How does Nabatnikova use isolation and distance in Speak, Maria? The protagonist and her beloved venture far away from "the village, the people, the lights, all sound" (127) in the introduction of the story, and she never sees him or the young stranger in the bus again in her life.
What effect do the references to scientific concepts throughout the story have on how the emotions and observations of human behavior presented in the narration are perceived?
In multiple instances, the main character's feelings are manifested in the physical world. What is the relationship between emotions and the physical world? How do the dreams fit into this equation?
The narrator refers to 'you' - "plus I dont like your town", who is she speaking to?How do her dreams and reliance on inaccurate scientific theories to explain balanced human nature imply her powerlessness in her relationship with her husband and her beloved?
What is the deeper meaning of the "the square of distance" theory of physics that is mentioned repeatedly? Is it the idea that the human spirit needs space, yet needs to be balanced out by other human spirits, or otherwise they'll never find their place?
Towards the end the narrator states "I had forgotten and forgiven [my husband] for all the grief he had caused me", yet it seems that she is the victim of her own silence. Her grief stems from her inability to battle her own conscience. What did the stranger spark that ultimately resulted in her finding comfort in her loneliness, and finally direct her built up love for the beloved of her youth?
Characters in this story live in fantasies: the narrator with her high-school lover, Uncle Kolia and his physics, and the narrator's husband and his beliefs. How is narrators end fantasy different from her initial one?
What is the purpose of rhetorical questioning in this story? The author asks several questions such as the following:
I'm scaring you, aren't I? How was I supposed to know that this one was so strong? Where did that kind of lightness come from? Then you know what I figured out? And now what have I got? And you know what happened then? Is that what happened?
There is an emphasis of circles and spheres such as that of seasons, Uncle Kolia's interesting theory for it, and the narrator's own experience. She ends up with her beloved that she started the journey essentially with. What does the author hope to communicate with this circle? Will it continue indefinitely or is the beloved meant to be the ultimate stop?
"Language was turned off; it had no application here." How does this resonate throughout the rest of the text?
ReplyDeleteHow does Nabatnikova use isolation and distance in Speak, Maria? The protagonist and her beloved venture far away from "the village, the people, the lights, all sound" (127) in the introduction of the story, and she never sees him or the young stranger in the bus again in her life.
ReplyDeleteHow does communal living in the Soviet Union impinge upon one's natural square?
ReplyDeleteWhat effect do the references to scientific concepts throughout the story have on how the emotions and observations of human behavior presented in the narration are perceived?
ReplyDelete-Fanny
The author repeatedly uses darkness and light to depict silence. How is the narrator challenged to overcome darkness (silence) ?
ReplyDeleteIn multiple instances, the main character's feelings are manifested in the physical world. What is the relationship between emotions and the physical world? How do the dreams fit into this equation?
ReplyDeleteThe narrator refers to 'you' - "plus I dont like your town", who is she speaking to?How do her dreams and reliance on inaccurate scientific theories to explain balanced human nature imply her powerlessness in her relationship with her husband and her beloved?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the deeper meaning of the "the square of distance" theory of physics that is mentioned repeatedly? Is it the idea that the human spirit needs space, yet needs to be balanced out by other human spirits, or otherwise they'll never find their place?
ReplyDeleteTowards the end the narrator states "I had forgotten and forgiven [my husband] for all the grief he had caused me", yet it seems that she is the victim of her own silence. Her grief stems from her inability to battle her own conscience. What did the stranger spark that ultimately resulted in her finding comfort in her loneliness, and finally direct her built up love for the beloved of her youth?
ReplyDeleteCharacters in this story live in fantasies: the narrator with her high-school lover, Uncle Kolia and his physics, and the narrator's husband and his beliefs. How is narrators end fantasy different from her initial one?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the purpose of rhetorical questioning in this story? The author asks several questions such as the following:
ReplyDeleteI'm scaring you, aren't I?
How was I supposed to know that this one was so strong?
Where did that kind of lightness come from?
Then you know what I figured out?
And now what have I got?
And you know what happened then?
Is that what happened?
Is the young man at the end of the story another fantasy of the narrators? What hints does Nabatnikova provide that might suggest so?
ReplyDeleteThere is an emphasis of circles and spheres such as that of seasons, Uncle Kolia's interesting theory for it, and the narrator's own experience. She ends up with her beloved that she started the journey essentially with. What does the author hope to communicate with this circle? Will it continue indefinitely or is the beloved meant to be the ultimate stop?
ReplyDelete