Innocence

As we have been reading through the collection of stories by J D Salinger I have noticed on the thread that seems to impact nearly every story. The loss of innocence has been touched on in many ways in the various stories. Throughout the stories, the mentally fit adults all seem to be flawed. However, the children all seem to have an uncontested innocence and purity that protects them from the outside world.
In “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” Muriel is depicted as materialistic and elitist from the first scene. Salinger purposefully notes her clothing and her attitude when waiting to pick up the phone. She does not have any innocence and is rather very full of herself. Unlike Muriel, Sybil is compassionate and rather simplistic. She doesn’t care about materialistic things and the way people think about her but rather just talking to the nice man on the beach. Seymour is an outlier as an adult due to his mental state he focuses on his conversation with Sybil more than anything else and when he finally reconnect to the “adult” world that Muriel lives in he blows his brains out.
In “Uncle Wiggily In Connecticut” the disconnect is even more apparent. Ramona is the perfect example of a child living in their own carefree world. Ramona has imaginary friends and only tries to have fun and “play outside.” Unlike her daughter, Eloise s deeply connected to the dark adult world. Eloise spends the day drinking, smoking and gossiping about her past. The innocence that she lost. She even goes as far to make herself feel superior over her daughter by bullying her daughter while she is trying to sleep.
Finally in “The Laughing Man” we see the progression through the loss of innocence. In the beginning, we know the Chief as a caring law student who entertains a group of young boys through adventure and stories. But as Mary enters the picture and they have their disagreement and eventual split, we see the loss of the Chief's youthful innocence and the ending of his serial story. Unlike the other stories where we are introduced to the adults while they are in the dark phases, we see the progression of the Chief from a pure youth into a flawed adult. This is also reflected through the story of the laughing man, he dies just as the Chief’s youth dies.
It seems that Salinger is trying to the readers about how life will change a person from being the carefree child he depicts into a harrowed and troubled adult.

Please tell me if this makes sense at all :)

War and Weather

War and Weather

As you read through “Paranoia” by SaId Sayrafiezadeh one of the things that you notice throughout the story is the weather. The weather in Paranoia is an interesting detail that really adds to the tone of the story and adds another dimension to the writing. When we are first introduced to the characters in April the narrator tells us how it was starting to get warm and the war would soon come. As you read the story you notice the connection between the temperature and building of anticipation for war.

   The story begins in April and the narrator recounts that “everyone said the war would happen soon” and that war would be unavoidable. Then the temperature began to rise, and May is described as “hot” but does not mention war until later. Rather we focus on the broken nose of the narrator’s friend Roberto.As the narrator is riding the bus to meet Roberto in the hospital despite the air condition and open windows does little he describe the terrible heat on the bus and sweating he is going through. Not only does Sayrafiezadeh describe the sweat, but also Sayrafiezadeh compares the torment of sitting in an incredibly hot bus to the anticipation of war experienced by soldiers preparing for transport into battle. This comparison is very interesting considering that we know the United States is preparing for war. How is sitting in a hot bus comparable to entering a war? The raising temperature is compared to the raising tensions as the country is preparing for war. As the story continues both the temperature and tension of war rise. The characters in the story also notice the rise of the temperature and constantly predict the upcoming temperature. “It’s going to be 100 degrees in August”.The predictions of the upcoming temperature are often accompanied with predictions of the war, and perhaps the possibility of an upcoming draft. When the narrator finally enters the hospital to meet Roberto, the air condition caught him by surprise and “froze” his sweat. In addition to the air condition, the hustle and bustle of the hospital remind the narrator of what a soldier probably feels like returning from a war. Again a change in temperature is connected to the idea of war, that once the heat stops so does the tension and preparation for war. The culmination of the rising happens when Roberto and the narrator attend a military parade on the Fourth of July. This does not seem like a coincidence that one of the hottest days described is also on Independence Day. During the parade the narrator and Robetero watch as soldiers both new and old pass by the crowd.

Finally in August which had been foreshadowed as the hottest month, did the mood change. Rather than continuing to warm up as it did i past months the temperature drastically changes and dropped three degrees each day. In addition to the drop of temperature the anticipation for war also dropped. Th war was in motion and was expected to move quickly “blink and you might miss this war.” In addition to the hospital scene it seemed that once the temperature changed so did the tensions. One thing that sticks in the minds of readers is the last scene where the narrator watches missiles move West and South. Perhaps the temperature wasn’t correct and the war would continue.

Chain Gang with Cherokee

While reading Beloved the majority of the book was very confusing and didn't make very much sense, however chapter 10 to me was the most interesting chapter because I understood what was happening but it also made contributions to the overall background of Paul D. Another reason why I loved chapter 10 as much as I did is because it was the first time in the novel that I appreciated all the details and nuances of Morrison's writing. Primarily the depictions of the Cherokees and the struggles they faced put the whole story into perspective and even helped my understand how slavery was depicted in the story even more.
In this chapter we see as Paul D is sent to a chain gang after attempting to kill the man he is sold to by school teacher. We are given almost no reason to why he attempted the murder other than “other than Halle, Sixo, Paul A, Paul F and Mister.” Meaning that after the loss of all his close “friends” Paul had nothing other to do than lash out. The chain gang itself seems to be one of the most depressing moments throughout the book. The depiction of the housing that is given to the slaves, originally instill dread in me as a reader but as the housing is eventually used as the method of escape it becomes the light in the darkness. The way that Morrison describes the chain gang makes it very clear how terrible the treatment was, from rape to overall deprivation it really expands the scope of the horrible treatments of slavery.  One of the high (Ha) points of the chapter is Hi man. Hi man is a very mysterious character throughout the chapter, he leads the slaves in the chain gang and during the escape becomes the leader and most knowledgeable. Hi man helps organize the escape as he is the first to “pull the chain.”
The escape from the chain and the events that follow after it was one of the most impressive parts of the chapter. It was very interesting that Morrison decided to make the escape possible using rain. It almost gives me a vibe that throughout the book “nature” is trying to fight against slavery, kinda proving that it is morally wrong. The idea that nature is trying to help Paul D is continued when as he is attempting to escape to the north he is told to follow the bloom of trees. Not only is it factually correct that blooms move northward it is yet another example of how nature is trying to help Paul escape the hardships of slavery.
The primary help that the slaves received during the escape was from the Cherokee sick camp. The way the Morrison describes the Cherokee’s is very interesting and is essentially a micro history lesson of oppression.”In between that calamity and this, they had visited George III in London, published a newspaper, made baskets, led Oglethorpe through forests, helped Andrew Jackson fight Creek, cooked maize, drawn up a constitution, petitioned the King of Spain, been experimented on by Dartmouth, established asylums, wrote their language, resisted settlers, shot bear and translated scripture.” In that one sentence alone Morrison gives us everything that we need to know in order to understand why the Cherokee helped the slaves, and what happened to them since essentially the discovery of america. The fact that the Cherokee had been abused by the white man allowed them to understand the terrible treatment of the slaves and gave them reason to why they should help. The Cherokee continued to help and house the slaves until only Paul is left. Finally they give Paul instructions on how to get to the free north and bid him good luck.
The last sentence of the chapter also gives us even more information on Paul D as a character he puts all his experiences and people from his past into a “tobacco tin” which he will not open for anyone especially Sethe. This chapter as a whole gives us a lot of important information regarding Paul D and it helps explains some of his actions as the novel progresses.

Invisible Man and The White Boy shuffle, Importance of Identity

The theme of identity seemed to be a focal point in Invisible Man, it was rather clean cut and obvious that throughout the story different identities are placed on the narrator. The choice whether or not he chooses to accept them is not always his. The narrator in Invisible Man is often confused and not fully understanding of what is happening but as readers we always know that nothing good will come from his given identity. On the opposite end of the spectrum Gunnar in The White Boy Shuffle is painfully self aware of the identities that are placed on him and often makes witty remarks that relate the the given identity. The difference in how the 2 characters accept their given identities allows the reader to understand more about the thought process of both the character and the author.   

The identity of the narrator in Invisible man seems to have been beaten to death but the core concept is that as the plot continues and the narrator evolves as a person many different INCORRECT identities are placed on him. Several examples include a boxer in the first chapter, an educated college man and a union worker all in the span of 1 chapter, and then of course the direct “new identity” that is given to the narrator by the brotherhood. With each new identity that is placed on the narrator it seems that he becomes more confused. With only brief moments of clarity such as the real purpose of the letters and the final chapter, the narrator spends the most time attempting to fit into a mold which he is the complete wrong size.

Gunnar in The White Boy Shuffle also has identities placed on him throughout the book but unlike the narrator it seems that he has more moments of clarity and understanding than confusion to the new identity. For example when Gunnar is called a “cool funny black guy” he understands what it means and takes it stride, Gunnar continues to joke about the idea of colorblindness and makes “uncomfortable” comparisons between race “colorblindness” and the medical condition of colorblindness. As the novel continues Gunnar begins to care less and less about what he means to other people and rather what he is to himself. It may be argued that Gunnar cares far too little about what he is to other people, but his independence and ideals create the identity that he accepts as his own.

The difference in how each character chooses to accept the identities that are placed on them shows what type of person they are and what the author is trying to show my placing the identity on the character. Gunnar the tone of the novel is conveyed very well with the humorous approach to the identity while the serious tone and conclusions on race made in Invisible Man show how identity helps define not only a character but also the novel as a whole.

The Retrieval of the Simple Life

Their Eyes Were Watching God starts with Janie, the main character only days after the discovery of her own sexuality being forced into an unwanted marriage. The marriage is forced by Janie's grandmother and is the attempt to do what is best for Janie's future. Janie marries an old farmer whom she doesn't love but assumes love will blossom as the marriage continues. Not only does she not love her husband, she also hates the work that is required of her. When her husband finally decided that Janie is too spoiled and needs to work the fields along with the housework does she escape and find a new man.

Chapter 4 gives the impression to the readers that Janie hates doing manual labor and is very spoiled, why else would she run away from her husband while he buys a mule for her to help on the farm? Its seems very clear that only reason she runs away is to get away from the “dirty” lifestyle and not have to do the hard work on the farm. In reality she was planning to run away whether or not Logan was to force her into working the fields, then when she sees a man on the road she uses her opportunity and escapes into a better life. This makes it clear that Janie was fed up with her lifestyle and wanted a change. However when Janie finally finds her true love: Tea Cake.She changes her attitude regarding work. When Janie and Tea Cake move to the Muck, Tea Cake starts working and picking beans out in the field to make money. Despite the fact that Janie has over one thousand dollars in saving she decided to work with Tea cake and take part in all the lower class activities that she previously avidly hated.

The change in opinion seems to stem from the lack of choice, but when Janie chooses to work on the glades she is giving herself a second attempt at happiness. The reason why Janie feels the need to find happiness is because when she only started to accept herself and learn more about her feelings to become happy, she was immediately sent off to the “right” stable life choice. Since after escaping her forced marriage she was once again forced into a role she did not enjoy. In order to finally fulfill her life she does what she wants, and what's she wants is to spend time with her true love no matter what work is required or the social class that she is with.

Does this portion of the text cause the reader to think if Janie loves Tea Cake so much that she will tolerate the work or does her opinion of the work change? I would love to know your opinion.

Chapter 1: Men vs Women

In the first chapter of Their Eyes Were Watching God  there is a stark difference between men and women and their focus while the mysterious woman walks down the road. The difference between how the men and women view the women tells us about the role of gender throughout the book and will tell us what is important to either gender.
The first sentence of the chapter really set the tone for what is to come. It talks about the dreams of men and how they compare to the dreams of women. It talks about how a man’s wish is  “Ships at a distance” and the ability to achieve the wish depends on luck and do not depend on hard work. Some men’s dreams come with the tide while others never come and only bait the man into believe the dream is possible. The meaning of this passage seems to be that men focus more on tangible object or ideals (ships) as dreams. Which in comparison to the wishes of women is very different. It is directly expressed that the for women “The dream is the truth.” Everything that the women do is in order to achieve truth, they can block out specific memories and act and do what they think will find them the truth. This very different compared to the male dream, women actively work to achieve it as compared to just wait for the “tide” to bring it to them. Also women are much more interested in the fundamental understanding of what is happening as compared to men who are only trying to reach a position or objective.
These ideas of dreams are clearly reflected when the mysterious woman walks past the porch. The women who are sitting on the bench begin to critique the woman's appearance. “What she doin’ coming back here in dem overhalls? Can’t she find no dress to put on? In this case the women see the overalls to be an example of lower class and it allows them to raise themselves and feel more important than the women, perhaps to find true in their social standing. On the contrary the men on the porch see the overalls and find a sexual nature in what the women is wearing. “The men noticed her firm buttocks like she had grape fruits in her hip pockets;” the men sexualized the women and made her into a “ship” which they wish would reach their shore. The absolute contrast of what the women pay attention to compared to what the men find important is interesting and telling about the roles of gender, throughout the book. If not for Pheoby, the mysterious women’s friend the people on the porch would continue to “examine” what the mysterious women means to them and how what they see in her can be used to achieve their dreams, either bringing in their ships or helping them find the truth.

What is the narrator to the Brotherhood?

Ever since the narrator was released from the factory hospital his outlook on life had changed. Despite the rather rough start and dependence on Mary, the narrator eventually finds his groove and starts to make the difference and find his identity. The narrator finds his voice while observing the eviction and a new side of the narrator was revealed.

However, the new independence that we see in the narrator is very quickly overtaken when brother Jack comes and offers the narrator a position in the brotherhood. The position is offered for what the narrator represents rather than what he believes and thinks is right. One of the only reasons why the narrator accepts the position in the brotherhood is because it allows him to repay the loans from Mary and give him an almost false sense of self-importance. The whole acceptance into the brotherhood is very rushed and rather confusing for the narrator. One of the most important lines in the requirement of the narrator is when brother Jack says “We've been waiting for you for months. Or for someone who could do what you've done." The quote proves that the Brotherhood doesn’t care about who the narrator is or was but rather what they can mold him into becoming. The Brotherhood the narrator is nothing more than a tool, rather than a person with agency. As we become more familiar with the brotherhood we continue to see how they mold the narrator, when he doesn’t follow their exact rules they send the narrator away to get “educated” in the scientific ideologies of the Brotherhood. For the most part, we see the narrator enjoying the new opportunities and the new ideas that he is learning. But his whole entire life becomes centered on the Brotherhood and it makes up the entirety of his identity, which would seem rather fitting considering in order to become part of the Brotherhood the narrator was given a new name, and a completely new life that he would live.To him the brotherhood is his life, to them he is just a device to continue their mission.  

            Only when the Brotherhood turns it’s back on the narrator does it challenge the new views that he was asked to learn. When the narrator finds out about the meet which he was not called into he does something rather odd, and decides to buy shoes. It doesn’t make very much sense for the narrator to go buy shoes but to the Brotherhood, they are simplify discarding a tool which had lost its use. Naturally the narrator takes person offense to being not called into the meeting and decided to have a person revolt on the brotherhood, they will attempt to continue to control him and send him to learn more about speech’s and the brotherhood ideologies but all that the narrator is trying to do is find a new identity now that his given identity has been discarded by the gifter.