Mama Blanca's Memoirs by Teresa de la Parra was a beautiful read that brought back memories, experiences, and longing for one's youth. It is authentic and offers readers compassion and sorrow. However, this novel also employed words in which were powerful and reassuring remarks. Brilliantly describing memories from the past and a youth spent in a world that no longer exists, Teresa de la Parra writes about the previous days. She shows us the brutal shift from an ideal childhood to the real world and everything that it entails. This sweet and compassionate novel depicts the lives of a girl and her sisters as they grow up in Venezuela. It surprised me because I had expected the book to be "boring."
Here are a few quotes I thought were particularly noteworthy:
"I walked into the hall, pushed open the heavy door with its great knocker and wooden bars, stuck my head in, and stood gazing at the pictures, the rocking chairs, the ornaments, and the circle of flowerpots. (pg. 15)" This phrase particularly caught my attention since it perfectly captures how I would feel entering my Oma and Opa's home. Never lacking in flowers or family portraits hanging on the walls, not to mention the traditional rocking chair for the grandparents! Their house had major significant to my childhood growing up, and to this day everything in their house stays the same allowing me to relive all my younger days.
"Not for a minute did her behaviour resemble that of Rain Cloud. The pain of that wound lasted as long as life itself... the dead are forgotten. (pg. 63)" This scene portrayed, in my opinion, a genuinely moving and devastating bit about a mother cow and the loss of her baby. This scene manages to be wholly realistic, slightly unsettling, and yet nevertheless manages to convey a lot of meaning in a small amount of text. Daniel's belief that the dead are forgotten was heart-wrenching for me to read. I have experienced many losses in my life, and yes, the grief and sadness slowly start to hurt less, but it is always there, hiding in the back of your head. I also believe the dead are not forgotten. My family and I will always tell stories of our passed loved ones, embracing their spirits that are with us. Not to mention, in places such as Mexico, there is a whole day dedicated to celebrating those who have been laid to rest, known as the "Day of the Dead.
Some questions for you all!
- Is your grandparents/grandparents' house have significant meaning and memories to you?
- Do these memories differ from the ones you had in your own house?
Hello Julia! Firstly, I really enjoyed reading the quotes that you provided and the reasoning behind why those stood out to you. Those two quotes also stood out to me due to their strong imagery and poetic rhythm. In regards to your question, I also spent a significant amount of time at my grandparents' house with my sisters when I was younger and have a lot of fond memories there. More specifically, I spent a lot of time at my Nana's home which holds a large significance to my family as it was built mainly by my grandpa who had passed when I was very young. The significance of the house to my family allowed me to form memories that are only unlocked when I enter that property and let me grow a bond with my grandpa despite never really meeting him. I find that this differ from my memories at my own home as we seemed to have more freedom to explore in my nana's house and neighbourhood, heightening my sense of adventure from a young age.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post!
Hi Julia! I loved your post! To answer your question, I always spent much time in my grandma's home at a young age and my siblings and I always loved visiting because it was a space we could explore, make up fun games, and eat lots of sweets that mom wouldn't let us touch. I feel like grandparent's are super important to a young child's development and imagination because we learn so much from the elderly and their experiences they have faced in their long lived lives. Every time I go back and visit, even now as a young adult, I am filled with nostalgia and comfort because I am reminded of the places I once played trains with my sister, stole cookies with my brother, and sat on my grandmas lap, listening to her read all her great stories that rested on her big bookshelf. I am very grateful she has not changed her home, like the plantation was changed because I am able to visit and relive those childhood memories without the pain of change and loss.
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