Parenthood

How does the issue in Persepolis of parenting mirror the issues involved in parenting in the U.S. today? Well obviously Marji is somewhat detached from the grown-up world, as all kids are, but there is a deeper problem with Marji’s situation. Marji is shown to misunderstand adult issues, such as the veil, and she and her classmates play with them unaware of their true purpose or meaning; the veils are a tool of restriction from the government. But this isn’t the only issue with the environment Marji grows up in, school is shut down for two years, propaganda shifts her views one way or another on topics she doesn’t fully understand, she is stuck in a place of war, and she sees the death of a family and her friend. She makes a friend, Anoosh, who opposes the government, only for him to be arrested and killed. And with all of these problems, her parents allow her to stay in this situation, and with opportunities to leave, they stay.  Not until after Marji has witnessed all the aforementioned atrocities and then acts out in class to the point where her parents fear her arrest, and have to send her away because of the danger present to her, just because she is willing to act out in school. The issue is her parents’ stubbornness, to the point that they will risk their lives just because they are against change and certain if they just “push through” everything will be alright. How dangerous does the situation need to get for you to make a change for the better? Right after the demonstrations pushed the Shah out of Iran and the Islamic Republic was put in power the propaganda was revealed. Marji’s dad explains that people didn’t vote for this new government, yet they’re here anyway, saying 99.99% of people voted for them, a certainly false statistic. This provides insight into the government and its style of rule. If they lie about how they got into power, what’s to say they won’t lie about everything else? If they lied just to get into that position of power who’s to say that won’t do desperate things to get whatever they want? Why wouldn’t they abuse their power if they’re willing to do such deplorable things to get it? As a result of this, Marji’s friend and his family leave, under the premise that it’s, “impossible to live under an Islamic regime” and that, “nobody knows the danger”.  Marji’s family sees them off and stays. If they’re close enough to see them off, they should consider their actions and maybe act on them knowing the government’s potential danger. Instead, Marji’s mom says, “Don’t worry. Everyone who left will come back. They’re just afraid of change.”  But truthfully it is the Satrapi’s who are afriad of change. They don;t want to give up their high class possesions and prifiles in Iran in favor of average or worse living in America. But however less-favorable the jobs or class system may be for them in America, it cannot be worse than an Islamic regime. But Marji isn’t aware of this and due to her parents opinions and consequential actions. Similarily, parents in the U.S don’t raise kids anymore, they sit them in front of an iPhone or TV from ages 6-16 and expect them to be grown up. Even worse than misleadiong kids or causing them to suffer from misinformation, kids are detached. Marji is minimally detached due to the misninofrmartion and sheltering she’s recieved. But it is significantly worse in the U.S.  Parents face a predicament, to either shelter and protect their child as possible, dooming them to experience culturre shock as young adults or to alow their children’s easily influenced minds to face the world. Most parents are against at least a portion fo the influences society pushes on childrena nd therefore seek some amount of sheltering for theior kdis. But the balance for this is hard and oftentimes the child ends up at the screen of an electronic device. This may be seen as a form of “balance” because they’re not susceptible to all of society and only what is displayed on these evices, but content that parents would generally be agaisnt showing their kids, consistently seeps through. Parent strugle to raise kids well, and Marji’s cultural detachment mirrors this in a sort of way.

Persepolis <3

I love Persepolis. Perhaps not as much as I love the Bardo, but definitely as much as I love Atonement. I think turning a topic as complex as the Islamic Revolution into an easily digestible, visual novel is extremely effective at promoting Satrapi’s themes and reflects herself as a character quiet well. Persepolis is, in a way, our version of Marji’s Dialectic Materialism comic book, isn’t it? The simplification of intricate and elaborate ideas made to educate those just beginning this educational journey.

Let’s talk about God. Specifically, let’s talk about how his consistent presence in the novel stops and when. The last three times we see Marji interact with God are in times of distress: God talks to her when she is in the bath trying to understand what torture is like, God hugs her when she doesn’t understand justice and how it is served, and she yells at God to go away and never come back after her Uncle Anoosh dies. After Marji talks to God in the bath, the pages between interactions with him increase drastically, like he’s transitioning from the deuteragonist to a background character. This seems quite representative of Marji’s childhood naïveté. She believe that God can and will fix everything in her life, as I would argue most children do. As more things in her life start to go haywire, she begins to question her relationship with God; Maybe not outwardly, but his slow removal from the novel suggests that she formed some distrust or altogether disbelief in him. A lack of religious conviction wouldn’t be a big deal in the Satrapi family, but it would for young Marji. Today, Satrapi’s religious stance mirrors that of her parents in Persepolis. I wonder how much of her childhood has effected that as opposed to it being a purely philosophical stance?

Hypocrites or products of their society? Ebi and Taji have been part of some of my favorite moments in this novel, but have also made me question their credibility as activists and socialists. When reading their parts, I kept thinking about the story of Frederick Douglass criticizing the behavior of recently emancipated men. It feels reminiscent of Marji’s parents and their behavior, how they advocate for extreme change in their country yet, at the end of the day, so often fall victim to the status quo. I don’t think we can hate them for this, or say they are hypocrites, or that their protests are futile. I think in the context of the time, Ebi and Taji are what Iran needed, but in the context of today, they have work to do.

You know those moments growing up when you look at your parents and go “holy crap right now I am definitely thinking about this a lot harder and wiser than y’all are”? I think Marji’s moments of that are my favorite in the novel (I have a lot of favorite moments but those are my favorite favorites). I’m glad she kept those because they are definitely pivotal points in childhood, and I’m sure ten times more so for Marji.

In conclusion, I <3 Persepolis and Marjane Satrapi. I think this is a highly underrated novel and chose to hear no criticism for it. I am also attaching my fav Marjane Satrapi interview because sis does not hold back and it is wonderful. It’s like over 15 years old but it still slays. BRB gonna go sleep with Persepolis under my pillow 🙂

https://asiasociety.org/marjane-satrapi-i-will-always-be-iranian

Persepolis is a PUZZLE

Overall, Persepolis was one of the most interesting works we have had in IB English. It not only challenged thought but also provided historical context. My favorite aspect of the graphic novel was how each chapter title tied into the context of the coming pages. In a sense, the titles reflected Marji’s feelings. Starting off strong with “The Viel,” the introduction chapter of Persepolis showcased the start of oppression in Iran pre-the Islamic Revolution. Right off the bat, the readers get an insight into Marji’s rebellion against the rules. The Bicycle reflects Marji’s feelings about the revolution. As the story progresses, the readers see this connection between Marji and the panel titles. My favorite connection is The Cigratte. Marji, being older than she was at the start of the novel, feels this need to find power in her life. Lighting the cigarette at the end of the chapter shows her rebellion against her mother and the regime. In her mind, her mother is paralleling the actions of the regime by punishing her for cutting class. In the United States, smoking a cigarette is traditionally seen as an act of rebellion against society and health. So, Marji smoking the cigarette brings in another aspect of Western culture and ideologies to the novel. To add to that, the entirety of Persepolis is one big puzzle pieced together carefully. I often found myself having to reread sections to fully comprehend what was being said, which is what makes the graphic novel so interesting. I think it should not be easily comprehended because then the reader is not fully grasping the nature of the work. It was a hard novel full of deep topics. It is not just a story about a “rebellious” little girl. It is a story full of hurt, first-hand war accounts, nationalism, religious beliefs, conformity, and forced patriotism. It is Persepolis. The only thing I still wonder about after reading is the choice of a graphic novel to tell this story. Honestly, it is what confused me about the book. Being able to see the physicalities of the situations described certainly helped me to visualize the story. However, having a more left-side brain, I was more focused on analyzing the pictures and choices made by Satrapi rather than the actual text. Like what was her deciding factor in coloring the backgrounds versus not coloring the backgrounds for some scenes? Or, what determined that the graphic novel was not going to be in color? After reviewing the novel in the first question’s context, I think that the emotions of the characters depicted are reflected in the background and foreground coloring. When the character was experiencing something harsh or heavy, the background was completely filled with black. Whereas, if the character was not experiencing these harsh emotions, the background was white. Her choice not to use color probably reflects the time period of Persepolis, but I still do not have a definite answer to that question. Maybe, Marji can answer that!

Persepolis is definitely a book that I will reread to gain a deeper understanding because I am not sure I grasped it in its full glory. I do not have a history brain, so I feel like if I do some more research on the Islamic Revolution, Persepolis will be ten times more intriguing the second time around. I do think this is a book that should stay in the IB English curriculum! Now on to Germany 🙂

Marjane Satrapi deserves a Nobel Prize

Persepolis is a story that was ahead of its time. While this story was published in the year 2000, the ideas are extremely relevant in today’s world. 

Prior to Iran’s overtaken of darkness, Marji was extremely prideful and loving of her country, its religion, its history, and its heroes. There are certain characteristics and attributes that make a hero in Marji’s mind. Prior to the revolution and the war, Marji’s main hero was God. When she is in a position where she was scared and needed help, she turned to God. There is a frame in the first chapter titled “The Veil,” in which God is fully wrapping Marjane in his arms and comforting her. However, in this frame, Marji looks questionable of the comfort that God is able to provide her. Throughout this entire time when Marji is in a relationship with God, there is no moment in which she seems truly dedicated to it. Although she claims that she wants to be a prophet, there are still people who she can’t outwardly express that. This depicts the inconsistency in her relationship with God.

Marji was aware of the tragedy going on in her country, however, she did not truly let go of her relationship with God until Anoosh was executed. Because of this, she swears off her relationship with God for good. Anoosh was her hero in many ways. He was a true prisoner and suffered real instances because of the war. This fascinated Marjane tremendously, therefore when he died her relationship with God died as well.

God was no longer her hero, it became Anoosh.

I often wonder what Marjane Satrapi would be like if her parents had sent her to the United States. Although we know she had a more Westernized ideology of things from her Kim Wilde obsession, Michael Jackson pin, or jean jacket, how would these things have changed had she moved to the United States and not Austria? Would she have still found them interesting if it was so easily accessible? Was it only intriguing due to the scarcity and danger that it potentially brought? Satrapi was very clearly modernized and against the government, so were these items in defiance of that or were they truly of interest to her?

This book ultimately changed my outlook on so many things. Things that I took for granted in my life that many people, especially young girls, do not get to experience freely. Every wall in my room is covered with a poster, a vinyl hanging up, a magazine, books, any type of clothing that I please. These are things that we wouldn’t think twice about. Yet Marjane and her family feared for their life due to these simple belongings. 

Marjane’s explanation of her life brings an overwhelming sense to the reader of sympathy, understanding, and interest in how two people of the same age can live extremely different lives due to geographical and political stances. Something that every human must live with due to the government of their country and who they get in relations with. It’s heartbreaking but true. 

Marji is Hilarious!

Reading the “comic book”, Persepolis, was truly a joy. It was both engaging and enlightening. Even though the book was filled with many darker subjects, I am going to focus on the more lighthearted ones.

For example, Marji’s attitude cracked me up. She was such a funny kids. Because of how her parents acted as activist, she has little respect for those higher up the hierarchy. She is not afraid to speak her mind to them and demonstrate her disapproval of them despite the dangers her actions entail. Also, her attempts to get out of trouble always made me giggle. For instance, the panels on page 134 were my favorite out of part 1. Marji attempts to lie to the women’s branch of the Guardians of the Revolution. She came up with such a ridiculous lie and popped out some tears to try and convince them to let her off with a warning. Try as she might, Marji had no effect on the woman. The Guardian’s stern face didn’t change the whole time. Honestly, I would not be surprised if the woman let her go because she assumed she would see Marji out of protocol again very soon and could just arrest her then. It also make me wonder that if that did happen, would Marji accidently make up  a whole new story?

Another aspect of the story that I loved was that it really did feel like the story was being told by a little girl. There were many instances were Marji would misinterpret adult conversations or fail to sense the urgency of a situation. Although, there was one aspect that I was not a hundred percent sure about. In the story, Marji started to become aware of the struggles, pain, and hypocrisy that comes with war at the age of 12. At first, I had believed that she was too young to understand and that it was the adult Marji showing through. After some thought, I realized that it would be surprising if she did not become aware because of how it was effecting her daily life.

Another aspect is her imagination. Little Marji had full blown conversations with God. She imagined and felt Him cradling and comforting her. I also used to imagen a figure rapping me up in a comforting hug when I felt distressed and overwhelmed. Although, I believed it was the Holy Spirit. Also, for me, he was gold and shiny. Which brings me to the point of God’s image. Why did God look like a giant, marshmallowy Baymax from the movie Big Hero Six? The only main different in my mind is that Baymax did not have any hair.

Lastly, I want to talk about Marji’s parents. I have to say they were not my favorite. They were very “do as I say, not as I do”. To me it just seemed very hypocritical. Also, it took them so long to finally accept that their home was too dangerous for young Marji. They refused to leave because they did not want to lose the wealth they had.  They put their social standing over the safety of their family. What good is wealth when your dead?

who run tha world girls girls

If only my life could be comic book style, sigh. I love Marji because her world is constantly changing but she stays true to what she believes. The rebellion of the women against the veils was such a power move because they were not going to be pushed around. Mothers in Iran had to be strong to protect their families and be optimistic to not lose hope. However, I did not like how many women put other women down even though they are all having to face the misfortunes of war and a dangerous environment.

It must have been such a difficult time for parents to raise their kids, and it was probably more treacherous than discussed in the book. The history of Persepolis and the tales of emperors and kings is fascinating in the culture of Iran. Also, the media has really altered my view of the veil because before reading this book, I did not really know what it was. Being forced as a child to adapt to a completely different lifestyle and adhere to new rules is something I would never want to go through. Marji and the children of Iran possess an admirable strength. Cherishing what little childhood you have during a war is important because tomorrow is not determined.

The strategy of the key and the promise of heaven/women/desired things was disturbing.  The way Iran’s government targeted their young boys to fight in their war shocked me. When Marji and her dad were discussing the quality of Iraq’s weapons compared to the quantity of Iranian soldiers, the fatality of Iran’s soldiers was imminent. War provides a feeling of desperation and ultimately a result of internal conflict. Corruption of the government and society during the war proves people will do anything to move up the food chain.

Cards, board games, posters, etc. being banned proves the miserable state of Iran. Having items from Western culture: Kim Wilde poster, Michael Jackson pin, and Nike shoes, show peoples’ appreciation for other cultures but the Iranian government does not like any admiration for foreign ideas. I would hate this because I really enjoy learning and purchasing items that are from different cultures and businesses.

This book was interesting to read because I am unfamiliar with the living conditions of war, especially for a child. I feel very fortunate to have a safe home where I have food, water, and the ability to express myself. I had good friends and a loving support system as a child and I know not everyone had the resources I did.

Also, I like Marji’s humor even though she had to deal with serious events in her life. It is so sad that the youth of Iran were being lied to and manipulated by their teachers.  I trust the teachers I have to inform me of important things happening in the world, and I value that as a student. Survival in Iran only came from keeping your head down and pushing through. Marji pushed those boundaries by speaking up and bringing awareness to the death that the school was not disclosing, and expressing her admiration for Western items.

The loss of innocence and response to the Iranian Regime’s “Call to arms” cost many children their childhood. An important and adored figure of Marji’s is her Uncle Anoush who was a symbol of hope while the revolution was young. Anoush was fond of the leftists and Marxism proved Marji would click with him. (God looking like Karl Marx)I liked their relationship because they had the same ideals, which can be good and bad. The hope that everything will be fine is false because the regime would be worse than the Shah. His imprisonment proved that faith in systems can not be trusted if everything is changing.  Overal 9.5/10, would read again.

Marji, Marv, and Karl Marxy God

Welcome to the show! It’s…

Marv’s religious trauma.

I personally really connected with Marji’s relationship with God in this book. This is an interesting topic for me as a former Christian turned into whatever the heck I am now. Future Judaism convert? Agnostic little gremlin? At least the communist part remains consistent.

Marji and I, at least when I was Christian- spoke to God very similarly. I didn’t really pray, per se, but rather conversed with Them as I would a normal human being. I would go around, doing my silly little tasks, and just talk. I would do it for hours on end sometimes; I would rant and process and just fully project all my thoughts and feelings to God. Marji reminds me of myself in that regard as she depicts God as a physical human being in her book.

I never had a mental picture of what God looked like, but if I did, I hope this would be it.

I have deep, irrevocable religious trauma. It will never be undone. I will never fully be healed. This is not sad to me- not anymore, at least, which shows me that some healing has been done and is possible. But the scars will always be there.

That being said, I am grateful to Marji and the piece of herself she shared in the childhood era of Persepolis. I looked to her with so much love as she navigated her fucked up world with God by her side, and my love for her persisted when she pushed God away in anger. Somewhere deep down was healed slightly by this because I did the exact same thing. And if I can love Marji and not blame her for it, how can I logically hate myself for the same action? The answer is that I can’t. And yet the self-hatred is not logical, and it will persist.

I still, at least half the time, believe that God hates me- not only for turning away from Him in my fury-woven sorrow, but for being me. For hating the Christian institution. For being queer. For being mentally ill. For being strong-minded. For finally, for once in my life, starting to say what I think. For questioning. For having true hatred for other people. For wanting revenge. For wanting those who hurt others to suffer tenfold. For what I eat. For who I love. For being a leftist- a communist. For being angry.  For writing the very criticism I am writing at this moment.

Marji reminded me, at least a little bit, that God is not this cruel, hypocritical, hateful person I think of Them as. Marji made her God a straight-haired version of Karl Marx. He was gentle, he was thoughtful, he was peaceful, he was accepting, he was loving. He was what I used to believe God was. He was what I desperately wish I could believe God is.

I would give anything to have the childlike innocence I had before. I blamed God for hating me, for being cruel, for leaving me. I know now that it was truly the fault of false, evil Christians that led me astray. But I will never forget what they said, or what they did, or how they made me feel. I will never love myself in full because there will always be a part of me that believes my own Creator hates me.

I wish I could love myself. I wish God could too.

Chronicles of a death coinciding with Chronicles of life

The publication of Chronicle of a Death Foretold has sufficient power to alter the course of an individual’s life. While Marquez was highly influenced by Metamorphosis, the message of the book has an entirely different take than any other book I have ever read.
While reading this book, I was highly influenced by the theme of fate. As a very high anxiety-driven person, I was hesitant to allow events in my life to be seen as simply fate. I have always been one to understand that events in my life are essential for “my plan” and that nothing is purely coincidence. However, in terms of Santiago Nasar, his last days were purely fate.
Fate is a heavy driving force in this book. From his hand feeling like a dead man’s, to every single person stepping over the letter on the floor, there was no chance that Santiago would be a living man. Santiago’s date is an unavoidable force of nature in the sense that no protection would have kept him alive. There are far too many “circumstances” that lead to his inevitable death.
While reading this novel, I understood that fate is an unavoidable factor in life that simply cannot be altered. This is not just in Santiago’s life, or Angela’s life, it is in everyone’s life. Clearly, Marquez is a believer in the fact that fate cannot and must not be altered. Whether you are aware of your future date, it cannot be changed. Fate is unavoidable.
Understanding that fate is unavoidable within my life as well, has caused me to recollect on past events and have the motive to apply this fate to my future. Whether it be getting into a dream school, true love, or even my death (hopefully not in the same realm as Santiago) it will all happen the way that fate intends it to occur. Instead of worrying and hoping that nothing will go wrong, perhaps it is best to understand that we as humans can not avoid fate. Fate is an extreme factor that is unlike any other.
While fate is an overarching concept within Chronicles of a Death Foretold, magic realism is a reoccurring factor. This novel takes place in Colombia. The utilization of this location has an extreme impact on the novel. The culture of the area impacts the outcome of events tremendously. For example, the disorganization of the community is essentially what causes such disorganization in this murder investigation. The drunkenness and the inappropriate buildings are all factors that cause this story to unfold in such a misconstrued way. The events of the story interweave between fiction and reality, due to the culture of where this novel takes place. In this town in Colombia, most people are more focused on having fun than the true issue at hand. The disorganization of the town causes a disorganized recollection of events. It is clear that this magical realism is prevalent throughout the town in Colombia, therefore this said magical realism is present within the story.

A Book or a Telenovela?

I can’t be the only one who read half of this book with my jaw hanging open.  It is truly an absurd chronicle, which is why it doesn’t surprise me that it is so commonly taught by IB teachers. It also doesn’t surprise me that Kafka was such an inspiration for Garcia-Marquez, because this book is crawling with insanities.

I thought that it was interesting how time works in a cyclical fashion in the novel. We start the novel with the day that Santiago Nasar dies, go through the story, and then end up at the day he dies again. It adds a lot to the story-telling element of the novel, but the progression doesn’t make any logical sense. All of the information given at the end about the day he died could have easily been thrown into the first two chapters, so why make it cycle back at all? Is this an element of magical realism, or is it representative of how the narrator is receiving information? It’s strange but interesting to think about.

I feel like every time I re-read this book I will discover new information that blows my mind while also uncovering part of a new theme, or just a detail. It reminds me of Atonement in that way.

The way religion kept coming into the story was quite interesting to me, and I find it hard to believe that Garcia-Marquez didn’t intend it to be a commentary.  The bishop sailed past the town that is offering him everything that they can in a performative routine as he does every year. Angela, the only one who leaves town, seems to have a real issue with this. After Pedro and Pablo confessed to killing Santiago to Father Amador, they say that they are innocent. Father Amador replies, “Perhaps before God”. Father Amador was also responsible for the botched autopsy performed on Santiago Nasar. While the findings were medically helpful, it was inadmissible in court and poorly performed. I understand why Cristo Bedoya didn’t perform the autopsy, but there was another medical student there on vacation who would’ve had more up-to-date knowledge on how to not butcher a corpse. I’m pretty sure Father Amador is the one who knew about the attack but got scared and just rang a bell instead, but that might’ve been Colonel Aponte. I’m not sure if Garcia-Marquez has a personal gripe with religion, or perhaps he just wrote what he saw while he lived in this town, but it is clear that the religious figures of Sucre, Columbia have a cult around them while being woefully inadequate at their jobs.

While magical realism is still a topic that I am trying to come to terms with, I think it works so well within this book. At its core, magical realism is strange things being told as fact, and that perfectly describes the events the led to Santiago’s death, his death, and the events after. Even the judge over the case seemed wildly perplexed by the entire encounter.

Strangely, my biggest question is still who Angela’s attacker could be. Is it someone we met? Is it someone we didn’t? Does Garcia-Marquez even know? All I know is that this book keeps my mind up at night.

Consequence Fate

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Chronicle of A Death Foretold. I think it embodies all of the characteristics of a “good” IB English book. I think it was placed perfectly in the syllabus in the Senior Year because there are aspects of Little Fires Everywhere. Macbeth, and Atonement. I was able to pull from those previous readings to make connections throughout the novel. Chronicle of A Death Foretold was a very thought-provoking novel for me, and I have figured out why. Fate. My idea of fate is skewed in a way. I view fate optimistically, probably because I am a hopeless romantic at heart, but Chronicle challenged my view of fate. I see fate as running into someone you have not seen in years, and you fall in love all over again. Or, you miss the train to go to work in the morning, and you miss a catastrophe. But can fate be used to justify an entire community essentially turning its back on a community? I am not sure. Was Santiago going to die no matter what? Maybe, but the people who did not warn him are using fate to justify their own actions rather than taking responsibility. I can’t keep looking at fate in an optimistic view without taking into consideration the means people will go through just to avoid responsibility for their actions. I think there are two sides to fate: optimistic fate and consequence fate. For example, at Girl’s State, I ended up finding the girl I plan on rooming with in college. It was pure coincidence. We signed up for the same seminar, got lost at the same time, approached the same lady to ask directions, and then we met each other and realized we wanted to go to the same college and study the same obscure thing. In my mind, that is optimistic fate. There was no connection between us prior to that single encounter, and boom, it was like all the stars aligned, and I have found someone with whom I can relate in college. On the other hand, consequence fate comes from the consequences of a person’s actions. In this case, the community would be experiencing consequence fate by not telling Santiago about the plot to kill him. They must live with his blood on their hands for the rest of their lives. Consequence fate brings on an unknowingness of the situation; If I had done this, could I have prevented that? I believe everyone’s actions lead to other actions, but that is not justified by fate. We all chose to take IB English sophomore year. Is that fate? Or is that the outcome of a decision we made? That is what Chronicle of A Death Foretold has forced me to look into. What is considered fate, and what is not? As someone who tries to see the good in everything, it is hard not to justify good things as fate without justifying the bad things as fate. Ultimately, I think it is up to the person to decide if something is fate or if it is a consequence of their previous actions, and if not, to justify it as a consequence fate!

anglea vicario slayed

Here’s the deal I’m not a crazy super feminist because in my opinion men are equally as important but I have to acknowledge the amazing abilities of a woman who knows her worth and her power and Angela Vacario is a fantastic representation of that. I was a little worried about her at the beginning of the book because I was like girl you are heartbreakingly sad the way she was talking about the only thing that she could do is kill herself and all that stuff I was like all right you’re quite the joyful little character there however with the help of none other than Bayardo and of course  Santiago Nassar who allegedly did some stuff she became this mastermind manipulator. We can’t pretend like miss girl didn’t know that there was gonna be an issue with her getting married because she wasn’t a virgin there’s no way that she was unaware of that. she went through with it anyway and married some random dude I guess who she thought had to be attractive because why in the world would you even consider marrying a man who’s not a little bit attractive?? he had money, her family was ready for it and then uh oh we find out that Angela has done the dirty… oopsie. now this sends Bayardo into a little frenzy as we all know.  boy is like absolutely not I cannot have her as a wife and is like take her back which I know I said this in class but let me say it again the way that they kept saying that they were returning her she was being returned the word return I didn’t like that that made Angela sound very objectified and like she was some kind of transaction.  he really said insert cash or select payments type with that one. anyways to get to the fun part the way that she writes him a letter every week for years is 1) dedication like yes queen gets your mans and 2) it’s the way that he did not even have to open a single letter to come back to her… like how did you mastermind that? that was amazing… not only that she saw him and was like oh you’re not necessarily the same way you were long ago but then she was like oh shoot you’re old and fat and have no hair let me call the shots, therefore she did. the amount of powerful feminine energy throughout the novel is not really super evident until you take a little deep dive it’s such an underlying little motif throughout some of the women and I love it especially in the class full of females who have very strong opinions you just have to eat it up it’s too good. I mean beautiful beautiful acknowledgment of her power and low-key none of this would’ve happened had Santiago Nassar  not butt his way between that so minor slay for him I guess.  ha ha slay is  funny because he was literally slain I still can’t get over the fact that he was walking through these peoples house  holding his intestines and then just smiled at them.  that got a good little giggle out of me anyways this was a good nice little read.  I liked it have a joyous day

People are weird.

This book was very thought invoking and funny. I enjoyed reading it and discovering the hidden lessons within it. But there were some things that just felt unfinished. To Garcia-Marquez, they are funny, little jokes. To me, they are stay up late pondering about them questions that will never be answered.

My biggest issue is with Angela and Bayardo. He threw me in such a loop! First Angela doesn’t want to give Bayardo a time of day, then she pines after him for half a lifetime. I understand it’s a power move to get back into society, but I could not seem to completely rap my brain around it. She had seemed like the type of person not to be bothered by that stuff. What’s crazier is that Bayardo came back! All because he felt guilty about barring her from society and marriage, not for love. It makes me wonder if they will even last. I feel like they are equally match in spirit, Angela with her masked hatred and Bayardo with his gigantic ego. I would buy and read a second book to find out who wins! Although, maybe not because Garcia-Marquez might just use it as another opportunity to create more unanswered questions.

Another thing I felt cheated on was the years in between Baryardo leaving the sinful town and him eventually reuniting with Angela. What was he doing that made him deteriorate so much? Does he still have money or was he pretending? Why did he never try to remarry? With the double standard for men in the book, along with his good looks and money, I’m sure he could have gotten another acceptable marriage.

The Mayor got on my nerves a lot. He was basically useless. Even Father Amador called him a “barbarian” and his orders “stupid” (Garcia-Marquez 72). When he found out about the coming murderer, he practically gave them a slap on the wrist. He took their knives and sent them to bed. When he found out that they got knew knives and were trying to track Santiago Nasar down and kill him, Colonel Aponte decided to finish planning a domino game before dealing with it! By the time he was finished, the killing was over. After all that, he still stayed the mayor. I was very confused by that. He may have shown his strength through war, but was not his failure to prevent the murder enough to get him removed from office? Why would the people of the town continue to follow a spineless leader?

The Angela’s mother, Pura Vicario, was very puzzling. For a mother that supposedly loved her family very much, she had a funny way of showing it. She literally beat Angela to a bloody pulp. Also, she raised her daughters to never dream about anything in life except marriage. But, maybe the way she raised them was a sign of love in her own way. She raised her daughters so that they would be good wives that could easily marry into rich families.

Now I did not write this whole blog post to drag Chronicles of a Death Foretold through the mud. There were just some elements that rubbed me the wrong way. All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot and it’s probably one of my favorites out of the books we read together.

An attic room: a place for Mr. Nigro's IB Seniors to ponder the emptiness at the heart of life.

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