Sunday, March 8, 2009
Absurdistan both Name and Setting
The settings in Absurdistan all have one thing in common. They are all the extremes of the normal. Here is what I mean; every setting in this book is in a place, that with no stretch of the imagination, could exist. In fact many of the places that are referrenced do exist. However, due to the narrative of this book all of the abnormal and unusual aspects of these settings is brought to light. This theme of abnormality in the settings of Absurdistan add to the overall bizzarness of the novel itself. For example when Misha is in Russia everything is narrated as though it is some relic of communist russia, a ghost of its former glory. I'm sure that if any of us decided to visit St. Petersburg, although it would look different than an american city, without the aid of Misha's narrative it would appear to be just another city. With these little details and side notes it become a whole nother story. What could have been described as a boring landscape takes on a unique emotion of its own and creates a whole different dynamic for the reader. It takes Misha's unique narrative to bring out all the little details that bring out that feeling of Communism and Soviet Russia. This type of altering of the setting by the narrator is definitely used as a tool to create the specific type of emotion that Gary Shteyngart is looking for at the time.
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Intresting point about the narrative. I do agree it makes the story feel russian. The things he points would still be there if you looked for them. But he brings them into the spot light and makes, what at the first glance seem like a european city , look like russia.
ReplyDeleteQuinn my good sir, i agree with your thesis statement, but i must disagree on the thought that St. Petersburg would look like any other city. The heart of the city would seem majestic, with the winter palace of the tsars/czars and all the imperial glory of old-old russia. but outside of that the city is downtrodden and crumbling, because the CCCP moved the capitol from St. P's to Moscow, and all of the elegant building was directed there, and most buildings everywhere else and even in Moscow were industrious-looking and plain. the buildings were new then, and are now disintegrating and falling apart, and just look overall shoddy.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the settings are over-exaggerated and used to enhance the novel. I can definitely feel the Soviet Russia mood in Russia and the sheer capitalism of America. Hmmm interesting point Matt. I've never seen St. Petersburg but it would be interesting to see it.
ReplyDeleteGood point about the exaggeration of the setting. It does really help to enhance the Russian feeling of the novel. These exaggerations help to make Misha a more developed character.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that Misha's point of view on St. Petersburg, or just Russia in general, would be quite different from the way that an American would see it.
ReplyDeleteOf course the setting is exaggerated! It needs to be that way. I'm sure a Russian and an American would see St Petersburg in completely different ways, yet the way Shteyngart portrays it helps more than anything to characterize Misha. Because it's all about Misha. If the setting weren't so far off from that of an American city, Misha would have no reason to be unhappy. And Misha's unhappiness with just about anything is what makes him interesting.
ReplyDeleteI think I want to go to Russia.