Macon's Personality

When we first started reading Angry Black White Boy I was not impressed with Macon's personality (I'm still not terribly fond of him but we'll get to that later). Right from the beginning of the book Macon seems arrogant and overconfident because he compares himself to great people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X and belies that he's justified in robbing people to gain equality for black people. I didn't have a problem with what he was trying to do, but I didn't like the way in which he tried to accomplish his goal.

Because Macon is so arrogant he sticks to his opinions no matter how crazy they may seem to us. He thinks he's being noble by stealing from rich, white people and giving back to the poor (except I don't think that he actually gives his stolen wealth to anyone). Macon believes that the best way to make black people look good is to make white people look bad. One of his craziest schemes to show this is the Day of Apology. The Day of Apology seemed like a joking suggestion, but Macon takes it seriously. The idea of forcing white people to apologize to every black person in sight seems absolutely ridiculous, not to mention uncomfortable. From white people's perspective, it would probably be awkward to start apologizing to complete strangers for racist things they may or may not have done. From black people's point of view it might seem creepy if a bunch of random white people start saying sorry to them. My biggest problem with the Day of Apology is that Macon believes that he can apologize for all the racist things that have been done to black people throughout history and expect them to forgive him. Indeed, the Day of Apology is a failure since the apologies don't seem to make the vast majority of black people feel better about racism.

Although Macon may be stubborn and arrogant, his one redeeming quality is that he can be quite smart. He is able to control his mouth in front of the press and think before speaking on the radio. It's impressive that he can come up with reasonable responses to different kinds of people on the spot over the phone. However, Macon's vices outweigh his virtues so I still dislike him as a character.

Room's Ending

I greatly enjoyed the ending of Room, especially after reading the end of The Memory of Running. At the beginning of Room, Jack is perfectly content with his surroundings. He is never upset that he can't go outside to play or that there is only one window in Room because he does not know what the outside world is like. Jack doesn't think that Room is cramped or that it's kind of gross because of a lack of fresh air. He likes Room and gets angry with Ma for disliking the only home he's ever known.

In the middle of the book, we see Jack's discomfort at the thought of leaving Room when Ma is planning an escape. Jack is always hesitant when Ma tells him that the escape will take place that night. It's understandable that Jack fluctuates between being that hyped kid who wants to be his mom's hero and being a scared five-year-old, but we can see Jack's maturity in the end when he finally agrees to hide in the rug to escape. Ma is able to persuade Jack that leaving Room would be best for both of them. Jack's decision to escape just for Ma seems as heroic as his actual escape.

After Jack and Ma arrive Outside, Jack misses Room, but Ma could not be happier to be free from her prison forever. Throughout the second half of the book, Jack continues to think of Room as his home and has difficulty adjusting to Outside. He constantly asks Ma when they will go back to Room and is always disappointed when she replies that they will never return. At the very end of the book when Jack is finally able to convince Ma to let him visit Room for the last time, we see a big jump in his maturity level. Sure, he's still the same tiny five-year-old he was two months earlier, but now he realizes that Room looks cramped and dirty. He also starts to realize that there's more than one of every object. At the end of the book, Jack recognizes that he must say good-bye to Room and is able to let go of his childhood home. The ending of Room shows how much Jack has developed in a short time period.   

Tug-of-War

Jack is in the middle of a "tug-of-war" of sorts when he is stuck in Room. On one hand, Ma is trying to convince him that Old Nick is "the bad guy." On the other hand, in "Unlying" Old Nick tries to act really nicely towards Jack to push the 5-year-old onto his side. We know that Ma is right that Old Nick should not be trusted, but Jack is an innocent child and doesn't know that.

Jack has spent every minute of his life with Ma and loves her very much. He knows that Ma doesn't like Old Nick, but he is not sure why. Because Jack trusts Ma so much, he sides with her. Before Ma tells Jack exactly what Old Nick did to her before she ended up in Room, Jack does not know that Nick  has done anything bad, so he doesn't have a reason to dislike his father. Jack is neutral until Ma tells him about the kidnapping. After he learns what happened, Jack forms his own opinion of Old Nick and begins to dislike him. However, Jack is a bit fickle-minded. Although he usually loves Ma, he sometimes hates her while the two are planning an escape. It's understandable that Jack thinks Ma has tricked him when Plan A doesn't work and that he is uncomfortable doing some stuff that Ma requests (like getting vomit rubbed all over his face). Jack is young and doesn't fully understand Ma's intentions, so he dislikes her sometimes when she's trying to help him.  

At first, Jack only dislikes Old Nick because Ma hates him. Jack's impression of Old Nick genuinely begins to deteriorate after Ma tells Jack what he did to her. In "Dying" Jack actually experiences Old Nick's cruelty firsthand. First, while Jack tries to run away from Old Nick, he gets bitten by a dog. Then, Old Nick drops Jack and flees while Ajeet calls the police to report Old Nick's license plate numbers. This is when Jack finally realizes for himself that Old Nick is evil.

The book is only half over, and I'm sure there's a lot more action ahead. I'm excited to read about what happens now that Ma and Jack have escaped from Room.

Ma's Stories

I greatly admire Ma for being able to raise Jack under her unfortunate conditions. Ma could easily lie in bed all day or let Jack watch unlimited TV to keep him busy, but she chooses to educate him. Every day Ma thinks of creative ways to teach Jack about math, science, reading, English, and religion, and Jack doesn't ever seem to become bored.

As Jack grows, though, Ma has to find a way to tell him about the world outside of Room while protecting his innocence. In "Unlying" we see Ma telling him stories that are supposed to teach him about the real world. First she tells Jack the mermaid story, which seems to be Ma's fantasy about what she hopes will happen. From that story it's already clear that Ma is kidnapped and taken to a place where she feels extremely uncomfortable. 

After the mermaid story, Ma begins telling stories about what her life was really like before she was captured. In the second half of "Unlying" Ma tells a few stories. She tells Jack about her childhood and about his grandparents and his uncle. Jack then starts to believe that there is a world beyond Room because he realizes that the air that enters when Old Nick opens the door is fresher than the stagnant air inside of Room. Ma also tells the story of how she ended up in Room, explaining that she was on her way to the library during her college days when Old Nick abducted her. This doesn't surprise me because it is quite clear that Ma has had some education based on the way she teaches Jack. It also matches up with the mermaid story in that Ma was forcefully taken away from her home and locked up in an inescapable prison like the mermaid. This story also confirms our suspicions that Old Nick gave Ma Jack to keep her happy. Before Jack came along, Ma really did just sit around in Room all day, feeling depressed. 

I can't wait to read more about Ma's background and am looking forward to finding out about how Jack responds to her stories.  

Smithy's Journey

The more I think about The Memory of Running, the less I see Smithy's journey across the country as a quest. When I think of the word "quest" the idea of achieving an important goal at the end of a journey comes to mind. I still haven't figured out what that goal is for Smithy. Don't get me wrong; Smithy was close to his sister, so I understand why going to California is so important to him. I know that Smithy made the decision to travel to Bethany on an impulse and that the decision was incredibly emotional, but I'm not sure what the point of his trip is. He really loved Bethany, so I can see why he wants to go all the way to California, but other than seeing his sister's body for a few minutes, I don't know what the point of going to Venice was. Smithy sacrifices a lot to get to Bethany. He loses his job and is basically left with nothing by the end of his journey, so it just seems a bit anti-climactic that once he gives up so much to see Bethany, he simply mumbles a few words to her, kisses her, and leaves.

His trip to California, however, is a different story. I think Smithy unconsciously gains a lot by embarking on his journey. He loses weight, improves his eating habits, stops drinking, and quits smoking. He also becomes an avid reader. Along the way, Smithy meets many interesting people and listens to their stories. At numerous points in the book, he says things along the lines of "the world isn't so bad." On this journey that only lasts a couple of months, he probably interacts with more people than he ever did in New Hampshire as an adult, and he starts to see that people are actually quite good. Smithy also becomes more mature in some ways, since he slowly heals his relationship with Norma through frequent phone calls and finally has the courage to deal with his awkwardness about wheelchairs by the end of the book. I think Smithy's physical health improves a lot from the journey, but also his mental and social well-being.  

From an emotional perspective, Smithy's journey was fulfilling because he got to see Bethany and he overcame his awkwardness towards Norma. His trip seemed equally rewarding from a personal perspective, since he matured and his overall lifestyle seemed to improve. Not to sound like  a cheesy hotel ad or something, but I think Smithy's lengthy journey was just as important as his destination, if not more.  

Some Final Thoughts on As I Lay Dying

As we finish discussing As I Lay Dying in class, I'd just like to say that this book is confusing! Throughout the novel, I tried to have some sympathy for Anse. For example, when Addie revealed her affair with Whitfield and her reason for marrying Anse, I felt bad for the poor guy. I admit that I almost began to like him after he explained his theory about upright things being meant to stay in place. There were also some points in the book where I felt like Anse might be bringing Addie to her family burial grounds to fulfill her dying wish (not just to get them teeth). At those rare times, I was sympathetic towards Anse. Alas, after finishing As I Lay Dying, I have lost all my sympathy for Anse.

On his "heroic" journey, Anse ruins the lives of all his children. Jewel loses his horse, Cash basically loses a leg, Vardaman loses Darl, Darl gets sent to a mental institution, and Dewey Dell never solves her problem (it seems like it actually gets worse). This doesn't seem fair, as Anse probably would not have survived the journey on his own; the kids did most of the work. The only one who does not suffer from the trip is Anse.

The thing that bothers me most about Anse is the fact that even though he is quite useless on the journey and creates problems for his children, he is the one who ultimately ends up on top. He is the only one who benefits from the trip to town. By going to Jefferson, Anse is able to bury Addie and keep his promise to her. In addition, he gets his teeth (using Dewey Dell's money, of course). He also manages to find a new wife. I know it's probably convenient for Anse to find a woman while he's in town, but it almost seems like he's mocking Addie by finding a new Mrs. Bundren so soon after losing the first one. I find it even more insulting towards Addie that Anse borrows spades to bury her from the new Mrs. Bundren.    

On the whole, I don't think I can feel sympathetic towards Anse, much less consider him heroic.  

Addie

Addie's chapter in As I Lay Dying is interesting because it reveals a few dark secrets (like the identity of Jewel's true father) and tells the backstories of some of the other characters. After I read her chapter, I began to view the whole book differently. Before I read Addie's chapter, I didn't know much about her; she was dying and the other characters did not really talk about her, though they talked about Anse and the children.  

When I first started reading As I Lay Dying, I thought Addie was a loving mother and the center of the Bundren family. I thought that Anse and the kids were making the journey for her because she was a caring family member and they wanted to fulfill her dying wish. After reading Addie's chapter I was a bit shocked. For some reason, I didn't see Addie as the type of character who would enjoy beating kids. I knew she did not like Anse, but I didn't think she would have an affair with Whitfield.

Looking back, I guess it shouldn't have come as such a surprise that Addie was morally corrupt and that she was not the kind character I expected her to be. After all, she refused to look at Anse in her dying moments. Once I read Addie's chapter, I felt like Addie was playing a cruel joke on Anse by forcing him to embark on a difficult journey to take her to her family's burial grounds. The journey caused many family members to suffer in some way. Cash broke his leg, Jewel burned his back, and Anse had to sacrifice a lot to buy a new pack of mules. All in all, this chapter completely ruined my impression of Addie.    

O Brother, Where Art Thou? The Odyssey?

O Brother, Where Art Thou is a movie that is loosely based on The Odyssey. Set in the Southern states during the Great Depression, the movie incorporates elements of the ancient epic poem into its plot. However, the relationship between O Brother, Where Art Thou and The Odyssey was not always clear to me. On the day that we started watching the movie in class, I sat in my desk scratching my head and thinking "this is based on The Odyssey?"

As we watched more of the movie, I began to notice some of the glaringly obvious parallels, such as the Sirens (who were also kind of like Circe), the Cyclops (Big Dan the con man), and Penelope (Penny). I still couldn't see the bigger picture, though. What was Everett even trying to do? Was he the hero of the movie? If so, then why was he an escaped prisoner? How did George Nelson fit into the plot of The Odyssey? (I still don't know the answer to this. I don't think he did.)

After we discussed the movie in class, I heard some of the more obscure (but still important) connections. I also realized more relationships on my own. One of the parallels that I recognized is the role of the gods in O Brother, Where Art Thou. Everett's companions, Pete and Delmar, become baptized early in the movie and believe that they have washed away all of their sins simply by jumping into a river. They are seen as relatively religious characters throughout the movie. For example, at the end of O Brother Where Art Thou, when the three main characters are about to be hanged, a flood saves them. Pete and Delmar believe that God sent the flood. Everett, on the other hand, refuses to believe in God and claims that there is a scientific explanation for everything. Everett's reasoning reminded me of Athena.     

After engaging in our class discussions and ruminating on my own for a while, I think that I can finally see the connection between O Brother, Where Art Thou and The Odyssey.  

Athena's Help

Twists and turns galore in books 21 and 22! As we approached the climax of the Odyssey in books 19 and 20, Athena seemed to be doing an increasing amount of work for Telemachus and Odysseus. When father and son were hiding the weapons, Athena made the room light. She also distracted Penelope when Eurycleia recognized Odysseus.

Perhaps the most significant way in which Athena helped Odysseus in books 19 and 20 was making the suitors look riotous and utterly disrespectful. That's not to say that they were behaved at the beginning of the poem; they were rude even before Athena influenced them. The difference is that in the later books, Athena made the suitors' impropriety more obvious and bothersome than ever so that Odysseus would have reason to kill them. She forced the suitors to do things that they might not have done on their own (like throwing a stool at Odysseus). Just when I thought Athena was going to win the battle for Odysseus and Telemachus, she stepped back.

During the battle in books 21 and 22, Athena watches over the fighting and encourages Odysseus, but does not directly interfere or help him in any way. The fact that Odysseus' side wins the battle without divine intervention makes Odysseus look more heroic (although if Odysseus had been in desperate need I suppose Athena would have aided him). While Athena may have helped Odysseus a great deal on his journey, it seems that there is a limit on how much she could help him so that he would be the hero.

It makes sense that Athena allowed Odysseus to finish off the suitors by himself. If she had helped him, I'm not sure how much of I hero I would have considered Odysseus.

Trust in The Odyssey

Trust seems to be a major theme in The Odyssey. The gods frequently interfere with the lives of mortals,  often disguising themselves as humans or animals. This makes it important for mortals to act carefully and to try to treat everyone with kindness. Given the fickle nature of the gods, it is also important to know when to trust them.

In the first few books, we see Odysseus unsure about whether he should trust a few goddesses. When Calypso announces that she promises to release Odysseus, he doesn't want to trust her because she has trapped him for so long and forced him to do things against his will. After setting sail from Ogygia, Odysseus becomes the victim of Poseidon's wrath. Ino offers to help him but he doesn't trust her at first because he is still cautious from his experiences with Calypso.    

Another major theme in the Odyssey that is related to trust is hospitality. Whenever Odysseus and Telemachus set foot on foreign soil, they are welcomed by locals and given food and shelter without hesitation. The locals, who are sometimes complete strangers, trust Odysseus and Telemachus to be peaceful guests, while Odysseus and Telemachus expect their hosts to be friendly.

Normally host and guest get along quite well in the Odyssey, but when trust is violated by either party the results are disastrous. Some of the few examples of a violation of trust that we have encountered so far are the suitors lounging around in Odysseus' palace and Odysseus barging into the cyclops' cave. In the first example, the lazy behavior of the suitors inflames Telemachus' aversion towards them. Granted, their intentions alone are probably enough to garner ill will, but perhaps if they behaved properly Telemachus would have been less bitter towards them. In Polyphemus' case, rude guests were probably unexpected, so it is understandable that he lashed out at Odysseus (although it seemed harsh for the cyclops to devour Odysseus' crew members).

It's interesting to see how trust plays a role in the relationships between characters. This analysis can sometimes help us understand the reasons behind characters' actions.            

What Makes a Hero: Morality in the Odyssey

What makes a hero? Great physical strength? Sharp wits? Super powers? These are probably some of the first qualities that come to mind at the mention of a hero. While heroes are known for saving others using their superhuman powers, it is important to remember that they must also be morally upright. After all, if heroes did not have kind hearts they probably would not risk their lives to help people. We are also more likely to root for heroes if they seem good-natured.

In The Odyssey, the gods constantly interfere with mortals, sometimes helping and sometimes harming the non-divine. The gods dole out punishments to mortals who have disrespected them but also aid their favorite humans on quests. Poseidon could control the seas at will and Zeus could effortlessly marshall thunder. Both could easily strike down whomever they chose to target. Although Zeus, Poseidon, and the other ancient Greek gods had a lot of power, we don't usually think of them as heroes. For one thing, they were more morally corrupt than the average human. Many gods had juggled multiple affairs at the same time. The gods were also notorious for being easily offended and reacting overly bitterly to the pettiest of offenses. In the Odyssey, Calypso is quite obviously immoral because she forces Odysseus to become her lover even though she knows that he already has a wife. Poseidon would like to kill Odysseus for blinding his son. 

Normally the characters we consider heroes are mortals who have been helped by gods. The gods supply the humans with ample strength and wit while the humans naturally have acceptable moral standards. This makes heroic mortals similar to gods without moral corruption. In a way, this makes heroes seem heroes are more perfect than the ancient Greek gods. Odysseus is gifted with cleverness from Athena and is able to shape-shift as needed with her help. What sets Odysseus apart from the gods (besides his mortality) is that he is morally pure. He could have easily stayed with Calypso, but he chose to remain faithful to Penelope. Odysseus' morality makes him a likable hero.