Hey, my post order is ALL messed up where I missed some posts and had to make up.
So, today's post is right below Greasy Lake - Metaphors.
Just in case you guys would just take a glance and assume I didn't do it.
I did! I swear! It's there!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Greasy Lake - Metaphors
Greasy Lake was an interesting story and full of metaphors. The whole thing is just rather ironic. These 'bad' nineteen-year-olds are putting SO much effort into looking like they don't care. I made a connection between them and people here. Yeah, yeah, they're just looking to get drunk and high and it's like Athens and all that. Yeah. But, a lot of people here seem to try to look like they don't care. You know the look. Sloppy ponytail, sweatshirt, sweatpants, and of course, Uggs. It's doubtful, but maybe, MAYBE, when that look first happened somebody just really didn't give a shit. But, now it's turned into a trend. It's pretty cool to pretend that you don't care how you look but in reality everyone is paying so close attention to the detail of looking sloppy that they couldn't care more. ANYWAY... Onward to metaphors!!
The lake itself is a metaphor for life that used to be simpler, I guess. When we get older we lose our innocence. Our cleanliness, if I may. Yes, our MORAL cleanliness. It is mentioned that the lake used to be clean, clear, nice, and pretty. But, as the years go by everything loses its' cleanness and clearness. Everything and everyone gets murky and dirty and corrupt, it seems.
When he drops his keys it's brilliant! They're at a LAKE. He's says the first mistake (dropping the keys) opens the FLOODwall. He SPILLS his keys rather than drops them. Finally, he describes the night/darkness as a PUDDLE. Props, T.C. Boyle. Seriously.
I also love how all these guys are so 'bad'. He says he's with a couple of 'bad' characters. I mean, come on, one of them goes to CORNELL and the other wants to become a painter, or something of the like. Yeah, they sound like really scary guys. He, the narrator, when talking about the tire iron, even mentions the fact that he hasn't been in a fight since 6TH GRADE. They are truly scary. I wouldn't mess with them for my life.
Lastly, when they get caught trying to rape the girl they all run away. The narrator says that he is 'already ankle-deep in muck and tepid water and still going strong'. Why, yes you are. Not only is he actually, literally, ankle deep in muck, he's in a shit ton of trouble. He's done several things that are pretty terrible and he knows that it's not getting any better.
This story was great!! I greatly enjoyed it. It was both terrible and hilarious but, the combination was wonderful.
The lake itself is a metaphor for life that used to be simpler, I guess. When we get older we lose our innocence. Our cleanliness, if I may. Yes, our MORAL cleanliness. It is mentioned that the lake used to be clean, clear, nice, and pretty. But, as the years go by everything loses its' cleanness and clearness. Everything and everyone gets murky and dirty and corrupt, it seems.
When he drops his keys it's brilliant! They're at a LAKE. He's says the first mistake (dropping the keys) opens the FLOODwall. He SPILLS his keys rather than drops them. Finally, he describes the night/darkness as a PUDDLE. Props, T.C. Boyle. Seriously.
I also love how all these guys are so 'bad'. He says he's with a couple of 'bad' characters. I mean, come on, one of them goes to CORNELL and the other wants to become a painter, or something of the like. Yeah, they sound like really scary guys. He, the narrator, when talking about the tire iron, even mentions the fact that he hasn't been in a fight since 6TH GRADE. They are truly scary. I wouldn't mess with them for my life.
Lastly, when they get caught trying to rape the girl they all run away. The narrator says that he is 'already ankle-deep in muck and tepid water and still going strong'. Why, yes you are. Not only is he actually, literally, ankle deep in muck, he's in a shit ton of trouble. He's done several things that are pretty terrible and he knows that it's not getting any better.
This story was great!! I greatly enjoyed it. It was both terrible and hilarious but, the combination was wonderful.
How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes) - Experimental Stategy
I've been pretty excited to read this one since I saw the title in the Table of Contents. Stories about mothers always intrigue me because I have a... I'll say interesting... relationship with my mother. Though the story wasn't what I expected it to be, all-in-all it didn't disappoint.
The way she wrote it - backwards - was pretty brilliant. It provided an intrigue to the story that wouldn't have been quite there if she'd written it NOT backwards. For instance, when she says that she is pregnant again it makes us wonder when she was pregnant before. She goes on to say that she is pregnant again - again. We wonder throughout how old the speaker is. She gets continually younger as the story goes on, but as we had no given age to start with, we have no idea how young she is getting until she begins to speak of early childhood.
We wonder what is going on with the mother and what has happened to her. We watch the mother get younger along with her daughter and we are eventually enlightened. Sometimes there are many things that go on in a year. Other times there isn't much. For instance, in 1970 she is pregnant again and gets her hair cut short. These are the things that were noteworthy in that year. In 1954 she only shoplifts a cashmere sweater. In 1956 she only tells her mother about the books she reading in college. Some years are so unworthy of note, apparently, that they are just skipped entirely.
I enjoyed the story immensely. The way it was written, for me, really made the entire story.
The way she wrote it - backwards - was pretty brilliant. It provided an intrigue to the story that wouldn't have been quite there if she'd written it NOT backwards. For instance, when she says that she is pregnant again it makes us wonder when she was pregnant before. She goes on to say that she is pregnant again - again. We wonder throughout how old the speaker is. She gets continually younger as the story goes on, but as we had no given age to start with, we have no idea how young she is getting until she begins to speak of early childhood.
We wonder what is going on with the mother and what has happened to her. We watch the mother get younger along with her daughter and we are eventually enlightened. Sometimes there are many things that go on in a year. Other times there isn't much. For instance, in 1970 she is pregnant again and gets her hair cut short. These are the things that were noteworthy in that year. In 1954 she only shoplifts a cashmere sweater. In 1956 she only tells her mother about the books she reading in college. Some years are so unworthy of note, apparently, that they are just skipped entirely.
I enjoyed the story immensely. The way it was written, for me, really made the entire story.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The Girl
I really can't say how much I enjoyed this. It was unbelievably real. I have journal entries that look almost like this. You know, high school journals in which all you do is bitch about your mother.
I'm not saying that her 'not happy' memories of her mother are arbitrary in any way. I just feel that many people can relate to what the author is recalling about her mother. Everyone gets the whole do this, do that, or this and this will happen to you. Stand up straight and chew with your mouth closed or no one will like you.
My mother, however, never told me that she thought I was becoming a slut, I mean not really. I'm not saying that my situation is exactly the same.
It's dated, though. I mean, what a mother taught her daughter when this was written is going to be drastically different from what mothers teach their daughters now. While I DO still think that one can relate to it, it really is very different from what is taught now. For example, we don't still go to bakers for bread - not really, and we definitely don't create our own abortion medications.
It's a mother teaching her daughter things that she felt were important. Things that maybe she has found to be important. Our mothers do the same things, however different the lessons may be.
I'm not saying that her 'not happy' memories of her mother are arbitrary in any way. I just feel that many people can relate to what the author is recalling about her mother. Everyone gets the whole do this, do that, or this and this will happen to you. Stand up straight and chew with your mouth closed or no one will like you.
My mother, however, never told me that she thought I was becoming a slut, I mean not really. I'm not saying that my situation is exactly the same.
It's dated, though. I mean, what a mother taught her daughter when this was written is going to be drastically different from what mothers teach their daughters now. While I DO still think that one can relate to it, it really is very different from what is taught now. For example, we don't still go to bakers for bread - not really, and we definitely don't create our own abortion medications.
It's a mother teaching her daughter things that she felt were important. Things that maybe she has found to be important. Our mothers do the same things, however different the lessons may be.
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