My Vote

I am actually torn between two of the books that were presented in class—My Sisters Keeper and The Road. I think that both of these novels would be good for this class to read and discuss because both of these books deal with issues of interest as well as discomfort. My Sisters Keeper would be a book that could start many different types of discussions. Such as, how far will a mother go to save her child? Are design babies ethical? Would you choose your own life over that of your sisters? The Road I think would also have a lot to add to discussion because apocalyptic themes, I feel, are rarely discussed. As a society we deny that fact that our world as we know it could come to an end. We think we will live forever and subconsciously ignore that we are mortal. Also, the father and son relationship would be an interesting topic to cover. You could discuss whether or not the 3 bullets he has in his gun should be used to put him and his son out of their misery. One could also look at the wife of the main character because some of the things that she has to say are very interesting in the sense of the fragility of life.

If I have to choose just one I suppose I would pick My Sisters Keeper only because I think that its twists and themes are ones that the whole class will find interesting despite sex of age.

IKEA--I Don't Need Ya

Several times throughout the movie Edward Norton’s character mentions that his stuff was his life. I think this is a very strong statement. To equate inanimate, material objects with your living life is very sad, and demonstrates the effect our media and consumer culture has on us. However, this depressing thought that our life’s worth is a result of our possessions is not necessarily an innate personal thought. This notion is force fed to us daily through our commercials, billboards, magazines, and shopping malls. Our countries advertisements constantly tell us ‘in order to be this, you must have this’, or ‘to be cool, buy this’, and ‘to live a happy full life, you’ve got to have one of these’. This current bombardment of material messages sooner or later, but inevitably seeps into our minds and we begin buying. We buy till our wallets our empty, our credit cards maxed out. We buy until we are so far in debt that once we die our kids and even grandkids will still be paying off our leather couches and Hummer cars.

Edward Norton’s character is no different from most of us. His constant search through the IKEA catalogues is just his unfulfilling search for himself. However, this method of finding himself will end without reward. He will never stop searching and buying because he is looking in the wrong place. Material objects have no effect on who we actually are. Think about your favorite object that you own—an expensive shirt, an autographed poster, your car—now imagine if that object disappeared. Would your personality be changed at all? Would life as you know it crumble and fall down around you because this item is no longer in existence? Would everybody in the world now hate you and never speak to you again? I would guess that the answer to all of thee questions is no. If that item was gone, you as a human being, a person, would not change. It is all a mental game that the media and our consumer culture play. They attempt to trick us so that we put our lives into the items we buy. They are only things—lifeless, meaningless things. The only meaning they receive is the one that we have allotted them. Thus, if we place no meaning on these objects except for possibly aesthetic value, perhaps we may free ourselves. Perhaps we may free our lives, their meanings, and hopefully do so without developing a second personality.

A Little Reading Never Hurt

The introduction done by Sufjan Stevens at the beginning of The Best American Nonrequired Reading makes one truly think about America’s education system. Within this introduction I believe subtle slashes are made against the way the educational institution conducts its teaching. I have heard of the Waldorf system before and in fact know some family members who are putting their kids into schools that use it. Much like the integrated math system I believe that the Waldorf system is a useless, confusing, and unnecessary way to impose learning. It says a lot about the system when someone gets to a certain grade and doesn’t know how to read. But hey, they know how to do a mosaic art piece, I'm sure that in life that will be much more helpful.

I think the introduction also says something when detailing how Stevens eventually learned to read. He learned through labels of grocery goods. I think that this may be making a comment towards are communistic nature. He didn’t learn by reading novels or articles, no, he learned through nutrition facts, ingredients, and food taglines. In this society, it is sad to say, but really for necessity purposes, that is enough of a reading education to get him by. Most people I know have never even finished a whole novel, excluding those they were required to read in class, and some people I know didn’t even read those. What we read today is labels on a number of different materialistic items instead--Clothes labels, food labels, household items labels.

I will admit that some reading is better than none. However if we as a literary society want to propel forward we must introduce some quality reading into the school systems that is intriguing enough so that every person will have at least read one novel in their lifetime.

Loneliness

I feel that the texts we have read so far in class represent being old as a sort of terrible, lonely, helpless, and dreaded part of life. Which, makes perfect sense when you think about it, but as a child I feel that you view it differently. As a child you always picture grandma and grandpa as these wonderfully happy and content people, who are always there for you and are always pleasant to be around. It isn’t until you get older that you realize, shit, being old really sucks. You can't go anywhere by yourself, do anything on your own, your weak and for the most part people hardly ever visit you.

To be honest before this class I rarely thought about what getting older would be like. I never realized the sense of loneliness that accompanies a heavy set of wrinkles and a walker. I think our characters that we have read about so far in class certainly feel this feeling of aloneness and also a definite sense of neglect. None of their family wants to come visit them and so they are left on their own. The scene from Water for Elephants when Jacob is left sitting alone in the lobby because his family forgot to come visit him was one of the saddest things I have ever read. It I hard for me to contemplate forgetting about someone like that and I hope I am never one to do that to someone. Also, hearing the old couple from Toga Party explain how their kids keep a steady distance from them and basically avoid them was equally depressing. In the end when the inevitably ended their lives it was hard for me to understand what could drive a person to the point where the accept killing themselves. I suppose loneliness does have an immense power over people and its emptiness could be enough to make people want to end it all. I wonder how the kids felt after the found out their parents did this. Did they feel guilty or relieved? I wonder.

Historical Fiction = A Fantastic Story

I think overall Sara Gruen did an excellent job with this novel and making it a representation of historical happenings. Before this novel, my knowledge of the circus was only as deep as a child’s understanding. I knew they had clowns, cotton candy, and horses, but that was basically it. I knew nothing about the behind the scenes action and all that goes into the life of a circus worker. Gruen opened my eyes and struck a chord of interest that makes me want to continue developing my knowledge on the Depression-era circus and all that revolves within it.

I think this novel did a very good job of showing the darker side of the circus. To an outsider the circus seems to be a joyous thing, filled with laughter and lighthearted entertainment. However, Gruen envelopes the reader and shows them things that they would not normally expect to accompany such a seemingly happy show. She shows them the dark side – the prostitution, the drinking, the violence, and the power struggle. It may seem like all these things are implanted in the book for pure entertainment value but as we discussed in class Gruen did her homework and thoroughly researched the circus, and all its parts, good or bad, and then presented them here in this novel.

This book and its time period feels like it happened a hundred years ago, when in fact the Depression was not all that long ago. Eventually our economy rose out of it but currently, today with our economic troubles we may be facing another one. It is not a far fetch to imagine our society being put into another depression-like scenario. If this did happen I might be tempted to run away with the circus. Sure, there are plenty of hardships to endure when working for the circus but in the end it would make for a fantastic story.

So Far, Not so Good

Call me uneducated, call my uncultured, or call me crazy, but so far I am not a fan of Junot Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I find this book to be difficult to follow and one that you must read very slowly in order to not miss anything, which in turn makes the novel seem slow and uneventful. The Spanish that is embedded throughout each paragraph is left untranslated and therefore creates a gap between you and the characters within the story. I understand the involving the main characters language to add a realistic effect but, I feel that due to the lack of translation the realness trying to be conveyed is loss, mostly because I am left frustrated. It is a book, I read it, therefore what is happening the story should be explicitly spelled out for me. If this were a movie perhaps the language barrier would not be such a big deal since when watching a movie you can pick up on body language and facial expressions. However, within novels these expressions, movements, or postures must be detailed through words to you and in this novel they are not.

Additionally, one of the main characters Oscar, constantly makes different literary references throughout the book. Yes, I understand he is a smart boy and one who loves to read and relate to these works of literature. However, I am not as educated in the English realm and I would have to say that most of our country is not as well, considering that our major newspapers are written at an 8th grade level in the first place. Therefore, while he is going on about some novel or comic book, I am left sitting, bored, confused, and feeling a bit stupid. The more he relates to these writings the more distant I feel from Oscar. The more he talks about these different pieces I have never read, the more I want to turn the page a move on. I don’t get the many literary jokes, and I doubt that many others do as well.

As of now I am disappointed in this novel. It could be due in large part to the fact that in class we just read one of the best books ever, Water for Elephants, or it could be due to the fact that the language and knowledge barrier is getting in the way and causing my brain to overload and slowly shut down. Either way I am praying that this book changes its evil ways and turn into a novel and I can actually get through. I will make the promise to read on and keep and open mind and I will say that I hope this novel proves me wrong and turns out to be an excellent book.

A Great Film

Kite Runner has got to be one of the best movies I have seen in a while. It had depth, realistic emotions, moral questioning, and was a great view of the human condition. I think this movie really touches on what is right versus wrong and makes us wonder about what makes a person stand up for what they believe in versus just sitting back and doing nothing.

When the rape seen happened, most of us in the class were shocked that Amir would just sit back and watch it happen. We all questioned what made him hide and then afterward pretend like nothing had happened. Amir as a child is scared, fragile and a cowered. He stared at the sight of his best friend (and come to find out brother) and did nothing. During this scene I also wondered about what I would have done in that situation. Would I have stopped it, or would I have been just as afraid as Amir was and turned and ran? We all would like to think that we would do something about it but the truth of the matter is, is that you don’t know how you are going to react until you are actually personally experiencing the situation.

As Amir aged, his strength and courage grew with him. He traveled back to his home land and challenged everything to save his nephew. This film suggests, to me at least, that age could possibly correlate with ones ability to stand up against others and for what you believe in. I do believe it is true that as we age we become wiser and so with that perhaps comes inner strength. However, with this, one also knows that Hassan had much inner courage when he was only a little boy. He was able to stand up and protect Amir from the older boys even when Hassan was half their size.

Perhaps, the ability to rise up against the grain or stand up for what is right comes from many different things. Maybe it comes with age, genetics, upbringing, encouragement, or an internal and unexplainable personal strength. Whatever it is I found this film inspiring and thought it taught a good lesson. I think this film raises many questions and for a film to have the ability to make us question is one I believe is worth watching.