El Mundo

En una parte de la novela el autor habla acerca de cuándo el regreso a donde vivía en su niñez el podía recordar los edificios o casas que estaban antes en ese espacio antes que fueran remodeladas o remplazadas por otro edificio que era como un fantasma que marcaba la casa o el edificio original. Esa parte me sorprendió mucho porque cuando yo regreso a México todo tiene recuerdos y todavía veo las cosas como eran antes a pesar que muchas cosas son diferentes. Recuerdo como eran las casas de mis vecinos y me sorprendo como todo ha cambiado en tan poco tiempo. Las personas también son diferentes no solo físicamente por el paso del tiempo sino también en su forma de ser, y yo me pregunto si yo soy diferente si el tiempo me ha cambiado en mi forma de ser. Me siento extraña en ese lugar porque a veces me da la impresión que lo que yo recordaba no existió que fue un sueño ya que todo es diferente.

El Mundo

When we did our activity yesterday in class about "que adquiere la palabra "el mundo" en la novela," I couldn't help but relating this to my life. I am a big poker player, and the fact that this story is in Millas' world, from only his perspective, made me think of playing a Texas Hold'em Tournament. You sit there and play, knowing and only seeing your own cards, just as we only know our own mentality. Meanwhile, other players have cards of their own, just as other people have their own mentalities in life. During each individual hand, you try to read what other people are holding, just as we try to read what other people are thinking in real life, and you formulate a hypothesis on what cards they have and play accordingly, just as we judge/guess what other people are thinking about us and we act accordingly. Winning a hand signifies knowing how another person's thought process works, as in making some sort of connection with that person because you can read into their mind. Losing means you can't read that person, and in real life this signifies a misunderstanding between the two people.

You could just look at the results of every hand and not go through the mental game, just as you can just look at the actions of people without knowing their thought process. However, in poker, people can make good plays and lose or make bad plays and win, because there is luck involved, just as people in real life can have good thoughts/intentions but do bad things or have bad thoughts/intentions and do good things. In other words, you can't solely judge a person on the results of each hand, or in real life people's actions, because, although over the long haul "actions speak louder than words," in the short term good poker players can make bad decisions or get unlucky and bad poker players can make good decisions or get lucky, just as good people can do bad things and bad people can do good things. This is why the thought process of a person is important, because although in the end it matters about the action more than the thoughts, the thoughts are the bridge between you and your actions.

Millan's memories vs. Millas' memories

The discussion we had in class about the memories of the two men in each story was really interesting. It is funny to think that when it comes down to it, we don't really know what is true and what isn't because the stories consist of memories. Millan's memories perceive him to be less guilty than he actually is. Millas on the other hand has these crazy memories, stricken by drugs and more drugs. What do we actually believe in this case?

While reading the texts and comparing the two, I also had to keep in mind that Millan's memories were of another person's life. Not only that, but this person he was remembering was on the opposing political side, so we would expect Millan to alter his memory in some way. Millas' memories were of his own life and his own experiences. I think, for me at least, Millas was a little more believable as a narrator because he was remembering his own life, not someone else's.

Blog 9!!!

El Mundo es excelente! Es en definitiva un libro que te hace pensar y reflecionar sobre tu propia vida, de donde vienes, que estas haciendo y hacia donde vas. Estoy muy de acuerdo con lo que discutimos en clase cuando se dijo que Millas fue honesto y "open" sobre su vida personal. Sin embargo, pienso que es grandioso que Millas recuerde como se sentia en su infancia porque la mayoria de los adultos olvida lo que es ser un nino.

En clase se discutio que Millas mas bien piensa que recuerda como se sentia en su joventud, pero yo no estoy de acuerdo. La rason por la cual no estoy de acuerdo es porque de lo contrario entonces no seria veridico. Este libro es una biografia detras de un autoanalisis por lo tanto el si sabe como se sentia como nino, el si sabe como pensaba como nino; aun asi si tuvieramos que describir que Millas cincuenta porciento se recuerda de como se sentia cuando nino y ciencuenta porciento piensa (el adulto Millas) como era que se sentia cuando nino.

Pero aun asi, el libro es sin duda un inspiracion a la reflecion del yo y de nuestro pasado y futuro.

Childhood Realizations

I wasn't in class on Wednesday but it seems like we talked about how Millás incorporated his childhood memories into his book and how they are different now. I agree with that, after reading this and looking back upon my childhood everything is different and the world moves so much faster as I get older. I remember when I was younger the summers seemed to last forever (and most of the time I didn't mind, although sometimes I was ready for school to start again). I spent the summers swimming, playing games outside, playing board games, just doing whatever I wanted to do. I remember thinking we had the best basketball games and we were so good, or going to church and singing the hymns and thinking that it wouldn't be the same without me singing. When you go back and reflect on how things used to be and how much things have changed you realize that the thoughts as you were younger were nothing like how you remember them and you will never have the same experiences as you get older, which is actually sad, but not sad that you never thought that when you were younger.

El mundo frio

One thing that really jumped out at me was the description of El Frio. (I used capital letters because I feel like it's so important). El Frio is a metaphor if I've ever seen one. It permeates Millas' bones. He can't shake the feeling. It's like when you have to stand outside in the cold for hours and you feel like you'll never be warm again. Or when you're violently ill and it feels like getting healthy again is impossible. But as we know, those feelings go away pretty quickly and you go home and wake up in the morning feeling warmer/healthier. But imagine if that wasn't a possibility. That was Millas' situation. The cold just wouldn't go away and there was a constant struggle to feel as comfortable as possible in the given moment. There was no "I can't wait to go home to my warm house!" It's actually quite scary when you think about it. El Frio Inescapable. I thought the metaphor of El Frio cutting into the soul (literally and figuratively) was excellent. I really enjoyed Millas' writing style too.

El Mundo - Reality

El Mundo is definitely an insightful book. Not necessarily for the content, although its content is very interesting, but for the way it causes one's mind to race with thoughts after each paragraph. Usually I will read a book for pages and pages because it paints a picture/movie in my mind, which is not a bad thing at all. But I found myself delving into memories and philosophical thoughts after seemingly every paragraph or page in this book. I love thinking, going off tangents, and thinking about the world from different perspectives. I truly admire Millas way of thinking about the world. Although he himself admits that he has some mental issues, for me, that doesn't detract at all from the fact that he is able to let go of preconceived notions and associations in this world. Our minds are wired to make these associations and make them seem like absolute truths, probably for survival reasons. He is able to disconnect this wiring, to view the world like a child at all times, always questioning associations and the perceived reality.

The fact is that Millas is right in his thinking. Our perception of what we think of as reality is truly only a fraction of what actually exists. Even on the brightest of days, our senses give us only a tiny part of what exists in the world. We only see a very limited part of the spectrum of light; we only hear from 20-20,000 Hz; animals can smell much, much more than we can; the list goes on. We are constantly being bombarded by particles at all times, things we can never see or feel.

When you look at your skin, you think you are seeing something solid. Your touch even makes this claim stronger. Yet we know that on the microscopic level we are a bunch of atoms connected together by their natural bonds of attraction. And what is an atom at the most basic level? It is a tiny nucleus with electrons flying around it. If we were to make an analogy of this, an atom would be the size of the Horseshoe and the nucleus of the atom would be a single pea on the 50 yard line. The rest is empty space where even tinier electrons fly around in a sort of cloud of energy. So if we are made up entirely of atoms, and atoms are almost entirely empty space, then aren't we not mostly empty space??

So what is the implication of thinking about reality like this, similar to how Millas views the world in different ways. The point is that life and reality are not what they seem to be. It teaches us not to take things at face value, for granted, or for certain. What may seem like an absolute truth is really not at the fundamental level. We are made of constantly changing particles that eventually will run out of juice and cease to function. So, as Millas has done, make the best out of any situation in life. While some days may seem like the most terrible day to you, there are millions of others out there having a terrible day as well. Life goes on still. There isn't a right or wrong way to view an experience. Experiences are what we make them to be, just as Millas has done.

El mundo de un niño

I can remember being a kid and the world being so big. What we talked about in class on Wednesday fits into this theory I've had since high school. There is this group of activities that sound like a great idea every two or three years to me (the zoo, the museum, and the Renaissance fair), but about 15 minutes into them, you realize that over the past three years, you've built up memories and great experiences from every other time you've been there, and they suddenly aren't as exciting. What is there to do at the Renaissance fair that doesn't cost any money? Why aren't the animals MOVING!?! And those questions like "Where does electricity come from?" or "What happened to the dinosaurs?" that are answered with the push of a button or the lifting of a tab aren't so exciting when you're in college. But I fall for it every time... I'll go back in three years, with the expectations of a six year-old again.

This is exactly what Millás uses in El mundo... everything is bigger and better as a child. My grandma told me once that your life is like a pie, and every year takes up an equal part. When you're six, all of your experiences are 1/6 of what you've seen, heard, or did. When you're 50, they account for 1/50 of your life. The pieces keep getting smaller. This is why, she says, that years seem shorter and shorter the older you get. Remember how long a 10-minute time out seemed when you were five?! But, as you get older, you value your experiences just as much, if not more, than when you were young. Maybe that's why we keep going back to the Renaissance fair... it takes us back to a time (our childhood, not the Middle Ages) where an 8 dollar turkey leg was the best thing in el mundo.

El Mundo & Frank McCourt

When reading El Mundo, it struck me that I had read works with a similar style before. I realized it was the work of Frank McCourt--his three part memoir series of Angela's Ashes, 'Tis, and Teacher Man. I remember reading McCourt for the first time and the profound impact that it had on me. Literature always does this for me, but the interesting thing was that when it came to McCourt's work, it was the simplicity of the stream of consciousness style that really captured me. I had never before read anything written in that style. I feel like a stream of consciousness allows readers a unique insight into the mind of readers, an insight that is moving in works like that of McCourt and Millas. It struck me that a type of writing that appears so simple can communicate such a strong message and set a completey unique tone in a novel. Here's an example from Angela's Ashes:

"The master says it’s a glorious thing to die for the Faith and Dad says it’s a glorious thing to die for Ireland and I wonder if there’s anyone in the world who would like us to live. My brothers are dead and my sister is dead and I wonder if they died for Ireland or the Faith. Dad says they were too young to die for anything. Mam says it was disease and starvation and him never having a job. Dad says, Och, Angela, puts on his cap and goes for a long walk."

I feel like the stream of consciousness completely transforms the work in ways that couldn't be understood as well with other styles of writing, and I feel the same when reading Millas. Anyone who enjoys El Mundo would love McCourt's work and I highly recommend it.

Last Blog Meditation

The dialogue between Don Valeriano and Paco was the best part/scene of everything we’ve read this quarter. After reading that part, I just felt really excited. Paco showed a lot of courage talking to someone in a more powerful position than him and really demonstrated that he is the hero of the town. I loved when Paco said the following, “¿De qué manera va a negociar el duque? No hay más que dejar los montes, y no volver a pensar en el asunto” (33). The words express so much confidence and bravery! The scene also reminded me of Harry Potter and his will to finish off Lord Voldemort. I felt like Harry acted in the same way as Paco in the seventh book when he was battling the villain for the last time. In that scene, Harry was also in a similar situation as Paco because he was up against someone that was stronger. However, in the end Harry won the duel and Paco won the loyalty of the people in the town (even though he wasn’t alive to see it).

El mundo

In our discussion on Wednesday we talked about how different things we saw as children appear now, as Millás discusses in Mundo. This got me thinking of how differently I view things now than I did in the past. The first thing that comes to mind is Chuck E. Cheese. This used to be my favorite place on earth. I loved to go there, play the games, eat the pizza, get buried in the huge ball pit and watch the shows. Now, when I take my younger cousins there all I can think of is how germy the games are, how much the pizza tastes like it was frozen, how many germs are in the tiny ball pit and how corny the shows are with the mechanical character. The emotions the narrator is feeling are so universal, in fact there are few things that I can think of from my childhood that don’t seem different now. Everything is different. I think that is what makes this novel so easy to read and relate to because the emotions he experiences.

El Mundo

At first, I was really reluctant to even pick up the book. However, once I got started, I couldn't put the book down! I love the way the author writes… it's just so random. I mean if he remembers something, he just sticks it in! I love it! One of my favorite analogies was about the El Frio- that the cold isn't just from the cold environment in Madrid, but the coldness from relationships we create. It's the impact of the relationships we form, that stay with us forever. He also throws an analogy about the knife that makes the cut, also heals us. It's so true!! Sometimes we don't see the good in something gone terribly wrong, but there's a reason why something happened. I feel as if things happen for a reason, whether we see good in it or not, there's always something good… you will see the good one day! Millan's writing is very much like Freud's psychoanalytical, but also VERY philosophical and that's probably the reason why I love it so much!

El mundo

When we are little, we are like sponges. We soak in everything people say and ask a lot of questions about things we don’t know about. Even the littlest events, can impact what we do, act, or feel, in the future. For example, Millás talked about holding hands with his mother. Other guys remember doing the same thing, but never thought much about it. Millás, on the other hand, remembers these events in great detail and thinks about them when he is older. I don’t frequently think about holding my mom’s or dad’s hand, but I remember certain aspects of my childhood that have stayed with me. My sisters definitely influenced the person I am today, and I remember many times when we fought due to our differences or supported each other when we were upset and needed a shoulder to cry on. Each one of us is ‘broken’ at some point in our lives, and it’s great to have people or ones self motivation, to put the pieces together. Millás also talked about his mother’s breast feeding, and that definitely left an imprint on his mind for the rest of his life. Through Millás’ self motivation, he was able to achieve a lot of recognition for doing something he is good at – writing. He has broken pieces in his personality – his emotions and ideas, but he has been able to work through his problems to become a great writer.

El mundo

Out of everything we've read in class, El mundo, for me, has been the easiest to get through. Most likely this is due to Millas' simple style of writing and topics and themes that I can understand and relate to my own life. I think this is one of the most important elements necessary in order for the reader to connect with a novel - her ability to relate to the events and state-of-mind of the narrator or protagonist. As someone in class pointed out, this could be a good read for someone with mental problems similar to the narrator's. Even if it may not have been Millas' intentions when writing the novel, I believe that it is still an important aspect to the text, that it reaches out to young people who may be suffering from psychological issues. Even for a reader that may not directly connect to those themes, even the psychological and philosophical subject matter is intriguing and interesting to read. Although it may take me more than one read to comprehend everything going on in the novel, I'd like to be able to read this through and know and be able to discuss the novel as it is the one I have valued the most this quarter.

Our Broken World

In our discussion of El Mundo this week, we talked about how Millás wanted to show the reader how the mentality of a person changes throughout the cycle of life, and how, in the moment that the person is living in, things don’t seem unequivocal to that person. I love this view of the world, and it makes me think of life as a perpetual free-fall with impervious safety nets catching you along the way. As the cycle of life plays out, each safety net is successfully cut open, and the free-fall begins until you hit the next safety next. Here’s what I mean: Millás shows us that at the time of birth, the world is completely broken, which represents the first safety net (being inside the mother’s womb) being broken and the first free-fall being undertaken. The fall represents all the chaos that has broken our world and how we are adapting to these things, learning more about them (i.e. communication), and eventually mastering them, which is when we hit the second safety net. Now we are living under our parents’ or teachers’ care, and while we know more and can do more things than at the first safety net, we still are confined by the limits of childhood, schooling, etc. And this is what life continues to be like until the end. Once we escape the world of childhood and schooling, our world is broken again, and we need to learn and master new things on top of those that we have already mastered in previous stages. Then we fall into another safety net until we take another step in the life cycle, where our world is broken again, and we adapt again. And so the cycle of life forces us to make ourselves better and more understanding, and we must abide or else when we do take that next step, we do not have all the tools we were supposed to acquire from the last free-fall; we would be set up to fail because we would be in an endless free-fall that never reaches the next safety net, simply because we don’t know the world as well as we should at that stage in the life cycle. That might have been really confusing, but it works in my mind, so I apologize if it was.

¿Mosén Millán un héroe?

La mayoría de lectores piensan que Mosén Millán fue un cobarde al entregar a Paco en Réquiem por un campesino español, sin embargo yo creo que tal vez Mosén Millán fue un héroe pero nunca se dio algo de crédito. Si pensamos en el bienestar de la gente mas allá de Paco podemos ver que tal vez entregar a Paco en el momento fue la mejor idea. La razón es que mucha gente estaba siendo matada, y yo creo que Mosén Millán pensó que tal vez sacrificando a Paco las matanzas terminarían porque ya tendrían al líder del grupo contrario. En cierta forma yo creo que Mosén Millán se sacrifico porque el realmente quería a Paco; él lo vio a Paco desde bebe crecer y el dice que él es su padre espiritista de Paco, entonces el de alguna manera sacrifico a su hijo por el bien de el resto de la gente en el pueblo. El nunca dice en la historia porque motivo entrego a Paco, pero lo que es claro es que el respetaba a Paco, lo quería como un hijo, y a lo largo de la historia él lo hizo ver como si Paco fuera lo mejor que murió como un mártir lo que a mí me hace creer que fue muy difícil para el entregar a su hijo para que fuera sacrificado para salvar al resto de la gente del pueblo.

PROBLEM WITH BLOG POSTING-- FROM PROFESORA

Dear all,
there have been some problems with blog posting dates for some of you. Some of you have been getting error messages. I am going to print out everyone's postings and count them numerically next week. As long as everyone has the right number of postings total, things will be fine. No need to worry about date of posting at this point.
Gracias,
RH

el Mundo

I have to admit I was nervous to start reading el Mundo, mainly because it was my first real novel in Spanish. By "real novel" I am referring to one that you would pick up off the shelf at Barnes and Noble for pleasure at the beach. After diving in, I loved the analogy of the eletrosurge, el bautisuri electronico, because it represents the fine line of life. A fine line between cut and healed, broken and fixed, together and apart, right and wrong, life and death or dream vs reality. I have grown up in a world, mainly by my parents and my upbringing, where all of the boundaries were established. To me this book opens a world into the life and the street of Juan, who sees a world of grey. Therefore, I think that he fulfilled his obligation to me when he said "Yo estaba obligado a contar la historia del mundo, es decir, la historia de mi calle, pues compredi en ese instante que mi calle era una imitacion , un trasunto, una copia, quiza, una metafora del mundo." (92) I think this shows how there is not normal, but everyone is interconnected this world in some way, and by telling one piece of the puzzle there is a whole world out there they is apart and functions just like this one puzzle piece. He goes on later to reinforce this because he says how he sees "mi calle" in Manchester, New York, LA, Madrid, and any city he comes across he sees and examines bits and pieces of his life and the world. I find this ability to interconnect an amazing gift, which creates and even better incision into our lives.

El Mundo

When I was reading El Mundo I was a bit confused about some things and there were some parts where I completely had no idea what was going on, but our discussion in class today really helped me to get a better understanding of the book. Even though I didn't understand everything at first, I still enjoyed the book, but after the discussion, I had a much greater appreciation for it! The beauty with which Millas blurs the lines between what is real and what is created in the mind of the child is incredible. Also, I like the fact that it seems like it is an autobiography, however it is written as a novel, and Millas never states that it actually is the story of his childhood. The way in which he writes, with a lot of repetition and lots of long sentences, was part of the reason I think I got confused, but after rereading some passages, I saw the amazing effect it had, and it really added emphasis to the story. I am glad that we were required to buy this book for class, and that we read it at the end of the quarter because I am looking forward to going back and rereading it over spring break.

-Emily Brown

Memories - El Mundo

During class today, I started to think about my childhood. I realized that when I look back at my life as a kids, I can barely remember many of the details that had once been so important to me. I find it so interesting that Juan Jose Millas had remembered so much detail and could express how he felt about those moments. Many little things can effect someone's life in a big way, but people like myself do not remember them. In discussion, we talked about how when we are kids everything seems so big and shiny and when we grow up we wonder if we were looking at the same thing. I find it interesting how everything is so new when we are young, and we learn everything for the first time. Every person can grow up so differently, which is why I think there is no "normal" way to grow up because every person and family has their quirks. Millas was so honest in expressing his feelings. It was sad that Millas did not recognize his dad as his father and was scared of him. I believe like Ilse that the book was a kind of closure for him as well as a great novel to outsell his competitors. Many people hold sad memories inside themselves, and I think by him writing about his past it helps him move forward. I also think that many people who have bad or "broken" childhoods think that their life will always be "broken". Millas is living proof that one's life can get better, as he is now a successful writer. Millas does a great job exploring his childhood and life and truely makes the readers look back on their life and how they grew up. It's amazing!

Post Week 9

After our class discussion about Requiem por un campesino espanol on 3/1, I decided to do some research to find out more about this book. I came across a long article that relates and read the first part of it. This related very well to the exercise we did about the "Romance" in the book that is expressed through the alter boy. The person who wrote the article really took a liking to the prose/poetry that appears throughout the book. I thought this was very interesting because we talked about the importance of this smaller story within the entire book. The person who wrote this article notes that there are twelve of these sections of the romance and all are said by the alter boy except the eighth which Mosen Millan says. In addition to the points we touched on in class, I found this article to contain other important ideas. For instance, this article points out that the romance serves to show that the people have their own way of honoring Paco that is separate from the church. This idea is also evident at the end when there are only three people who show up for his mass, none of which are the campesinos or other people from the town. In addition to this idea, the article also suggests the reason for the people not showing up for the mass. According to the article, the reason is that the town partially blames Mosen Millan for what happened to Paco and thus does not attend his mass. I also found it interesting that the article pointed out that in the Romance, the only other name to appear other that Paco's was Mosen Millan. This also shows blame toward Mosen Millan.

Here is the link in case someone is interested in reading the entire article
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=2&hid=13&sid=29a2bdf7-9b38-4dbe-abce-2301f1d66206%40sessionmgr10

Blog 7: More thoughts on Requiem

I had the chance to hear Dr. Maya Angelou speak last night at the Mershon Center, and it was so inspirational that I just knew I had to find some way to connect it to class so that I could talk about it. Today in class I thought of a way to do that! Dr. Angelou made a very interesting point last night, while talking about the fact that we are all human, and thus capable of everything, in both a good and bad way. The quoted a man named Terence, a playwright of the Roman Republic who wrote "Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto", or "I am a man, I consider nothing that is human alien to me." She then paralleled this to thinking about people who do horrible things, and the fact that they did them, means that since we are each human, we also have the capability within ourselves to commit these acts as well. When applying this to Requiem, we may be able to understand Mosen's character a little more. Like we have been saying, he is only human, as we all are, and he is capable of doing some wicked things (like his traitor acts that we see in Requiem), but that means we all are capable of these things. Yet, applying this to Paco, who is the hero of the village and brave enough to stand up and do something about the injustices occurring, is also human, and thus we all have something in ourselves that is capable of being that brave as well. In this way, as Dr. Angelou also pointed out, it is liberating to know we are all human.

Blog 6 Requiem por un campesino espanol

I think that the problems in Spain during the 19th century is very interesting. The fight between the nationalists and republicans for political power created a lot of tension throughout the country. I like how the 2nd republic was fighting for better rights for the people and created the constitution which gave more rights to the people such as legal divorce, universal sufferage for everyone, land redistribution, workplace rights, and dissolving religious orders and the confiscation of property. I think it is important that the church does not have control over everything and the workers have better rights and are able to attain land. With the political change back to the rebels, I think that it confused many of the people because the ideas of each side are so different. I like Requiem por un campesino espanol because it shows the effect the changes had on a pueblo. It gives you a better idea of what the people were experiencing and how some people like Paco rose up to help the people and take advantage of the rights they were given. I found that the flashbacks made the book confusing because the point of view and time was constantly changing. The idea of memory is very interesting as we have discussed in class. When people retell memories, they can make the stories different than they actually were sometimes to feel better about themselves or to avoid admitting something bad they have done. You can see this in the story with mosen Millan and his retelling of the death of Paco. I liked how the story showed Paco as a person who organized the people to stand up against those who wanted to oppress them. I wish that the constiution had stayed as the law instead of being taken away from the people two years later. I think the left wing party had won again in 1936 because the people realized what the right wings were capable of and the negative effects they had on many lives of the people.

Requiem

Ah, sunday. I feel as if my week has disapperaed as fast as light. The writing and thought for this paper coming due on this monday has taken its toll on me and also taken the time away from a thorough read and analysis of 'Requiem por un Campesino'. I had skimmed and read portions of the story and enjoyed it much. I like it in and of itself. I've heard people make a connection that Sender models this after Pilate (the facists), Pharisee (Millan), and Jesus (Paco). Maybe so, maybe not. Every writer needs inspiration.
But that and other blogs got me thinking about such things and what God in the Bible says. At one point Jesus is called "good". He asks why he should be called as such as only God is good. Again Paul an apostle writes to the Romans 'there is none righteous, no not one" So, that being said, what is the purpose of the Law. Obviously, humans cannot fulfill the law for at one point Jesus said that one must be more righteous than the Pharisees (being the most exacting to the Law) and we all know how Jesus scolded them harshly. The purpose of Moses' law then was to show humans that they cannot please God, and to foreshadow the coming of the messiah, the one who could/can/did please God. (Interesting that so many 'religions' including most of christianity give one instructions and formulas on how to please god - unfortunately it is the god of this world [momentarily] and not God.) Therefore, since no one can please Him (Hashem - to Jews) one must rely on the Annointed One to reconcile us to Him.
So inretrospect it isnt supprising that Millan has blood on his hands as it is in his nature not to be good. What Sender does nicely is call to account (though ultimately in vain) some of society during this time period, though my guess is that he selectively forgets to include the faults of the campesinos including Paco for his own purposes.
Just thoughts to fulfill the blog req. Hopefully it is not too disjointed.

Irritated

Second post for the week, but does the similarity between "Millás" and "Millán" bother anyone else, especially because we're reading these texts back to back?

I agree with Alisa about Millán doing everything automatically. When people just automatically do something they aren't putting their true heart into the activities they're doing and I do not believe it is morally right. When an act of worshiping God becomes automatic is not what is intended to happen and when it is automatic people are probably not paying attention to what they're doing. When someone is praying they should be speaking with God and not just say something because that's what they're supposed to do. It seems like sometimes people worship God so they can have a good afterlife, but they may feel obligated to do it. They look down on other people who do not live their lives the way they do. They believe that they are living their lives the way God wants them to live, but may not be completely "in tune" to what they're doing. Some people live their lives like a good person and have good morals but are told they are going to Hell. Sometimes people who do not give their lives to God live their lives helping people in need more than the people who live their lives just worshiping God. I'm not trying to say those people are living bad lives, I'm just saying sometimes they are too quick to judge.

Requiem por un Campesino

After this week's discussion on "Requiem por un Campesino", I really got a sense for how important the writing style of Sender is. The double meanings that he put into his texts are really interesting. I did not see these double meanings until we went over them in class, but they are evident in even the first few pages of the book. Although I do like the double meanings that he put into his writing, I agree with Monali when she said that Sender has a very narrow view of the rightists. It is so clear that he is on the leftist side and that is fine, but what did the rightists really go through? I don’t think their behalf was fully demonstrated in this novel. I wish he had included the corruption of both sides, so people reading the novel today could make their own interpretation on who is “right” in this political battle.

Réquiem por un campesino español

En la historia de réquiem por un campesino español podemos apreciar la historia de un típico muchacho de la época, quien llego a ser grande y fue sacrificado como un mártir por su creencia de lo que es justicia. El muchacho, Paco el del molino, creció cercano a la iglesia y era muy amigo del padre, Mosén Millán, persona al que el apreciaba mucho. Al crecer Paco se fue dando cuenta de la injusticia que le rodeaba; había muy poca gente rica dueña de todas las tierras y la mayoría de la gente era pobre y trabajaba en las tierras de los ricos. El se hizo líder de una organización quien estaba peleando por un cambio para la gente del pueblo, ellos exigían una división de tierras más justa para la gente pobre. Su pelea termino cuando fue entregado por un hombre quien lo vio crecer, un hombre quien fue confiado por la familia de el acerca de donde se encontraba; este hombre, Mosén Millán, dio la información del paradero de Paco y eso le causo la muerte a Paco.

I have started El mundo and I think I just may like it. It's a lot easier to understand than requirem. I don't have to try and figure out if this guy is having a flash back, and there don't seem to be any stories inside of stories. Also there are chapters so I can physc myself into feeling like I accomplished someting by finishing a chapter. I think chapters alos help in keeping me motivated to read it. I also think I like it becasue it is based off a real mans life and it's more like a memoir, which is pretty interesting!

Requiem and the role of memory

I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Réquiem por un campesino español” for a variety of reasons. When I first flipped through the pages, I was a little worried that there were no chapters because I thought it would be difficult to keep up with. However, the book truly read like a stream of consciousness, jumping from memory to memory similar to how we think.

In terms of how we think, I was very intrigued with how Sender explored the role of memory in the telling of this story. Sender tells much of the story through the memories of Mosén Millan, which gives us a biased and altered perception of the actually story. We cannot even be sure just how true these memories were because Mosén Millan would mentally block certain emotions or memories that brought a negative light towards himself. The fact is, this occurs everyday and with everyone. No one is above the limitations of our memories. While we may truly think and believe we have the true account of a past event, it is truly amazing how much that perception is skewed by our own feelings, expectations, and how we have been raised. We all see and feel different things when we look at a painting, which causes us to interpret it differently. In the same way, we view reality and events like a painting. Interpretations differ and I find that to be the root cause of so many conflicts among people. At the end of the story, Mosén Millan is confused as to why no one has attended the mass. To the reader, it is obvious why, but Millan is blind to his wrongful deeds. To him, he has done nothing wrong. Reading this book has made me introspectively look at myself and consider the factors that go into how I perceive reality. What shapes my memory? What shapes yours?

El Mundo vs Requiem

I completely agree with Will about El Mundo. It is amazingly easy to understand the meanings of sentences without having to constantly be looking up words. I usually spend hours throughout the week reading in order to finish in time, but El Mundo I will have finished much sooner. It is easier to read because of the language that Millan uses, and also it's easier to distinguish where things are taking place and to identify starting and stopping places of events and actions that are being placed.

I find this in high contrast to Requiem. In Requiem, I found it difficult to understand when things were starting and stopping and when the priest was in the present or when he was thinking about Paco. I really disliked this story just because it was hard to follow and I didnt feel captivated and like I was present in the story. This makes me glad that El Mundo seems like a second story I can enjoy reading without getting frustrated, because reading becomes so much easier and more enjoyable when you are there, in a story and understand the events going on without having to go back and be like wait is this happening now or did this already happen? Throughout the quarter, I've decided that books are like Michael Jackson for me, I either love them or I hate them.

Found in Translation

Throughout the entire quarter, there's always been some issue with my intial understanding of the texts. With El sí de las niñas, there was the constant stop and start of the dialogue, and the "wait, who is saying this again?" when more than two people were in the room. With El estudiante de Salamanca, there was the language that made the understanding of every single word necessary to see the picture that the author was painting. And don't even get me started on the colloquial word usage of Cuentos.... While sitting down to read El Mundo, I'm finding that I read a whole page, and I'm SHOCKED I understood it all. Millás seems to have this simplicity of writing that makes it so easy to read... it's almost conversational. I'm having a lot of "a ha!" moments in Millás's text... moreso than with any of the other authors.

When I think back to my English classes from over the years, texts written in the 18th and 19th centuries were harder to read. I can remember trudging through Jane Eyre (my summer reading book for freshman year of high school) at 11:35 PM the night before school started, incredibly frustrated at Brontë's writing. I also remember reading The Count of Monte Cristo, and while enjoying it, finding it very difficult to swallow. While some of these texts are important if we are to gain understanding of the periods and epochs throughout literature, I wonder if while students are beginning to learn to read Spanish (in 450, for example) if it would be more useful to use current texts rather than older texts which may have antiquated words or sentence structures.

I'm definitely enjoying El Mundo, but I'm not sure if it's because of the story, or the fact that I'm not making wordreference.com my best friend for the evening!

Mosén Millán

Mosén Millán is a very interesting character. He is a priest, and therefore does all of his required duties, but he does it automatically. I understand if a priest memorizes the prayers, but I believe that a person should be thinking about what they are saying and applying to their life. When people do something automatically, they do not receive any pleasure from doing so, because they are not paying attention. As a clergy member, Mosén Millán should have been showing an example of how to pray correctly and pay attention to life instead of being in automatic mode. It is Mosén Millán’s job to give the last rights, and when in the caves with Paco, he gave the rights automatically because he knew that is what he was needed for. Paco asked him questions about the suffering of the poor who lived in the caves, but Mosén Millán didn’t reply and did not explain. In the church, it is taught to help others, especially those less fortunate. Unfortunately, it seems like Mosén Millán was worried about himself and his living rather than helping out those that needed him most. When Mosén Millán was giving Paco his last rights, he was doing it automatically. Maybe he wanted to numb the pain of losing Paco and therefore was not paying attention, or maybe he really thought that Paco should die. Then while remembering Paco a year later at Paco’s requiem, he selectively remembers the past. He probably does not put guilt on himself even though he is the reason that Paco was revealed and later killed. Instead of keeping Paco hidden from the Nationalists, he gave Paco up on a silver platter. In the back of his mind, Mosén Millán must have known that Paco would be killed even though he asked them not to. Paco had done so many things against the Nationalists that they could not afford to have him rebel again. Again, Mosén Millán was worried about his livelihood and he wanted to stay in the good favors of the Nationalists despite the deaths of other residents in his parish.

Requiem...

I really enjoyed reading Reqieum. I was pleasantly surprised with how it kept my attention without being divided into chapters or sections. I feel that Sender has so much to say in this story and through each of the characters that are presented. What really interested me was how Paco became so interested, and also deeply shaken, by the idea that there were people like those living in the cuevas that had no money and very poor means of living. For such a young boy simply tagging along with a priest, he seemed to consider the plight of not only the couple that he witnessed, but also all of the poor in his community, with great thought. He seemed truly interested in finding ways to help them, and truly bothered that no one had done so already. I think today's society would have a lot to learn from Paco's attitude. I hate to say it but I fear that too many young children of around Paco's age would have no concept of helping others nor such a profound understanding of their surrounding as Paco demonstrated. A little compassion can co a long way. And, even if children didn't or couldn't do anything to help, it would be at great start if they at least noticed the situations of other people and thought beyond their own lives to see the bigger picture of the world.

The use of flashbacks

This week, with our discussion focusing mainly on “Réquiem por un campesino español,” I was mainly intrigued by the particular style of writing used for this story. The use of flashbacks is an especially interesting way to tell this story. As we discussed in class, Mosén Millán remembered the story in a way that did not portray himself in such a negative light. However, I think the use of flashbacks affected the story in many other ways. For me, I think the biggest impact of the use of flashbacks was that the reader could see what was going to in the life of Mosén at the present time. Therefore, I did not initially think he was a bad person. In fact, as I began reading the story, I almost believed he was going to be a “good guy” in this story. I thought he was concerned for Paco´s sake that people came to his funeral. The amount of time he spent thinking about and recapping the events of Paco´s life made it seem as though he genuinely cared about him. Overall, I almost think that without the use of flashbacks, I (and probably most readers) would have thought of Mosén a lot more negatively.

Requiem

This is a very specific topic but I thought it was too interesting to pass up. Being pre-education and studying sociology, I have learned a lot about children and social issues (and a combination of the two). I thought the scene after Paco visited the caves with Mosen Millan was really interesting and relevant. Paco just can't keep quiet about the extreme poverty he had just witnessed and his father says, "That is the last time you go to give Last Rites with Mosen Millan." My initial question was, why? Why don't parents want to expose their children social issues like poverty? I can understand both arguments but it still got me thinking. That dinner scene reminded me of the classic familial situation where an awkward topic is brought up and a parent goes, "Discussion over" but doesn't explain why. Paco had such a lively and generous spirit and I think a major underlying conflict of Requiem is others (Mosen Millan and his parents, for example) trying to suppress that spirit. Like I said, this is a random observation but I guess it proves the relevance to modern-day and realistic (i.e. believable) feel of Requiem.

The Little Hero

I read Requiem por un campesino espanol in my 450 class and although I didn't remember exactly what the story was about or what happened, I remembered the character Paco. I was looking through my notes from 450 today and I have written down that Paco is looked at as a hero. Paco lived in a time where poverty was so common, but also very looked down upon. The people who lived in the caves that Mosen Millan visits are oppressed with poverty and sickness. They are secluded from the town and have formed somewhat of their own society, because they are not accepted to live with others. Paco is the one character in the story who questions this "normality." Paco's childish wonder and innocence make it believable to the reader that he would have such an interest in the people who live in the caves and why he would question them being so excluded from society. Paco i snot an extraordinary person, he is normal in every sense. But the thing that makes his character stand out is his willingness to help and his big heart. Paco's representation as a hero in the story inspires the reader, I think, to evaluate their life; to look at their blessings and the misfortunes of others and wonder "What can I do to help?"

Paco/Jesus figure in Requiem

One of the most interesting aspects of Requiem por un campesino espanol is the allegorical meaning behind the novel; that is, linking Paco to Jesus Christ. Like Jesus, Paco is a leader and helper of the poor or the working class and is dedicated to his cause; so dedicated, in fact, that also like Jesus, he dies for it. Paco is portrayed as a hero and martyr and is clearly, like we discussed in class, a “good” character; therefore, it seems to me that Sender is at least showing that Jesus is also “good.” I think this is particularly intriguing considering how Sender paints religion and the church through the character of Mosen Millan - a corrupted, stubborn institution that blindly follows the word of God despite the chaos and destruction occurring in reality (for example, when Paco is about to be murdered and instead of saving his life, Mosen Millan assures him that the Lord will save him and the only thing he can do is look to God). It makes me wonder what Sender is attempting to say about religion and spirituality; is he looking down upon the establishment while praising the actual spiritual figures? If anyone else has any thoughts, feel free to share.

la iglesia

What is it about the church (por lo menos la iglesia católica)? It always seems conflicted, if not self-admittedly, its actions seem to contradict the practices it preaches. We definitely see this in Réquiem in the character Mosén Millán. The interesting thing is, many of us had a hard time deciding whether MM is definitively uno de los buenos o uno de los malos, which I think is true about the church as a whole. The church can do a lot of good for a lot of people, but it can also do a lot of bad (and often times get away with it). I think MM is a fine example of a man who is comfortable in his position because the alliance between the church and the state protects him. Unlike Paco, MM is not a martyr in any sense. MM does not take risks and ignores answering any inquiries that might question the church's legitimacy (Why do bad things happen to good people?). The sad thing is that the Spanish civil war is not the first time that the church is hypocritical. Another example that has always bothered me a lot was the Spanish conquest of the Americas, that was in part, or so they "say", with the purpose of bringing Catholicism to all of the barbaric indigenous peoples of the Americas. Of course, the real goal was to build an empire, but what better way to justify ones actions than by claiming that you are saving the souls oh the inhabitants of the land by forcing them to covert to Catholicism. I'm not trying to say that Catholicism is bad, I am simply noting instances in which the church goes against the word that it preaches. After all, we are all just humans.

Los Manos de las Cuevas

Wow! After reading all of these posts I was so inspired on what everyone wrote that I felt dumfounded on what to write myself. But there is one thing about Requiem por el campesino, that keeps nagging me. To the left is a photo I found that represents the poor indigenous men and women that lived in the caves, just as Paco saw as a young child, and it is a part of their artwork. This picture to me fits the scene in the book perfectly, like they are all reaching out gently saying, "Don't forget me! I promise to work hard! I just need some help, Priest please have compassion, God would have compassion..." How could anyone with a heart not of stone not want to help? To me I cannot understand Mosen Millan. Since he is a priest, a follower of God, should he don't radiate the compassion of God in day to day life, yet he goes about doing his "job" without any emotion. His mechanical life, shows how is dedication to man, the nationalists party, has made him forget his relationships with other people for whom he cares (or cared), with God, and with the church. It is horrifying to see how a political party can consume a human life. Obviously life was different during '98, however, What consumes us today? For me, this all relates back to our day to day lives: Do we lack compassion because we get so vortexed into our day to day routine that we miss the hands on the wall? Has the arms race of politics caused us to forget WHAT is good and bad, and not WHO is good a bad?

History's Relevance to the Novel

I found it very interesting that we just finished reading poems from the "Generación del 98" era, where it was common to write about politics, but I felt that the poems we read didn't discuss the government very much. It seemed more common to use imagery and comparisons to transport the reader to a different time and/or place, thus possibly causing them to forget about the current state of the world in terms of politics. However, in Réquiem por un Campesino Español, the politics and state of the government are what drive the whole story. It is interesting because when this novel was written, the same events were happening in Spain, during their civil war, which seems like more of a naturalist perspective for writing. Either way, I found the story very intriguing, regardless of the fact that I had read it before for another Spanish class. Even though we only see one side of the story, that of the peasants, I love the way Sender's writing transports the reader into the scene, keeping us interested in what is going to happen next, especially with the flashbacks, and also the ease with which the reader feels for the main character and his untimely death.

-Emily Brown

Requiem

Voy a hablar sobre los campesinos y el pueblo. Una persona muy importante en esta clase es Paco el del Molino, una persona que quiere cambiar equilibrio de poderes en su sociedad. Quiere la capacidad y derechos para la clase baja: " En la elección en la aldea…El muchacho (Paco) fue elegido…en Madrid suprimieron los viene de señorío, de origen medioeval…el duque alegaba que sus montes no entraban en aquella clasificación…por iniciativa de Paco, no pagar mientras los tribunales decidían" (p.90). Los ricos no le gustan los cambios y vieron a Paco como una amenaza a las maneras tradicionales de la sociedad española.: " Estamos limpiando el pueblo, y el que no esta con nosotros esta en contra" (p. 106). Paco tiene el poder de controlar y perturbar el equilibrio de las clases sociales. También tiene la capacidad de destruir, un ejemplo es su revólver. Desafortunadamente, él no tiene el poder de riqueza. Sin dinero, su poder de voz es callado. Es necesario para tener tanto el dinero y el control para afirmar poder.

Sender

I am surprised that Sender’s Requiem por un campesino español has such a black and white picture of the events that took place during the struggle between Nationalists and Republicans. I think he demonstrates very well how much the farmers and leftists struggled during this time. However, I feel he has a very narrow view of the situation. I think the story could’ve been made more complicated and more reflective of the time period if he had chosen to include a more sympathetic view of the right-wing government as well. I am sure that not all of the attacks were against the Republicans. They probably answered just as severely and violently against the Nationalists. I think that the story may have been a more respectable representation of the actual tension if he had chosen to tell both sides of the story. It definitely would have been possible for Sender to show the Nationalist’s struggles while still demonstrating his opinion in favor of the leftists.

Requiem

This week I wanted to reflect on Requiem por un campesino espanol. What hit me in class the other day was the fact that the story is being told by Mosen Millan, not Paco. Obviously I realized this when I read the book, but at first I did not recognize how this could introduce bias/a limited perspective, or a different story. It just reinforced the fact that one really must question everything, not only in this book and how Mosen Millan remembers Pacos’ story, but in different aspects of life. Last quarter in one of my classes, my friend and I noticed that one of my professors had multiple mistakes and contradictions in her lectures. If we hadn’t questioned it and taken the effort to dig a little deeper into the information, we would just be blindly agreeing with everything we were told. As a pre-med student, I relate this to medicine as well. It’s becoming increasingly popular to practice “evidence-based medicine;” or practices that have been proved through research, as opposed to doing things just because “that’s the way they’ve always been done.” This relates to Millan as well, who as we have seen, is afraid to contradict the higher powers because of tradition, and he just always repeats the same prayers because it’s what he’s used to and what he has always done. I think it is important as we discuss the book that everyone has a different perspective, and the one that Paco really had could have been misrepresented in this story.

Week 8 Post

I have started reading El Mundo, and so far it is very interesting and a somewhat easier read than what we have read thus far. This autobiography of Juan Jose Millas' life is one that is very detailed and personal. From what I have read so far, Millas had a very difficult childhood. His family did not have a lot of money and this was the cause of many of his difficulties. For example, he spends a lot of time describing the cold that he had to suffer through. What I like about this book is the perspective of who is telling the story. This relates to our discussion in class today about how Requiem por un campesino espanol is a story within a story. It is being retold through the eyes of the preist and therefore contains the selected information that he wants to include. In contrast, this story allows the reader to connect directly with the author because it is his own memory about his life. Again, Millas choses what to remember and include about his life, but I think that the things he includes are the things that had the biggest impact on him. I think this is a great choice for our final book because it allows us to read an autobiography and experience a whole new form of writing.

Movie, Requiem...

Did you know there is a Requiem por un campesino movie!!!!???? and Antonio Banderas is in it, so young and handsome!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIQw_mRHsFo

Semana8Blog

Una de las cosas que a mi mas me gustan de Requiem por un campesino espanol es que desde muy temprana edad, Paco el del Molino demostro compasion y una genuino interes por el servicio y justicia hacia los demas, especialmente a aquellas personas pobres y en necesidad como las de las cuevas.

Algo que tambien es muy curioso...Mosen Millan representa la Iglesia y la Iglesia apoya la milicia y el bando de los Nacionales. Sin embargo, Paco representa a los Republicanos pero es Mosen Millan quiem aprecia muchisimo y apoya a Paco el del Molino a pesar de que al final lo "delata".

Es una novela triste pero basicamente cuenta algo que muy posible en esa epoca y eso es exactamente lo que el autor quiere comunicar tambien, porque el quiere mostrarnos como eran las cosas durante la Guerra Civil.

La clase baja

En Réquiem, un clase que el escritor habla sobre es la clase social baja: los campesinos y el pueblo. Una persona muy importante en esta clase es Paco el del Molino, una persona que quiere cambiar equilibrio de poderes en su sociedad. Quiere la capacidad y derechos para la clase baja: " En la elección en la aldea…El muchacho (Paco) fue elegido…en Madrid suprimieron los viene de señorío, de origen medioeval…el duque alegaba que sus montes no entraban en aquella clasificación…por iniciativa de Paco, no pagar mientras los tribunales decidían." Los ricos no le gustan los cambios y vieron a Paco como una amenaza a las maneras tradicionales de la sociedad española.: " Estamos limpiando el pueblo, y el que no esta con nosotros esta en contra." Paco tiene el poder de controlar y perturbar el equilibrio de las clases sociales. También tiene la capacidad de destruir, un ejemplo es su revólver. Desafortunadamente, él no tiene el poder de riqueza. Sin dinero, su poder de voz es callado. Es necesario para tener tanto el dinero y el control para afirmar poder.

algunas observaciones

Just finished Réquiem por un campesino español , and found the reading to be quite entertaining! Not the kind of funny, care-free entertainment that I look for when I am trying to relax and forget about school for a little while (obviously), but I actually enjoyed reading this book. I was a little nervous on Wednesday when RH asked if anyone had read the book before and the students that had mostly responded that it was "ok". Which is fine of course, but what I enjoyed most about the book was that I was able to make observations while I was reading. Perhaps because I did have too many problems with comprehension. Being able to know what is going on in the text is helpful, and I felt for one of the first times able to analyze a text in Spanish while reading it. I was able to make connections within the text, recognizing certain themes and ideas that might be useful for writing the next paper. I would like to list some of my observations! : the use of animals in the text (especially in comparison to humans), the three enemigos (Cástulo Pérez = neither amigo ni enemigo) of Paco, what each represents, how they are different, what role do they play in Paco's asesino...the role of religion and god, la vida de los campesinos, las campanas, the role of music (el romance, los cantos de los campesinos)...just a few topics that would be interesting to analyze within the text!

Meanings

Most of the time poems seem the same, like they have the same meaning/theme, a lot of times about love. I think it was interesting how there were two different types of poets following the War of 1898: modernism and generation of '98. These artists had the same idea about writing about what they believed was going on, or their reactions to the events.

Writing is a good way for people to get their emotions out without anything turning violent. When someone is having a hard time sometimes it's just easier to write it down and get it out of their systems, some write songs, some write poetry, some just write letters. I believe these people writing the poetry helped calm the events and helped people cope with what was going on.

Machado y Sender

Hola todos. Me gustan muchos los poemas y el cuento para esta semana. En cuanto a Machado hay muchas palabras nuevas y me encanta sus descripciones vividas, y su uso y elección de vocabulario. Cuando leo sus obras, veo y siento la acción como si estuviera allí. Son palabas muy vivido y me muestra una descripción que puedo entender fácilmente. Las descripciones del campo de Castilla inspiran dentro de mí un deseo para correr a través de las colinas de España.
Me gusta el cuento “réquiem por un campesino Español”, específicamente el estilo sencillo y natural y el cambio en que Sender nos relata los eventos. El cuento, en el presente del relato solamente pasa en tiempo muy corto mientras que Millán ‘flashes back’ a la vida de Paco. También, se puede mirar el desarrollo de él y ver la sangre en las manos aparece. Un buen leer, este cuento es.

Bad people vs. good people

After out discussion of the poems we read in class, I couldn't stop thinking about the images in “He andado muchos caminos” of the good people and the bad people. While I know in this time, the writers were more focused on images and did not want the focus to be on political/ or real life connotations, I cannot help applying this to life today. As much as we sit there and think badly about the “bad people” who just ignore the people who are sad and suffering, who judge others and think they know better, the parallels to American society are somewhat uncanny. Millions of people are suffering everyday in the Sudan, Gaza, and all over the world, yet we as Americans turn a blind eye. We think that because we are fortunate enough to live in a society where violence and suffering on this scale don’t exist that we know better for developing this “perfect” democracy. In reading this, I imagine most people, like I did, sort of sided with the “good people,” automatically relating them with ourselves. However it almost made me sad thinking of how different from this description I am. We get so caught up in work and school and things that seem so important that we don’t always take time to play and dance. Not only do we know what it is to hurry, most of the time it defines out lives. While I know this might be a little heavy for a 150 word blog entry, this poem had the greatest effect on me and has given me a lot to think about.

Sunset

Our discussion in class of Soledades really made me think of a specific moment of the summer I spent in Toledo, Spain. There was really no way to explain this in class without sounding ridiculous or "oh, look at me, I studied abroad"... so I figured I'd post about it this week, with hopefully some more explanation.

There were a few rooms in the residence I stayed in that overlooked the city. Not anything extravagant, of course, but you could see a lot of the buildings from the bedrooms, and from the bathrooms, the cathedral. You could hear the bells from the cathedral in most of the rooms, but at sunset, for some reason, they were incredibly resonant.

There was one night that I leaned on the windowsill and watched the sun set over the city, and watched the city silhouettes fade to black. This is the feeling I got from Soledades. The feeling is ethereal... you almost want to grab it in your hands before it escapes... like sand falling through your fingers.

Machado's poem still resonates with readers today... even if not in the original context.

I wonder what other modern literature will still be relevant/poignant a century from now (2110, for anyone playing along at home)?

Método Socrático

Me gusta mucho los poemas de Machado con una excepción: El efímera mañana, que era bien difícil entender. Usualmente no me encanta la poesía, porque muchas de mis experiencias son en la sala de clase. Y como en cualquier clase de literatura, tenemos que mirar bajo el exterior y buscar interpretaciones en las sombras de las palabras. Además, por lo general (de nuevo en las experiencias mías) los instructores o profesores nos dijeron LA interpretación del poema. Gracias a Dios que Ud. no hizo como así.

Me encanta la manera en que nos presentó los poemas. Leímos todos y después habíamos examinado el contexto histórico y la significa con respeto al tiempo dentro España, nos preguntó que pensamos. Era como el método socrático. Esta me dio la habilidad de pensar para si mismo.

Adicionalmente, llegaremos muy pronto al tiempo que me gusta más que otros, el siglo XX. Durante el siglo XX era muchos eventos como, la Guerra Civil, Primera y Segunda Guerra Mundial, el régimen de Franco, entre otros, que han moldeado España como la nación que existe hoy. No puedo esperar!

Jeff

In mondays class we went over why cuba became such an inters to the U.S. and how the spanish American war such a big deal for spain. i found it very interesting that the spanish-American war inspired poets in the way it did. I was interesting to hear and even think about how losing a war made people redifine theirselves and their country. I liked the idea of looking to the center of ones country to define who they were as a people instead of looking to the world outside to find who they were as a people. I think it gave them more a definition of who they were and it showed in their poems. my favorit one is the one wher they talk of loneliness. It is sad but it is powerful, and defining.

In mondays class we went over why cuba became such an inters to the U.S. and how the spanish American war such a big deal for spain. i found it very interesting that the spanish-American war inspired poets in the way it did. I was interesting to hear and even think about how losing a war made people redifine theirselves and their country. I liked the idea of looking to the center of ones country to define who they were as a people instead of looking to the world outside to find who they were as a people. I think it gave them more a definition of who they were and it showed in their poems. my favorit one is the one wher they talk of loneliness. It is sad but it is powerful, and defining.

Los Poemas de Machado

When we read the Proverbios y Cantares, number seven really spoke to me. In class we discussed that this short poem is not necessarily negative, but even has a positive message embedded. Every person is an individual and should create a path that they personally walk along. There is no road, unless you make it. And life is what you make of it, so we must take the path that we this is right for us. I definitely feel like this poem has a counterpart in Robert Frosts, “The Road Not Taken” that Erinne wrote about earlier. For me, I have been having a very hard time deciding what to do with my life after college. The never ending question of ‘who do you want to be when you grow up?’ nags at me everyday because I cannot decide. I know that there are many paths I can take, and once I decide on one, the other paths will end. I also know that ending a path is scary, but picking one and sticking to it is a lifelong exciting adventure as well. This poem is very inspirational and even though I compare it to my decisions of a career path, Machado uses it to inspire others to never give up. Times are rough, life has its ups and down, but every person, every country, has a chance to change and succeed and hope for a better future to come. Frequently, Dr. Seuss just puts it all into perspective, especially with this excerpt from All the places you’ll go! :)

"You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

…

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Machado's poetic imagery

I was surprised at how interested I was in the poems we discussed in class by Antonio Machado. I tend to avoid poetry mostly because I have difficulty understanding it, but after discussing the poems in class I wanted to read other poems by Machado. Specifically, I enjoyed the style of “Modernismo” because of how it conjured very different, strange, but enjoyable imagery in my mind. In the past year or so I have made a conscious effort to appreciate the beauty we take for granted in every day life, like looking at how the snow sits on top of tree branches in the oval. I feel like these poems aim to do the same thing, to different degrees of course, and that is why I feel an affinity towards them.

One poem I found that I especially enjoyed was “La Noria” (The waterwheel) in Soledades, galerías y otros poemas. While reading this poem, I could literally picture and hear water being elevated in a waterwheel and the sound of it trickling into the body of water below. The imagery relaxed me, just like the mule in the poem that sleeps to the beat of the water.

I also found another poem in the same collection where he makes use of the waterwheel. In “Mí corazón se ha dormido”, Machado uses the waterwheel as a metaphor to describe how his thoughts function. He questions whether his thoughts and heart are vacant, like a waterwheel which stops spinning because there is no water. This imagery I find to be beautiful, and I can really appreciate the careful choice of words that Machado uses. I hope to continue reading more of Machado’s poems.

La Noria

La tarde caía
triste y polvorienta.
El agua cantaba
su copla plebeya
en los cangilones
de la noria lenta.
Soñaba la mula,
¡pobre mula vieja!,
al compás de la sombra
que en el agua suena.
La tarde caía
triste y polvorienta.
Yo no sé qué noble,
divino poeta,
unió a la amargura
de la eterna rueda
la dulce armonía
del agua que sueña,
y vendó tus ojos,
¡pobre mula vieja!...
Mas sé que fue un noble,
divino poeta,
corazón maduro
de sombra y de ciencia.

Mí corazón se ha dormido?

¿Mí corazón se ha dormido?
Colmenares de mis sueños,
¿ya no labráis? ¿Está seca
la noria del pensamiento,
los cangilones vacíos,
girando, de sombra llenos?
No; mi corazón no duerme.
Está despierto, despierto.
Ni duerme ni sueña; mira,
los claros ojos abiertos,
señas lejanas y escucha
a orillas del gran silencio.

Machado

Las poemas del ‘Generacion del 98’ tenían ideas importantes sobre un renovación de la manera de pensando social y político. Después leíamos la poema He andado muchos caminos por Machado, el concepto de ‘paisaje’ era mas claro para mi. En este poema, Machado muestra claramente el pasado histórico y la realidad y sentido actual de la gente. Me gusta como el dibujo la vida y las cosas que ha visto y ha sentido. El describe como ha visto muchos lugares y ha tenido muchas experiencias, pero las cosas simples son más importantes. También, como Machado lo escribió del punto de visto de la gente común era muy interesante. Pienso que es porque la vida más sencilla y la vida no se da por sentado es la forma en que es mucho más apreciado. La manera en que Machado se escribió su obra fue la realidad de existencia o lo que el sabe y muchas personas aun hasta hoy, podrían relacionar con esto.

Generacion del 98... again?!

I've read poetry from this era for another Spanish class before, and I don't remember being too enthusiastic about it. However, when I read our assigned poems for this week, I wondered to myself why I didn't like it before. The images that these poems paint in the mind when one reads them are very strange and different, but beautiful at the same time. And I thought it was interesting that I didn't really see the beauty in the first poem from Soledades until we discussed it in class and Professor Haidt talked about how much she loved it. And the fact that it has the ability to transport the reader to another time and place in the past with a few simple words is so powerful. I also find it very interesting, and it adds a sense of mystery, that there is a random voice in the poem that speaks out about the bells and describes the afternoon as having gone to sleep and "dreaming" now that it is nighttime. I like this because most people don't think about the course of the day like this, they just go about their business and the day passes along as they do this. Night fades into morning and morning into afternoon and so on, and most don't really see these inanimate objects as having feelings or committing actions like humans. But that is what makes this poem so beautiful, because night and day are inanimate, however there is so much animation that takes place during them that it is hardly believable.

-Emily Brown

Machado

I'm so excited to be reading poetry for class! I've always found poetry to be so fascinating because of the ability to say so much in fewer words than almost any other form of writing. I love that a few stanzas of a great poem can take you to another place, can transport you into the mind of another human being for just a second. For me, poetry has always been my favorite means of expressing myself. Somehow, laying in bed at night thinking about whatever happens to be on my mind, poems will suddenly come to me and there's no easy to to describe it. I tend to be very wordy, and I love to write and be descriptive and just go on and on about a topic that matters to me. But, with my poetry, it seems like I can  say the same things, if not more, in fewer words. I love to anaylze poems and think of the many different many that each word could have for the author and for the reader. Reading Machado has been no different. I have thoroughly enjoyed his poetry and it's wonderful to have the chance to experience my favorite genre in another language, which although I'm biased, I believe makes it all the more beautiful!

Machado

During class this week, I have found the history very interesting and the effect it had on the literature of the time. I think it is interesting that many artists wanted to write about more beauty and the good things around them other than writing about the current situation and Spain and their loss to America. When reading the first poem, De Soledades (1903), it is supposed to distract the reader from the current situation but when I was personally reading it, I only was thinking about the situation in Spain. The poem has many words and images of sadness and dreaming, lagrimas, infertil, fantasmas, suenan, and for me, it really did not take me to another place. I found that the El manana efimero was nice because it showed the hope for change that Machado has for the future of Spain. In the time when Spain was very down and, as I believe, lost a piece of what it was, it is important that Spain try to regain the spirit of what it has always been and regain its pride. Lastly, I like the proverbios y cantares number 7 because it is still very useful in today's world. I love the idea of a person taking their own path and saying that life is what you make of it. Machado's poetry is beautiful, and I like how it is easy to understand. Many poets write so abstract that is difficult to understand what they are trying to get accross. Machado uses descriptions and words in a way that is difficult yet understandable so that his view comes accross more clearly for his readers.

Soledades, galerias y otros poemas

This was one of my favorite Machado poems from the packet. The message was very simple and transcends time. For those classic rock fans out there, “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd:

---
Take your time... Don't live too fast,
Troubles will come and they will pass.
…
Forget your lust for the rich man's gold,
All that you need is in your soul.
---

I thought that those lines fit perfectly with what Machado was trying to say about the important things in life; basically, a combination of diligence and lightheartedness.

I also personally related to the poem. “No conocen la prisa.” How amazing would it be to not even recognize the idea of hurrying? Our lives would be so different. Maybe not as efficient but we would have so much more time to work on our relationships and ourselves. I think it's amazing how Machado described something so relevant to our lives. It's almost like he knew how society would continue to get more and more fast-paced and materialistic. His poem was like a reminder for me; to stop and ask myself what's really important - working as many hours/attending as many meetings as I possibly can or taking a break to call my mom for no reason at all. Thanks Machado!

Machado / He andado muchos caminos

By far, the Antonio Machado poems we read for class have up to this point been the most enjoyable texts I’ve encountered in the texts. Although I can’t say that poetry is typically my favorite type of literature, I can appreciate it especially after interpretation and analyzation of the lines. Out of all of the poems, something about “He andado muchos caminos” really struck me. In terms of the sound of the lines, I was most impressed with the second stanza. This may have to do with the repetition of the “s” sound and the way the final words of each line worked together; they don’t completely rhyme but at least they have similar sounds. But as far as meaning, I especially liked the last couple of stanzas. The poet is clearly valuing the lives of the hard workers, who get through life the best they can with what they have and don’t rush through their days, instead taking the time to enjoy the things they can before they end up under the ground. On a personal level, this is a sentiment I try to bring into my own life, which is most likely why I appreciated this poem so much. I hope in the future to read some more of Machado’s work.

El abuso contra las mujeres

En las medias rojas y en silencio Emilia Pardo Bazán nos quiere apuntar el abuso contra las mujeres que era evidente durante la época. En la historia de las medias rojas la protagonista es golpeada por su padre con tal extremo que le lastimo un ojo y la dejo tuerta de él. En silencio llevo las cosas a otro extremo, ya que el marido mata a su esposa a causa de celos. En ambas de las historias los hombres no son castigados por la ley a pesar que en las medias rojas la protagonista acude a un medico que no dice nada acerca de su golpiza. Esto nos demuestra como en la época era tan común golpear a una mujer que la gente no se alarmaba. Lo más sorprendente es que como es que alguien no dijera nada al ver en el silencio que el hombre está saliendo del pueblo sin su esposa y con el negocio recién vendido; no debería de causar sospecha en la gente. Sin, embargo nadie dice nada y el hombre logra salir sin que nadie pregunte donde está tu esposa esto demuestra que la mujer no valía nada en la época.

the role of women

The women’s roles in Bazán’s stories are really varied depending on the socioeconomic class of the character. For example, both the women in “Las Medias Rojas” and “En Silencio” are victims of cruel violence forced onto them by a male member in their lives. On the other hand, in “El Legajo”, the great-grandmother is able to murder her husband without being detected. When Ildara gets beaten up by her father, it is shown as an event that happens often. It is something that’s normal for women in that area/class. Similarly, the wife in “En Silencio” is killed, but the readers don’t find out if the husband ever gets punished. We are led to assume that he won’t ever be blamed for her death. Those two stories show the power men seem to have in lower class families. To the contrary, “El Legajo” shows the power a woman from a higher class possesses. It’s amazing that she is even able to think of killing her husband. The other two women don’t even think about being violent towards their dad/husband. The great-grandmother has a strong mind to think of a plan and go through with it. While comparing these examples in my mind, I think class probably had a lot to do with how these women acted towards the men in their lives.

Poetry

I have really enjoyed all of the different time periods, wars, movements, etc. that we have been able to experience and read about in this short time period during the quarter. I think it’s given us a great general perspective on what Spain has gone through, what people are inspired by, and how they have struggled but also prospered and accomplishment through the challenges the country has faced. I first read the poems without any background information (it was before our lecture on the Generation of ’98) and I was so confused on what was going on and what the poems were describing because I had no context to go off of. However, after hearing the lecture and discussing what was going on with Spain and Cuba during this time, and the movement of Modernismo, it is all slowly making a lot more sense, especially after going through most of the poems in class yesterday. I am amazed by both the simplicity of the writing of Antonio Machado, but the hidden complexity and multitude of issues that he discusses through his poems. I like it because his writing lays things out there, but then it is up to the reader to form their own opinion and make observations about what he is means. Like we discovered in class, some of the things he says could be taken in many different directions. I especially respect poetry because it is a soft, yet strong way to express opinions and shed light on a situation while still showing the talent and art of writing.

The Path Less Traveled By

The Road Not Taken
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Instantly when I read the Poem XXIX by Antonio Machado, I thought of the poem that every college student has heard or read when they are questioning there life path. The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost. The poem I inserted above, dipicts the life of a man and his life choices in simple terms. Who hasn't wanted to go out on a limb, be a daredevil, and change the world by taking the path less traveled by! Rights? I feel like Antonio Machado was saying "Hey Spain, C'mon, you can do it. Let's take a path less traveled by, and make a change for the better. He points out the sterotypes that they struggled with in a few other poems and he realizes that we are all wandering about, in unknown path like retreating seafoam after high tide. But he challenges Spain to be fresh, young, new, and to be something that will take a stand and last. Robert Frost makes my heart melt too, everytime I read this poem I feel inspired, each day, to take the path less traveled by.

Week 7 Blog

Cuba queria ser un pais independiente. De hecho, Puerto Rico y Cuba ya estaban luchando por su independencia contra Espana antes de que los Estados Unidos estuviera envuelto. Ambos, Puerto Rico y Cuba lucharon juntos por su libertad e independencia en contra de Espana. Cuba obtuvo su independencia pero no Puerto Rico.

Es gracioso que Wikipedia dice "...the indigenous struggles for independence in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippine Islands..." pero estas personas no eran solamente "indigenas" (natives from the Americas). Estas personas eran una mezcla de razas como Africano, Indigena y Espanol (criollo) y mas importante aun, estas personas tenian una indentidad propia y autentica quienes se consideraban como un pais y por eso sentian justo ser independientes de Espana.

Spanish American War Discussion

Adriana and I had similar ideas in class on Monday. Both America and Spain wanted to fight for the rights to Cuba because of the valuable and profitable exports that exist in there such as Tobacco, sugar, rum and slaves- but what did Cuba want? Im sure neither country was considerate enough to think about what the Cubans wanted for themselves. Instead the Americans at the time hide behind the Monroe Doctrine using it as a decoy to seize control of Cuba because it granted them the access to intervene. Once Spain lost control, they were paralyzed as a country for a very long time. We also talked about how they lost their identy and sense of being when they lost their power.
Im not saying that Im a hippie but I agree that each person has the right to be happy and a happy medium should be reached which would benefit everyone. I feel strongly that this only benefited American and weakened Cuba and Spain. Greed is a very nasty characteristic. Spain reaped what they sewed but what about America?

Fifth Blog

Although we haven't discussed "Requiem por un campesino espanol" together as a class yet, I wanted to post my blog comparing this story to "San Manuel Bueno, Martir", a story that we read in Spanish 450. I found these stories to be so similar and after finishing "Requiem por un campesino espanol", I decided to look back at information on "San Manuel Bueno, Martir", and I found out that they both took place during "La generacion del 98".
The first similarity is the narration of the two stories. "Requiem por un campesino espanol" is told in third person omniscient and allows the reader to see in the minds of both the priest and the alter boy. "San Manuel Bueno, Martir" is told through Angela but then at the end the reader learns that this is a legend being retold by the author. Although the stories are not narrated in the same form, their unique narration engages the reader because the reader is able to see the thoughts of many different characters. The second similarity is the main character in each story. Both stories focus on Catholic priests that live in Spain. "Requiem por un campesino espanol" takes place in a church but the thoughts in the priest's mind take the reader back to different settings in his life. In both stories, the priests are very well liked and form a strong friendship with another main character; Paco in "Requiem por un campesino espanol" and Angela in "San Manuel Bueno, Martir". Finally, as I mentioned above, both stories were written during "La generacion del 98" and thus contain similar messages and themes.

I agree they are both very interesting nd we should go over it in class a little more. I see what divides the two but sometime s when I am actually reading a story I have trouble picking out if it is naturalismo or realismo. It like I can define the two but when I see them in action the lines et blurred and i have to guess what kind of work I am reading. It's not like seprating a romantic story where things are clear cut and defined in the reading that jump out at you and scream romantisismo.

Something Interesting During Studying?!

While I was studying for the midterm I realized how interesting I found Naturalism. The fact that there was this literary era where it was new and exciting to write about real facts and events that actually take place in daily life is so strange to me! I would think people would have already been writing about daily life and all the things that take place, not just the good things, and that a fantasy era would be the new and exciting thing. I also think it is interesting that most of the time, authors only wanted to write about the good things, not the real things, which is what makes a story about a girl who is abused by her uncle so compelling because readers know that it is real, not made up. One definition that I found really explained it well, and also talked about the difference between Naturalism and Realism (because they are similar): Realists know what is occurring, but Naturalists investigate the cause and effect of what is occurring.