week 3: Campobello's Cartucho

 I was not sure what to expect from this book based on what I would presume a novel of this type to be like that is assembled from various recollections from the time of Campobello's young life. The many short stories felt as though I was reading a young girl's diary, maybe that was part of the intentions behind writing from the perspective of a young girl. 

I believe the effects of adopting the point of view of a young girl helped this collection of stories to be perceived as just that. If the stories were from an adult's perspective, I would expect it to be more concerned with the exact dynamics or state of events, and ensuring the facts are "accurate" as well as appropriately comprehensive. The details that complete the readers ability to imagine the experiences are supported by the strong imagery and intricate observations. This began right away during the first few stories, and many of the men seemed to have their own song to sing that represented their feelings or current predicament, something I would usually think a younger person may have heightened awareness of (in contrast to an adult). The many songs that were sung, the varied appearances being described, and how the brutality looked and felt to experience, are all aspects that I feel were effectively portrayed precisely because they were intended to be told from the point of view of a young girl.

Furthermore, the reality of the young girl is that this is what she knows, this is what her life is. Throughout the novel, I get a sense that she grows accustomed to the violence and brutality. I do not regard her neutrality for all the death to mean she supported it, however many of the accounts came across as very matter of fact. This especially seemed to be the case when there was a dead body that she could see from her window, as if the corpse became a form of 'company' for her to the point that she wished another body to to be disposed of where she could see. 

By the end of the novel, I enjoyed that the light returned to her Mama's eyes. For having experienced and witnessed such persistent brutality, I would not be certain that any light would be able to return.   

I cannot imagine having grown up in the environment that Campobello did, even though some of the stories were not involving her directly or were not her own experience, being surrounded by that while growing up is unfathomable. My grandma had a difficult upbringing before coming to Canada, and her journey involved staying in many refugee camps along the way. She witnessed many atrocities that she wrote down so there is a written record, however she only did so because she wished to never speak of her experiences again, which is partly why I found this novel a thought provoking read, and that Campobello was able to return to these experiences mentally (especially significant considering she felt inclined to document and share this part of her past). This brings me to my question, in noticing the stages she passes through in getting comfortable with death and brutality -

I wonder if there are other instances where you have become accustomed to something as you have gotten older that you would not have imagined gaining familiarity with or proximity to when you were younger?