Aliyah Rossa D.

Llanes 8/28/20

11-Onesta Ms. Baloto

21st Century Lit.

Literary Criticism of a Book

Selection Title: Call Me by Your Name

Call Me By Your Name is a wonderfully written LGBT+ genre novel that was
adapted into a much Academy Award-winning movie starring Timothee Chalamet as
Elio and Armie Hammer as Oliver. I discovered this book from the movie itself, I was
so heartbroken with the story so I had the urge to read the novel to immerse myself
once again. Eventually I did, I found a PDF of the book and I re-read it a couple of
times. As I am going to criticize this novel, I will be using the Sociological Approach
to see the involvement of the societal issues on the story itself.

The story revolves around an American-Italian 17 year old teenager boy, Elio
Perlman, and an American 24 year old scholar, Oliver. Both of them are pretty much
alike with each other, almost like the two of them are seeing each other’s reflections on
the mirror (perhaps that’s what signifies the switched name-calling). Their hearts
matched, Elio was more than willing to commit, but Oliver refused, he was scared to
get attached because he knows that the society might turn them down especially
Oliver’s country and family. Their cultures are also different, Oliver was mistaken as
‘arrogant’ when Elio first knew him, and therefore there are some cultural (ang
possibly age) issues too. Elio had a more carefree life, since he is in his peak of legal
age and also due to the Italian’s friendly trait, being intimate is not really an issue for
them. However, Oliver knew who he really was, and he knew that his country back
there may or may not accept him (but there is a slim chance that his family will, or so
he thought) once they knew he liked men. That is why he restricted himself from the
teenager, to control himself.

The time was also an issue; Oliver’s stay in Italy was short so that was a
hindrance in pursuing their relationship further. They were living in the 1980’s also;
long distance relationship was far from possible to work out. Oliver had to leave and
go back even if they didn’t want to. But then soon he called the Perlman family and
informed them he was getting married to a woman, Elio was heartbroken. Years have
passed; they still remember each other but the other one has a family already, hence
making their love impossible to connect once again. These barriers they had in life
may not be a coincidence, but rather it was meant to happen, to realize that the
society adapts to the events throughout the times it is not permanent, just wait. And
maybe, just maybe, at some point in their life where the society is now open-minded,
they will meet someday (both are single) and love each other again.

“I suddenly realized that we were on borrowed time, that time is always

borrowed, and that the lending agency exacts its premium precisely when we
are least prepared to pay and need to borrow more...”

― André Aciman, Call Me by Your Name