Inglorious Bastards

Call this rant overdue but humor my bitterness and continue reading.  Sympathy arose as a common topic while discussing the last several chapters of The Great Gatsby last week.  Sympathy in the direction of Gatsby and Tom in particular began to aggravate me.  I did not warm up to these two characters (and sources of almost all of the story's conflict), so their veils of wealth and generosity do not phase me.  My explanation: they never earned my respect to receive sympathy.  Allow me to attack Gatsby's reputation first.  Jay Gatsby changes his name upon exposure to the life of wealth, obtains wealth via the illegal business of bootlegging alcohol, uses his money to impress the love of his life, and encourages infidelity.  Seems like a moral fellow right?  Wrong.  I am truly sorry Mr. Gatsby however the disregard you pay your family, the willingness to break the law for prosperity, the pretentiousness to flaunt your money, and the shallowness to challenge a marriage out of selfishness puts a little chink in your reputation's armor from my perspective.  Likewise, Tom's resume shows few positives.  His record includes: wealth by parents, cheating, domestic abuse, and assistance to murder.  Why another flawless gentleman--nope.  Party-goers indulged themselves at Gatsby's house where bootleg profits funded their carousals--kind of like investing in a black market business  Yet he still receives sympathy upon his death.  Similarly, Tom receives some sympathy when a car (driven by his wife nonetheless) hits and kills his mistress instantaneously.  These guys make a mockery of the American dream and stomp on the reputation of Americans as a whole all the while garnering the respect and sympathy from others.  I may not speak for all I guess.  Some may approve of separating oneself from ancestors, illegal sources of income, condescending views due to wealth, affairs, domestic violence, and murder--I do not.  Now, with a little taste of logos can one justify sympathy for these two devils?  I recall even some feelings of sympathy myself for these men during discussion.  After some more thinking however, throwing a bone to these two compares nicely to improving the living conditions of convicts on death row--something undeserved.  Save one's sensitive thoughts for people that need them, rich bastards like Gatsby and Tom can go out and buy sympathy anyway.  All in all, I encourage those with sensitivity to others' circumstances to determine if the potential recipients of their emotional and physical support truly deserve it first. 

I Ain't Saying She a Gold Digger

Contrary to the title of this blog post, I am most definitely calling Daisy and Myrtle of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby gold diggers.  A wise man (Kanye West) once wrote, "She take my money, when I'm in need."  With that in mind, Kanye, Jay Gatsby, and Tom Buchanan have quite a bit in common.  Like Kanye, Gatsby and Tom participate in relationships where money plays a significant role in the sustaining of love with Daisy and Myrtle respectively.  Kanye's girl "digs on" him for his money.  Gatsby makes it rain high thread-count button-downs to prove his worth to his lover.  And Tom buys alternate residences downtown to house his mistress.  In all three cases wealth appears to attract the opposite sex the most.  Mr. West recounts his bloodsucker's past relationships that include Busta Rhymes and Usher, two other successful recording artists.  Daisy, too, has a history of equating love and money in her selection of males.  And Myrtle appears to select her men-on-the-side according to the quality of dress they can provide her.  This pattern of materialism has begun to aggravate me.  Love stems from feelings towards another person, not their cars, house, or wardrobe.  Do people not know the true meaning of love?  In my opinion, if items or money play any role in a relationship one can call that relationship dysfunctional.  Money does not last forever, shiny cars rust, and expensive clothes fade out of style, however, emotions never die.  Invest feelings into relationships, not thousands of dollars.  Simply, I think Gatsby and Tom took the wrong approach to chivalry.  I bet they did not even hold the doors of their expensive cars for the women they try to impress.  Therefore, Gatsby and Tom provide a precedent--of what not to do.  Blindness to material things while developing a relationship results in true love.  Personally, I will find a significant other that likes me for my love letters (yes, I caved after last week's blog show and vow to give them a try), not the "shoes and cars."  "When I'm in need" of some love like Kanye, I will remember The Beatles' take on the subject: "Can't buy me love."

For your entertainment/reference:

Nudity in the Community

As my classmates verbally abused their obnoxious neighbors in discussion on Monday, I kept to myself and listened.  From unruly triplets to foreign, aspiring-trampoline gymnasts I found all of the anecdotes entertaining--until I realized I fell victim to fencing for privacy some years ago.  As an elementary school child I did not quite understand the construction of a wall and planting of "decorative" evergreens along the fence line that divided my property and the property of my new neighbors'.  They seemed friendly as they introduced themselves to the small community we have on my block of Bell Street, but their addition of this intentionally obstructive border of trees and a wall did not seem to match their first impression.  These people had barely taken the last box from the moving truck into the house before hiring a trio of Amish men to put up this wall.  Did I mention the presence of a fence dividing our properties prior to construction?  What inspired them to live in such isolation?  I cannot imagine I gave off the irritatingly obnoxious air the neighbors from all of my classmates' stories did.  I suppose I did break a few windows--windows on my own house.  I did kick a soccer ball through my opposite neighbors' screened-in porch more than once.  They never felt it necessary to build a barricade between my house and theirs though.  I played a lot of basketball in my driveway--alone--as the innocent, shy, only child that had maybe two play dates at his own house through the age of twelve.  The old neighbors never took offense to my playing.  Now that I think about it, the new ones moved in just at the beginning of my "dabble-around-the-house-in-underwear-despite-the-extremely-close-proximity-of-my-house-to-others phase" (still have not grown out of that one).  Maybe my pre-puberty, half-naked body got to the new neighbors within the first few days they moved in.  Seems like a reasonable explanation for  such fortifications.  Therefore, I would like to formally apologize, via this blog account, to my neighbors that could not handle the comfortable living style I chose to embrace.  To conclude this blog, I would like to encourage folks to interact with their neighbors to a level they feel appropriate, which may involve separation by a wall as it did in Robert Frost's "Mending Wall."  Additionally, I also would like to encourage those with neighbors to quit window-watching like Shia LaBeouf in Disturbia.

Lend Me Some Sugar, I Am Your Neighbor

I understand the feeling of devoting serious time and thought into a well-polished blog (at least I think I do).  I also understand the feeling of exerting one's utmost energy on said blog to make it as entertaining and intellectual as possible but not getting the love one so rightfully deserves.  Just one comment I ask--one!  Please someone reaffirm my belief that my blog has no flaws and made somebody laugh out loud, I plead.  Everyone deserves some reassurance and support when they put forth the effort with the intentions to entertain.  With that in mind I have decided to serve the bloggers of the world longing for some reassurance.  Call me a good friend or positive reinforcement, but I perceive myself a philanthropist, donating pity comments to the blogging-needy.  Yes, I said pity comments, and yes, I can help with feelings of neglect as a direct result of blogging without costing a penny.  Consider me the street tattoo artist from the 2011 film Bridesmaids.  "IT'S FOR FREE," and when I say free I not only refer to the publishing of an educated comment in response to one's blog, but also a free boost in one's literary confidence.  My philosophy revolves around the idea that writing should always have a reward. Therefore, I have made it my goal to reward all of the under appreciated writers out there, one blog at a time.  Writing should not yield feelings of insignificance, quite the opposite, writing should return feelings of glee and accomplishment as one interacts with the world through words.  With that said, maybe pity comments lack the rewarding feeling I want to provide the authors I follow.  Instead, I vow to search for the forgotten blogs and encourage their authors with positive comments.  Everyone needs a little encouragement and even a sentence of support can improve a writer's outlook on word-weaving.  I pledge to encourage to the best of my abilities, but the enormous amount of blogs online poses  a problem for a mere mortal like myself.  Therefore, I ask all of my fellow bloggers to go out and, in the words of Outkast, lend a neighbor some sugar.  Peers in the blogosphere serve as the fuel for the publishing of more blogs.  I enjoy my classmates' blogs and I often have to restrain myself from commenting on more than two of them every week.  This may sound selfish but I do not want a drought in entertaining blogs due to a lack of positive feedback, so I ask for the help of my followers and bloggers worldwide to keep fueling the fire.

I Want Answers!

Why does Flannery O'Connor create an antagonist that suffers from Alzheimer's?  For what reason does Shakespeare include a bear as a source of conflict?  Poe, whose heart beats uncontrollably?  Why must authors leave so much up for chance?  Why?  Opportunities for speculation keep me up at night and irritate the heck out of me during discussion.  My most recent thought-provoking contemplation: balloons.  Who on this earth developed the balloon and what sort of motives did this inventor have?  Did he/she want children to suffer from the sadness of losing a balloon and watching it slowly fade away into the clouds?  How about the shocking pop of a balloon coming in contact with a sharp object?  I still cringe and blink out of surprise every time.  How can something so innocent and colorful make such a jolting sound?  How about the idea of making something so enticing to children then tying it to the end of a  string out of their reach?  I can recall getting reprimanded when I taunted the dog with people food at the dinner table, apparently tying the string of a balloon to a child's wrist and letting them experience the mystifying curiosity of it hanging overhead has no similarities.  One must have some sympathy for the kids in strollers craning their necks to catch a glimpse of a balloon their parents gratefully got for them but they can only observe it floating and fluttering in the breeze.  What about a balloon makes it so appealing?  Author and student of philosophy, Donald Barthelme, must have asked the same questions as I.  In his short story, "The Balloon," the speaker analyzes the responses a balloon surrounding a portion of Manhattan receives.  Anger, joy, heaviness,warmth, but most notably thought overwhelm the residents of the city.  Anyone that seems to give a balloon some deep thought encounters a curiosity and imagination about the meaning behind it.  I have embraced the contemplation AP English harbors.  I may have lost some sleep over it but I openly believe deep thinking has broadened my outlook on many topics, even those beyond just a simple balloon.  I encourage other students to do the same, get lost in thought and imagine the possibilities everything in literature has to offer.  Have no fear of one's thought bubbles.  Treat one's thoughts like balloons, tie strings to them, attach them to one's imagination, and expand them with even more deliberation.

Ignorance Never Discovered Anything

A man once asked, "If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?"  Upon reading "The Sound Machine" by Roald Dahl I have adapted my own idea to that contemplation: If a twitchy, little man discovers a monumental breakthrough in the spectrum of audible sound and no one cares, does that make this poor, genius man unsuccessful?  Dahl writes the story of Klausner, a twitchy, little man (as previously mentioned), that possesses an overwhelming fascination with sound.  Poor Klausner labors away at an intricate, baby-coffin-like device intended to detect the noises on earth inaudible to the human ear.  Miraculously, Klausner's invention works completely as intended and yields stupendous results.  The first sounds Klausner stumbles upon happen to hail from the picking of roses.  The scientist hears an inhuman shriek and realizes such a sound had to have come from the tortured plants.  As any man or woman would do upon an unbelievable discovery, Klausner rushes over to his neighbor to explain the magnitude of his findings.  Not only does his neighbor perceive Klausner as a total whackjob, she also thinks to herself that she must "run into the house... to her husband" (31).  I understand the difference of times, but come on woman, show your neighbor some love.  The man just made a monumental, scientific discovery!  But no, this woman has no capacity for the significance of Klausner's success and as a result his discovery goes completely unnoticed.  Consequently, Dahl's short story has raised a number of questions in my mind about the human race and the idea of discovery.  Do people just not have the time to understand science and the unearthings  that happen throughout their lives?  How can a person have so much ignorance for the world they live in that he/she can overlook something that could affect the lives of their children?  The Sound Machine appeared in The New Yorker in 1949--prior to the space race that ultimately jump-started the emphasis on math and science in our country--so I suppose people simply did not have the respect yet to see the importance of scientific discoveries.  However, today such ignorance I see as inexcusable.  Folks, have no fear of the knowledge of today!  I implore all to read a newspaper, watch the news, branch out and learn something new!  Knowledge has so much to offer and one must not allow it to go to waste.  And give those twitchy, little men and women out there that make it their duty to uncover new ideas some credit.  Without continued striving for new knowledge our world will come to a halt, therefore advancements in science hold the key to development and growth worldwide.

Happy Birthday Adam!

Jonathan Dee portrays the parental roles in a family of the new millenium in The Privileges.  Dee, a parent himself, depicts a married couple where one spouse strives to earn enough wealth the other spouse can live in comfort with hopes that the lavish lifestyle will bring happiness to their relationship.  Adam, in the Moreys' case, embraced the role of breadwinner and attempted to provide all the wealth he believed his family needed to live happily. Adam, however, has the problem of taking risks beyond the necessary lengths to reach prosperity. Dee notes that Adam's practices "[weren't] just about the money," instead more of an obligation to sustain power and leadership over less daring brokers in his insider trading circle (123). Adam's minimal ambition for gaining wealth and more interest in the leadership factor portray him as power hungry in addition to selfish. These traits result in continued patterns of taking serious financial risks for hardly any significant gain. Dee reveals that without Adam's shady financial decisions the Morey family "wouldn't feel the money's absence at all," which leads me to question Adam's morals as he continued his sketchy business (123). I believe Adam has a serious need for some sort of intervention to relieve him of the financial risks he takes. Therefore, as a gift to Adam from me for his birthday (hypothetically of course) I would invest in some counseling for the serious financial gambling he did. In addition to providing an intervention to his risky ways I would also encourage Adam to rethink his role as a parent. Like Adam's own partner Devon, I would like to pose the question: "Why are you doing it still?" (144). Hopefully my attempted shot at using logos to change Adam coupled with the intervention would make him quit his practices but just in case I would purchase a gift for his birthday again to remind him of the emotional role of a father. Maybe a nice framed picture of the beautiful Morey family to put in perspective who Adam lives for. A picture of his family may trigger a revelation about fatherhood that the responsibility of a dad revolves around providing love and teaching morals to one's children. With those two factors encouraged, love and morals, maybe Adam could readjust his own morals to prioritize a family that needs him for his love, not his overseas bank accounts that they have no dependence on. For his birthday I would like to encourage Adam to place more attention on his loved ones for their sake, rather than his insider trading circle.

Let's Live it Up

As a teenager I found myself unaware of the thoughts and internal conflicts that aging involves until reading Elizabeth Strout's novel, Olive Kitteridge.  I acknowledge that my young age has the effect of ignorance on my consideration of topics like death and loneliness.  Like many young adults I imagine I still have feelings of invincibility allowing me to take risks and do things I want to do without death or injury really crossing my mind.  In contrast, Olive appeared much more aware of the close proximity she had to death due to her old age.  Instead of knowing its inevitability a long way away that my generation tends believe, Olive asks that her death "be quick" (253).  Strout's implication of serious fear of death that seniors have juxtaposes the lack of thought I really have regarding the issue.  As a result, I find myself sympathetic of those that fear the inevitable and do not have reassurance that they have time to live it up.  Due to that pathos I have pledged to spend as much time as possible with my elders that I love and encourage them to live the remainder of their lives to the fullest with my help.  Additionally, Strout motivated me to see my grandparents more often as a result of the empathy the author imposed while Olive lived alone after her husband's placement in assisted living.  Olive described her life of loneliness as "'hell'" and due to hell's extremely dark and depressing connotation I want to alleviate the loneliness some of my loved ones may suffer from by visiting with them more frequently and speaking with them more often (255).  Little moments I try to spend with my grandparents to avoid the feelings of "'always [being] alone'" (255).  I consider myself extremely independent and even I can not stand loneliness for too long, so empathetically I do not want any of my loved ones to feel the same way.  People have packed schedules these days I know, but I also know adopting monotonous schedules that look the same, day in and day out, like many senior citizens do can not provide any enjoyment.  The sympathy and respect Strout instilled in me regarding my elders has changed me.  I want them to enjoy life as much as I do and have schedules as entertaining as the one I follow.  Grandparents provide a lot to get little in return.  Spending time with them compares well to the high-ticket gifts we always rely on them to get us at birthdays and holidays.  Why not return the favor and give them the gift at the top of their list?  Only time appears on the price tag. 

Beware: Old People

Elizabeth Strout focuses on an aging woman who shares her name with Strout's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Olive Kitteridge.  The book consists of thirteen chapters of anecdotes involving Olive intertwined with underlying internal and external conflicts she encounters through her aging years.  At first glance I never thought a seventeen year old male like myself could possibly have interest in the novel, however I found myself breezing through it without much complaining.  The conflicts that dominate the story definitely did not relate to the moments I live in currently, however Strout changed my outlook on topics like senior citizens, loneliness, and death.  Therefore, I do not suggest Olive Kitteridge to anybody incapable of summoning sympathy and willing to turn themes of novels into new practices in their own life.  I do not see many of my peers having particular interest in the novel as subjects like the "nursing home" occurred frequently in the life of Olive (158).  Students at my age typically can avoid the nursing home and I even see family members that have reluctance to visit relatives that must live an assisted lifestyle.  Ultimately, I see a generation like my own as one uninterested in the loneliness and hopelessness surrounding nursing homes and those affected by them.  We mostly see them as a place to ship our relatives off to when we no longer want them as a burden on our hands.  Additionally, another source of complication in Olive's life was her "new daughter-in-law" (142).  Last time I checked, none of my friends had sons yet, so logically this issue has no relevance to my peers.  I, however, learned a number of lessons regarding the interaction with in-laws from Olive that I may have to put to use in the future (fingers crossed).  Coincidentally I see characters that compare to Olive's daughter-in-law, Suzanne, as people that should not read this book as well.  The setting of the book has the tendency to depress and darken situations as Maine's climate consists of long winters and little time to savor the beautifully, incomparable autumns the area has to offer.  Suzanne justified her and her husband's controversial move to the state farthest away from Crosby, Maine and her parents-in-law's residence for she "'[likes] sunshine'" as opposed to the "'darkness'" that consumes Maine over the long winter (143).  Like the climate, Strout's writing has an abundance of focus on darker topics and struggles of a senior citizen like death and loneliness.  Therefore, those living in the moment and those fearful of living in solitude may not like the foreshadowing Strout provides by focusing on Olive's life.  Readers of Olive Kitteridge must have the power to note themes and lessons that Strout teaches through her fictional work and also have the willingness and memory to put those lessons to work later in life when they have more relevance.  If one does not possess the understanding to dissect the thoughts of a lonely, old woman they have no chance of having any sympathy for Olive and as a result will not gain anything from reading the novel.

Judging a Book by Its Contents

As Elizabeth Strout characterizes personalities in her 2008 novel, Olive Kitteridge, she associates physical appearance with character traits that members of the story possess.  Strout's technique appeals to me for she disregards a traditional theme in literature, to not judge a book by its cover.  The protagonist, Olive Kitteridge, receives this treatment when a former student of hers had a chance run in with her in chapter two.  Kevin had Olive as a math teacher in seventh grade and recalled liking her while others did not.  However, when they crossed paths later the older Kevin seemed almost intimidated by his former teacher's presence.  At first glance he thought, "Mrs. Kitteridge. Holy shit," that adopts a fearful tone that reminded me of a soldier's reaction to an officer of higher rank (34).  From the perspective of Kevin, Strout continues her description of Olive's presence by proclaiming her "a big woman," which I found synonymous with imposing as a result of her commanding company (34).  Therefore, Strout characterizes Olive as an intimidating character, one that demands the respect of those surrounding her simply by her presence.  Strout dives deeper into her character via physical characteristics during her encounter with Kevin as she notes Olive's "forthright, high-cheekboned expression" that very much reinforces the blunt, condescendingly direct reputation Olive possessed in the eyes of many of the other residents of Crosby, Maine (34).  Strout's use of physical descriptions that relate to the personality of the characters in Olive Kitteridge leads me to believe that the appearance of a person can truly tell you a lot about their identity.  Then again, I believe Strout's added complexity to characters like Olive as the book progresses call for deeper looks into the character of people.  As a result, Strout acknowledges the stereotypes of appearance while also encouraging those that dwell on physical characteristics to explore the personality of someone deeper and find the intricacy of all people.   

Parenting, Meaningless?

Kurt Vonnegut uses his notable satiric voice to take aim at a number of characteristics of human nature in his 1963 novel, Cat's Cradle.  To explain the significance of the book's title I pinpointed a chapter that best describes one of the primary themes Vonnegut develops throughout the story, that human nature leads people to identify achievements with undefinable purposes.  One character in particular Vonnegut characterizes as heavily impacted by the hollowness of such human quests.  Newt Hoenikker, son of Felix Hoenikker who developed the atomic bomb, lived a childhood with ineffective parental attention.  Without a mother, Newt's older sister embraced the maternal role in the house, while Newt's father never provided anything meaningful to the development of his offspring.  Newt reminisced of a single moment in his childhood where his father attempted to play cat's cradle with him.  Newt struggled to find the meaning of such a game and for the rest of his life found himself perplexed at the meaning of any individual's pursuits.  Newt's struggles surrounding the topic climax while on the island of San Lorenzo where he painted a nearly unidentifiable, black picture that he proclaimed a cat's cradle.  To most the picture sparked no ideas, to his sister the painting made for concern, but scientist Julian Castle appeared conscious of where Newt's painting hailed from.  Castle concluded that the picture intended to depict "'the meaninglessness of it all,'" a perplexing idea to the narrator of the story, Jonah (169).  Vonnegut's intentions with Castle's comment translate more directly than one may think.  The author at this moment simply attempts to encourage members of the audience proud of the lessons instilled in their lifetime to pause and reminisce for a moment.  Vonnegut strives to make readers reconsider the few monumental moments of their lives, what truly had meaning, what truly had an impact.  Castle simply provided an extreme outlook claiming nothing has bearing in the lives of people.  Vonnegut continues to develop that extreme perspective of Castle as he declared people never have "'anything really meaningful to say'" (169).  The pessimistic perspective of Castle encouraged Newt to elaborate on his lack of faith on the meaning of anything.  He returned to the game his father once played with him and asked, "'See the cat?  See the cradle?'" (179).  As a result, Vonnegut satirizes the parenting technique Felix Hoenikker adopted with Newt, for like the game had no meaning connected to its title, it also had no meaning and significant effect on Newt's life other than raising unanswerable questions.  As a son very appreciative of the morals and lessons my parents instilled in me I dislike the philosophy of Newt and Castle.  Maybe I am in denial but I believe the parenting techniques my mother and father used in my developing years differentiate me from my peers and had significance in my maturation.  I acknowledge that some games and moments may not have a signifcant effect on the life of a child but that does not mean everything in the world does not have a meaning.  As a result, I disagree with many that think Vonnegut had the intentions of portraying everything in the world as meaningless, instead I believe he encourages those proud of the lessons they have learned to find the significance of all the moments they believe had an impact on the way they live.

Handshakes over Ceremonies

Today universal norms and expectations exist among differing cultures.  Kurt Vonnegut portrays such universals in his novel Cat's Cradle while also mocking those that try too hard to meet them.  One such norm that occurs everywhere: presenting one's guests.  Governments make such an event of this norm when hosting a gathering and in Cat's Cradle the San Lorenzans tried to do just so and present their American guests in a politely eventful fashion.  Of course situations like these can go awry and end in awkwardly amusing moments for the audience.  I found myself awkwardly amused at the San Lorenzans attempt.  To set the stage the Americans arrive by plane to Bolivar, the capital of San Lorenzo.  The American visitors include a businessman and his wife, a writer, relatives of a San Lorenzo resident, and the new ambassador to the United States accompanied by his spouse, in other words, a real star-studded group.  To the President of San Lorenzo the only appropriate way to welcome their guests was to emulate the greeting of The Beatles that just arrived on a flight from London.  Unfortunately, instead of screaming female superfans, the American visitors had to settle for impoverished, unbathed San Lorenzans dressed in loincloths.  When Vonnegut described the appearance of the crowd I thought of a boy band jumping on stage for a performance on MTV's TRL... not.  I chuckled at the awkward situation the visitors had fallen into.  Vonnegut explains the nature of the crowd, "quiet," and adds to the awkwardness when "someone coughed--and that was all" (136).  I felt a sense of the awkwardness and had sympathy for the visitors as empathy reminded me of the feeling.  I could not help but laugh at the scene.  To make things more entertaining for those that only had to read about the moment, President "Papa" of San Lorenzo addresses the wrong "'Mr. Ambassador,'" even after proclaiming San Lorenzo "'the best friend America ever had'" (141).  Vonnegut's utilization of situational irony makes an audience member laugh at the treatment of what just an acquaintance of San Lorenzo may receive.  I may have found the moment so entertaining simply because I have experienced my fair share of awkward moments.  Maybe I am immature for laughing at awkward situations, but such situations teach lessons and change one's thoughts about some universal norms.  A reader should take from this situation: 1.) That one should avoid throwing the "best friend" title around casually. 2.) A proper, firm handshake and personal introductions work as well as a publicized welcoming ceremony complete with a national anthem and 5,000 silent, uninformed audience members.  The author uses satiric techniques to provide such lessons through means of mocking audience members that may have sparked such awkward situations in the past, while he also encourages the understanding of the boundaries of universal norms and expectations.

Add Friend: Jonah

Kurt Vonnegut analyzes an odd way of identifying acquaintances through the practices of Bokonon in his novel Cat's Cradle.  Protagonist Jonah narrates a journey where he uncovered a number of people connected to him, for what reason he had to search for.  These connections to others Jonah identified as a "karass" and explained one can not choose members of his/ her karass but instead the karass does more of the selection according to common characteristics or thoughts of its members (3).  While Jonah may not share my karass, I see him as a possible friend of mine simply because he seems like a relatable person to me.  In an era where people have hundreds of virtual friends via Facebook and other social networking sites I imagine myself becoming more than just another virtual friend with Jonah.  His practice and explanation of Bokonon intrigued me the most and made me think of him as someone I picture myself associating with.  Vonnegut provides a disclaimer during the description of Bokonon that warns the curious that the religion has a composition full of "shameless lies," a characteristic that may attract more people to its practices or deter them from learning more (5).  Jonah provided an example of the former and as a result, characterized him as a strong believer in what he practiced.  Devotion like what Jonah exemplified to the religion of Bokonon despite its founder's disclaimer I perceive as an admirable trait in a candidate for a friend.  Devotion means commitment and only someone committed to a friendship or relationship in general can guarantee a successful relationship.  In addition to the commitment Jonah showed I also respect how he strived to avoid prejudice, another trait harbored through the practice of Bokononism.  A Bokononist's karass has the ability to include any type of person for it "ignores institutional... class boundaries," and consequently discourages the act of prejudice in those that practice the religion (5).  I do not know about others but I typically like to surround myself with people that avoid coming to conclusions about others prematurely.  A Bokononist like Jonah practices the value of equality and does not avoid a person on account of race, class, or ethnicity. Someone willing to expose them self to all and learn the lessons they have to offer results in an extremely well rounded person morally. By acquainting myself with Jonah I would also expose myself to more people and more norms, allowing me to become a better person as well.  Vonnegut's portrayal of Jonah as a committed person, but also one curious enough to meet new people and learn new ideals, appeals to me and I would befriend him in order to diversify my morals and train of thought.

The Importance of Wealth

After reading a number of summaries and reviews of Jonathan Dee's The Privileges I anticipated a narrative about a simple lifestyle led by the Morey family with some underlying themes thrown in, but after completing the second third of the novel I gained an eye for making connections and noting the symbolism Dee, a teacher of graduate-level writing at Columbia University, deftly uses.  Dee's use of symbolism really appeals to me as it adds a complexity factor I did not predict before I began reading. I found myself intrigued at Dee's use of symbolism during the charity event on the Intrepid for all of the workers at Perini.  Surroumded by his peers, nearly all men of wealth, I believe Adam began to question the necessity of money to have happiness and the actions taken by him in order to gain prosperity.  Dee first references Adam's "relationship to drinking" which I interpreted as a symbol of Adam's feelings regarding wealth (94).  Relationships involving drinking of course typically do not yield a positive connotation, therefore, I see Adam as viewing his ambition for wealth similar to a drinking problem, something negative.  Dee later uses the adjective "complicated" to describe the relationship Adam has with alcohol (94).  Complicated relationships often entail doubt, so by doubting his drinking habits Dee also reveals Adam's questioning of his business decisions and practices and even doubts regarding wealth as a foundation for happiness.  As the event continued I noted the continuation of Adam's questioning of the necessity for wealth and as a result he acted.  Adam observed "Another Wall Street Tyke" at the gathering raising conflicts with other brokers to the extent of stealing an expensive watch off of one of Adam's coworkers (93).  Adam approached the kid about the matter without any intentions of busting him for stealing the watch.  He did take the "gold Patek Philippe" watch back from the young gun but in order to teach a lesson to the younger investor comparable to Adam soon after graduating from college (97).   A watch of that caliber never runs cheap and "gold" always appears synonomous with riches, therefore, I interpreted the watch as Dee's symbol for wealth.  Despite the hefty price of the watch, Adam, with little emotion, "threw it over the side," a gesture I believe intended to prove a point to the young broker: more matters than money (97).  Dee places so much attention on this moment at the event to emphasize one's ability to change priorities and search for meaning in things beyond money regardless of how wrapped up in achieving wealth one may live.  The author's subtle use of symbolism teaches a lesson to those with questionable priorities  like wealth.  With the added complexity of an abundance of symbolism Dee appeals to my future decision making and logic, as a result encouraging me and others to rethink what truly has the most importance in life.

Type A, Atypical

With one third of The Privileges by Jonathan Dee complete I admire Cynthia and her simple but conscientous qualities most for they differ from the traits becoming more noticeable in women of her generation.  One can credit the entertainment industry of the 21st century for placing so much focus on the "drama" in the lives of celebrities and glorifying the modern-day stereotypes of women.  Programs on television run with an abundance of external conflict between women depicted as overly dramatic, extremely self concious, and intensely hostile.  The Privileges also emphasizes these traits in women sin the lights and camera of reality TV.  Dee himself lives in New York with his wife and daughter that provide moments that may reinforce or differentiate from the stereotypes of a 21st century woman.  As Dee characterizes a number of the women involved in the wedding he delicately reveals the intensity that many contemporary women exemplify.  For example, Deborah, "(never Debbie)," and Cynthia's mother, Ruth, appear enthralled in the traditional expectations of women and do not seem willing to break of those traditionalist generalizations (6).  Deborah herself proved incapable of accepting a lighter nickname revealing her seriousness.  On the other hand, Cynthia appeared more comfortable carrying on a more relaxed lifestyle.  Browsing around her mother's house in underwear despite looks from her mom, for example, leads me to believe that Cynthia shows less concern for the stereotypical characteristics and actions of her gender and much prefers to lead a happy-go-lucky lifestyle.  In juxtaposition Dee notes Deborah's more traditional sleepwear of flannel pajamas and feeling "congenitally chilly," furthermore asserting a common generaliztaion of women  and emphasizing their dramatic reactions to miniscule happenings such as slight changes in temperature (7).  I hate to stereotype, but I acknowledge the tendency of women feeling colder from my experience enduring complaints about the A/C many a time on roadtrips.  As a result, I admire Cynthia's ability to differ from the common stereotypes of women (true or untrue), all the while caring about the perceptions of others.  Dee portrays Cynthia's polite nature when, despite a comfortable temperature, she put on a t-shirt in case others got out of bed before her.  She also showed respect for her stepsister Deborah as she continued sleeping as to not wake her up.  Cynthia's ability to softly separate herself from the typical charaterizations of women impressed me and I like her most for she opted to act uniquely and not conform to the popular female traits of the time period.  By doing so in a subtle manner Cynthia also avoids drama, yet another trait I find very respectable.  The fact that she attempts to deal with her own wedding wihtout tunring it into an episode of The Real Housewives complete with cat fights and overwhelming amounts of modern-day complications gains my utmost respect. Consequently, Cynthia's relaxed and caring personality in addition to how comfortable she proved herself in her own skin makes her my favorite character thus far in The Privileges.