An enriching course
The Catalan Literature course is in full swing and I, as a teacher, am excited to be able to share this experience with my students. Today, we focus on the work of Miquel Llor and Laura in the city of Saints. After reviewing some details about the author and the work, we open the book and begin to explore its pages.
A deep dive
We read the text out loud, going deeper into each word and sentence. We look for visual images to accompany the written words, creating similes and metaphors. We discuss the meaning of unknown words like ‘selfless’ and ‘befa’ and remember the plot of the play. The protagonist, Laura, a girl with a poetic name and an idealized view of love, finds herself in an uncertain situation in Comarquinal after marrying a rich man. This pink novel captivates us with its unpredictable ending.
Fascinating discoveries
I take the opportunity to tell them about Petrarch and the portrait that a painter friend of his made of Laura, but that has been lost in time. Let’s imagine what it would be like to see this portrait and know Laura as the poet idealized her. This recent discovery of mine arouses my enthusiasm, although I don’t know if my students share it.
a family scene
We continue reading and enter a familiar scene. Tomàs is eating while Teresa, the unmarried sister, feels belittled and displaced by Laura’s presence. Teresa, an aging religious woman, dreams of the past and resents the new housekeeper. Laura tries to mediate, but to no avail. The tension between the characters is palpable and Tomàs, with his derogatory words, reveals his sexist attitude.
The importance of literature
We now have a few hours a week to explore language and literature topics, focusing on developing skills. I take this moment to remind my students that literature helps us better understand who we are as individuals and as a society. It’s like opening a window and observing us from different perspectives. Literature allows us to live, experience and understand the complexity of life.
A work that moves us
We continue reading and we reach page 141, where Miquel Llor, with a narration influenced by Proust, takes us deep into Laura’s psychology. We watch as his view of the man-eater changes, revealing his disenchantment. Laura is no longer the girl in love, but a woman who has to share a bed with a stranger.
Final reflections
With the class about to end, we close the session with a reflection on required readings in high school. The news about its removal from high school language subjects makes us question the value of literature in education. Personally, I remember with gratitude the literature classes that inspired me to follow the path of Catalan Philology. The required readings stirred emotions in me that I still remember today. I hope that my students can also experience this passion for literature and that their understanding of life is enriched through the works we read together.
