Week 12 Conclusion
I can’t believe we are already at the end of the term. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was writing my introduction post. In the past 12 weeks, I have been exposed to so many texts and authors that I otherwise would have probably never encountered. I loved the freedom we had to choose which books we would read each week. I’m not the biggest reader, but I was surprised by how manageable reading 1 book a week was to add to my schedule. While it was a little difficult to get into the habit, it started to become routine and now I feel accomplished looking back at all the texts I was able to get through.
The connections that were starting to form between all the texts were really interesting to see. Whether it was the themes or the narratives, I was able to start seeing patterns of what they had in common. I have really enjoyed the different themes that we as a class have explored. I couldn’t write this conclusion without mentioning memory as it was such a central theme in so many of the texts. I started to look forward to seeing how the authors would describe memory each week. I think the ones that stood out to me in this sense and that explored memory the best were W. or the Memory of Childhood, Amulet, and Combray.
Looking back to all the books I chose to read this term, I think my favourites were The Time of the Doves by Mercè Rodoreda and Bonjour Tristesse by Sagan. I know they are very different but, I really liked the narrators in these two books. I found them easier to follow along with because they were both interesting women and while reading their stories I was excited to see what they were going to do next. I liked to see how they dealt with situations when it felt like they were backed into a corner and while I might not have agreed with every decision they made, I think they were authentic to themselves and it made for a more engaging read.
Thank you, Jon, Jennifer, and Patricio for making this a great term. I have enjoyed reading all the blog posts and hearing everyone's opinions in person. To end off my final post, my question for the class is what were some of your favourite themes that we have encountered this term?
Thank you Megan for your post and your kind words!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to surprise yourself and know that you can handle reading a book a week!
Take care!
Hi Megan!
ReplyDeleteI agree this term has flew by! My favourite theme for this semester was dreams from The Society of Reluctant Dreamers by José Eduardo Agualusa. I enjoyed reading about the ideas on the power of dreams and how they expose our intimate thoughts and our dreams becoming a reality. And how dreams were used as an aspiration for a better future.
Thank you for your interesting question Megan. My favourite theme for the course was definitely discussions of unreliable narrators. With several books, we connected the theme of the unreliable narrator to be a reflection of the author's state of mind, and reluctance to fully give the reader all the answers, or a definite plot! :)
ReplyDeleteHello Megan and thanks for your blog post! I think my favorite theme is memory too. Also, I think this theme was outstandingly profound in Amulet by Bolano. Betrayal in Shrouded Woman as a theme was kind of sticking with my mind as well. -Tsuyoshi
ReplyDeleteHey Megan,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the theme of memory and dreams, especially how it was portrayed and intertwined in such a seamless fashion in The Society of Reluctant Dreamers. I found it to be very inspiring and eye-opening as each flashback of a character's memory brought me closer to them, and I really enjoy having that connection with the characters because it makes the book even more memorable for me.
- Vidushi Singh
Hi Megan,
ReplyDeleteMy favourite theme was the bildungsroman, or coming-of-age for the artist. Throughout all the works, the characters come to some sort of revelation through either an external or internal conflict. I enjoyed all of these scenarios!