In Stephen King's story, "The Reach", we see Stella Flanders in her last final days. She lived on Goat Island, and never wanted to cross the reach to the mainland. Throughout the story, Stella saw the ghosts of her friends and family that had past. It started with her visions of her husband telling her to come across the reach. Throughout the story the question, "Do you love?" kept reoccurring. It is not until the end, that the reader could notice any significance that these three words could possible have.
Towards the end of the story, as Stella walked toward the reach, she talked with her deceased husband. On page 387, Stella remarked again how she did not want to go across to the mainland, "But the wind spoke other words. She did want to. She wanted to have this adventure." This paragraph essentially explains that she has been holding back because of the cancer. The closer she came to dying, the more apparitions she saw. Even though the story might have been confusing, jumping back and forth between thoughts and reality, along with the many characters that were constantly being mentioned, the point of this story was made clear at the ending.
Stella was afraid of dying. She thought that the reason for the visions of her husband Bill was to warn her that there was nothing to be scared of at all. As she crossed the reach and made it to the mainland, Stella died. Again the question appeared, "Do you love? Do they love?" Her son found her and recognized his dead father's hat on her head. That was when he realized that yes, the dead do, and are able, to love.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Enormous Radio: tune in!
The characters of married couple Jim and Irene are portrayed as somewhat shallow, common, and eager to "look" good. I took some interesting things from the initial seeds of characterization the author planted. One thing that really stuck in my head was the line about Irene Westcott having "a fine forehead upon which nothing at all had been written". Because of my occasional tendency to read too much into things, I gathered that the narrarator was saying she did not have much going on mentally that made her special. She was unmarked, unremarkable. I sensed both Jim and Irene were not characters the narrarator was particularly fond of, and although it was not said directly, I sensed the narrarator did not want to go through too much trouble to make them look good in our eyes as well.
The plainness, the "white picket fence" mentality of the couple was very apparent. That particular point fascinated me, since I would expect fans of classical music to be very unique, colorful, and clever people. It takes a special kind of artistic intelligence, emotional awareness, and sophistication to enjoy and "get" classical music. And the Westcotts were not portrayed as having that kind of depth. Until the end, of course. It is at the point where Jim loses his temper on Irene that the true colors of their pain and humanity becomes apparent. I find it interesting how they lived a somewhat closed-off existence, and in their own little world. Prisoners of a lack of self-awareness and an over-abundance of arrogance. What I mean by that is when they heard the people in other apartments they were so convinced that they weren't like that, and that they were above such behavior. Yet the author portrayed them as becoming like that towards the end of teh story. Yet we knew all along they were no different from other people. The only difference with the Westcotts is that they had a mirror, a thing of true supernatural and spiritual wonder: the Enormous Radio. They could have used it to gain insight into the brutal subtleties of human nature, and perhaps avoided the fight they had at the end of the story. And they also would have been able to get all their neighbors the most wonderful gifts for Christmas and birthdays.
"How did you know I wanted one of these? Jim and Irene, you are such kind and perceptive people!"
I likened the Westcotts to the ape characters at the beginning of 2001: A Space Oddysey and the space monolith the apes discover as the Enormous Radio. Like the monolith, the Enormous Radio was a thing of intimidating mystery, learning, and beauty. And just as in 2001, the initial reactions of awe and wonder give way to violence. I remember that hypnotic opening scene in 2001 and I conjure up images of the Radio, shiny and complicated. I picture the Westcotts sitting in front of it, listening intently, much like families must have donen in the original radio days of the 1930s and 40s.
The Westcotts were actually on a fresh welcome mat of discovery and evolution: the Radio represented an entirely new age of technology, thought, and communication. But at the end of the day, I feel that no matter who posessed and enjoyed the wonders of the Radio, it would cause emotional (and perhaps eventually physical) ruin.
The plainness, the "white picket fence" mentality of the couple was very apparent. That particular point fascinated me, since I would expect fans of classical music to be very unique, colorful, and clever people. It takes a special kind of artistic intelligence, emotional awareness, and sophistication to enjoy and "get" classical music. And the Westcotts were not portrayed as having that kind of depth. Until the end, of course. It is at the point where Jim loses his temper on Irene that the true colors of their pain and humanity becomes apparent. I find it interesting how they lived a somewhat closed-off existence, and in their own little world. Prisoners of a lack of self-awareness and an over-abundance of arrogance. What I mean by that is when they heard the people in other apartments they were so convinced that they weren't like that, and that they were above such behavior. Yet the author portrayed them as becoming like that towards the end of teh story. Yet we knew all along they were no different from other people. The only difference with the Westcotts is that they had a mirror, a thing of true supernatural and spiritual wonder: the Enormous Radio. They could have used it to gain insight into the brutal subtleties of human nature, and perhaps avoided the fight they had at the end of the story. And they also would have been able to get all their neighbors the most wonderful gifts for Christmas and birthdays.
"How did you know I wanted one of these? Jim and Irene, you are such kind and perceptive people!"
I likened the Westcotts to the ape characters at the beginning of 2001: A Space Oddysey and the space monolith the apes discover as the Enormous Radio. Like the monolith, the Enormous Radio was a thing of intimidating mystery, learning, and beauty. And just as in 2001, the initial reactions of awe and wonder give way to violence. I remember that hypnotic opening scene in 2001 and I conjure up images of the Radio, shiny and complicated. I picture the Westcotts sitting in front of it, listening intently, much like families must have donen in the original radio days of the 1930s and 40s.
The Westcotts were actually on a fresh welcome mat of discovery and evolution: the Radio represented an entirely new age of technology, thought, and communication. But at the end of the day, I feel that no matter who posessed and enjoyed the wonders of the Radio, it would cause emotional (and perhaps eventually physical) ruin.
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Veldt
Throughout The Veldt it was obvious that the nursery was the main source of fear and anxiety. It is a huge room that the kids have complete control over. Anything they think is projected into real life images in the walls. When the parents go into the nursery it is an African veldt. Not only are they able to see the lions eating but they can feel the sun, and smell the blood and meat from the lions’ mouths. It is so realistic that Lydia runs away from it crying. It is far from Alice in Wonderland, which is a common theme of the room. George went into the room and was unable to change what he saw, but when the kids are questioned about it the nursery then turns into a beautiful forest. The kids were unable to change what he couldn’t.
From this story it seems that the main anxiety Bradbury is trying to get across is the fear of future development. As the future progresses there are new inventions made that are meant to aid people in their everyday lives. In this case these new developments are hurting them rather than helping. They don’t do anything for themselves anymore. The simplest things, like taking a bath and cutting up food, are done for them. In the case of the nursery, the parents are basically helpless. The kids are the only ones who are able to control it. Even today younger generations have a better understanding on how to work technology than most adults. Therefore, in addition to the fear of the future, it also brings up the idea that kids can end up having more power and control in the world than adults do.
From this story it seems that the main anxiety Bradbury is trying to get across is the fear of future development. As the future progresses there are new inventions made that are meant to aid people in their everyday lives. In this case these new developments are hurting them rather than helping. They don’t do anything for themselves anymore. The simplest things, like taking a bath and cutting up food, are done for them. In the case of the nursery, the parents are basically helpless. The kids are the only ones who are able to control it. Even today younger generations have a better understanding on how to work technology than most adults. Therefore, in addition to the fear of the future, it also brings up the idea that kids can end up having more power and control in the world than adults do.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The Enormous Radio
The Enormous Radio is about a very average couple who seem to genuinely like each other. The narration is from someone who is not involved in the story alone, purely just informative and has no connection to the characters in the book, so there is no opinion about our characters, just facts. The only thing that sets this couple apart from the norm of the everyday life is their love for music. The description of the old radio and the new one is very minimal. The only detail that really stuck with me was that Irene thought that the new radio was ugly.
I feel it was ironic how Irene never wanted to be like the people she was hearing on the radio and at the end her husband was yelling at her and complaining about all the things she did not want him to worry about like the other people. You get a sense that the author wanted you to see that though they were not privileged, they still had a good life during the story. It seemed that if they did not worry about it and just went about their daily lives, all those problems that normal couples have did not seem to apply to them. However, when Irene was exposed to what other people go through every day, it consumed her to not be like “other people” and to be almost perfect. Since that was all she could think about and all she wanted to do was judge others, it seemed at the end that it broke down her marriage.
I feel it was ironic how Irene never wanted to be like the people she was hearing on the radio and at the end her husband was yelling at her and complaining about all the things she did not want him to worry about like the other people. You get a sense that the author wanted you to see that though they were not privileged, they still had a good life during the story. It seemed that if they did not worry about it and just went about their daily lives, all those problems that normal couples have did not seem to apply to them. However, when Irene was exposed to what other people go through every day, it consumed her to not be like “other people” and to be almost perfect. Since that was all she could think about and all she wanted to do was judge others, it seemed at the end that it broke down her marriage.
"time and again" by breece D'J Pancake
“Time and again” by Breece D’J Pancake might have been a short read but it was somewhat tricky. Reading through it the first time I took the reading as a lonely man whose family had left him. He only had the pigs that he took care of and he hoped that one day they would come back. After reading the story for the first time I felt that it didn’t really fit the gothic way of writing so I reread it. During the second time through I looked for more clues that would show a gothic way of writing. The second read through was completely different than the first. The hogs played a huge part in the book, at first I thought that they were only there because the man was lonely but after reading the story closely I realized that the hogs were actually a way for the man to get rid of the bodies. The man was actually a serial killer that would kill hitchhikers along the road, feed the bodies to his hogs and then throw the bones over the cliff. The wife and son were also another huge part of the story. I understood that the wife had died but I didn’t realize in the first read that the man was the one who killed her. The son ran away because he figured out that his father had murdered his mother and actually fed her to the pigs. The man tried to tell the son that the hogs were squealing because they were happy but in reality they were eating his mother. It’s easy to see that something isn’t right with the man especially when he is talking to the hitchhiker while plowing the snow covered roads. He begins to talk about the number of people who were killed in Gauley, the man just agrees and begins to tell stories of being in the paratroops and how it felt to snap the German army’s’ necks. The only thing that saved the hitchhikers life was the fact that the man was just too tired to put the effort into killing him. It’s easy to see this when the man says “he bends forward, grabbing under the seat and his head turned from me. But I am way too tired now and I don’t want to clean the seat.”(Pancake 459) The setting of this story is a very cold and strange setting mostly because of the darkness that takes place. The dark road that only the car lights light up and the man’s house which only has one light on in the kitchen. The coldness of the winter also plays into the gothic writing of the story.
The Enormous Radio
The story "The Enormous Radio" by John Cheever is a thought provoking story in that sense that I did not quite understand how significant the radio was at first glance. However, as a reader my expectations forced to believe me that there has to be something very eerie about this radio. The eeriness begins with the radio's ugly gumwood cabinet that stands out inside Irene’s handpicked furniture. After reading it the story a second time through I realized the radio is not just an expensive piece of equipment.
At the beginning of the story the Westcott’s are described as music lovers attending the theater on a regular basis with a love for "serious music". To Irene Westcott’s surprise the interference that the radio was picking up was somehow picking up the conversations of other people living within her apartment complex. Irene begins the story as a perfectly sane individual but there is something about this new found ability to spy on her neighbors that fascinates her. The conversations that the radio is intercepting are not regular dinner conversations it seems as if the radio only transmits the moments on par with Mr. Osborn's beating his wife. Irene is so obsessed by this point that she has become very distant from Jim and cuts the luncheon date short to make sure she doesn't miss any of the "Reality Radio" going on throughout the apartment building. Irene insanity is clear at this point due to lines such as "On the way home, Irene speaks of the stars like a little candle throwing its beam as to "shine a good deed in a naughty world." which I believe refers to the Westcott’s perfect exterior being observed by all the terrible things taking place within the apartment complex. The radio is essentially the focal point to the demise of the Westcott’s both financially trying to balance the cost of the radio, and the clothing Irene had neglected to mention. Coupled with the strain of the emotional detachment Irene ungo from both her husband and her children enviably put an end to the Westcott’s perfect life.
A lot is revealed about the character of Irene the most interesting in this story. Just for the drastic change in character. In the story you get a sense that she probably isn't the most caring mother by how much the maid tends to the children. At the end of the story however it takes it to a whole different level when she is accused of treating an abortion like trip to Nassau, Bahamas. A phrase as bold as that almost makes your jaw drop. I’m still left with questions however, concerning how a radio could intercept a signal that isn’t being transmitted or is this merely a result of a supernatural?
At the beginning of the story the Westcott’s are described as music lovers attending the theater on a regular basis with a love for "serious music". To Irene Westcott’s surprise the interference that the radio was picking up was somehow picking up the conversations of other people living within her apartment complex. Irene begins the story as a perfectly sane individual but there is something about this new found ability to spy on her neighbors that fascinates her. The conversations that the radio is intercepting are not regular dinner conversations it seems as if the radio only transmits the moments on par with Mr. Osborn's beating his wife. Irene is so obsessed by this point that she has become very distant from Jim and cuts the luncheon date short to make sure she doesn't miss any of the "Reality Radio" going on throughout the apartment building. Irene insanity is clear at this point due to lines such as "On the way home, Irene speaks of the stars like a little candle throwing its beam as to "shine a good deed in a naughty world." which I believe refers to the Westcott’s perfect exterior being observed by all the terrible things taking place within the apartment complex. The radio is essentially the focal point to the demise of the Westcott’s both financially trying to balance the cost of the radio, and the clothing Irene had neglected to mention. Coupled with the strain of the emotional detachment Irene ungo from both her husband and her children enviably put an end to the Westcott’s perfect life.
A lot is revealed about the character of Irene the most interesting in this story. Just for the drastic change in character. In the story you get a sense that she probably isn't the most caring mother by how much the maid tends to the children. At the end of the story however it takes it to a whole different level when she is accused of treating an abortion like trip to Nassau, Bahamas. A phrase as bold as that almost makes your jaw drop. I’m still left with questions however, concerning how a radio could intercept a signal that isn’t being transmitted or is this merely a result of a supernatural?
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Cultural Context: The Veldt
In reading the story The Veldt I noticed that the nursery room was one of the biggest problems, even in the beginning of the story. The nursery room is made of some type of crystal and is very large with a tall ceiling. Not only is the room huge (as described) but it also reacts to the person’s thoughts. This way parents were able to see what was inside the child’s mind because their thoughts remained in the walls. Some examples of what the parents saw were Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin, cows jumping over the moon, and last but not least the African Veldt. The African veldt was described as almost real thing, not only were sights in this room but also smells and temperature.
Throughout the story we find out that this family lives in such a high tech house that the family does not need to do anything for themselves. Even the simplest things a person can do, like bathe themselves or tie their own shoes. The anxiety that I pick up from this story is the fear of the development of the future. The fear of what children have more understanding of the newer developments also seems like another factor. I think the children are a symbol of the future while the parents are of the past. The mother wishes to go back to the simple times, when she was able to do things on her own while the children seem to not be able to live without the developments of the future. The biggest problem of the whole story is that the future interventions can be used negatively even though those thoughts were not put in the fore front of the persons mind when getting something so advanced. This family in particular thought it was something great that the children would be able to grow with because of the visuals.
Putting it simply, the story basically states a few different points. Do not trust things of the future because things can always become “too real” which can always be a bad thing, especially when it was meant to be only an illusion.
Throughout the story we find out that this family lives in such a high tech house that the family does not need to do anything for themselves. Even the simplest things a person can do, like bathe themselves or tie their own shoes. The anxiety that I pick up from this story is the fear of the development of the future. The fear of what children have more understanding of the newer developments also seems like another factor. I think the children are a symbol of the future while the parents are of the past. The mother wishes to go back to the simple times, when she was able to do things on her own while the children seem to not be able to live without the developments of the future. The biggest problem of the whole story is that the future interventions can be used negatively even though those thoughts were not put in the fore front of the persons mind when getting something so advanced. This family in particular thought it was something great that the children would be able to grow with because of the visuals.
Putting it simply, the story basically states a few different points. Do not trust things of the future because things can always become “too real” which can always be a bad thing, especially when it was meant to be only an illusion.
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