Physical Imprisonment

Tony Judt is a very impacting memoir because the author is writing about his own life, recapping every moment since he has been diagnosed of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. To understand what his situation is, I researched ALS and found it to be a degenerative disease that eventually leaves the victim almost paralyzed. ALS is mostly known as Lou Gehrig's disease that leads to weakness, muscle atrophy, fasciculations, muscle spasticity, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, and difficulty breathing.

Tony Judt refers to his disease as a "physical imprisonment." This is due to the fact that Judt wants to carry on his everyday life, but can't, he has lost the ability to move and thinks faster than he can speak. Judt states that the disease gives him the opportunity to contemplate the past, present, and future. However, he can't put to action these contemplations and idease because he cannot move and has lost all his independence. How has he dealt with this physical imprisonment? Who helps him out? Does his family accompany him through every step of the way?

In the past vide Tony Judt discusses his disease and states that he must live in the present, not thinking about the future. Yet, in his book he can't help but contemplate the future and what decisions he must take. With this, I can only help but wonder, how has Tony Judt dealt with the stress of this disease? Has he received any psychological assistance? 

Importance of What We Thing Insignificant

Q As In Quotaton is mainly an informational essay. This is due to the fact that the essay primarily informs the reader what a quotation is an defines it's purposes. Although the author at times expresses his/her own opinion, the essay is certainly created to inform the reader what a quotation is and the different definitions that have existed for this term.

The author describes a quotation as if it were something extremely powerful when it comes to writing and that, when used wrong, can be extremely harmful to a text or piece. The author has to know what he/she is doing in order to use a quotation and not let this take control of his/her writing, leaving him/her completely worthless and lost. A quotation can be used to sustain an author's argument and empowering him/her. I had never thought of a quotation as being so technically different or empowering, but as I read the essay, I realized the author is completely right. A misplaced or misused quotation does have the power to completely misguide the reader as well as the author's purpose when it comes to the rhetorical triangle.  

Paternostro's Register

"My grandmother does not have to think to answer this question either. She explains to me matter-of-factly that Imelda is the daughter of a trabajador from the interior." (Pg. 96)

"My grandfather asked Tulio if he was willing to work, "really" work. Tulio immediately said he was, with a si, señor." (Pg. 97)

With these two previous quotes we can see how Paternostro uses an informal register throughout the memoir. Paternostro develops a relationship with the reader as she describes her experiences with Colombia, her family, her judgements, and traumas. We can see how the register is informal by observing the diction. The use of words such as trabajador and other colloquialisms are what make the register informal and allow the reader to have that relationship with Silvana Paternostro.

Paternostro created the book to tell her experiences with Colombia and the war that the country has faced throughout it's existence. The author does not create the book specifically for Colombians, but as a one, when I read these common words in spanish that she uses, I feel in a way attached to the book.

Paternostro uses an informal register because it is clearly the register that was most suitable for the book. The author is informing us of the situation in Colombia and has no intent of "wowing" us with a ceremonial register. Paternostro does not use a familiar register either because she does not know the reader and at the same time has no interest of using a formal register because she needs to describe her experiences first hand while she develops a relationship with the reader as the book progresses.

Silvana Paternostro, Right

"All of this eluded me in my Conservative household. I have no recollection of ever having listened to anyone-not my paternal grandparents nor my maternal grandparents; not at school; not in the kitchen where the servants socialized- speak about the famous attack of Operation Marquetalia in April 1964, the event that most Colombians point to as the beginning of Colombia's destruction. If it weren't for the FARC, Colombia would be the paradise it once was. That is what everyone tells me. Why do I doubt that?"  (pg. 60)

In previous blogs I've criticized Silvana Paternostro for being ignorant concerning Colombia's situation. However, in this paragraph she is completely right. The FARC is certainly not Colombia's only problem and is not the only reason there is violence in this country. Many people, as Paternostro states, believe this and think that once the FARC is over, Colombia's issues will be resolved. Even though a peace treaty with the FARC is a huge step, it will certainly not end the violence in Colombia and will not make it a "paradise." The main issue in Colombia are the violent groups that are referred to as Pandillas. A great part of Colombia's violence comes from these groups, which are all around the country.


This is one of the only times in the whole book in which I feel that Silvana Paternostro has a valid and reasonable judgement over Colombia. I feel that Paternostro is right about the violence in the country but now about it's people except in this case.

As I get more into the book, I realize that Silvana Paternostro might not know a lot about the present and does say some irrelevant and shameless statements, but she does have her fact straight as she tells Colombia's history.

As for register, Paternostro mainly uses an informal register as she describes Colombia and her family. The use of words such as puente, aja, and casa nueva sustain this register, apart from adding a little bit of Colombian Culture to the memoir.

Ethos to Repel the Reader

Rhetoric is known as the art to discourse and is used by an author to facilitate their speaking and writing in order to persuade, inform, or motivate a reader. Silvana Paternostro has definitely not been very successful at doing so. My Colombian War mainly employs logos as it describes Colombia's past situations and shares data of that time. However, Silvana Paternostro does use ethos in many cases. 

Ethos can be seen as Paternostro explains that the Guerilla and Paramilitary will definitely want to talk to her because she is an American journalist. Ethos is used to convince by the character of the author, but she instead ends up expressing a completely foolish, ignorant, and snob-like statement. First of all, there is no way that these armed groups would receive Silvana Paternostro without hostility and especially if she is an American journalist. Many foreigners have been held captive by the armed groups for many years because of their curiosity and even Colombians that have tried to negotiate with the Guerilla and Paramilitary have been kidnapped for years. How would Silvana Paternostro be any different? 

The comment basically shows that Paternostro needs to grasp a sense of how things are in Colombia. The way to write a story about the armed groups is definitely not by "interviewing or chatting" with them. 

Another one of Paternostro's ethos comments that has no relevance to the book and frankly seems completely classist is one found on page 50: "I explain who I am, and she lets me in. I could have been anyone, but I know how to compel a servant to act using that commanding tone of authority and entitlement that I developed as a child." Is this the same "commanding tone of authority and entitlement" that she was going to use with the guerilla? 

With this remark Silvana Paternostro just shows once again that she has no idea of how to treat people fairly. Sirvienta is an extremely offensive word to use in Colombia when you are referring to a housekeeper. Paternostro should know this having grown up in Barranquilla and probably does. Who does she think she is? 

 

Better Off Alone

Something that has stood out to me throughout the whole memoir is that Silvana Paternostro does not seem to rely on others for absolutely anything. This in a certain way is a positive aspect because independence is always good and being able to get yourself together by yourself at times is also rewarding. However, I think Paternostro has closed herself out from her family at a harsh time.

What Colombia lived a few years back was terrible but family's stuck together and made it through relying on each other. Paternostro insists that everyone should have left the country but what about those who could not? In their cases, they would get left behind while their families lurked for a more prosperous future outside the country. Families would have lost their unity and support, becoming  weaker and more vulnerable. This whole situation in which family support is necessary reminded me of  the song "Fix You" by Coldplay.



Paternostro believes that Colombians who stayed in the country were ignorant and naive about the country's reality, but she never took into account that they could have wanted to stay. It is understandable and reasonable if someone leaves because their family has been threatened and is at danger, but if you have not been put into this situation, you really don't feel the need to leave your country, especially at the times in which it needs you the most. Part of life is not running away from your problems but owning up to them and accepting them for what they are. This does not mean that you should not attempt to fix those issues, you definitely should and closing yourself out is certainly not the best strategy.

This situation reminded me of a quote from Ambrose Redmoon: "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." In this case that something that is more important than fear is Colombia's future and the well-being of it's people.

Potential, Innocent Killers

"I wish I could," I say, making an effort to hide my fear. Colombia still petrifies me. I see a potential killer in everyone's gaze. As I look at this man, I feel the same sinking in the pit of my stomach that I felt as a child at dinnertime." (Pg. 48)

Silvana Paternostro states this after a "beggar" has come toward her when she first comes to Barranquilla. How is this fair? The man is not even a beggar, he is a man searching for a job opportunity because he has been stripped of his lands by the guerilla. This innocent man shares his whole experience to Silvana Paternostro in detail, describing how he had to witness the killing of his own family and then had to defend himself with their body's.

Silvana Paternostro has not been in Colombia for many years and complains that she is judged for being Colombian, yet, how many times has she not judged her own people? To her, every Colombian is a potential killer, even if they have been victims of the armed conflict. After having experienced your family being killed you are already left with a terrible trauma and don't need people "judging" or "profiling" you for it.

Paternostro compares her encounter with this man to her dinnertimes as a child when she was forced to eat her vegetables. What is she saying? That she looks at this man with disgust? Again, Silvana Paternostro manages to make herself seem like a complete airhead. As I am reading the book I can only wonder, what are others thinking of what Paternostro says?

Silvana Paternostro mainly maintains neutral tones even though in this part of the book she has more of a paranoid and disgusted tone. Every aspect of Colombia that she's seen since her arrival in Barranquilla has disturbed her and she is definitely not afraid to admit it.

No Sense of Reality

One thing is Silvana Paternostro criticizing Colombian's on what she believes they are like and another thing is having a complete misconception over Colombia's reality. First, Silvana Paternostro states that Cachacos, people from Bogota, are sophisticated and aspire to go to clubs similar to those in London. Sure, there are those from Bogota that do go to clubs but this is definitely not the great majority. Bogota has a huge poverty rate because it is where people from all around the country come to look for job opportunities.

Apart from this, Paternostro also spends ages describing how Colombia looks like a doll. This is an extremely boring part of the "memoir" and just confuses the reader. The comparison between Colombia and a doll is completely unnecessary. Besides, Silvana Paternostro made herself seem senseless and idiotic as she basically said "The other day my niece made a  doll out of play dough with a broken arm and it reminded me of Colombia." 

As I get more into the book, I realize that Silvana Paternostro is an ignorant snob. As she states that the problems in Colombia aren't "that difficult to solve" she proves to me that she is completely and utterly clueless. Sure, its not difficult to stop 800,000 guerilla rebels from hurting the country with terrorist acts and drug trafficking. It is also so easy to deal with two extremist groups who apart from being against each other are also willing to harm innocent people. If solving the many issues in Colombia was that easy, Santos would not need the help of the United Nations and other organizations to attempt settling for peace. 

One of Paternostro's excuses for being ignorant concerning the country's reality is that she moved out of Colombia when she was 15, but this is completely invalid. I'm sure the majority 15 year olds know a lot more than Silvana Paternostro concerning Colombia and what it's facing. I am also sure that any Colombian that reads this book would be annoyed and infuriated by all the nonsense Silvana Paternostro remarks.      

Violencia: The New Name for Colombia

Fernando Vallejo stated that Colombia should just change its name to Violencia, you can probably guess why. The thing is, Silvana Paternostro mentions this in her book and also acts as if Colombia had absolutely nothing but violence. Paternostro discussed the violence and corruption in Colombia for 20 pages and once in a while, in a short paragraph, explains that there are those who are actually proud to be Colombians (this of course does not include her).

Paternostro confirms that 99% of the crimes in Colombia go unpunished, but this is not at all true. Yes, there are those crimes that aren't taken into account but it is sure not 99% of them. If this were to be true, jails would not be overpopulated.

There is so much more to Colombia than its violence and drugs. I have honestly, never met people that are so proud of their country. The nationalism in Colombia definitely stands out. Colombia is one of those places in which you can end up having an hour long conversation with a complete stranger. Paternostro expresses that people in Bogota are unfriendly and cold. This is most definitely a broad generalization. Sure, there are unfriendly and cold people in Bogota, just as there are in absolutely each city in the world. The author had a bad experience with Colombia for some reason, which we will eventually find out, but that doesn't mean she has to speak bad of the country and especially by exaggerating every issue there is in it.


Silvana Paternostro left Colombia when she was 15 and completely shut the country out of her life. Apparently she knows about the history of Colombia, but has no idea what the reality is like. She describes it as an "ugly reality that surrounds my family." (Pg. 24) There is much more than that. Sure, there is poverty, violence, drug traffic, but Colombia is also full of carnavals, the best food, laughter, pride, astounding landscapes, friendly people, amongst other things.

Colombians have worked hard to improve their reputation and have managed it but people like Silvana Paternostro bring the country down, which is a shame and especially when they dont have their facts straight.