Luis Montes
Examining one of these two scenes and listening to the attendant songs, explain how the songs either provide a sense of place or complicate the reader's sense of place. You will need first to describe what "sense of place" means in the scene in particular: what defines the place in question. Then, think about the nature of the songs, how they interact with the "place" you have described/defined, and what that suggests about "place" in general in the novel.
Sense of place is a characteristic people adjoin to a place giving it feeling or perception, which means that it is a human development of what a place should feel like or mean. Sense of place is a human interaction that allows a place to become special or unique. It also plays an important role in authentic human attachment and belonging. What would be a church without a human’s “sense of place”? would it be solemn, peaceful, and warm or just another building. If we did not develop a sense of place how would it feel to visit grandma on the weekend where you spent many days as a child. I believe it would not be the same it would not feel the same. I think people do things in relation to where their at which plays into what they feel at that place.
The scene I chose is the one were Don Pancho is singing “la cansion del caballo blanco” on the railroad track of his town in Mexico. This song sets up the location by showing you tradition, warmth, and nostalgia things that to an old Mexican town would convey. It is as if the town is still stuck in an older era and this song is a reflection of that sense of place. Don Pancho being an old school cat as he is that song would be the most logical song he would sing. You can expect him to sing a new age song like “Elvis Preasly’s – Can’t help falling in love” as he drink his tequila in his truck. Signing something other that an old corridor would take away that sense of place that the town has and with it the value of what that scene is trying to convey, which is a midlife crossroads of life and death purpose and accomplishment with Don Pancho at the center.
Very interesting, Luis.
ReplyDeleteYou're spot on in your description and examples of "sense of place." But I hadn't really thought about the extent to which "Caballo Blanco" gives DP's hometown a sense of place. It's really interesting to think about that in terms of what it then means to Nat as she goes back to spring him from Purgatory.