Novel of the nearsighted Novel of the nearsighted adolescentadolescent

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“ “ I felt superior to all my colleagues, even for the I felt superior to all my colleagues, even for the hugely effort that I spent to wide and deep my hugely effort that I spent to wide and deep my culture. [...]. But I was more than this. I was in a culture. [...]. But I was more than this. I was in a crisis of puberty, every morning I discovered crisis of puberty, every morning I discovered myself uglier, more awkward, I discovered myself uglier, more awkward, I discovered especially in meetings with girls at my age, that especially in meetings with girls at my age, that I was shy and unattractive as compared with I was shy and unattractive as compared with some of my friends at same age.”some of my friends at same age.”

Mircea EliadeMircea Eliade – – MemoriesMemories

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the

information contained thereininformation contained therein

Mircea EliadeMircea Eliade

Mircea Eliade born on 13 March 1907 and he died Mircea Eliade born on 13 March 1907 and he died on 22 April, 1986. He was a Romanian historian on 22 April, 1986. He was a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago . He was a professor at the University of Chicago . He was a leading interpreter of religious experience, who leading interpreter of religious experience, who established paradigms in religious studies that established paradigms in religious studies that persist to this day. His literary works belong to persist to this day. His literary works belong to the fantasy and autobiographical genres.the fantasy and autobiographical genres.

The best known are the novels The best known are the novels Maitrey Maitrey ("La ("La Nuit Bengali" or "Bengal Nights"), "The Forbidden Nuit Bengali" or "Bengal Nights"), "The Forbidden Forest", "Isabel and the Devil's Waters" and of Forest", "Isabel and the Devil's Waters" and of course the “course the “Novel of the Nearsighted Novel of the Nearsighted Adolescent”.Adolescent”.

Remarked for his vast erudition, Eliade had Remarked for his vast erudition, Eliade had fluent command of five languages (Romanian , fluent command of five languages (Romanian , French , German, Italian, and English) and a French , German, Italian, and English) and a reading knowledge of three others (Hebrew, reading knowledge of three others (Hebrew, Persian, and Sanskrit). He was elected a Persian, and Sanskrit). He was elected a posthumous member of the Romanian Academy.posthumous member of the Romanian Academy.

“ “ Novel of the nearsighted adolescent” is a novel Novel of the nearsighted adolescent” is a novel whose main character is even the author, and is whose main character is even the author, and is limited to the life of a teenager in the early limited to the life of a teenager in the early teenage years until its end. The nearsighted teenage years until its end. The nearsighted adolescent, is such a passionate reader who adolescent, is such a passionate reader who takes various cultural figures as models, in takes various cultural figures as models, in terms of their living or their works. In this case, terms of their living or their works. In this case, the model is represented by Giovanni Papini.the model is represented by Giovanni Papini.

Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade is a weak student in school, he is a weak student in school, he likes science and he reads a lot of books, likes science and he reads a lot of books, sometimes he reads all the night. At 15 years sometimes he reads all the night. At 15 years old he decides to write a novel to demonstrate old he decides to write a novel to demonstrate to all the teachers that he is not so mediocre to all the teachers that he is not so mediocre like all the other students. The novel is written like all the other students. The novel is written in some copybooks named “Journals”. The in some copybooks named “Journals”. The student student Mircea Mircea failed at 3 subjects and he is failed at 3 subjects and he is too lazy to learn and he has to repeat the too lazy to learn and he has to repeat the school year. His classmates don’t understand school year. His classmates don’t understand his personality, but they call him “doctor”, his personality, but they call him “doctor”, because he listens to their problems.because he listens to their problems.

Eliade often Eliade often retreats in his retreats in his attic, that gives attic, that gives him the feeling him the feeling of safety and of safety and peace but peace but sometimes here sometimes here takes place his takes place his “fights”, all “fights”, all about about adolescence. adolescence.

““I don’t want to be I don’t want to be common. It is the common. It is the fear of my body and fear of my body and soul.” (soul.” (Mircea EliadeMircea Eliade))

In the novel, In the novel, EliadeEliade decides that he decides that he wants to be a hero, wants to be a hero, and he is ready to and he is ready to give up everything give up everything even the religion, even the religion, friends, life, he is friends, life, he is ready to suffer a lot ready to suffer a lot because he thinks because he thinks that a true hero has that a true hero has to suffer. to suffer.

All the adolescence All the adolescence period he deals with period he deals with teenager’s mind and teenager’s mind and soul, but primarily with soul, but primarily with his soul. In the last year his soul. In the last year of high school, he of high school, he knows the woman’s knows the woman’s body in a brothel, and body in a brothel, and he’ll considerate it he’ll considerate it disgusting because disgusting because nothing romantic nothing romantic happened. happened.

His relationship with his His relationship with his parents is good, parents is good, harmonious so we can harmonious so we can say that he has an ideal say that he has an ideal family. His parents let family. His parents let him to do what he him to do what he thinks that is the best thinks that is the best and they stand by his and they stand by his side.side.

He has a lot of friends, He has a lot of friends, but none of them are but none of them are closer to him. He closer to him. He tries to change a girl tries to change a girl called “Nicalled “Nişşka”, to ka”, to make her stronger, make her stronger, very special, without very special, without melancholies and melancholies and regrets. At the end, regrets. At the end, he reads his Journals he reads his Journals and laughs about his and laughs about his ideas and “fights” ideas and “fights” what he had in what he had in adolescence. He adolescence. He considers that he was considers that he was in adolescence naive in adolescence naive and a sentimental and a sentimental person.person.

Mircea EliadeMircea Eliade’s ’s manuscript.manuscript.

The main character : The main character : M. M. EliadeEliade

M. EliadeM. Eliade has short-sightedness, he is ugly, has short-sightedness, he is ugly, skinny, freckled and he has acne on his face. skinny, freckled and he has acne on his face. He had problems with some materials like He had problems with some materials like math and German language but besides this he math and German language but besides this he loves to read. Reading is his only loves to read. Reading is his only entertainment.entertainment.

He likes discovering adolescence’s minds and He likes discovering adolescence’s minds and souls. He is pessimist, naïve, he believes about souls. He is pessimist, naïve, he believes about the others that they are too mediocre. He has the others that they are too mediocre. He has a schedule for reading, he reads almost all the a schedule for reading, he reads almost all the nights and sleeps between 4 and 8 hours.nights and sleeps between 4 and 8 hours.

In the novel, he often change his thinks about In the novel, he often change his thinks about life, once, his life’s wonderful and sometimes life, once, his life’s wonderful and sometimes is sad and melancholic when he thinks about is sad and melancholic when he thinks about suicide. He is negligent for what he doesn’t suicide. He is negligent for what he doesn’t like. He is always dreaming about a girlfriend, like. He is always dreaming about a girlfriend, but he is afraid of girls.but he is afraid of girls.

He is often closed in his He is often closed in his attic where he studies attic where he studies his life. He is an orderly his life. He is an orderly person. He loves his person. He loves his books and takes care books and takes care about his library.about his library.

He wants to be more He wants to be more original than the others, original than the others, he doesn’t believe in he doesn’t believe in God .God .

He wants to know He wants to know himself, his soul and he himself, his soul and he is afraid of what future is afraid of what future holds .Life’s big holds .Life’s big questions: “What if I questions: “What if I choose the wrong way , choose the wrong way , and then I realize that and then I realize that it’s too late?”it’s too late?”

Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade at old at old ages.ages.

Robert : Robert : one of one of MirceaMircea’s friends. He ’s friends. He has a lot of girlfriends , he believes has a lot of girlfriends , he believes about himself that he is an expert about about himself that he is an expert about life’s problems.life’s problems.

Marcu Marcu : Mircea: Mircea’s best friend in high ’s best friend in high school, but they turn away from each school, but they turn away from each other. other. MarcuMarcu doesn’t think like the doesn’t think like the novel’s hero.novel’s hero.

Nonora Nonora : : strange girl. strange girl. Mircea Mircea has a has a lot of problems and temptations lot of problems and temptations because of her.because of her.

Nişka Nişka : : a very good friend of a very good friend of MirceaMircea, , he tries to change her and maybe he he tries to change her and maybe he falls in love with her.falls in love with her.

Other important Other important characterscharacters

MirceaMircea’ classmates’ classmates

TeachersTeachers

ParentsParents

MusiciansMusicians

JournalistsJournalists

One Jewish manOne Jewish man

Etc.Etc.

BibliographyBibliography

The book “Novel of the nearsighted The book “Novel of the nearsighted adolescent”adolescent”

the the InternetInternet

WikipediaWikipedia

Made by :Made by :

Carla MuresanCarla Muresan

Ingrid CzinzelIngrid Czinzel

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein