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The Hour of The Star

    Hey everyone! Hope all is well. I read "The Hour of the Star" by Clarice Lispector this week. I initially wanted to read this because of its shorter length. It was refreshing and made me less overwhelmed compared to some of the other books we have read. The narrative is different as it dives into the rich thoughts and emotions of the characters, allowing the reader to really get into the inner workings of their minds. "This story has no technique, nor style, it lives from hand to mouth (pg. 28)." This novel explores the themes of social inequality, isolation, identity, poverty, and sexism. I felt as if the author planted herself in Macabea. Lispector writes about Macabea in an empathetic way, writing about her inner thoughts, struggles, and emotions. On the other hand, she distances herself from Macabea by referring to her as "the typist," emphasizing how she's nothing but that. 


    Macabea's journey reflects the realities of social inequality and how much the human spirit can endure. Through the struggles, a quiet strength in her lights the soul. The book shows the existence of social inequality, human vulnerability, and resilience. I found this book to have a strong emotional impact on me. I found myself having strong empathy for Macabea in her struggles, especially loneliness, lack of self-worth, and her desire for love and connection. It really pulled on the heartstrings. For example, "she'd forgotten the beatings because if you wait a while, the pain ends up going away (pg. 20)." This quote made me really upset to think that she had to sit there just waiting for the pain to stop really didn't sit well with me. " Inside I'm actually happy. It's so good to be alive (pg 43)." This quote, however, brought some peace of mind to know she still has high spirits and faith.


    This book gave a look into what it is like to be human. We see everyday struggles and what it is like to figure out who we are as individuals. As well as how hard life can be when you feel alone and lost. Lispector's narration made me think about understanding others and myself through life's uncertainties and challenges. Everyone can experience similar feelings, no matter what they have or where they come from.


Questions:

  • What do you think the title "The Hour of the Star" represents? 
  • How does the switch between empathy and distance in the narrator's writing affect how you see Macabea? 


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Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 5, 2024 at 8:11 PM

    Julia, I liked the quote you picked to describe the narrative style. I see it made you reflect on your own life quite a bit too!

    Thanks for your comment!
    Tesi

    ReplyDelete
  2. XinruiMarch 5, 2024 at 8:22 PM

    Hi, Julia. Thanks for your sharing. I think the name of this book may refer to the moment of Macabea's death at the end, maybe at that moment she was really free.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jon Beasley-MurrayMarch 5, 2024 at 8:32 PM

    Hmm. "allowing the reader to really get into the inner workings of their minds" Does it really? Do we ever really get into the mind of Macabéa? Or is this all the narrator's projection? Does the narrator even ever really understand his creation? I'm not sure...

    ReplyDelete

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