Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Foer
"Jon-fen" Foer, as Alex calls him, is apparently Jewish. But he doesn't appear that way when he gets off of the train. Now, whether he is a jew or a Jew, I'm not so sure. I'm not really so sure what the difference is, to be honest. Alex's character is very humorous, with his English language not quite up to date with idioms. But that quality is endearing, and even "Jon-fen" finds it amusing enough to keep incorporated in the story that Alex is translating for him. In leaving these mistakes in the story as comic relief, Alex begins to learn the art of English slowly, and is then able to contribute his ideas and suggestions as to where the story should lead next.
Alex also begins to be more and more interested in the American life and dreams aloud of moving there with Little Igor and leaving his father behind.His little brother is patronized, but respected in certain facts. His clumsy habits and black eyes seem a bit too frequent, though. And Alex himself leads quite a lavish life...or so we think for a while. It turns out, after one of many confessions in this book, that Alex actually keeps to himself, does not enjoy the bar atmosphere, and has not been "carnal" with many girls.
At one point of the book, being a bit over 60 pages into it, I thought that I would rather here a story about Alex's life than Foer's story; however, now that I have finished the book, it is interesting to see that all of these stories belong to the same people. This is a case of several stories having a common factor and coming together in the end to make a profound observation. One of the observations was that Alex's grandfather was "not a bad person...[he was] a good person who [had] lived in a bad time." (p. 227)
The grandfather's character changed from simply being a blind man that, in reality, could see...and drive for that matter. He had no tolerance for jews and had very little patience with everyone else. As we discover Augustine, or the embodiment of her, we discover a part of the grandfather that has been hidden by his silence. A murdering of a best friend created a huge shock when I read the confession. The history being brought into the storyline really cleared up the confusion as to what all was happening to contribute to his decision.
We know that there are festivities surrounding the brod, with string stretched from the rabbi's house to candles to endless amounts of objects about the town. We know that parades are being prepared. And we know about the illumination of Trachimday in the town. But it is not until page 267 that the historical events of that time, the events being ignored in papers, were the end of the world (in Trachimbrod) in writing. This book is almost written with a technique opposite of foreshadowing.
The dream list that Foer writes about caught my eye, however. It is interesting to see others' interpretations of what the subconcious produces.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Truth & Bright Water
Truth & Bright Water by Thomas King
This is a story about a 15 year old boy battling an imaginary line. This imaginary line was drawn to separate one type of life from another, and the only thing connecting the two was a bridge. Like the entire book, the bridge holds a lot of symbolism. It was old, rickety, and delapidated. It supported very little and beneath it lie the refuse of the two cities it connected.
The lifestyle of so many Native Americans changed by living in an American border town. There was still a significant Native American population, but the behavior and the culture of the neighboring reservation was dwindling. The celebration of that culture happened in an event called Indian Days. A carnival to showcase the Indian lifestyle was more of a tourist attraction than a celebration. Tipis were set up because that is what tourists expect. Buffalo were purchased because that is what tourists expect. Native American cuisine was cooked and "secret" recipes were sold under the table because that is what tourists expect.
King makes the allusion to the German tourists frequently throughout the story. King is making a point about German writers who believed they knew the most about the native people, and much like westerns are shown on tv with inaccurate details, these books were laughed upon by native people. How is it that the best stories of the native people were written by a German author?
King opens up a lot of symbolism for each character. The mother, who is alluded to most, is symbolized by flowers. She makes the most out of what she finds, and throughout the story, when there are flowers, her presence is assumed. They are on the window sill, on the piano, on the stage after her great performance, and most intriguing of all, in Monroe's church.
"You know what the trouble with the world is?"
Elvin, Tecumseh's father, believes it is a number of things, as he changes his response every time he rhetorically asks his son. One minute it's trash and the next it's Indians...but we see later on that King relates the two. Trash, or toxic waste to be specific, was new money. Getting rid of waste into the river between Truth & Bright Water became significant after we found that Monroe Swimmer got rid of something else in that same river...Indian remains.
Under the bridge that was old, rickety, and delapidated, the rejection of the towns was found. The old ways of life, the free ideals of native people were now on the same level as toxic waste and trash.
This is a story about a 15 year old boy battling an imaginary line. This imaginary line was drawn to separate one type of life from another, and the only thing connecting the two was a bridge. Like the entire book, the bridge holds a lot of symbolism. It was old, rickety, and delapidated. It supported very little and beneath it lie the refuse of the two cities it connected.
The lifestyle of so many Native Americans changed by living in an American border town. There was still a significant Native American population, but the behavior and the culture of the neighboring reservation was dwindling. The celebration of that culture happened in an event called Indian Days. A carnival to showcase the Indian lifestyle was more of a tourist attraction than a celebration. Tipis were set up because that is what tourists expect. Buffalo were purchased because that is what tourists expect. Native American cuisine was cooked and "secret" recipes were sold under the table because that is what tourists expect.
King makes the allusion to the German tourists frequently throughout the story. King is making a point about German writers who believed they knew the most about the native people, and much like westerns are shown on tv with inaccurate details, these books were laughed upon by native people. How is it that the best stories of the native people were written by a German author?
King opens up a lot of symbolism for each character. The mother, who is alluded to most, is symbolized by flowers. She makes the most out of what she finds, and throughout the story, when there are flowers, her presence is assumed. They are on the window sill, on the piano, on the stage after her great performance, and most intriguing of all, in Monroe's church.
"You know what the trouble with the world is?"
Elvin, Tecumseh's father, believes it is a number of things, as he changes his response every time he rhetorically asks his son. One minute it's trash and the next it's Indians...but we see later on that King relates the two. Trash, or toxic waste to be specific, was new money. Getting rid of waste into the river between Truth & Bright Water became significant after we found that Monroe Swimmer got rid of something else in that same river...Indian remains.
Under the bridge that was old, rickety, and delapidated, the rejection of the towns was found. The old ways of life, the free ideals of native people were now on the same level as toxic waste and trash.
Discovering America
Discovering America by Stephen Graham Jones
Right off the bat, we know this story is about an Indian man. And we are reminded of that fact in every paragraph when the narrator repeats "Because I'm Indian..." in whatever city he may be in at the time of his story. I think he brings this point up so often because it is brought up so often by the people he meets in these cities.
Stereotypes are splashed all throughout the story, with references to rain dances, lether bands, and animal spirits. Calm and collected, the narrator deals with these assumptions from the ignorant people across America. Each time he enters a new city, it takes less time to find someone who notices he is Indian and points it out.
The story ends where it began. Disregarding the location of the story, the likenesses of an ignorant person, blazing heat, and the observation of the writer's being Indian, prove the narrator's point. No matter where you travel, stereotypes will follow.
Different stereotypes come from different places, but most come from media. Whether it's a radio station, a popular television show, music, or pictures and paintings, we imagine a people a certain way, and choose to forget that those people change...just as we do. They are living things that mold to the environment and the society around them.
Dominant Representations of Native America:
In a Texas home where the father, Texas born and raise, clenches the tv remote and rarely lets go, the family of all girls tends to watch a lot of "old westerns."
When not interrupted by The Andy Griffith Show, a long line of episodes are viewed of The Rifleman, Bonanza, John Wayne classics. It's all about the west being tumbleweed and high noon and bar fights and horse chases, and yes, Indians.
I am a girl, so naturally, playing cowboys and indians didn't really suit my style. Bu in a time where Disney movies ruled, don't think for one second that I didn't want to be Pocahontas.
Just as we get ideas of Native America from movies and old traditions, Lucy Rabbit, in Truth & Bright Water, conjured her ideas about being "white" from the internet, tv, radio. Shakespeare is traditional. Elvis and Marilyn were in movies. And I'm sure if she watched some more tv, Lucy would find that Texans ride horses, chew tobacco, and say "yall" every other word.
Right off the bat, we know this story is about an Indian man. And we are reminded of that fact in every paragraph when the narrator repeats "Because I'm Indian..." in whatever city he may be in at the time of his story. I think he brings this point up so often because it is brought up so often by the people he meets in these cities.
Stereotypes are splashed all throughout the story, with references to rain dances, lether bands, and animal spirits. Calm and collected, the narrator deals with these assumptions from the ignorant people across America. Each time he enters a new city, it takes less time to find someone who notices he is Indian and points it out.
The story ends where it began. Disregarding the location of the story, the likenesses of an ignorant person, blazing heat, and the observation of the writer's being Indian, prove the narrator's point. No matter where you travel, stereotypes will follow.
Different stereotypes come from different places, but most come from media. Whether it's a radio station, a popular television show, music, or pictures and paintings, we imagine a people a certain way, and choose to forget that those people change...just as we do. They are living things that mold to the environment and the society around them.
Dominant Representations of Native America:
In a Texas home where the father, Texas born and raise, clenches the tv remote and rarely lets go, the family of all girls tends to watch a lot of "old westerns."
When not interrupted by The Andy Griffith Show, a long line of episodes are viewed of The Rifleman, Bonanza, John Wayne classics. It's all about the west being tumbleweed and high noon and bar fights and horse chases, and yes, Indians.
I am a girl, so naturally, playing cowboys and indians didn't really suit my style. Bu in a time where Disney movies ruled, don't think for one second that I didn't want to be Pocahontas.
Just as we get ideas of Native America from movies and old traditions, Lucy Rabbit, in Truth & Bright Water, conjured her ideas about being "white" from the internet, tv, radio. Shakespeare is traditional. Elvis and Marilyn were in movies. And I'm sure if she watched some more tv, Lucy would find that Texans ride horses, chew tobacco, and say "yall" every other word.
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