Alen Dumonjić

on fatherhood

Her First Flight
Our daughter flew on an airplane for the first time, and she handled it better than I anticipated, which is a pattern. She napped in the car en route to the airport and then woke up… Read more: Her First Flight
She’s a Cuddler
Our daughter has a onesie that announces (in Bosnian) she’s a cuddly baby, and it’s increasingly true. Our daughter has recently become very cuddly. She often puts her nose to your nose and shakes her head… Read more: She’s a Cuddler
Mama
Our daughter has become increasingly bonded with her mom. She’s always looking for her mom, especially if the latter leaves the room, which causes my daughter to panic, fuss, and cry until her return. In fact,… Read more: Mama

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“Adolphé” by Benjamin Constant
Benjamin Constant has written one of the most profound works in literature with “Adolphe.” He connects the heart to the brain directly, attempting to logically explain the emotional conflicts of a 22-year-old first-person narrator, Adolphé, who… Read more: “Adolphé” by Benjamin Constant
“Swann’s Way” by Marcel Proust
Near the end of the celebrated first chapter of Marcel Proust’s novel, “Swann’s Way,” the anxious first-person narrator, Marcel, tells us that Charles Swann is the “unconscious author of my sufferings (48).” This sets up a… Read more: “Swann’s Way” by Marcel Proust
“Yvain, The Knight of the Lion” by Chrétien de Troyes
With “Yvain,” Chrétien de Troyes wrote a prose poem on chivalry that foresaw the development of the novel. His influence is seen throughout history, including in Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quixote” (albeit a parody of the… Read more: “Yvain, The Knight of the Lion” by Chrétien de Troyes

Read more about books.

Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour:” Interiority, Image, Refrain
“Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. She was beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her, and she was striving to beat it back with her will–as powerless as her two white… Read more: Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour:” Interiority, Image, Refrain
Fitzgerald’s Rumor-Driven Character Introduction in “The Great Gatsby”
“There’s something funny about a fellow that’ll do a thing like that,” said the other girl eagerly. “He doesn’t want any trouble with anybody.” “Who doesn’t?” I inquired. “Gatsby. Somebody told me—” The two girls and Jordan… Read more: Fitzgerald’s Rumor-Driven Character Introduction in “The Great Gatsby”
Mood and Tone in Stephen Crane’s “An Experiment in Misery”
“It was late at night, and a fine rain was swirling softly down, causing the pavements to glisten with hue of steel and blue and yellow in the rays of the innumerable lights. A youth was… Read more: Mood and Tone in Stephen Crane’s “An Experiment in Misery”