Like Water for Chocolate

The novel, Like Water for Chocolate really made me realize the meaning of love, and the importance of Mexican tradition. Laurel Esquivel takes a different perspective of Mexican writing by using women as the main characters. It is way different when women are involved because they are filled with emotions. This whole story is based on emotions. Unlike some people, I really enjoyed the recipes of the story. Each recipe really helped in portraying the emotions. I easily could relate with the emotion of sadness when Tita cried in the cake. Esquivel described the metaphor so well, that it was hard not to become depressed. Everything that Tita made was describing all the feelings in the story. In class, when we read the reviews, I thought it was funny that people did not like the recipes. It just showed that they lacked critical thinking skills. It also showed that they did not understand magical realism.  

Although it is hard to understand why Pedro would marry Rosaura, it explains the importance of tradition. Tita was actually very respectful to her mother by not running away, but in the end she did get what she wanted. She received true love. I agree with what Tita did because if you truly love someone, then you should fight for what you want. That was the point of the story. You should not always follow rules. It is okay to take chances, and break out of the normal traditions. She might have broken tradition in Mama Elena’s eyes, but Tita had the right to love whoever she wanted. I think it was hilarious that the good child, Rosaura died of a colon sickness. In my opinion, it is ironic because all the feelings and emotions were being emptied out of her, which was so harmful that she died. On the other hand, Tita finally broke the rules, and ended up dying with her true love. Some might find it ridiculous to die of passionate love, but if Esquivel would have let them live; there would not have been a strong meaning. When she died with Pedro, it showed more passion than ever before. I really enjoyed this story and the uses of magical realism and metaphors.

Zorro

Honestly, I have never read any comic books of Zorro, nor have I really had an interest in watching the movies. After reading this graphic novel, I now know what I have been missing out on! After discussing the various types of Zorro it was interesting to know that there are so many different kinds. I would have to say that this graphic novel really got my attention. Not only did Isabel Allende do a very good job with her version of the novel, the artist, Francovilla did a remarkable job with the graphics. Wagner did a phenomenal job with the flashbacks and presented the story in a way that made it very easy to follow. It was very hard to get lost, like in the previous texts we have looked at.  The graphics were so detailed that anyone could tell what was going on just by glancing quickly at each page. Some of the scenes were so intense that I actually felt like I was in the story. For example, the picture of the sergeant with sweat beating down his forehead is one of my favorites. I can just tell he is filled with anger just because of his face and the way the eyes are drawn. The lighting of the picture is so unique. The picture of the sergeant’s left eye is in the light, and he says an angry remark. While moving to the right the picture gets darker, and the two remarks show that the sergeant is even angrier. I think the light demonstrates the level of angriness. The little squares of the character screaming in pain showed even more emotion. I loved how the images show so very little, but signify so much emotion. For example, Zorro’s eyes are drawn on the blade of the sword, and the image sends shivers down my spine.

Zorro definitely fights for justice the best way that he can in this graphic novel. Some people would say that killing people is not the answer to solve problems; however, that is what makes Zorro the hero. He leaves his mark to prove his revenge. Killing with a sword is more skillful than being killed by a gun or other weapon. The images were straight forward and it made the reading easier. There were some images that made the mind wonder, like the horrific rape scene, which made the mind come up with its own images. I think it is very easy to relate to Zorro in the perspective of his revenge and justice. I would never think about killing someone literally, but metaphorically we have all put masks on and have gotten some sort of revenge.  I appreciated the spirit quest and the native people. It gave a whole different meaning to the story, unlike the usual stories with Catholic or Christianity backgrounds. I believe that motivation by power is a strong meaning that made a difference in the story. Overall, I really appreciated the way this graphic novel was presented. The images help make the story more captivating, and I would recommend the graphic novel to anyone.

Borges

Although there were some ideas that I enjoyed, I was not a huge admirer of Borges. In my opinion, the readings were hard to understand and I felt the meaning of the stories were different.  For example, in the story “The Gospel According to Mark”, I thought the girl was the reason the man was crucified, but really the girl was an offering to the man. Borges’ writing is confusing and hard to follow because the hints are deep within the text. I do not enjoy readings in which the meanings are deeply hidden. After reading the story, “Garden of Forking Paths,” I could relate to the meaning because I have chosen many different paths in my life. I believe that every choice a person makes does have an effect on that person’s life.  I always ask myself: would have, could have, or should have?  The story focuses on time and space, and branching into parallel universes. Once again, in this story, there were a lot of hints that I did not understand. When the text mentions that the author turns left, I did not think of it as being a hint in the story. Turning left meant the author was telling the story in a different manner or the author making a different decision. The “Garden of Forking Paths” relates to “Emma Zunz” because both characters made choices and the choices led to different outcomes. It is very important that people make wise decisions because they can affect the future. After the character kills the man who kills her father, she decides to make it appear as the killer raped her. I was fascinated by how the story left the reader thinking about choices because I could never imagine living two separate lives. In one life, she lives as an innocent rape victim and really she is not really a victim. I try to live my life with honesty and integrity and would never lie. As a reader, I would not recommend the author, Borges, because he is very hard to follow and leaves the reader confused.  I had to read each story two or three times to understand, and sometimes I did not even understand it until we had our class discussion. I gave Borges a good try and I did like experiencing something different; however, I am glad we are done reading Borges.        

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Gabriel Garcia Marquez enlightens the audience with stories that are breath taking. “The Handsomest drowned Man in the World” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” are stories that mock fantasy with reality and prove that if an ideal does not fit, then it does not exist. I fell in love with “The Handsomest drowned Man in the World” because I agree with the meaning of the story and what the author is trying to prove. I think it is hilarious that people create these fantasies that do not exist and the outcome results in nothing. That is exactly what Playboy does, which is why this story is so hilarious.  Nothing ever changes; the man was only the woman’s imagination and no one was living a reality. Today, technology has led us to the idea that imaginary fantasy can be reality. People will sit in front of their video games all day long and get sucked into that world. My boyfriend is one of those gamers and he tells me he finds it irresistible to play because it temporarily alleviates himself of paying bills, worrying about work, and dealing with the regular stresses of life. The key word in that last sentence was temporarily because no matter how much he plays, the game world is not the reality. After reading the story, I did feel like I developed a very strong relationship with the author. I understood the meaning and I created my own story. Before our class discussion, I thought that the author was over exaggerating the women’s perspective of this huge man to show how our standards have developed. For example, girls want to be thin and guys want to be buff and people will go to the extreme to create what is not real. Although I was a little off track, I reacted to the story in a different way and it changed my way of thinking. My changed thinking process was exactly what Marquez wanted. I found it very interesting when the author kept switching I and his. After reading the last page, the meaning started to make sense and I understood that this really did not exist.  I would quote what was written, but I would be quoting almost six lines (hint). The punctuation goes on forever showing that this was a continuous stream of thought. I loved that Marquez gave that hint because when I finally figured out what was going on I could not believe he was fooling me the whole time! I definitely gave myself a pat on the back for understanding this story. I was so intrigued by this story because it really hurt my brain. “A very Old Man with Enormous wings” was a story that also hurt my brain, but I enjoyed reading. I had a hard time relating the story to the institution of the church and I think it is because I was not familiar with how strict the catholic faith was or the bizarre situations Columbia went through. Once we discussed these issues in class, Gabriel’s form of writing made sense. He uses bizarre situations. For example, he introduces this ugly man that is an angel, but the people treat him as if he is an animal. This story proves that image confuses what is real and what is not. If the angel would have been beautiful, then the people would have treated him better. In the story the ideal of an angel did not fit their criteria; therefore, that ideal did not fit. It is amazing how Gabriel used strong words and changed the punctuation to give the hint away. For example, he describes the brand getting placed on the angel and the food getting thrown in so much detail that I actually felt like I was that angel. It was a very emotional story and by the end my mood had changed several times. That just proved to me how much magical realism makes a difference in a story and I can honestly say Gabriel Garcia Marquez transformed my mind.             

Julio Cortazar

The stories of Julio Cortazar demonstrate the deeper meaning of imagination, reality, and implication. My favorite story, Axolotl demonstrates the bigger interpretation of suffering. The reader has to look beyond the words in order to understand Cortazar’s meaning. A metamorphosis is a creative way to make people understand another person’s feelings. This story makes me think of the saying, you don’t know what it is like until you have a walked a mile in someone else’s shoes. Julio made readers realize the suffering of the axolotl without even walking that mile. I felt the suffering of the Aztecs and it was amazing how the perspective changed, reaching beyond the literal world. In life, we sometimes get confused with reality and imagination. I awake from dreams asking myself, was that real? I find myself lost in what my mind has created and that is exactly what Continuity of Parks portrays. The story is within a story and the reality is within the imagination. I enjoyed the magical realism in this story because it did play tricks with my mind. This story was very perplexing; yet, I learned that people can easily get lost in their fantasies. I was not aware of how many characters were actually in the story; on the other hand, I understood that a story can make you lose yourself. There have been plenty of times where I have gotten lost in a book. For example, What Dreams May Come was a book that I got lost in. I could not put the book down and after I did, I felt like a walking zombie. I wanted to be in that fantasy world. The last piece of writing that I could relate to was Our Demeanor at Wakes. This story was very humorous with its exaggeration of hypocrisy. I think that this story proves the extreme measures that people will go to because of their emotions. Teenage girls go through extreme measures to fit in and be a part of a group. Many people, even me have gone through peer pressure. My emotions assist me in the decision to go through with it or opt out. When the sisters and brothers over exaggerate their emotions it relates to what is real and what is fantasy. Their emotions are fake, but it can become reality. Overall, the author has taught me a lot about finding the deeper meaning and looking outside the normal implications. I enjoyed every piece of art that Julio Cortazar has written and I believe his stories challenge every person’s creativity and imagination.          

Popol Vuh: The Dawn of Life Reader Response

The reading, Popol Vuh: The Dawn of Life was insightful and interesting; yet, misinterpreted. I have always had a curiosity with mythology and interpretations of specie development. I believe that we were put on this earth to reproduce and expand life form. The author believed humans were created to worship and remember the gods. Latin American writings were focused on religion, however, today our society focus on materialistic things. Most families do not go to church or practice religion. I am catholic, but I rarely find the time to worship or go to church. I found it very intriguing that in this interpretation, monkeys were failed humans. I would feel that monkeys would be close to human as monkeys share some of the same human characteristics.  I actually have seen monkeys breastfeed their young just as human mothers breastfeed their infants. It is amazing how alike we are! It was a very good idea for the writer to bring monkeys into the story; on the other hand, I do not agree with using the concept of mud people. In class, we discussed the interpretation of dust and mud and the relationship between the bible and the story. The Wizard of Oz and Popol Vuh: The Dawn of Life portrayed the use of animals, inanimate objects such as a scarecrow, tin man, mud, and wood to represent important aspects towards human development and emotions (bravery, courage, failure). The writer made it very clear that karma is a big factor. If people were not going to worship the gods, then those people would be punished. When the utensils and the dogs fought back, it reminded me of what goes around comes around. The humans did not treat their property respectfully, so their property fought back to teach the humans a lesson. Vucub-Caquix did not show respect, which then resulted in death. One thing that I misinterpreted was the killing of Vucub-Caquix. The story was difficult to understand because the subjects throughout the reading changed. I did figure it out after several readings of the story but feel that the translations should have been more organized.  Overall, the story did represent the Latin American culture in a unique way.