Amulet - a horror that is not a horror
While reading the scenes within the university buildings and corridors, I found myself imagining the scenes in my head. That isn't unusual in and of itself, but similarly to how I dream at night, the settings of my imagination varied between buildings here at UBC, my high schools in Canada and the UK, and the primary school I left 10 years ago. It was as though different rooms fit different scenes more than others. Or that a particular corridor from my school 6 years ago just fit the bill more than the most recent one. Not to get too on-theme with the novels we've read this term, but it's funny how memory works, isn't it?
The scene where she rips up the toilet paper that she has been writing on caught my attention. Mainly because I like to preserve practically everything I've ever written, so the idea of destroying the thoughts and musings I might have had if I were in her situation feels like a strange loss for me. At first, it also felt like a bit of a waste; my first thought was that if you're going to destroy it, then why write it down in the first place? But then I caught myself fairly quickly. It can be quite limiting to assume that something is only worth writing if it's worth keeping, and that's an idea I think I learnt unintentionally, and am nowadays trying to unlearn. That said, it's not even very accurate because I often find myself in a situation where I need to write something in order to make my own thoughts coherent. Sure, perhaps in another situation she may have spoken these words aloud where they could then disappear without a trace, but that's not an ideal method when you're trying to hide in a bathroom for days on end.
My question this week is: what is the significance of the fact that neither the author nor the protagonist are from the city in which the story is set?
Hi Deeba,
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way you did while reading this text, but I didn't realize it until you pointed it out in your blog. I kept imagining something like this happening to myself at UBC. As a student, it isn't too hard to put yourself in Auxilio's shoes, especially with the current events we hear on the news daily. I also think you brought up an interesting point about the amount of gore one can put in a film or t.v show, whereas in writing, authors seem to have more creative freedom.
- Aliyah Khan
Hi Deeba! Thank you for sharing in your blog the way you understand this novel by bringing yourself into a similar situation, which I think gives a good understanding of the mood the author was trying to convey at the time.
ReplyDeleteFor your question, my understanding is that both the author and the protagonist come from the place where the story takes place, which means that they will have a deeper understanding and understanding of this history.
Delete—Xiang Li
Hi Deeba,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post, especially where you kind of contemplated on whether there should be a significance in everything one writes. I think sometimes it really just helps to write like randomly because it's like a low-risk method to share something that may be bothering you. To give a possible answer to your question, I think the significance is that it allows the reader to almost relate to the main character's outsider perspective.
- Vidushi Singh
hey, I really liked your Blog and your question. I also thought it was interesting that neither of them were originary to the place were the story takes place. But I beleive its because, as mentioned Mexico was a starting point for revolutions and uprising plus it was considered a safe place for inmigrants its was quite normal that many people that werent from the nation found themselves identifying with it and feeling as their own somethimes. I beleive it was something rather normal for the time and therfore there is no deeper meaning behind that.
ReplyDelete-Montserrat Avendano