‘Harmada’ Fragments Consciousness

From poverty to fame and youth to old age, João Gilberto Noll subjects readers to an illogical world, fragmented in space and time within one man’s own subconscious. The unnamed narrator awakes from the mud to lead a nonsensical life trajectory, shifting into new life conditions without explicitly announcing it to the reader. He goes from a life of poverty and homelessness to extreme wealth, indulging in a life of excess due to his success as a director. Nonetheless, throughout it all, there is an empty quality to the protagonist’s existence, which seems to contribute to his seemingly random decisions. While the structure of the novel itself does not appear to adopt a clear-cut objective, beneath the surface emerges a deeper and more implicit directive.

The protagonist shifts between varying physical and mental states, in one instance even becoming a hairy beast. This carnal experience is not fully elucidated –– as is the case with most of the narrator’s obscure ordeals –– and this animalistic and bare face of human nature consistently presents itself throughout the piece.

Moreover, Noll does not shy away from depicting various sexual behaviors. The narrator participates in a threesome and hints at a sensual relationship between him and a much younger girl, whose mother he also had relations with. There is no doubt that this character lacks moral direction, which he even acknowledges to himself. This does not, however, prevent the narrator from taking the liberty to become a priest-like authority within his homeless shelter, preaching preposterous stories to the eager elders of this home who revere his every word (until he provides them with substance they do not wish to hear). Only through these types of interactions do readers begin to grasp at Noll’s latent intentions.

Death is also commonplace, first appearing when a crippled man the narrator meets at a bar disappears under the surface of a river they spontaneously skinny dip in. The narrator decides to leave the whole instance behind, instead of alerting the authorities — this intentional carelessness appears over and over again throughout the novel. These moments are constantly juxtaposed with little snippets of true affection and selflessness, especially when the narrator encounters small children. However, the innocent nature of children is not worshipped and sought after, as is the case in other coming-of-age novels. Instead, age seems to expose the random and almost-meaningless quality of life that the narrator progressively realizes.

Poverty and wealth have little distinction. The same is true of relationships and isolation. Noll does not seem to doubt the essence of love and nurture, but rather doubts the potential for long-term devotion and its meaning. To the protagonist, the burden of life is nonsensical, especially in regards to the pursuit of achievement and success. Smaller “passions” like “strolling around the courtyard with stamina and desire” are more rewarding than his prosperous livelihood in the city of “Harmada.”

Just as the story begins with the narrator arising from the mud as he encounters a child, the novel ends with another interaction with a small boy who is deaf. As the protagonist begins to fade into the peaceful oblivion of death –– vocalizing his desire for something more –– the boy screams and shakes him back into reality.

The significance of “Harmada” seems to be one of self-interpretation, infused with several ideologies that Noll propagates. Whether life possesses meaning appears to depend on the experience of the individual, rather than being measured by one’s own achievements. Morality also manifests itself as a somewhat subjective truth in the consciousness of the protagonist, resembling an alternative mental state that “Harmada” manifests. Fact and fiction are scarcely differentiated, and it is not always explicit whether the narrator is telling the truth or not. This may serve the point that consciousness and memory are a completely illusory means of comprehending the world. However, Noll does not elaborate on whether or not there is essence behind it all –– that is for the reader to decide.

This masterpiece, although confusing to navigate at first, speaks to a whole new way of interpreting experience and subjectivity –– one recommended to those seeking a new and unconventional literary adventure.

—Staff writer Angelina V. Shoemaker can be reached at angelina.shoemaker@thecrimson.com.