This week we dicsussed ‘las estrellas son negras’. I found the novel interesting. it was complex for us to read because the storyline is based from the point of view of the protagonist, mostly formed as an internal monologue. the use of Colombian slang and accents made it a tough read too. In the seminar we discussed the use of such language complexities and worked through a few examples which I found to be helpful for the reading of the following two chapters. We spoke of the afro descendant population in Colombia, and how such racial themes and concepts relate to the story. We spoke about symbolism, such as the physical feeling of hunger which the protagonist experiences, and how it leads to other impulses such as a thirst for murder and sex. This was useful as it shaped our understanding of the deeper interconnections within the novel, such as the experience of the protagonist (poverty, racial discrimination), and how it relates to his feelings and behaviours (anger). I found the first two chapters to be a very interesting insight into the deep psychological structure: thoughts, beliefs, and behaviours, of the protagonist which connects to wider society: how poverty and social neglect can affect peoples mentality.
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