Thursday, February 24, 2011
A Slow Start
It's been one hundred pages since my last post, and I still feel as if the action of the novel has yet to begin. Though, this might be expected from a 600 page book. This is not to say that I am not enjoying the book. Surprisingly, I am very intrigued by the plot and the suspicious characters though the story is still moving rather slowly. I cannot even fathom what could have possibly happened to Harriet, or what the motive might have been. Blomkvist does not give us even a hint of his theory on the matter. He seems to be very nonchalant about the whole ordeal, in fact. Though the characters express in words that the matter is grave and the family is in turmoil, their actions hardly seem to parallel Vanger's obsession with the case. So far I have been a little disappointed with the lack of emotion expressed by all of the characters. Blomkvist mentions every once in a while that the mystery of Harriet's disappearance is interesting; however, he talks about it so monotonously that I have to remind myself of how perplexing it all is. I keep turning the pages waiting for some unexpected event that will shatter expressionless faces of the Vanger family. Though Blomkvist has been staying on the island over a month now, it seems that he has accomplished little other than having coffee with a few relatives. Perhaps I'm expecting a little too much since I've only read a third of the book so far, but I'm hopeful that the action will pick up in the coming chapters and Larsson will reveal what is really going on with the Vanger family.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
So far, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has enticed me and I wish I had time to sit and read the whole book now. I enjoyed the suspicion of the prologue and was a little disappointed that the following chapters did not continue the same story. After introduction and background of several other characters, it seems that the mysterious "Case of the Pressed Flowers" has returned in even more depth. Murder was not what I was expecting for the premise of the birthday flowers; however, I was pleasantly surprised.
Author Stieg Larsson seems to use the prologue to hook the reader, then he departs from the pressed flower mystery to introduce the other characters and eventually display how their lives and stories are intertwined. Each chapter is headed by the date and seems to focus on a different character. It takes a bit of concentration to follow the complex plot and recall the details from each character's history. At first, I was really thrown off by the political and business talk and I tended to skim over the sections that focused on these issues. After getting through the basics, now I can more easily follow the business details and understand the importance of business and politics to the plot line.
As the title suggests, the girl with the dragon tattoo, Lisbeth, is the most interesting character thus far. She has the ability to uncover the most secret details of any case she is given despite the fact that she did not finish school and has no professional training. Her character seems to have a lot of secrets itself, but the way she separates her personal life from her professional life keeps us from knowing much more than her physical characteristics. As I neared page 100, Vanger started to become a more interesting character also, or maybe that's just because he holds the details to the murder of Harriet....
I have heard many people rave about how great this and other Stieg Larsson novels are. So far the story is just beginning and is taking off a bit slow; however, I feel that I won't be able to put the book down pretty soon.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Not So Fun Home
Bechdel also uses the images to give the reader details that would be omitted if the book were purely textual. In the following image, Alison explicitly says that she hates ornamentation, but the images display more than just disliking a chore. She says the embellishments "obscured function" and "they were lies." She juxtaposes her contempt for these lies with a scene involving her father and his "dark secret." The image of her father using a "bronzing stick" alludes to the nature of the secret. The juxtaposition of the lying embellishments with her father's secret creates a dark feeling of contempt and obscurity about her father's life.
Alison Bechdel's autobiography is entertaining and convincing in its honest comic form. In order to obtain the full effect of the story, one must study the pictures against the narration to uncover the meaning behind Bechdel's words. Fun Home is a comical, yet tragic story about a dysfunctional family who uses their picturesque mansion and family business to hide their darkest secrets. Full of irony, humor, and heartache, it is a good depiction of the reality of homosexuality and familial bonds.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Speaking the Queen’s English
In his enticing contemporary novel, Little Bee, Chris Cleave exhibits how personal experiences shape language and understanding between cultures. The tension created by British mother Sarah O’Rourke and Nigerian refugee Little Bee’s distant and ambiguous relationship portrays the lack of common ground between characters. As the characters begin to experience life in the other’s shoes, their connections are made clear and understanding begins to surface. As the characters gain shared experiences, they begin to act in the best interest of the other rather than solely for themselves.
Cleave utilizes a complex narrating style which tells the same story from two characters with very different pasts, values, and knowledge. Immediately Cleave uncovers Little Bee and Sarah as characters from two diverse worlds. We know they had an encounter in the past, but the story is as ambiguous as the relationship between Little Bee and the O’Rourkes. Initially, we know very little about the situation encompassing all of the characters, just as Little Bee and Sarah know little about each other. As Sarah and Little Bee come to know one another and have shared experiences, they open up and understand the other, just as they open up with us and help us understand their story. The more experiences the two share, the more they begin to act in the best interest of the other. After Little Bee reveals her story to Sarah, Sarah feels great sympathy for Little Bee and guilt for not doing more to save her sister; however, Little Bee is optimistic concerning the situation because Sarah was willing and able to save one of them. Since Little Bee has encountered significantly more death than Sarah, she is able to see the importance of saving one life. Because Sarah has so little familiarity with death, she is unable to look past the death of Bee’s sister, Nkiruka. As Sarah conducts research and continues Andrew’s book on refugees, she obtains awareness and begins to see the way Little Bee does. Sarah’s realization and sympathies with the refugee story causes her to bear their problems as her own. At this point we notice that cultural and linguistic boundaries have been crossed, and Sarah and Little Bee have let their experiences guide them to a unified understanding. At the end of the novel, Sarah validates their union, “We won’t ever give up on Little Bee. Because she is part of our family now. And until she is happy and safe, then I don’t think we will be either” (Cleave 261). Though Little Bee and Sarah appear to be opposing characters in the opening of the novel, their differing viewpoints come together as the characters become a family. In the end we see that the switch in narration creates unity between Little Bee’s world and Sarah’s world.
In contrast to Sarah’s motherly ability to look past herself and sacrifice a finger for a strange child, Andrew reacts to the situation selfishly. Because he is unable to see a connection with the Nigerian girls and view them as equals, he refuses to take on their problems as his own. Ironically, his inability to lose a finger to save Nkiruka ends up costing him his life. Once he returns home and researches the plight of the refugees, Andrew begins to understand what occurred that night on the beach. His knowledge moves him to begin writing a book publicizing their dilemma. Andrew becomes so linked to the refugees that he is burdened with guilt for his past and takes his own life. The sacrifice of Andrew’s life seems to bring the story of Nkiruka’s death closure. Cleave cruelly creates unity through Andrew’s death.
The English language presents various complexities because of the ability of a word to “split into two separate meanings” (Cleave 12). These complexities are bred by misunderstanding and create opposing ideas in various cultures. At times it is the Nigerian girls who are baffled by language barriers, other times it is us, the readers and the British, who are met with novel concepts of commonplace words, but in the end Little Bee, Sarah, and the readers understand the terminology of both worlds because we all face the same story. In the opening of the novel, Little Bee explains how the word “horror” means something different to the people in her village in Nigeria than it does to people in the United Kingdom (Cleave 45). For us, horror is a feeling that we experience for entertainment; however, for the people in Nigeria, “horror is a disease and [they] are sick with it” (Cleave 45). The difference in meaning comes from experience. Because we have not experienced the terrifying inhumanity of war, rape, and death, we cannot even comprehend words to the same degree. Another example of differing word usage is “topless” (Cleave 4). Little Bee explains that the girls at home would assume the woman in the newspaper that the detention center guard was reading had no upper body, but in our country we immediately presume the girl was not wearing a shirt. In Nigeria law would not permit a newspaper to print a picture of a naked girl, so people in Nigeria would not conceive of this happening elsewhere; however, in countries with more freedom and modernization, “topless” is a common phrase. Initially, Little Bee refers to Nigerian dialect as her language, and British jargon as “your language” or “the Queen’s English.” As the novel progresses, Little Bee understands both of the translations for many English words because she has experienced both worlds. By reading newspapers, magazines, and books, and watching British television at the detention center, Little Bee assimilated into a new world of understanding. By the end of the novel, Little Bee says, “I was scared that my Queen’s English would fail me” (Cleave 240). In comparison to earlier in the novel, we see that Little Bee has accepted the language of the Queen as her own. Throughout the novel, Little Bee explains how it would be to describe situations to her friends at home. Their reactions are always disbelief and utter confusion because they have a very different way of life. They grow crops instead of go to offices, they hide in the jungle instead of beside washing machines, and they use their imagination for suicide rather than for games. Little Bee uses the reactions of her friends at home to show how she initially reacted to the British world before the detention center and experiencing life with the O’Rourkes. After spending time in the United Kingdom, Little Bee can speak the language of both cultures, the one of her past and the one of her present. To connect with the unique expressions, she must rely on her experiences in each culture to lead her to understanding.
Another mechanism Cleave uses to demonstrate how Little Bee’s experiences have given her a different mindset than those outside of her village occurs when she describes her opinion about scars. Little Bee says, “take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, I survived” (Cleave 9). Since we have not suffered as Little Bee and the other refugees have, we think of scars as symbols of terrible events and we feel sympathy for the person bearing the scar. After surviving such horrific events, Little Bee has learned to appreciate the beauty of scars as a symbol of life and survival. Sad stories parallel scars in Little Bee’s world, “A sad story means, this story-teller is alive” (Cleave 9). Little Bee believes scars and sad stories to be cheerful only because she has lived through them. Without experiencing what she has, we would not award these concepts with positive connotations.
Cleaves allows the account of Little Bee to come to life in a manner that awakens the narrow minds of those she encounters and causes them to broaden their boundaries with understanding. One does not merely listen to or read the story of Little Bee, they experience it and in return, it changes their lives.
Cleave utilizes a complex narrating style which tells the same story from two characters with very different pasts, values, and knowledge. Immediately Cleave uncovers Little Bee and Sarah as characters from two diverse worlds. We know they had an encounter in the past, but the story is as ambiguous as the relationship between Little Bee and the O’Rourkes. Initially, we know very little about the situation encompassing all of the characters, just as Little Bee and Sarah know little about each other. As Sarah and Little Bee come to know one another and have shared experiences, they open up and understand the other, just as they open up with us and help us understand their story. The more experiences the two share, the more they begin to act in the best interest of the other. After Little Bee reveals her story to Sarah, Sarah feels great sympathy for Little Bee and guilt for not doing more to save her sister; however, Little Bee is optimistic concerning the situation because Sarah was willing and able to save one of them. Since Little Bee has encountered significantly more death than Sarah, she is able to see the importance of saving one life. Because Sarah has so little familiarity with death, she is unable to look past the death of Bee’s sister, Nkiruka. As Sarah conducts research and continues Andrew’s book on refugees, she obtains awareness and begins to see the way Little Bee does. Sarah’s realization and sympathies with the refugee story causes her to bear their problems as her own. At this point we notice that cultural and linguistic boundaries have been crossed, and Sarah and Little Bee have let their experiences guide them to a unified understanding. At the end of the novel, Sarah validates their union, “We won’t ever give up on Little Bee. Because she is part of our family now. And until she is happy and safe, then I don’t think we will be either” (Cleave 261). Though Little Bee and Sarah appear to be opposing characters in the opening of the novel, their differing viewpoints come together as the characters become a family. In the end we see that the switch in narration creates unity between Little Bee’s world and Sarah’s world.
In contrast to Sarah’s motherly ability to look past herself and sacrifice a finger for a strange child, Andrew reacts to the situation selfishly. Because he is unable to see a connection with the Nigerian girls and view them as equals, he refuses to take on their problems as his own. Ironically, his inability to lose a finger to save Nkiruka ends up costing him his life. Once he returns home and researches the plight of the refugees, Andrew begins to understand what occurred that night on the beach. His knowledge moves him to begin writing a book publicizing their dilemma. Andrew becomes so linked to the refugees that he is burdened with guilt for his past and takes his own life. The sacrifice of Andrew’s life seems to bring the story of Nkiruka’s death closure. Cleave cruelly creates unity through Andrew’s death.
The English language presents various complexities because of the ability of a word to “split into two separate meanings” (Cleave 12). These complexities are bred by misunderstanding and create opposing ideas in various cultures. At times it is the Nigerian girls who are baffled by language barriers, other times it is us, the readers and the British, who are met with novel concepts of commonplace words, but in the end Little Bee, Sarah, and the readers understand the terminology of both worlds because we all face the same story. In the opening of the novel, Little Bee explains how the word “horror” means something different to the people in her village in Nigeria than it does to people in the United Kingdom (Cleave 45). For us, horror is a feeling that we experience for entertainment; however, for the people in Nigeria, “horror is a disease and [they] are sick with it” (Cleave 45). The difference in meaning comes from experience. Because we have not experienced the terrifying inhumanity of war, rape, and death, we cannot even comprehend words to the same degree. Another example of differing word usage is “topless” (Cleave 4). Little Bee explains that the girls at home would assume the woman in the newspaper that the detention center guard was reading had no upper body, but in our country we immediately presume the girl was not wearing a shirt. In Nigeria law would not permit a newspaper to print a picture of a naked girl, so people in Nigeria would not conceive of this happening elsewhere; however, in countries with more freedom and modernization, “topless” is a common phrase. Initially, Little Bee refers to Nigerian dialect as her language, and British jargon as “your language” or “the Queen’s English.” As the novel progresses, Little Bee understands both of the translations for many English words because she has experienced both worlds. By reading newspapers, magazines, and books, and watching British television at the detention center, Little Bee assimilated into a new world of understanding. By the end of the novel, Little Bee says, “I was scared that my Queen’s English would fail me” (Cleave 240). In comparison to earlier in the novel, we see that Little Bee has accepted the language of the Queen as her own. Throughout the novel, Little Bee explains how it would be to describe situations to her friends at home. Their reactions are always disbelief and utter confusion because they have a very different way of life. They grow crops instead of go to offices, they hide in the jungle instead of beside washing machines, and they use their imagination for suicide rather than for games. Little Bee uses the reactions of her friends at home to show how she initially reacted to the British world before the detention center and experiencing life with the O’Rourkes. After spending time in the United Kingdom, Little Bee can speak the language of both cultures, the one of her past and the one of her present. To connect with the unique expressions, she must rely on her experiences in each culture to lead her to understanding.
Another mechanism Cleave uses to demonstrate how Little Bee’s experiences have given her a different mindset than those outside of her village occurs when she describes her opinion about scars. Little Bee says, “take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, I survived” (Cleave 9). Since we have not suffered as Little Bee and the other refugees have, we think of scars as symbols of terrible events and we feel sympathy for the person bearing the scar. After surviving such horrific events, Little Bee has learned to appreciate the beauty of scars as a symbol of life and survival. Sad stories parallel scars in Little Bee’s world, “A sad story means, this story-teller is alive” (Cleave 9). Little Bee believes scars and sad stories to be cheerful only because she has lived through them. Without experiencing what she has, we would not award these concepts with positive connotations.
Cleaves allows the account of Little Bee to come to life in a manner that awakens the narrow minds of those she encounters and causes them to broaden their boundaries with understanding. One does not merely listen to or read the story of Little Bee, they experience it and in return, it changes their lives.
Questions:
1) Do you think the topic question is too broad/unfocused?
2) Is the analysis too shallow?
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Another Good Trick
That is a good trick. Chris Cleave performs several “good tricks” himself. Until close to page 150, I saw each of the characters as a specific, static type of person. Andrew was cowardly and depressed, Sarah was lonely and guilty, Charlie was just a curious toddler in a Batman suit, Little Bee was an innocent refugee, and Lawrence was some one dimensional mystery lover. Charlie could easily recognize any of these characters as a “goodie” or a “baddie.” As the novel progresses, the reader finds out more about the past that intertwines each of the characters. The more Cleave uncovers about the past, the more evolved and dynamic the characters become, and the more the line between “goodie” and “baddie” seems to blur.
Sarah evolves as we see her let Little Bee into her life and see her realize that she must fight for Little Bee’s well-being. The readiness and ease in having and hiding her affair with Lawrence caused me to think of Sarah as a woman with no backbone and no moral. I thought that would continue to be the case when Sarah hesitated on accepting Little Bee’s offer to let her stay and help; however, Sarah stands up to Lawrence and, despite his argument for Sarah to call the cops on Bee and send her packing, decides to make it her goal to get Bee’s papers.
Little Bee grew into a much more round character in my mind throughout this section of the novel. I noticed one little comment that displays how she has learned to manipulate others because of her background, “But I have noticed, in your country, I can say anything so long as I say that is the proverb in my country.” Little Bee not only notices “good tricks,” but she can perform them, too. We see that she can hold her own as Lawrence tries to scare her into running away again. She raises her voice and shows more complex emotion than she did in the preceding chapters. We also learn that Little Bee was present when Andrew killed himself; however, I do not think Little Bee was to blame for his death as she says. Because she tried to save him by lifting him and putting the chair under his feet, I think Little Bee abandoned her idea of revenge and saw Andrew as an equal human. Though the line is much less obvious now, I think Charlie will always say that Little Bee is on his side.
Sarah evolves as we see her let Little Bee into her life and see her realize that she must fight for Little Bee’s well-being. The readiness and ease in having and hiding her affair with Lawrence caused me to think of Sarah as a woman with no backbone and no moral. I thought that would continue to be the case when Sarah hesitated on accepting Little Bee’s offer to let her stay and help; however, Sarah stands up to Lawrence and, despite his argument for Sarah to call the cops on Bee and send her packing, decides to make it her goal to get Bee’s papers.
Little Bee grew into a much more round character in my mind throughout this section of the novel. I noticed one little comment that displays how she has learned to manipulate others because of her background, “But I have noticed, in your country, I can say anything so long as I say that is the proverb in my country.” Little Bee not only notices “good tricks,” but she can perform them, too. We see that she can hold her own as Lawrence tries to scare her into running away again. She raises her voice and shows more complex emotion than she did in the preceding chapters. We also learn that Little Bee was present when Andrew killed himself; however, I do not think Little Bee was to blame for his death as she says. Because she tried to save him by lifting him and putting the chair under his feet, I think Little Bee abandoned her idea of revenge and saw Andrew as an equal human. Though the line is much less obvious now, I think Charlie will always say that Little Bee is on his side.
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