|
|
Post by Lauren on Apr 16, 2014 2:33:41 GMT
Alrighty, let's get this ball rolling!
|
|
|
|
Post by stever on Apr 17, 2014 3:59:16 GMT
Is the "first quote" referring to the epigraph -- the quote on the very first page in the book? Or something else actually in the story?
|
|
|
|
Post by natalieskowlund on Apr 17, 2014 4:40:48 GMT
Steve--I think it is referring to the introductory quote: "The old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum there arises a great diversity of morbid symptoms" -Antonio Gramsci Firstly, I looked up the definition of "interregnum": a period when normal government is suspended, especially between successive reigns or regimes. To me, it seems like the quote is pretty straightforward in its foreshadowing of a story about the "morbid symptoms" occurring in the "interregnum" between the oppressive reign of white people in South Africa and the movement towards racial equality and Africans taking back their country. The quote's straightforward tone and forthright diction create a level of discomfort in the reader because it gets straight to the point; no flamboyant language to circumvent the notion that this is a story about discomfort and living in a purgatory of sorts. Interestingly, that straightforward language is definitely a defining characteristic of the novel in itself. The reference to life--dying, birth, symptoms--is intriguing. A sense of loss and expectation, watching the death of one thing while hoping for the birth of another. Yet, in that in-between state, the "morbid symptoms" of some sort of disease seem to have taken over, perhaps threatening the lives of everyone waiting for the new to be born. Here is a link to some info about Antonio Gramsci and "The Prison Notebooks" he wrote: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_Notebooks. Apparently he was an Italian Marxist in the early 20th century who was imprisoned under the Italian Fascist regime. Gives a bit of context to the quote and the background. |
|
|
|
Post by Lauren on Apr 17, 2014 5:18:27 GMT
I agree, it's pretty straightforward foreshadowing. The word interregnum ties in perfectly with the governmental issues of South Africa in the book, and so does the "great diversity of morbid symptoms".
I think the dying and new born part ties in the Smales situation. They've lost their old life of luxury, and now are waiting for what's next, but nothing's coming. Then when the helicopter comes, it's a chance for something new to be "born" and Maureen chases it for the opportunity of something safe. The quote is kind of implying that the Smales will never be able to return to what they had, now that it's dead.
|
|
|
|
Post by stever on Apr 19, 2014 21:22:53 GMT
I think you have interpreted the quote very well, Natalie. This novel is a transition between the old and the new for the Smales. Their old life of luxury, which is currently "dying," like the quote says, as they have to flee from their old town. However, because of the culture shock and their inability to adapt to their foreign surroundings, their new life "cannot be born." Instead, they futilely try to grasp onto elements of their "dying" life while waiting for their new life to "be born." The distance, disorder, or "interregnum" between the "old" and the "new" seems to reflect the cultural differences between the whites and the blacks. We see this addressed very early on in the book: "July bent at the doorway and began that day for them as his kind has always done for their kind" (1). Gordimer immediately categorizes the blacks and whites as different "kinds," just as Gramsci immediately seperates the "old" and the "new." Beyond the political ideas this quote brings up, this quote also seems to refer to the difficulty of two distinctly different cultures to understand each other. As Natalie brings up, the use of words such as "morbid symptoms" and imagery of death make the quote ominous and menacing and seem to foreshadow some pretty significant conflict occurring in the novel.
|
|
steph
New Member
Posts: 13 
|
Post by steph on Jun 4, 2014 3:28:44 GMT
I also find that the initial quote relates very well to the ending, as Maureen fully becomes this new, animalistic being. The book is summarizing the entire interregnum as Maureen transitions from her original status as white and rich, a status very well framed through the New York Times (?) story wherein her book bag is being held. The morbid symptoms are obvious in the age in terms of the rebellion, but in terms of Maureen I think they're a little trickier, but the dialogue between her and July really sheds light on how morbid their situation is, including the presence of the gun and suspicion concerning the bakkee. As the old Maureen dies, the new one is born and that's where the story shifts to the present tense, as her interregnum ends and she is reborn.
|
|
|
|
Post by travistoal on Jun 4, 2014 18:05:16 GMT
The initial quote of the book obviously, at the most skin-deep interpretation, gives the reader the context of a society on the brink of complete revolution due to racial tensions. The "old," being the white-dominated society during Apartheid, is being put to an end by the "new," the revolting blacks. However, the black revolutionaries are unable to set up a new, peaceful society free of oppression, due to both the lingering feelings of superiority of the whites, and the continued violence of the blacks. More specifically, this quote speaks not only about the society, but about the mindstate of the privileged whites in that society. The "morbid symptoms" and the transition aptly describe the journey that Maureen makes throughout the novel, from her initial close-minded arrival to her feelings of guilt, and actually acknowledging July as an equal, of the same emotional complexity and fallibility as herself.
|
|
