The Shell of a Man

Originally for my Panel presentation my group and I were going to talk about Gregor on a Physical basis. His looks in particular. What sort of bug is Gregor? Is he a beetle or a cockroach? These are all questions that have been floating in my head as I read this book. Although there are moments in the book that specifically say "cockroach" but i feel like that isn't true. Gregor isn't a cockroach. Have you ever just sat down with someone and assigned inanimate objects to people (you know who you are :))? For example saying if someone was a fruit what kind of fruit you are? What color they would be if they were a color, well I feel like Gregor is not a cockroach.

I read an article that talked about what Gregor could be but its main point is you shouldn't draw out Gregor and that he isn't any specific insect rather he is a mix of insects but imaginary, like a unicorn. I disagree, i feel as the reader we should draw out Gregor. Draw out his wings, his thorax, head, mandibles, and other insect parts. Maybe he has a horn, maybe he has spikes on his back, what it he's just a big lady bug. The only limitation is your imagination. Personally i always imagined Gregor as a rhinoceros  beetle. A rhinoceros beetle is one of those big black beetles with a big horn coming from the top of their head.

What kind of insect do you think Gregor is? Should he be drawn or much like the lochness monster, big foot, or other mystical beasts be left to the imagination?

Tip of the Iceberg

On the surface Jake seems like a normal person for his time. He's living life in Paris working for a local paper, partying in the evenings, and just enjoying the whole vibe. His life isn't all fine champagne and baguettes however, much like your everyday Joe there is a lot of drama in his life. Whether it is his friends being annoying or the love of his life being with other men. He's had to sacrifice a lot in his life in order to get nothing. I know that doesn't make a lot of sense but emotionally Jake is stretched, rolled, and full of holes. He doesn't come off as this when you he tells you about his life or the stories that are going on at the given moment, but who would want to admit that to a crowd of strangers?

The reason I say this is because Jake is obviously in a lot of pain. He doesn't show it on the surface but more subtly. The way he reacts to things, the backhanded compliments, snide comments, passive aggressive motivations. It is easy to see how Brett makes him feel when they talk. Personally I feel like I'm thrusted into Jake's mindset. I can feel the way his heart beat picks up when he talks to her. The way his cheeks flush when they touch. He doesn't narrate these feelings because he feels them and needs not repeat them. Every time he hears or talks to Brett about her escapades his heart drops a little. But the reason why i doesn't break over and over and over............and over again is because he knows that the other men have no chance of winning her "love" and she is just looking for a good time. However with Cohn it is a little different. Jake doesn't explain his situation with friends, but from what I can tell it sort of seemed like Cohn was on of his few friends. One of the few he trusted that was. He never told Cohn how he felt about Brett so he wasn't all too mad at him they went off to San Santiago but Brett knew their friendship, yet still went with him.

Sorry I started rambling into nothingness, but the point is that Jake loves Brett with all his heart and that's why he helps her with other men. He wants her to be happy because he knows he can't be that happiness she needs. Although he's sacrificing so much more then he is giving it gives him a reason to get up in the morning. Ignoring whether this is healthy or him, or if Brett is "using" him, it's at least a little sweet. And in the end he is happy for the most part.

Skeptimus Septimus

Have you ever heard of the "Butterfly Effect"? The theory stating that the soft beat of a butterfly in the southern tip of Mexico can cause a tidal wave or tropical storm somewhere in the Indian Ocean. In other words it's just a theory that says something small and insignificant (much like a beat of a butterfly's wings) can lead to something much bigger (hence the storm). As I was reading about Septimus I thought of this Effect. While Septimus' story itself had no relation or "real" connection with Clarissa or her party, it did have an importance. 

The readers were first introduced to Septimus, in the first few parts of novel, when Clarissa went flower shopping. He just appeared to be a random person who had a strange air about him. One that makes someone want to walk by them quickly and try to forget about them. As we delved into the mind of Septiumus we found out that his mind worked much differently then those around him. A prime example (as explained in a panel presentation on the 13th) was when the car was driving down the road. Everyone around Septimus was intrigued by the sleek car and was in wonder as to who might be seated behind the dark windows, while he was thinking cloudier thoughts mainly focused on the war. Septimus hasn't an easy life, he came to England as a bright and intellectual soul. Finding amazement in life and the simple objects around him (much like our good ole friend Howie). He wanted to be the next big writer much like his idol "William Shakespeare". Little did he know the very place he came to find happiness and prosperity will end up being the place full of dread and ultimately death. Going to war to change who he was to end up just a shell of a man. Functional physically but mentally empty.

Of course as previously stated no one knew that about Septimus the morning the car drove by or when the plane flew over head. Later that day none of them will know that the ambiance of the road would be shattered with the cry of an ambulance carrying the man who could not think. Yet after that moment news got around and soon the creepy man next to the road had a name, Septimus. Suddenly the doctor believed him, wanted to help, the people understood. It made people appreciate their lives more and think about the times they wanted it to all end. Alas the loudest cry for help that was listened to was the one that was silent.

How did the story of Septimus make you feel? Did you see it coming (or if you read the back did you imagine it happening in this way? Any other random thoughts?

A Mind in the Wind

Nicholson Baker's novel The Mezzanine remind me a lot about myself. His character "Howie" sees the world through a microscope and focusing on the finite details of life that one might miss on their day to day life. This is something I relate to because often I find myself wondering about the small things and ignoring the big picture that most people tend to look at.

The first time I really noticed this after reading the book was when I was in 5th period English class and the fan was twirling clockwise while the one next to it went counter clockwise, like what was up with that? Did the turning of the fans maxamize the amount of air flow in the room? Did it make everyone cooler or feel more refreshed and comfortable? Also it was making this weird clicking noise much like the tick off a clock but distinct. Tick...tick...tick...the fan went. Every 2 seconds, it just ticked. I didn't notice it at first but once I did I couldn't stop hearing it. The sound trying to penetrate into my head much like a woodpecker to a soft barked tree in the early morning.

This is the way my mind works throughout the day which really drew me to Baker's character. Especially the way he talked about the shoe laces and how using them correctly (like correcr knots) was slowly wearing them out. In my mind I started to go one a rant about how life is like a shoe lace and in th end even if we are healthy and live correctly we will break in the end. I know it's dark but it really got my mind going. I'm going to end this post by asking a few questions: Have you ever found your mind wondering like Howie's? What's something small no one noticed?