Sunday, March 15, 2009
Literary Elements
In Absurdistan Shteyngart is constantly making observations and comparisons between American and Russian culture. Often times these comparisons are subtle and aren't easily noticeable. Like when Misha is talking to the Absurdi whore who refuses to sleep with him, she will only work with people from "Golly Burton". This could be a reference to the forced prostitution of the middle east's natural resources to the western world. Of course many of these observations could just be a result of over analyzing. One thing I find interesting about the comparisons in the book only the small things seem to be different in New York and "St. Leninsburg", like how many pieces of bread you put on a sandwich or the name for the urban poor. Overall throughout the book New York and St. Petersburg are very similar which seems to be one of the main points of the book, how westernized Russia fails. The use of allusions between the cultural powers in the book shows how westernized Russia is both similar and different from the United States.
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Shteyngart does make subtle comparisons that often have a greater meaning when thoroughly analyzed.
ReplyDeleteHmmm interesting. I guess I never saw that America and Russia were so alike. I suppose that the only major difference is capitalism in America vs. communism in Russia. Both nations have poverty and corruption.
ReplyDeleteI never really noticed the similarities between New York and St. Petersburg, which is kind of odd when you think about it. It creates an interesting situation in which Misha wants so desperately to get out of one and into another, when in fact they arent much different.
ReplyDeleteI definately agree that Russia and America are written to be very similar. This is probably part of Shteyngart's master plan that is going right over my head.
ReplyDeleteThe stark lack of contrast between russia and america DOES seem to imply some kind of overlying plot or point, ALDIS, and i am now pondering its meaning as well... perhaps he is showing that though internally the same, the two great powers of the cold war contested so strongly against each other merely because of a differing in economic practices?
ReplyDeleteGood point about the comparisons that aren't easily noticed. Many of the comments in this book aren't easily understood and need to be analyzed.
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