Like most of you, this book is leaving me very confused and unsure about what is going on with the story, or even if there really is a story at all. With that said, I find it interesting that a book that touches on many themes of immigration, labor exploitation of migrant workers, and societal institutions could be written in such a poetic manner. All of these topics can be explored in a very concrete style, but Tomas Rivera chooses to explain them as a mosaic of fragmented memories and seemingly unrelated and scattered stories. This could be a reflection of the ways in which the human mind actually stores and processes experience and memory. Like the majority of the books we have read in class, this book is not really meant to be taken for face value, or even literally, but rather as a means to create a general impression of the times on the reader. One thing to remember is that it is written largely from the mind of a child, and for that, is poses situations and experiences without following up on them, or providing cohesion and answers.
It is interesting for me to read the accounts of Latin American workers coming to the U.S. because I lived 18 years in California and was exposed to Latin migrants my whole life. To see and understand their experiences and impressions, hopes and desires, is very interesting because in so many ways I have seen how they are judged as the "other."I have been exposed to great bias and prejudice against these people by Americans, so actually seeing getting a glimpse into their perception and experiences has proved very interesting. It in a way fills in the blanks of the other side of the story from the very voices that for many reasons have been silenced.
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2 comments:
You make a good argument on how the story's lack of chronology mimics the mind's way of processing memory. I made a similar argument. As I was reading your blog, a thought had crossed my mind. Other than portraying memory, perhaps Rivera also offers a different way of looking at things from the ways we are accustomed to. Perhaps the time perception of a child is different from the adults as well.
I agree with Nicole. I really like how you discussed Rivera's writing style in relation to the functioning of the human mind.
The idea that there could be a purpose to writing such fragmented stories is intriguing to me...
I enjoyed this book yet, at times while reading it, I was only able to understand what was going on at the surface level, because I found these vignettes difficult to follow. However, your explanation in regards to why Rivera might have written such scattered stories, has helped me to find a new level of meaning within the plot.
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