Posts

The BB in Ben's eye

      In Sag Harbor , the narrator Ben spends a lot of time reflecting on how childhood experiences and memories leave permanent scars on his body and mind. No example is more clear than this than the BB lodged in his eye. Guns are another important theme in Sag Harbor , symbolizing Benji and friend's development of identity and masculinity. They have grown up from roughhousing and wrestling to amateur shooting competitions, both at targets and each other. On one fateful day. Benji and his friends decide to break up into teams and play war. Earlier, Benji had suggested they wear protective goggles, to which they all agreed to. But when the time finally comes, the other guys change their mind and Benji, not trying to look weak, also forgoes wearing his goggles. This unfortunately comes to haunt Benji as he is shot in the eye by his friend Randy. The BB gets lodged above his socket permanently, and his attempts to cut it out are unsuccessful. Benji and Reggie go home and Benji is for
3 comments
Read more

How Jason grows in the chapter Goose Fair

 In the chapter Goose Fair in the book  Black Swan Green , the main character Jason is presented with a complex moral dilemma that involves his personal sense of what's right and his desire for revenge on his bully. Jason is out with his friend Dean at the town fair when he spots a lost wallet sitting on his bench. He plans on returning it to a fair worker, when it flips open and is revealed to be the wallet of Ross Wilcox, the kid who has been bullying Jason for the past few months. Jason freezes, unsure if he should stick with his original plan or pocket the wallet. He ultimately decides to take the wallet as a form of revenge on Ross. Jason watches with glee as Ross panics about his lost wallet. In his panic, he insults his girlfriend Dawn Madden and she ends their relationship. At this point Jason is set on keeping the wallet when he hears from a 3rd party why Ross is so upset. Apparently Ross's dad gave him a ton of money in order to illegally launder it. Jason also learns
5 comments
Read more

Should we forgive Bruce?

 In Allison Bechdel's Funhome , the character of Bruce, her father, is portrayed as a morally complex person and foil/anti-hero to Allison. He is portrayed though several different versions of Allison. when she is a child, when she has grown up and left for college, and after his death when she is reflecting on her relationship with him. Bruce and Allison's relationship is a complex and multilayered one, from his strange and conflicting sense of style as for how Allison should look and dress, to his cold exterior that pushes him away from the rest of his family. Both we and Allison know of a potential explanation for his distant attitude, Bruce has been closeted in terms of his sexuality for his whole life. This is contrasted with Allison, who comes out while at college and is able to live as who she is. Allison finds old photos of him dressing in a non-conforming way, and her mother confirms that Bruce was having an affair with young boys. When Allison is a teenager, her fathe
6 comments
Read more

How Dr Nolan Helps Esther

In Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar , the main character of Esther goes through several experiences that leave her feeling unfulfilled and apathetic to the world around her in relation to the expectations placed upon her by society. Esther realizes pretty quickly that she does not want to be a suburban housewife like Dodo Conway. Nor does she want to continue a life in New York as an intern to a magazine company like Doreen. Returning to Massachusetts, her attempts to write her own works fail, as Esther's lack of life experience causes a mental block for her. Her former identity as a student looking for more and more opportunities has been shattered, leading to her mental state worsening. Even a visit to the Psychiatrist Dr. Gordon proves unhelpful, as Esther quickly dismisses his ability to understand her due to his perceived flaunting of his happy family. After an uncomfortable experience with electroshock therapy, Esther attempts suicide, and afterwards she is taken to a private
4 comments
Read more

How Jane's character is used to show Holden's motivation in Catcher in the Rye

Jane is an important character in understanding they psyche of Holden. While we never actually meet her in the story, Holden is constantly mentioning her, saying, "maybe I'll give old Jane a buzz." throughout the story. Holden never actually does, and all we end up learning about her is through Holden's flashbacks. Because of this, we never actually learn if Jane is actually like what Holden describes her as. Holden describes her as a sweet and intelligent girl and admires her (perceived) innocence and simplicity. He admires the unique and peculiar traits she has, like not using the kings in checkers once she promotes to them. Using these descriptions, we can paint a picture of what Holden values in a person, and in turn his actions to protect these people give us an understanding of what motivates Holden. We first learn about Jane through Stradlater, who explains that he has a date with her. This both excites and frustrates Holden. He is happy to reflect on his time
4 comments
Read more