Long Goodbye Blog post

Based on the content to the end of Chapter 30, do the following:

a)    Write a paragraph in which you discuss alcoholism’s dangers as represented by Chandler through both Marlowe and Roger Wade.

It seems as though Chandler has decided to represent alcoholism mainly through Roger Wade, it is in fact through Marlowe that he expresses the true dangers. Marlowe regularly becomes inebriated and often acts impulsively when in this state – for instance in chapter twenty two when he frisks the known thug, or when he drinks himself to sleep at the Wade’s residence. Although Wade’s alcoholism seems more obvious – and characters say that he can be dangerous – it must be noted that this is not really shown, only said by Eileen Wade, whereas It is shown that Marlowe becomes erratic when drunk and can have a compulsion to drink. The incident running through chapters twenty-eight and twenty nine illustrates the difference between the two representations. “The whiskey hit me hard and fast and I kept guzzling it until the room started to get hazy and the furniture was all in the wrong places and the lmpligt was like wildfire or summer lightning”. Wade’s is about the inward effects, with most of the scene describing how he hates himself and his half-attempt to kill himself. In his drunk manuscript “Yes I am sick, darling. But don’t give it a thought, darling, because this sick I my sick and not your sick, and let you sleep still and lovely and never remember and no slime from me to you and nothing come near you that is grim and gray and ugly”. Marlowe’s is about the outward effects, about how it can ruin your outward appearance.

b)   Write a paragraph in which you outline Marlowe’s moral code, supported by what he says and what he does. Use at least three examples.

A large example is how Marlowe goes to jail for Lennox. He could easily avoided this, but for one reason – he wouldn’t sell out his friend. He felt a debt to the man and he would not give that away easily. This points to one of Marlowe’s greatest tenets: he does not sell out. The second example is how he never bends his ideas for anyone, at any time. Just after he kisses Eileen in chapter 20 “’ You know something? I believe you knew where he was all along – or at least knew the name of Dr. Verringer. You just wanted to get me involved with him, tangled up with him so I’d feel a sense of responsibility to look after him.” Even when he is attracted to a woman, he gives them a piece of his mind. The third example is this (Ch22) “She might or might not blow me down. I didn’t particularly care. Once in a while in this much too sex-conscious country a man and a woman can meet and talk without dragging bedrooms in it.” This shows how he has a somewhat wistful view of women – he thinks it is moral to treat them as human beings rather than as sex objects.

c)    Cite three different uses of idiosyncratic figurative language and explain why each is particularly effective in revealing plot, developing character or contributing to theme.

“’for chrissake, baby, I’m your husband’ he yelled back, grabbing for a handkerchief and mopping his face. ‘get it? Your husband.’ She sobbed violently and threw herself into his arms. I stepped around them and got out of there. Every cocktail party is the same, even the dialogue.”

P133 “He had that bedside manner, thick, honeyed layers of it. He was wonderful – and he was as tough as armoured plate.”

This quotation is good at revealing plot – it foreshadows Dr. Varley’s plot and grips your attention due to the sudden contrast in tone. It also lends to the theme of duality – of each person saying one thing and doing another.

P144 “Earl jerked his arm loose and his right hand came up with a flash of metal. The armored fist crashed against Dr. Verringer’s Jaw. He went down as if shot through the heart.“

This is effective in revealing plot because it exactly and vividly describes what is happening. Rather than saying “He punched Dr. Verringer” This figurative language (“Armored fist”) gives both a sense of the action and an idea of how the punch might have felt.

P153 “I knew it was going to be one of those crazy days. Everyone has them. Days when nobody rolls in but the loose wheels, the dingoes who park their brains with their gum, the squirrels who can’t find their nuts, the mechanics who always have a gear wheel left over”

This imagery is effective in setting up plot because of it’s figurative nature. The metaphors for the crazy people effectively set up the plot and shed light onto Marlowe’s view of the world – his quiet acceptance of his profession and his stoic way of dealing with it. 

Why Not? #2

WHY NOT?

Blog Post #2

Due: Wednesday October 24^th, 2012

Analytical Writing

Select THREE essays from Ray Robertson’s collection. For each essay write a 1-2 paragraph response as below. Use at least 3 quotations for each response:

a) For ONE of the essays, comment on how you are able to relate to the ideas therein.

WORK

At first, before I had a job, I imagined it would be an endless droning monotony, with every break being savoured and looked forward to. In reality, the result was more like what Mr. Robertson says; although breaks are welcome, work is something to look forward to. He provides some astute observations “My mother, at home and finally free of work for a couple of precious days, gabbing on the telephone to someone she worked with, talking about – what else? Work.” I never thought that I would want to use my day off a week to talk about work, but that’s what I did. And what he says about wanting to go back to work – “It sometimes seems as if people were actually, if not quite glad, then relieved to go back to work, back to the very same jobs they were just grumbling about” – is absolutely correct. It seems awful as we’re doing it, but in fact, without the structure and discipline that work provides, we quickly become unhappy.

Mr. Robertson also knows the best way to work – on page 35, where he describes how each sentence you type is like “a climber’s spike driven into the mountain side”, giving you inspiration for your next idea and laying a foundation for the next paragraph. Usually, big assignments are like towering golems, terrifying and looming. But as you begin to chip away at them, the work becomes easier and the project seems smaller until finally it’s done.

b) For ONE of the essays, comment on Robertson’s style. Consider the way he has structured the essay, his effective use of figurative language, and the other writers he has cited therein.

LOVE

Mr. Robertson begins this piece speaking of familial love. He makes salient observations, like, “eventually, we all become our parents”. He draws on examples from his own life as well as citing renowned poets, and literary figures. Similar to the other stories in the book, he uses these quotes liberally, often on the order of one a page. Unlike the others, he uses several quotes from the same source, the tanka. Like the other pieces, he covers a few different topics, devoting a few pages to familial love, some more to lusty love, and the rest to romantic love. He transitions smoothly through these phases, eschewing titles and transition words to a series of subtle segways. An example is found on page 41: “Your father’s and your mother’s and everyone else’s father’s and mother’s. And ultimately – miraculously – your own. / Yet, as Emily Dickinson wrote, ‘The soul selects her own company’”

This is a somewhat unusual, but effective, style. It does not give it the traditional feel of a structured essay, but rather the sense of a free-flowing discourse on human nature and literature. Although I found this a little disconcerting at first, once I adapted to it I realized it was better than I thought. Robertson has a number of intriguing ideas here, and has managed to express them with great clarity. His statement that we need not a mistress when we’re young, a companion when we’re middle aged, and a nurse when we’re old, but “someone who is all three and all at once” Is a good insight on what we need in our romantic lives.

c) For ONE of the essays, write an original piece related to the same topic. Mimic Robertson’s style.

HUMOUR

Humour is the glue that holds together human interactions, the cartilage that lubricates our actions, the oil that greases awkward conversations. As Bill Cosby said “You can turn even painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humour in anything-even poverty-you can survive it.” Even in the worst, most glacial of conversations, laughter can break the ice and make it more palatable. But laughter is more than a tool for soothing inflamed discourses. Laughter is the mortar which holds relationships together. I’ve never had a friend that I didn’t share jokes with, and I don’t know anyone that I dislike that can’t regularly make me laugh. But there is more to laughter than social interactions. The ability to laugh, and the courage not to take oneself seriously are essential qualities to living a happy life. As E.E. Cummings said “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter” a man who does not laugh is a man who is not getting all he can out of life.

More than this, however, is the fact that laughter is one of the most mundane activities on earth, concerning itself with the most mundane activities on earth. We laugh several times an hour, the jokes often being about something only relevant in that moment. And yet, that is what makes it so special. Laughing at the daily absurdities, irrationalities, or simply oddities is how we can deal with and accept them. Of course, it’s important not to look into it too much – the saying “Analysing humour is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it” by E.B White is true.

On "The material world" By Jay Roberston

The piece on the material world seems overly focused on physiological aspects of life as well as sex. This isn’t an unworthy topic, but with a title like “The material world” I would have expected a piece rambling about the dangers of being materialistic, quoting heavily from other authors before finally going on the conclude it’s alright to enjoy some guilty pleasures. Rather, I got a piece rambling about the discomforties of life, quoting and commenting heavily from other authors before finally concluding that the body can be a good thing to have. Like every other piece in the book, “The Material World” is not an organised thought process discussing the merits of an aspect of human life, but rather a confused stream of consciousness mostly composed of explanations and quotes of other writer’s works. It would be suitable for leaving on the coffee table for light chatter at parties, or perhaps reading on the way to yoga class, but presents little in the way of original content worthy of serious study.

There are a few thought provoking passages here:

“People who are always taking care of their health are like misers hoarding a treasure which they have never spirit enough to enjoy” (Laurence Sterne) This piece exactly sums up the danger of obsessing too greatly over one’s health and causes you to think about your approach to health.

“Once the decision has been made to celebrate rather than cogitate, simple good health has to rank foremost when enumerating the pleasures of the material world.” This sentence expresses the joy of being healthy, cautioning readers to rethink their assumptions as to what kind of health they should take pleasure in, and not worry too much about being perfect. 

To Dom

To: Dominic Amoruso

479 Beaver road, z7r g94

18 November 2004

Dear Dom,

I’ve gotten through most of your notebooks, up to the part where Malachai dies. I don’t know what you’re doing up there, but I know that I won’t be able to get you back here – you’ve obviously decided to cover your tracks well. Everyone here has denied they knew where you are, as well as the people I called over at Northern Ventures. I’m only worried because of your health – surely you can’t get your pills in the north. I’m assuming you’re not in critical condition, since you sent me this post. I can’t tell if what you said is true, but allow me to ask some questions about it anyway.

I was wondering how you were dealing with your migraines and conditions.  I don’t think you can go just go to a drug store and get an aspirin, so I was wondering how you dealt with it. You seem to be experiencing migraines less, as well as having your sinesthesia return somewhat. Is the space in the arctic allowing you to regain stability? If so, that’s good, even if I am concerned about your health all the way up in the middle of nowhere.

I am also intrigued about life in Wolf Cove. It actually seems like there is an interesting history there beneath the “quiet village” appearance. Do you know anything about the history of the place? You know that I enjoy writing stories about the underlife of cities, for instance my article about homeless people in Toronto. I’m interested in the history with Etulu and Malachai as well.

I hope that you’re finding time to occupy yourself and not just moping about. It’s important that you do something constructive rather than just mope over what’s happened. I know that life is tough sometimes, but eventually you just have to move on or else you’ll be forever stuck in the past. You probably feel very guilty about what’s happened but unless you make peace with yourself you’ll never be free. I guess what I’m saying is, you should keep doing what you’re doing if it’s helping you, but not if you’re just hiding.

1.            Triumph. It was the first courageous thing I had ever done in my life...I suddenly wished Layton was there to share the feeling with me. He would have loved this adventure. (p103)

 This quote shows that TS's relationship was close enough with Layton that he would like him to participate in his great adventure. 

2.            Dr.Clair always made the gesture to cook, but then seemed to remember something important in her study at the last minute...(p30)

This quote shows how Dr.Clair puts her work ahead of her personal needs. 

3.            When we pulled up to the house, he motioned for me to get out. ‘Give her my regards. I got things I gots to care on’. (p66)

This quote shows that his father puts his ranch even before his own son.  

Three Day Road

1)

The key scene in the book, in my opinion, is the one where Elijah eats human flesh, and tries to have Xavier eat it. This is because a key theme in the book is Elijah’s descent into madness, and Xavier’s growing alienation from him. I feel that this scene represents this, not because it is a point of no return, but because Xavier is forced to admit that Elijah will have to be killed. For Xavier, this is the turning point where he realises that Elijah has really gone too far. 

 2)

Page 310“ ‘Is it horse?’ I ask, pulling gristle from my mouth.

Elijah smiles his wicked little-boy smile. ‘No. It is human. German, to be exact’

I jump to my feet before I know that I do it and approach Elijah with balled fists. Then I find myself reaching for my knife. But what he has said makes me gag and I kneel and stick my finger down my throat. The contents of my stomach come out in a slimy glob.

‘X! Calm down!’ Elijah say. ‘I am only joking. What? Do you think I’m crazy? I was kidding. It’s just horsemeat.’

His forehead creases innocently and the gleam of the trickster is in his eyes. He pops some meat in his mouth and swallows. ”

 3)

One of the themes in this book is Elijah’s relationship with Xavier. At first, they are comrades, joining the army together. Then, Xavier becomes jealous of Elijah’s recognition and alienated from what Elijah does. They become further separated, with Elijah plunging further into darkness and Xavier feeling more and more isolated. This scene is a prime example of this isolation, with Elijah doing terrible things in front of Xavier, and even trying to trick him into eating it. This scene is a prime example of “Elijah’s transformation into a windigo”.

The Boy In the Moon

A) Comment on Ian Brown’s impressions of the L’Arche communities in Montreal and in France that he visits. (Chapters 11 and 12) Provide specific support by quoting the book directly. 

Ian Brown is thoroughly impressed by the l’Arche communities. He is amazed at how well disabled people do when they are treated with respect and as equals, and how the staff learn from the arrangement as well. He also gained self confidence from the experience and gained more respect for disabled people even though he has a disable son. “I realized I was afraid of everything: afraid to take a shower, for fear of waking everyone up; afraid to come down to breakfast. (By nine in the morning the house was alive with noise – long high moans, train hoots, ays and oohs and clapping). But something about the unassuming nature of life in the foyer fixed that.” (page 217). 

B) Describe what you have learned about life with a profoundly disabled child. How has Brown’s memoir altered/clarified your attitude? Provide specific support by quoting the book directly.

  This book has shaped my understanding in subtle ways. I think it has helped me understand that disabled people are just as human as anyone, but cannot express themselves as fully as us. It has also brought to my attention how needy these people are and how much help they require. I also think it has helped me to lose my adversity to them by becoming familiar and learning more about them. “At 10:47 that night, Brenda roused Cliffie from the TV. ‘Cliffie, time to go to bed.’ ‘Mom’, he said. Nothing delayed about that tone. ‘Why can’t I stay up? I’m a teenager’. He had the routines of normal life down.” (page 129). 

 

C) Provide three questions for Ian Brown.

    i)  What was the hardest part about raising walker?

    ii) Do you think you were driven to rationalise Walker’s existence?

    iii)  Why are so many parents of disabled children so intent on raising them and trying to get something out of it, rather than wanting to abandon them?