Agostino by Alberto Moravia

 

    Okay. Agostino was definitely very engaging, I sat down and just read the entire thing in one go. Granted I did have to entirely stop reading, like I mean fully close the pdf and just take a second a few times because just- what? As coming of age novels go, it was definitely not what I was expecting. My first thought as I began to read was of Freud. I have never taken a psychology class and I don't really know much about his weird, weird theories other than this particular one about young boys wishing to be their mother's lover in place of their father or another man. Strange concept, but the idea was painfully obvious in the first parts of this book. As he met the group boys, and, not to be dramatic but, had his childlike innocence ripped from him it seemed his view on his mother changed. He went from taking pride in her and her beauty to being uncomfortable around her, perhaps partially due to jealousy of the man who took her attention away from him but also because of his new knowledge about sexuality and how this changed how he saw women, including his mother. I can't really summarize it well but the change in attitude Agostino had was entirely due to his new friends. 

    The other thing I would like to comment on is the situation with Saro, Homs and Agostino. I don't remember if Saro's age is mentioned but it is obvious he is respected by the group, sort of like a father figure. This is what made the scene with he and Agostino in the boat so uncomfortable. It was honestly pedophilic in nature and Saro obviously was trying to prey on Agostino's lack of understanding or experience with what could become a sexual encounter. All the rest of the boys knew what was happening but none seemed to care about or likely even understand the issues with it, instead the teasing Agostino, and Homs because it was another boy. I wasn't expecting to see any mention of queerness in this book, and seeing it paired with pedophilia was kind of depressing, mostly due to how true that still is today.

    Agostino was definitely coming of age throughout this novel. So much happened very quickly which I suppose, once again, is very realistic to how it often happens in real life. The book ended with him getting turned away from a brothel (thank god) and then falling asleep next to his mother who he asks to stop treating him like a baby, she agrees but then kisses him on the forehead. This to me shows she doesn't really think he is ready to be a man yet, nor will he be soon. Because the story ended before he actually matured and grew up, my biggest question is what now? What sort of person did Agostino grow into after these experiences?

That's all the nice analysis words I have to say. I quite enjoyed reading this, wasn't what I was expecting but definitely was interesting. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 9, 2022 at 5:56 PM

    Hi Dee,

    I found your analysis really interesting. In response to how Agostino may have turned out as an adult - I think Moravia left the story open-ended in this way on purpose. Growing up, or maturing, into an adult is ongoing process throughout our childhood and adolescent years, one experience does not, or should not, define who we are to become as an adult. In Agostino's case, while his summer holiday at the beach at the age of 13 was definitely a turning point in his development, I think he still has much left to learn, to be exposed to, and to experience before he really grows into himself as an adult. Thus, Moravia doesn't provide us with a concrete ending or conclusion to Agostino's journey, because it is still continuing after the events of this story.

    - Aliyah

    ReplyDelete
  2. PliegoFebruary 11, 2022 at 11:48 AM

    Hi.
    I think Agostino would have grown up to be a person with money as his family already had that when he was young and he would have jut carried on with that. And I dont believe that all the things he experienced would affect how he develops as he would sooner or later grow up and not be an innocent kid anymore. Which also I believe you can see it today with the effect that the internet has on little kids and parents not being able to block all the so called "bad" things that a kid should not see and this not affecting how the children grow up.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Shrouded Woman/ La Amortajada

This is the first book in a while that I have sat down to start reading, and only got back up when I was done. The entire novella felt poetic, I adored the flow of the writing and it felt very easy to read in comparison to the two other books we have read so far. Along with that, I think reading something from a woman's point of view drew me in as someone who has been raised as one. While reading I went through a variety of emotions but often I just felt sad for Ana Maria, and all of the other women in the story. As Ana recalls memories from her life it becomes obvious the role women had in society at that time. Also, the constant comparisons between female characters. I could be mistaken but not once was a man's appearance described as in-depth as a woman's. Beauty, entirely defined by what men were attracted to, was constantly discussed. Contrary to the gender roles, which are less dramatically oppressive now, the male gaze is definitely as strong as ever so these parts o...
Read more

Bonjour Tristesse

     I am so glad that the past few weeks I have consistently enjoyed the books we have read. Bonjour Tristesse was filled with what reminded me a lot of high school drama. In reality I believe it was the results of both Cecile, the narrator and Raymond, her father struggling to let go of their youth. Anne, Raymond's latest fling turns out to be the change they both needed but Cecile especially did not want to accept into her life. Cecile begins the novella as a ignorant and honestly somewhat spoiled girl. She dislikes that the life she enjoyed living with her father is being changed by Anne, especially after she and Raymond decide to marry. It's not uncommon for kids to be upset when their parents remarry eventually but Cecile's plan to try to sabotage their relationship felt like a lot. I think she knew she was wrong, her frequent switches between feeling remorseful to guilty made it clear that part of her knew Anna was not actually that bad to have in her life. I was e...
Read more

Amulet, Roberto Bolaño

      One of the wonderful things I have realized throughout this course is that, despite how I have been often made to feel throughout other literature classes, it is not always necessary to pick out every detail and hidden theme from a book. I am all for analyzing stuff but I've noticed while reading and writing these blogs that often it really isn't necessary.  Roberto Bolaño's Amulet  was another great example of this for me. Last week I read The Trenchcoat  and learned about an awful situation that I had not known anything about previously. This week I also found myself learning something new and once again questioning why the American school system taught me literally nothing about other countries' history. I am sure I could have found some underlying things throughout this novel but just reading it and understanding the situation was enough.      Amulet  was a novel narrated by Auxilio who hides in a bathroom stall as UNAM is...
Read more