The Life of the Imagination - Response

   I found myself really enjoying Nadine Gordimer's "The Life of the Imagination", and I continue to like it more as I think about it. The story of a love affair is not what one would first think of as a catalyst for discussion on issues of race relations, but Gordimer is able to pull it off so well through subtle writing and insightful glimpses into the thoughts of our main character. This story was also interesting in that it made me very curious of the background of the author. 

   After a bit of research, I learned that Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer and political activist. Primarily, she spoke out about apartheid in South Africa, which I found to be a really interesting point of view to write from. Many people don't realize the institutional racial segregation was in place as late as the 1990s in South Africa, but the story still resonates with us as Americans. Why? I would argue that the answer is in the title. Although we didn't live through the lens through which this story was written, we can still understand it because it is an exploration on the "life of the imagination" that all humans share. The situation and the prejudice might vary, but the phenomenon of the imagination becoming a hostile entity of itself is innately human.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fat - Response

   I was really thrown for a loop by Raymond Carver's "Fat". The unusual frame narrative and conversational tone made me think on my first read that not much of significance had happened. However, the idea of control really stood out to me multiple times as I read again. The man being served makes a point to say that he has no choice in the way that he eats, and the narrator likens herself to him (and presumably his lack of control) when she is taken advantage of by her partner. I initially had no idea why the man in the restaurant referred to himself as "we", but it shows a connection between these two characters that hopefully ends in a change for our narrator.
Read more

The Contest - Response

   In contrast to the sophisticated language of some of our other readings, Grace Paley's "The Contest" is written in a more simple and easily readable prose. Although the story is not as poetic as others, I really enjoyed the smart quips sprinkled throughout the story - "I never forget a name, no matter what typeface it appears in." Without them, this story would definitely read more depressing rather than facetious.     In terms of themes, I get a strong sense of women empowerment from this story. Despite us reading the story from the perspective of a man who doesn't seem to have his life together, Dotty's power in the relationship is clearly highlighted. She knows what she wants and seeks it out in a productive way, while Fred views life as a contest and acts in other immature ways. I found this tactic of using the narrator to call attention to their own flaws very effective - much like a character study.
Read more

Cowardice - Response

   What immediately caught my attention in Abdeslam Boulaich's "Cowardice" is how the introduction reads like the beginning of a joke. This story being significantly shorter than the others we have read also lent itself to this idea. However, by the end, you realize this story reads more like a proverb than a joke, and the "punchline" is more akin to an observation of humanity. I interpreted this story as a way of communicating the idea that regardless of creed, we all lie (either to ourselves or others) to ultimately serve our own goals. Even when the Christian sees himself as having good intentions at the end of the story, he is still disposed towards lying for his own sake. As humans, are we all predisposed to lying for our own self-interest?
Read more