spent worshiping gods and considering its significant age and deep subject matter, I did find Popol Vuh to be a very thought-provoking and entertaining piece.
This ancient Mayan mythology is centered around the creation of man, relating to me in the sense that although I am not a man, I am human.
I'd have to say that I disagree with the Mayan forefathers and their ideals of mankind praying without cease and constantly invoking the gods in their minds. I do, however, agree with the Mayans mentality in being honest, humble and unconcerned with money, though I think the extremes to which the gods handled their discontent with man was somewhat insane.
My ideals of being an overall honest, humble, unconcerned with money kind-of-person has strengthened since reading this. The consistent argument of respect and perhaps 'be thankful for (and consider what) you have' mentality is clear and concise, regardless of being read in Hieroglyphs, Spanish or English. Though I have always aspired to be an honest, humble person, I found affirmation in this text, especially the thought ofmy puppy dog ripping my face off with his teeth due to my lack of acknowledgement!
Despite my opinoin regarding time spent worshiping gods and considering its significant age and deep subject matter, I did find Popol Vuh to be a very thought-provoking and entertaining piece.
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