As I finished writing N. 22, I thought I would ask you to comment about the final scene of chapter 1,
with the description of Geremio's demise.
COMMENT
Quoting at least one detail verbatim, let the scene "come to you" -- i.e. drop your "resistance to the text" and let it enter your cognitive-emotional sphere by visualization. And tell us about your personal observations about yourself (also known as "critical thinking.")
ReplyDeleteGeremio’s last speech before the horrific death for me sounds like a stream of thoughts which quickly moved from his family to his home , from his childhood to the hopes of salvation from death and all these are accompanied by the words addressed to God. In my opinion the quote “This could not be the answer to life!” highlights how Geremio for the last moment couldn’t believe that he who worked so hard would not get a chance to realize his and his family American Dream which he asked in his prayers to God each day. In this quote the author tried to tell the reader that immigrant laborers like Geremeo were not free and equal citizens in the American capitalist system.because their life were all about job without the right to make their dreams come true.
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ReplyDeleteDuring Geremio's last moments, I believe the man was in disbelief with what was happening to him. He was desparate to be saved, crying for help, thinking about his family as his lungs and body filled with fumes and cement. I noticed in the chapter he was much more religious than in the movie. At the end Geremio is praying, asking for Jesus to save him already where as in the movie he is shouting for Annunziata and apologizing. I think in these moments he realized he was never able to provide his family with what he promised. He had so much regret and sadness in his heart knowing he was leaving behind his wife and 8 kids in an apartment.
ReplyDeleteIn Geremio's final moments, something that I noticed is that he never once questioned Jesus why this was happening to him. Why a man so devout and pious was going to die in such a horrific way while desperately asking for his help and not receiving it. I think this sets the tone for the rest of the novel, why bad things such as this happen to good people? Geremio doesn't ask why God doesn't help him, he simply continues to ask. I think many readers will begin to question the fundamentals of what religion is and if there truly is an omniscient God out there. Of course he thinks of his family too, which I think is a very natural occurrence, but the way Geremio keeps his faith to the very end was intriguing.
ReplyDeleteThe final scene of Chapter 1 was absolutely horrifying. The description was so precise and specific, that it was uncomfortable. I remember reading those last few lines and thinking, “he is being crushed to death, yet he won’t stop thinking about his family and his faith. He just won’t give up!”. I felt a sense of anguish as Geremio begged for his life and prayed to be saved. He tried his best to breathe and stabilize himself because he truly believed someone would find him. I was absolutely taken back by his strong will to survive and his ability to have faith in Jesus, even within his last few moments. Geremio never gave up and fought to survive even in the most difficult times. Overall, I felt the final scene was chilling, yet very moving.
ReplyDelete“His bones cracked mutley and his sanity went sailing distorted in the limbo of the subconscious.”
ReplyDeleteI think this is when it hit Geremio that he was going to die. The pressure of the concrete started to cause his body to deteriorate. His thinking was becoming blurred but he still made sure that he got his last words out. When I started to read this I was surprised, I was thinking “is this how it is going to end?” I was saddened that there was no one to pull them out of the concrete. I started to envision what it would be like to be there, you would wonder if you were in a dream and if this was really happening. Death is sad in general but reading about this made me shudder.
I like the quote you picked, I feel it gives the reader a great sense of imagery for what Geremio is currently facing.
Delete"He is responsible for his family! He cannot leave them like this!"
ReplyDeleteI think this part in particular summarizes what he thought his whole purpose was in the world - and that's was to take care of his family and provide them with a good life. And I don't think that Geremio was necessarily scared of death but more scared about the future of his family and what that looks like. I think many parents have this sort of mentality and it's no longer about you anymore, it's about what's important to you.
This is John Giannusa
ReplyDelete“This could not be the answer to life!”
This scene really struck me as the most meaningful in the story. Geremio's failure is a spin on the classic story of an Italian immigrant coming to America and becoming successful.
“His brain told him instantly what had happened and where he was. He shouted wildly. “Save me! Save me! I’m being buried alive!””
ReplyDeleteThe ending of the chapter in my opinion is disturbing and I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in his position. When I originally read the ending I thought it was a horrible way to go but it didn’t really have an effect on me till days later when I was presenting a group project for my death and bereavement class. We had covered legal issues regarding death and while I was listing the criteria for irreversible coma as a basis for certifying that death has occurred, my professor had said that the list of criteria had been made because there were situations where people who were alive were being buried. She went on to say that they knew this was happening because when they would dig up the coffins and open them up they would find scratch marks signifying the person that was buried was alive in the coffin. At that moment it caused me to make a connection to Geremio’s demise. Although, it would take longer for someone trapped in a casket to die, it still must felt like a lifetime for Geremio. In both situations they are aware that their end is soon to come yet they have no way of changing it no matter how hard they try which I think is terrifying.
"He pushed the bone-bare jaw maniacally; it splintered, craked, and a jagged fleshless edge cut through the form... He tried to breathe but it was impossible. The heavy concrete was settling immutably and its rich cement-laden grout ran into his pierced face."
ReplyDeleteThe imagery in this quote made me think how gory it feels. Self imagery played a huge role in my processing of this scene and I was slightly disturbed by the detail going into this and the pain Geremio is going through. When they mention as cement running down his pieced face I found myself wincing at the pain he might've been going through. I was disturbed by the fact of him being in pain while drowning. Drowning in cement sounds like one of the worst ways to die as it creates your own grave for you and people wouldn't even know you have died unless someone was there to see it. He ended up being buried in cement which is certifying his death and ending his life in general. It marks himself as dead with nothing there to save him. As the cement drops on his face I went back to my childhood drowning in water crying for help but someone came. In my image of what happens Geremio doesn't get his help and the cement is heavily dropping on his face preventing him from breathing.
During the ending of chapter one Geremio faced a gruesome death. The way he died was as if he was looking death in the eyes and could not look away until he was gone. When I read the line "he is being crushed to death, yet he won’t stop thinking about his family and his faith.” I immediately felt bad for Geremio because everything that could have meant anything to him was being taken away from him. The whole ending of chapter one had my emotions everywhere. When Geremio had the strength to survive being crushed it gave me chills. The chapter was overall great and I believe there are hidden life lessons inside of all these powerful moments in this chapter, mainly just don't give up.
ReplyDeleteGeremio" death definitely stuck with me. His death was gruesome in my opinion not in the sense that there was gore and bloody but more in the sense that what he said while dying. While drowning in cement, he said im sorry and how "This could not be the answer to life". He knows the wrong he's done in his life and he just recently owned up to it which makes it even more sad. I'm sure he would have lived a happy life if he were to still be alive.
ReplyDeleteThe scene of Geremio's death was extremely vivid and horrifying, you can almost feel the pain and terror he is going through in your body. Reading about him struggling to stay alive by breaking his own bones and trying to swim to the surface is just as gut wrenching. At the very end of the scene he is no longer calling out for anyone he knows to save him but Jesus himself although he can hardly talk. I think that this chapter is a great example of the Italian immigrant experience which should be read by anyone learning about the topic.
ReplyDelete"Save Me, Save Me; Im be buried alive" I felt this could oof been forshadowing. I felt Germino felt this way his entire life. He spent so many years trying to save for the house he promised his wife and as time went on life got in the way and he felt like he wasn't good enough and he was just going under. I feel at the end with the way he died it his life was finally coming together. He had made amends with everyone for everything to fall apart again. I feel that it wasn't in vein his family recieved a fortune and his wife even though it didn't show it will be able to buy the home.
ReplyDelete