A Reflection on Proust's "Combray"
The past as a prison
“The calm that came with the end of my distress filled me with an extraordinary joy, quite as much as did my expectation, my thirst for and my fear of danger.”
Hello again! Welcome to the first blog post on an actual reading. I am thrilled to have you here. Today I’ll be reflecting on Proust’s “Combray”. Like Proust, my reflection will be an onslaught of my thoughts and opinions, so buckle in.
When first reading this book, I was quite interested in the way Proust describes the way his mind travels through these different periods of his life, and just how stuck in his head he is. We get so little of Proust in the present moment, rather the majority of the text comes to us in the form of memories and times long past. It occurred to me while reading, that Proust in this book is a prisoner of his past. The intricate detail with which he describes these memories of Combray attests to this further. Only an individual who has spent longer than usual thinking of what is behind them could recall with such clarity.
I suppose the rather tragic thing is I related to Proust when reading “Combray”. I too spend much of my time living in my head or reflecting on past moments; what I should or shouldn’t have done, should or shouldn’t have said, or just simply existing in these memories. Seeing as I relate to this, I also know that the past can serve as a sort of prison. Struggling to be present and in the moment can rob an individual of the beauty of the here and now, as cliche as it sounds.
As a side note, I would love to talk about the parents in this book. What was their problem? I would not call my parents saints by any means, but Proust’s parents make them look like angels sent directly from heaven. I have never read about parents who are more indifferent to their children than in this book. I’ve read many about parents who hate their children, but the lack of concern and the swiftness of punishment was baffling to me. Anyway, I conclude my diatribe about the parents.
I could say so much more about “Combray”. I haven’t even spoken about M.Swann and his whole schtick, but I have only so many words. How do you feel about describing the past as a prison? Do you think this description is accurate when it comes to Proust? I cannot wait to discuss these questions and more in our class. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts in the comments. Bye for now.
B.B.
Bilal, as you realized, the relationship between the parents is cold, to say the least. The social conventions of the time can give us an idea of why they are portrayed that way. However, as you say, it seems like "something else" is going on behind the scenes. We would have to read the entire narrative cycle to gather the evidence of the case.
Hi Bilal! I definitely relate to the reflecting/living in the head and also find the narrator relatable in that regard. The family dynamic was also super interesting - it will be interesting to hear people's perspectives on the family life depicted in this novel, just as you shared your observations about the parents. Also the layout of this post is very aesthetic, so keep it up! Thanks for sharing, Maia.