Romance Studies

Of all the novels thus far, this one had the most unexpected ending and plot twist. The story starts rather sweetly, and suddenly escalates until the main character, Natalia, makes a horrifying decision. Initially, Natalia gets swept off of her feet and marries a man who ends up not being a good husband or person. Quimet, the husband, is rather lazy and undependable and displays abusive and toxic behaviours consistently. He continuously brings home doves but leaves them in the care of Natalia. In a way, I think that what Natalia was doing to the doves foreshadowed the climax of the story. Her husband had left her with helpless animals when she was unable to adequately care for them.  The way in which the story was written translates to how frantic Natalia may have been during that time. The author uses run-on sentences to replicate thought processes that Natalia may be having. She exhausts herself emotionally and physically as she develops fears about the war and surrounding world....

The novel Agostino  by Alberto Moravia was an interesting read. I can confidently say that the story was not what I was expecting it to be. When the novel started, I enjoyed reading the story and seeing the progression of the character. It began to confuse me and then shock me with the content of the story. It followed a young Agostino on a vacation with his mother and all of the things that happen to them. The story examines the intricacies and confusion of growing up. He struggles with bullying and being picked on by older boys. He then becomes eager to belong to the group that had previously picked on him. He explores his confusing feelings surrounding his mother as she leaves him alone daily. He feels overprotective and confusing sexual feelings.  Most of the story takes place on the beach and I enjoyed reading that. I like when stories take place in natural environments and can greatly explain the setting of the story. A strong story setting creates a more enjoyable readi...

 I thought that the narration of the story being told from the perspective of a dead woman was a very interesting take. I have never read a text told that way, through the eyes of the deceased. I enjoy reading stories about romance and loss (of love, of a person) so I enjoyed this read. I've scrolled through my classmates blog posts and it was interesting to see that most of them have also enjoyed this reading the most. There are many things about this story that make it such a beautiful and interesting read. This story feels very intimate and personal, almost as if reading a diary. I found that this made it very enjoyable to read in a way that the other readings were unable to captivate my attention, despite a somewhat similar style. It was beautiful to read how Ana María reflected upon her life, her love and happiness, but also her sadness and regrets. She feels love in both its beauty and its agony. She holds both happiness and resentment in her relationships throughout her life...

Louis Aragon's Paris Peasant  is a very interesting text. It does not depend on a plot to tell a story, as it is a confusing retelling of events. It reminds me in ways of the last book we read. There was not much told and it was told almost as if it were thoughts. Once again, it felt like there was a lot of description for very little content, which is not a bad thing. It makes the reader think more thoughtfully in an attempt to grasp the greater meaning of the text.  Paris Peasant is a very important piece of literature to surrealism as it depends on the reader being able to use their imagination. Aragon relies heavily on description to invoke feelings within the reader. He is able to relate to a wide audience range by using everyday experiences. He explores the underbelly of Paris in a very thoughtful way. " The trouble is that you fail to appreciate the limitless strength of the unreal. Your imagination, my dear fellow, is worth more than you imagine." (page 61) This ...

 One of the most enjoyable aspects of this reading was the tone that the narrator told the story in. Proust used expressive and complex language. He uses involuntary memory as a method to capture his readers attention. It was interesting to see his opinions and beliefs play out within the characters of his story.  This week's reading was interesting, however, I felt as though I did not understand some of the themes and only recognized a few constants. I found difficulty in following the plot as it did not seem there was much guidance for the readers.  One interesting theme was the way Proust described the setting of the story, specifically the church. It was very obvious that Proust adores the architecture of the church he imagined. He was fascinated with churches throughout France and Italy as depicted in his writings.  A very prominent theme in the novel was Marcel's relationship with his mother and the effect that has on him. Marcel has anxiety surrounding his rel...

 Hello! My name is Madi and I'm a second year art student. I'm thinking of majoring in sociology or anthropology with a minor in Italian. I'm originally from a small town in Saskatchewan and decided to make a major lifestyle change for University. So far I have really enjoyed the change of scenery, however I often miss my dogs. I've got three yorkies named Rosie, Daisy, and Sasha.  I'm very excited for this course, especially when we read literature from Italy. A few years ago my mother and I travelled throughout Europe for 6 weeks and found Italy was our favourite place. I was not sure what to expect for this course but I find the assessment style very interesting. I'm so interested in the content of the course and cannot wait to further explore and examine it. The format of the course is very foreign but I enjoy the idea of blog posts and being able to freely share our thoughts.  I found the introductory lecture interesting as the professor seems kind and very...