Ma

          Ma is a character who I definitely admire, but sometimes (after they've escaped Room) I don't understand her behavior and wish I had an insight into what she's thinking.
          I'm not sure if this from Ma's brain going on crazy survival mode after being locked up, or if she's just really smart and resourceful (probably a combination of both), but it seems like Ma does an amazing job of finding creative solutions for things and making do with what she has. Like, how she thought to hit Old Nick on the head with the lid from the toilet. Or, how she rations supplies so well and only asks for special things that are, for the most part, reusable-- such as crayons instead of markers. She comes up with so many things to do with Jack, like making Eggsnake. She's also so determined. Aside from when she's "gone," she keeps Jack on such a strict schedule and gives him as much education and structure as she possibly can. She keeps him sharp and makes him work sometimes rather than just doing fun, lazing around things all the time. She makes him do things he doesn't want to do, but she also turns things that might not otherwise be fun into games-- like Scream.
          Another thing I'm amazed at is thinking about what happened after Jack was first born, how did she possibly manage to take care of a baby in Room?? Babies are ton of work, in a lot of ways more work than older kids. There are so many things she wouldn't have had access to that make taking care of a baby a lot easier. She had just come out of severe depression, and then she had to literally put all her time, energy, and focus into baby Jack. And, she probably didn't get a lot of sleep. It would be so difficult to constantly provide enough stimulation for the baby to develop instead of just slacking and only taking care of the baby's basic needs (which is hard enough on it's own). She also was so young and had no experience with parenting other than babysitting which Grandma mentions she did.
          As amazing as all this is, there were times after Jack and Ma had escaped where I got annoyed with her. Like, when she was overly snappy and mean with the people at the Clinic. It's understandable to make snap judgements on her new stepfather who was totally out of the blue for her, or of the interviewer who was asking her ridiculous questions, but there were a lot of times when I thought; really Ma, really? That was unnecessary.

Leo

          I haven't done a post on Room and I'd like to talk about Leo.
          Leo is an interesting character whom I actually really like. When we first see him, it's at the Clinic when Grandma visits Ma and Jack. Ma makes a quick judgement of him and doesn't really like him. This is understandable: her parents were divorced unbeknownst to her and her mother has now married this older man who, Ma notes, smells like weed. I can see why Ma isn't jumping for joy upon meeting Leo, but I never shared her dislike for him. Obviously it's tough to deal with such a huge change for Ma, but she can't blame any of this on Leo and I found it kind of funny that Grandma married a potential pothead.
          Later in the book when we got to know Leo more, it only made me like him more. He seems like a really cool guy to have as a grandpa (and, might I add, Steppa is a very cute thing for Jack to call him). He's a responsible adult, as demonstrated by the scene where he teaches Jack not to play with matches. He's also very patient and keeps his cool. He seems to be able to handle tense situations well, like when Jack has his first big tantrum and Grandma can't deal. Leo firmly carries him upstairs and sets him on the bed, then rewards Jack for calming down by suggesting something fun and chill to do. Leo is able to teach things to Jack in a more fun and relaxed way. It's easy for Jack to feel like Leo is on his side (Leo doesn't tell Grandma that Jack was playing with fire). I particularly enjoy the scene where Leo shows Jack how to play with Legos. Jack had been so used to being really careful with everything he had in Room, since he and Ma didn't have access to many resources. The concept of a toy where you can just break it and put it back together however you want was very foreign to him. When Leo stomps on his creation, I think it was a baby step to teaching Jack an important lesson about Outside-- things aren't always in your control and won't go perfectly all the time, so when they don't you can just try again.

Homelessness

          Something that came up a lot on the novel was the question of Smithy's homelessness. Throughout the book, there are instances where people don't necessarily state directly that they think he's homeless, but imply it through their actions. It's not hard to see where they're coming from. He looks shaggy and dirty. Plus, he's not a young man anymore and usually homeless pepole (or at least the ones I've seen) are at least on the young side of middle-aged. Is he homeless or not? I suppose legally, or officially or whatever, the answer is no. But, an argument could be made for yes. Although he has his apartment (possibly) and his parents' old house, while he's actually on the journey to Los Angeles he could be considered homeless. He doesn't have anywhere to stay and he keeps moving from place to place. He's not on a very consistent method of transportation like a bus, train, plane, etc. I know he's not really homeless, but he's kind of living like he is.

          In the first leg of his journey, a pastor assumes that Smithy is homeless and helps him out a lot. he gets him food, clothes, etc. He even gave Smithy that little "home is in your heart, you carry it with you" spiel. Smithy is too awkward and a little awestruck to get it out that he actually does have somewhere he could go to. The priest is really nice, but something that's been nagging at me is the question; "would have the pastor helped Smithy if he'd know the full story?" I think yes. There isn't some contract that says priests can only help homeless people. The priest is a really nice guy, and seems very understanding and sympathetic to emotional and spiritual (duh) needs. He would probably have still helped Smithy out, because I would at least partially grasp that the journey would be necessary for Smithy's well-being.

Old vs. New

          This kind of ties into my previous post, but I was inspired to talk about it so I'm going to.
          While reading Memory of Running, I sometimes had trouble differentiating between chapters that took place in Smithy's past and chapters that took place during the journey. Obviously, I'd figure it out fairly quickly based on context, but looking back on this now got me thinking. It was difficult to tell the difference between past Smithy and present(-ish) Smithy other than the fact that they were living through different events. They just seemed like kind of the same person. It was hard to keep track of which was which and what happened when even after doing the reading.
          To me, there are a couple of possible reasons for this. One, is that Smithy doesn't sound like a different person from his old self because he hasn't mentally matured very much since then, something that has been touched on in various blogs in various contexts. Another possible reason is just that it's because its actually being narrated by the same Smithy. Of course narrator Smithy is going to have the same voice no matter what he's narrating, since he's telling all this at the same point in time. So in order for us to form opinions of any of the Smithy's, we have to know whether or not we trust narrator Smithy. As was discussed in a post by a classmate, I think Smithy is a narrator we can trust. Even though he has some issues, I like him a lot, and he knows what his issues are. He isn't ignorant.
          The similarities between Smithy at various points in time, therefore, come from a combination of Smithy not having done a lot of "growing up," but also from whatever influence narrator Smithy has over the retellings.

Age is just a number

          Something that we haven't touched on a lot in class that has really struck me while reading The Memory of Running is that Smithy doesn't really seem like a middle aged man. It's been mentioned briefly during discussion that he seems to sometimes exhibit perhaps teen-like behavior/tone, but for me it's really just hard to picture him as this man in his 40's. Maybe I'm just weird-- I do this with a lot of adult narrators, but when I'm reading his narration I picture this guy who doesn't really have a specific age, he's just himself. But, even when I force myself to really produce a concrete image of him using descriptions from the text, his voice seems to go with someone who's not old enough to be my dad.
          In a lot of ways Smithy doesn't seem to have really grown up. As an adult, he's still just as awkward as we see him in his memories of being a teenager; he doesn't really talk much and doesn't know what to say a lot of the time, he's never sure of what to do with himself, he has low self-esteem which affects how he handles himself, the list goes on and on. Even though he has been seeming more his age as the journey has progressed, he still shows some, I guess, youthful innocence in his actions. For example, when he saved the kid and the police thought he was like a child molester. He didn't really know what to do. He didn't realize he looked suspicious enough for the policeman to shoot him, and that's what ended up happening. He also hasn't had a lot of experience with women. As far as we know, he hasn't had any kind of serious relationship. His skills of interacting with the opposite sex haven't really improved since high school.
          I guess it's just hard for me to age Smithy while reading his narration because he has some qualities that make him seem older (it's pretty easy to imagine a guy drinking off his troubles at a bar being middle aged), and others that are more immature.

Movie Presentation cont.

          I had a lot of thoughts while putting together my presentation on James Franco's film adaptation of As I lay Dying and I really wanted to do a post but had to wait until after I presented so everyone would know what I'm talking about/I wouldn't spoil anything. Also forgive me if I repeat things I said in class. 

          To give you a context for my reactions to the film, I'm going to describe how I came into contact with it because I think the atmosphere you watch something in definitley affects how you feel about it and how it affects you. In order to do my presentation I bought the film and watched it by myself in my living room (which has a fairly large flatscreen). It was around 9 or so at night, and I sat on the couch with a notebook on my lap and all the lights on (I'm really glad I left the lights on because otherwise I would've ended up in a ball on the floor). At one point, my dad came in to tell me something. Before he actually came into the room I could feel him standing in the doorway and it really irritated me. It's hard to describe, but I didn't want him to see any part of what I was watching since he wasn't familiar with it and I was in the middle of the film, which actually relates to what Isaak was saying during discussion about the movie not seeming to be made for people who hadn't read the book. He was sort of interrupting the intensity of the movie. Usually I like watching really depressing or really scary movies with other people around because it sort of calms me down and reminds me that what's going on isn't real. But, with this movie, even though I had such a hard time with it I'm really glad I watched it by myself. It's very unique in that it really doesn't have the same feel or leave the same impression as other films that might be in the same category or deal with similar themes. It's a film that gives you a lot to contemplate and for me, at least, that definitely was more effective in solitude (actually not quite true, my dog did sit on the couch with me for part of it). 

          A few people in class commented that the elements that accentuated the depth of the darkness in the film were really unnecessary and that Franco should have maintained some of the more humorous tones that are in the book. This is a movie that its hard to get the full feel of it without watching the entire thing start to finish, but I disagree that Franco should've put in more humor. While it isn't exactly the same as the book, while you're watching it it doesn't feel like it should have been presented in any other way. The really tough scenes (which I didn't show any of) especially tie all the effects Franco uses together. They make you feel like, yes, this really is as tough as what I'm seeing and the members of the family really are going through this much crap and there isn't really anything great about the journey or anything to laugh at. A scene that just made a weight fall on my chest- I never cried during the movie, it was heavy but it wasn't a crying movie- was when Dewey Dell goes to the pharmacy and then later goes to the cellar. It actually shows MacGowan in the act of raping her and he's talking to her while he's doing it and you just see this look of complete loss and desperation on Dewey Dell's face. Seeing these more graphic and heartbreaking scenes- another being all the scenes having to do with Cash's leg- makes you feel like the "creepy" music and slow motion and everything totally fits. In response to what Shaleen said about the scene with Darl being humorous, it's doesn't seem so funny when you watch the film because it's right around Cash's leg being cut off. 

          I could go on for pages about my responses to the film but I think this is a good stopping point. I just wanted to get in a few things that I couldn't really talk about in class. 

Busybody

         Cora is a character we don't really get a lot on as we continue later in the book. She does provide some deep insight into various Bundrens, but at the same time she is a very comedic. I picture her as the typical busybody neighbor. Cora's nosy ways and opinion of herself as being morally superior remind me a lot of a character in Anne of Green Gables named Rachel Lynde. She's the neighbor of the Cuthberts who involves herself in everything that's going on and is always gossiping. She's very tough on Anne, making rude comments about her and criticizing her for everything. I distinctly remember one part of the story where the Cuthberts' cow had gotten loose and into Rachel's cabbages. She completely blamed Anne and yelled at her about it even though it wasn't her fault. She also unnecessarily said Anne's hair looked like a carrot- which she was very sensitive about. Even though Rachel means well, she comes off as not very likable.
          Cora doesn't really have much to entertain herself outside of work around the house/farm, and they live in the country so she preoccupies herself with getting into the business of the closest people to her- the Bundrens. She seems to have a strong moral compass and an opinion on everything the Bundrens do. One particularly strong example is her opinions on Addie's religious stance. There are multiple times when we get glimpses back to when Addie was healthy and she was discussing religion with Cora (both from Addie and Cora's perspectives). Cora took it upon herself to save Addie. She tries to convince Addie to put herself in God's hands and rethink her sinful and cynical ways. She says that Addie can't make judgements because that's God's job. This seems a bit contradictory considering that Cora herself is judging Addie. However, Addie thinks about sin and religion much differently than Cora does. It's almost like she actually completely ambivalent on the inside but puts on this mask of having some kind of religious belief since Cora (and Whitfield?) care about religion a lot.
         

Poor Old Anse

          While every character in Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is fascinating and complex, Anse is particularly so. One thing about him that I've really been wanting to focus on is his lack of work ethic which people (in and outside of the book) tend to give him so much grief for. 

          The main thing readers of this novel tend to laugh at is Anse's inability to sweat. It's mentioned in the novel by multiple characters that Anse will supposedly perish if he sweats due to a case of sunstroke when he was younger. Although this story does sound ridiculous, Anse doesn't seem like the type to just completely make something up. So, I took it upon myself to do a little research on psychological conditions. I came to the conclusion that Anse has a psychosomatic disorder, meaning a disease affecting the mind and the body. Physical symptoms of psychosomatic disorders stem from the mind. And, according to patient.co.uk "Your current mental state can affect how bad a physical disease is at any time." I think that after his sunstroke trauma when he was younger, Anse became convinced that sweating was bad for him which probably brought on severe physical symptoms when he did so. These also would have been aggravated by Anse's stress over Addie and the family. 

          Aside from having a psychosomatic disorder, there are other reasons why Anse is always sitting around. He is not in great shape. He definitely has arthritis (a reason for constantly rubbing his knees) and isn't getting any younger. He doesn't have any teeth, and Darl describes for us in detail the state of his feet which are somewhat crippled and warped from years of work previously. Taking all of these factors into account, it's understandable why Anse seems to be so slow and lazy. He has a lot of issues and doesn't deserve to be made fun of for them.

          

Killing one but not the others

While I was reading books 21 and 22- the climactic scene where Odysseus and Telemachus slaughter the suitors- I noticed a large inconsistency and wondered about it's significance. While Odysseus was in the midst of cutting down his foes, there was a suitor, the Seer, that begged for mercy. Earlier in the chapter, he had been described as being the only suitor who disapproved of his colleagues' behavior and sulked in the corner most of the time rather than partying. Odysseus refused to spare him and killed him on the spot. 
          Once most of the killing was done, there were two men, including the bard, who begged for mercy as well. Telemachus then steps in and backs then up, telling Odysseus he should spare them which he agrees to do. Why would kill one man but spare the other two when, as far as we know, they are equally as innocent? Maybe the Seer just asked him at the wrong time, while he was on a killing roll. It's like asking your parents for something when they're in a bad bood. You have to wait for the right moment. I don't really understand Odysseus sometimes. 

Athena

          Athena and Odysseus have a very interesting dynamic throughout Odysseus' journey. Let's start with why she's even meddling in his life anyways. Even though Athena and Poseidon have a rocky back story, it doesn't seem like Athena is getting involved in Odysseus' life to get back at Poseidon. This is especially backed by the fact that Poseidon didn't really hate Odysseus until well after Athena started helping him. Sometimes it seems like Athena has a crush on Odysseus- a crush in the sense that she's not expecting to become a couple but she likes him in little more of a superficial way, and they have little flirting exchanges.
          I think Athena does like Odysseus, and she's also appreciative of his various attributes and skills. She probably started getting involved in his life because she's a goddess and it's not like she or Odysseus could really be together anyways, so she does what's in her power to be involved with him. The worst that could happen is that she indirectly kill some people or something- which makes no difference to the gods.
          Also, using a Percy Jackson reference for which I apologize in advance, Athena is the goddess of wisdom and battle. In Percy Jackson, Annabeth who is a daughter of Athena, says that Athena had demi-god kids from cooperatively brainstorming with genius humans- similar to how she was born out of Zeus's mind. Greek mythology is kind of weird, in case anyone hadn't noticed. I thought this nuance was kind on an interesting tidbit to add to the perspective because Athena's involvement with Odysseus and admiration of his sharpness of mind was sort of like how she gained intellectual stimulation from being with humans.

Combination

I realize it's pretty late to be posting on this topic, but bear with me-

          A couple of weeks ago we read the short story "Victory Lap." I really enjoyed this narrative and was actually really moved by it. When reading it with the context of this class in mind (aka trying to focus on the hero), I found components of a hero in both Allison and Kyle. It actually seemed as these two characters sort of fill in for the heroic qualities that the other lack.
          To be a hero, you need some sort of cause, something you accomplish. A lot of times when we think of a hero, we think of an individual who saves someone or something from a terrible fate. Using this as part of our criteria Kyle is definitely a hero. He saves Allison from being abducted and raped. But, Kyle isn't the only one doing the saving. As Kyle saves Allison, Allison saves Kyle as well. She saves him from becoming a murderer.
          Not only do Allison and Kyle's actions combine heroically but their actual characteristics do as well. They each provide different qualities of archetypal heroes. Kyle has somewhat meager origins, or at least comparatively. He's the underdog. He's unpopular, awkward and skinny, has controlling parents who raised him not to stand up for anything, He's also very modest and doesn't believe in his own bravery until he actually proves it.
          Allison, we can infer, is fairly popular and has normal parents, and she also fantasizes that she's some great good deed-doer in contrast to Kyle. But she too possesses heroic qualities, albeit different from Kyle's. She is very compassionate; she tries to see the good in everyone and in life and seems to think everyone deserves happiness. She appreciates peoples' circumstances, like when she was thinking about her teacher getting a divorce and still coming to school and caring about her students. Allison believes that life is generally good, but you have to be brave and step up to the plate when it counts.
          I found it interesting to think about how maybe Allison and Kyle aren't just heroes on their own, but come together to form the overall hero of the narrative. The story could be read in such a way where Kyle is the only main hero, but I prefer to look at it from different angles.