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The Ending: from Milkboy to Milkman

 I have read some and heard some criticism regarding the ending of Song of Solomon despite mostly positive takes on it in discussions. I agree with most of the class on this because Morisson uses it in a meaningful way, not just to be quirky or cliffhang us. We have talked a lot about Song of Solomon  as a coming-of-age novel, and the ending really makes a good case for this. Throughout the novel, we see the progression of Milkman as a character. For the first half of the novel, Milkman doesn't really go through any character development. But as the novel progresses we see Milkman finally becoming a real man by reconnecting with his past. Morrison shows us his progression as a person through the different actions he takes. Usually, he will do something compassionate or unselfish, which we don't attribute to the Milkman in the story's first half. An example of this is when he helps the man on the train with the big crate. This is an entirely unselfish act from Milkman which ...
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Meursault the Child

 Although Meursault does end up killing someone in cold blood, I think some of his traits are very childlike and remind me of the ways I used to think when I was a kid. When I read some of these passages I feel a lot of sympathy for Meursault, especially when I know what his fate turned out to be. However, they still remind me of a youthful innocence that I once had. These childlike traits that he has ends up sadly being the cause of his mistake and downfall. An example of a childlike quality he has is how hard it is for him to grasp some people's actions. Many young children have a hard time grasping why some people act or look the way they do, especially when they haven't seen or anything like it. We see this during the funeral when Meursault has trouble understanding why people are crying at his mother's death. Children are much more naive than adults when it comes to trust and judgment of characters (e.g. "I have candy in my trunk") and being able to different...
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The Beautiful Bromance of Jake and Bill

 One of the main themes throughout The Sun Also Rises  is Jake and his struggle with masculinity. Due to his injury and "situationship" with Brett, Jake often questions his masculinity and is afraid to open up about his insecurities. However, one of the only parts in the book where Jake opens up and is genuinely happy is when he visits the Basque country with just Bill. No girl problems, just two bros hanging out and enjoying the beauties of nature. This scene is one of my favorites as it is one of the few areas in the novel that Jake is able to embrace his masculinity in a positive manner. The portrayal of a masculine friendship like this is a really wholesome part of the novel in a novel that is otherwise very depressing from Jake's point of view. Bill is the one person in the novel that Jake truly feels comfortable with, much more than his love interest in Brett. While we see the group putting on a sort of facade and using constant irony to deflect when around each oth...
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Clarissa + Richard, L or W?

     Throughout our discussions in class, the topic of Clarissa's marriage was one that came up a lot. Many people questioned if Richard was the right choice for her, and maybe if she should've gone with Peter. I think many people felt that Peter was a better choice and that Richard was just too safe. However, I would say I have to disagree.     Personally, I just feel like Clarissa is going through something kind of like a mid-life crisis. I don't think that it is too extreme, but when it is all said and done, I doubt she really thinks that she should've chosen Peter Walsh of all people. She often reminisces over her teen years, specifically that trip to Bourton. I feel that this shows she would rather be young again and relive those memories rather than actually marry someone else. She questions her marriage a bit and the reader gets the feeling that she may have feelings for Peter Walsh since she's always thinking about him, but I think the scenes where we se...
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Howie: Ignorant, Naive, or trying to escape?

Throughout the Mezzanine, the main character, Howie, rambles about how interesting and fascinating the small, seemingly unimportant things in life are. He never talks about any big issues or genuinely important events that take place in the world around him. In class discussions, some were quick to question why exactly this was the case. With so many more important topics to discuss in the world around him, why was Howie so ignorant of these problems while writing this book? A point that came up that I thought was interesting is that Howie is so privileged that he doesn't have to worry about anything important. When this book takes place, there were many important topics at hand, including a lot of social justice movements regarding minorities and the oppressed. Howie is a white man, so it's possible that he just doesn't care about anything like that, as the world was almost made for a man like him. People pointed out that even when he was robbed he didn't really care. ...
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