|
|
Post by mjunious on Jul 15, 2024 4:09:33 GMT
I find the sequences where Antonio experiences life on the alternate plane of reality interesting. Because Anaya established early on that the events that Antonio perceives actually happen (like his recollection of his birth) it creates a tension for the reader because we know that there is a strong possibility that these are premonitions for things that could happen as the novel progresses (either literally or metaphorically). It also adds a layer to the question of the story being existentialist in nature: to what extent, I wonder, does he allow these moments to affect the way he goes through the world? Although he is just a child, he is envisioning some really grave subjects and, if I were to put myself in his shoes, it might be hard to not be influenced when faced with decisions, having those visions in the back of my mind.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Nemmers on Jul 16, 2024 2:56:29 GMT
Yes, there are significant portions of this novel that exist in some sort of dream/ unreality/ spiritual realm--- quite a lot of it, actually. To my reading these episodes really do tend to fuse with the "real" portions. As you mention, we're to believe that Antonio can recollect his birth, that witches and golden carp exist, that Ultima can cast spells and heal, etc.
I don't think it's "magical realism" per se; but it's quite a departure from the absurdism we saw in Winter in the Blood, for instance. In that novel we always felt like the unbelievable episodes were jokes; here, everything is deadly serious, and even for seven-year-old boy (or whatever), he takes these to heart and believes them too.
|
|
|
|
Post by gnicholson3 on Jul 16, 2024 22:42:27 GMT
I feel like Ultima embodies the illogical and untouchable (absurd) in this novel in a way that is tangible. Upon her death, Ultima says, "With the passing away of Tenorio and myself the meddling will be done with, harmony will be reconstituted" (299). This absurdity is confirmed by Antonio's father earlier in the novel. "To the child it is natural, but for the grown man it loses its naturalness--so as old men we see a different reality" (286). It is quite interesting to see the tone affect our perception of the absurd. Dr. Nemmers mentions as a boy, "he takes these to heart and believes them too," and I can't help but to think of the folklore I believed as a child relating to my own culture. The things I believed weren't necessarily not real, but they also didn't exist in the way I believed as a child.
|
|
|
|
Post by mjunious on Jul 17, 2024 20:48:19 GMT
Gabriel discusses a similar change in perspective at the end of the novel when talking to Antonio. He says something to the effect of there is no real "good" or "evil" but the way that we interpret things change as our understanding changes. The difference in how he feels about these things could change for Antonio as he gains that understanding. For example, Ultima uses the Juniper tree in her "magic healing" but Juniper has medicinal properties such as being an anti-inflammatory and a diuretic. So what he once thought was magic, he may later learn was a treatment for kidney stones (or some other ailment).
|
|
|
|
Post by gnicholson3 on Jul 17, 2024 22:58:03 GMT
Yes, exactly that, the medicinal effects of the Juniper trees was one of the things that came into my mind. I also noticed that this confrontation with 'good' and 'evil' was something that the book constantly reminded us of. When Luptio dies, he does not shoot at anyone, but he has already killed one man. He wants to escape his life and uses death-by-others as his means to achieve this. It is hard to consider Lupito evil (even after murdering someone) when we know that he suffers from PTSD. It is hard to consider him good, because his path caused harm to others. This novel is exceptional in exploring the dichotomy of lightness and weight.
|
|
|
|
Post by connorswauger on Jul 18, 2024 4:42:51 GMT
I find the sequences where Antonio experiences life on the alternate plane of reality interesting. Because Anaya established early on that the events that Antonio perceives actually happen (like his recollection of his birth) it creates a tension for the reader because we know that there is a strong possibility that these are premonitions for things that could happen as the novel progresses (either literally or metaphorically). It also adds a layer to the question of the story being existentialist in nature: to what extent, I wonder, does he allow these moments to affect the way he goes through the world? Although he is just a child, he is envisioning some really grave subjects and, if I were to put myself in his shoes, it might be hard to not be influenced when faced with decisions, having those visions in the back of my mind. I totally agree. And no wonder that as a result, Antonio experiences such anxiety. As a child he is having to come to terms with so many different forces and especially with possible futures. This makes me think of the debate of free will against fate and Sartre’s Being and Nothingness as he discusses freedom and how his stance is that the future is not guaranteed, but is instead being actualized by our everyday actions. Is Antonio in charge of his future or is he just along for the ride?.. |
|
