soulflyds' Journal

9:10pm: paper prelude
In many ways this is a prelude to my final paper but it is also an idea I have for what I guess could be a spin-off book of Geek Love. I think it'd be fun to read the story told through Miranda's eyes if she were to have been brought up within the Binewski family, all the while still so "normal" in comparison to them and knowing that they are her family. Basically, a norm's point of view living amongst her family of "freaks". As an artist, how would her creativity be affected, enhanced or diminished? As an intellect, on a level that none of the Binewskis are, what role would she serve or how could she be either influenced or influential? All of the other family members have a very noticeable "freakish" quality to them that brings in money, but would her looks and small tail be enough to do the same for the family. Sure, she is considered pretty, but how would she fit in with the family lifestyle? Lastly, being as though she is so "normal" it would be interesting to get an idea on her stance regarding drugs and child bearing in the family. I relate this to my final paper like so. I don't think I will be touching on this blog's theme at all, but I wonder now if Miranda and myself would share any similar thoughts or feelings. I write this Friday night worrying and waiting for my girlfriend to get home from work at 2 in the morning. One of my best friends is also working there now. To touch on the questions I had of Miranda here is where my mindset is. As an artist my creativity has been heightened I'd say as I have found ways of utilizing my girlfriend and friends in a way that enhances my art. I have had them dance and strip as part of many of my band's live shows. I am also in the process of putting together a short film about them for one of my classes and have been photographing some of them that are interested in getting involved in modeling.
There is no designated "intellect" of our small clique, but I find it interesting to hear people's reactions when they hear what some of them are in school for. One of my friends majors in Pharmaceutical Biology and another is a pre-med. Just because a girl strips doesn't mean that they are an idiot. I mentioned in class how these girls look at "norms" but didn't really elaborate. Like I questioned if Miranda could bring in money for the family, these girls look at other girls and criticize them because they feel they would never make it as a dancer. The girls that they think would make good money as a stripper they tend to not talk to because they don't want to let on how much they make dancing in fear that these other girls may do it and take some tips away from them.
As far as the drugs go, this is a point that I will elaborate on more in my final in regards to the role it plays in just the "stripper world". However, for the intents and purposes of this blog I will look at the drug issue as a non-stripper or "norm" looking in. I don’t care what strip club you go to, they are always filled with scumbag drug dealers that try and prey on these girls hoping they can find one that has bottomed out and will be their new best client. The temptations are always there, as is the money, and a lot of the times it is tough to say no. I've gone through my own personal bullshit problems with drugs and know how tough it is to break free. That’s why every night my girlfriend works I can't rest until she comes home and I see in her eyes that she didn't give in again to problems of the past. The same goes for my friends when they work. I call them when they get done to see how work went. I know this is a fucking long blog but I'm bored and needed something to pass the time while I sit and try to wait patiently for my girlfriend to get home. By the way, if anyone is in Baltimore this weekend come check out my band Folded Hand playing the weekend long "Rock and Recovery Metal Festival" or tune in because we'll be playing live on-air.

10:48pm: V for Lets go back and elaborate on an unfinished idea
I mentioned before that I found quite a similarity between V for Vendetta and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but then lazyness reared it's lackadaisical head and I didn't elaborate. Well, now the time has come for me to indulge all of you in my findings. Let's begin shall we? For starters, V and Wonka (Gene Wilder) seem very different at first but as you look more closely it is apparent that both are maniacal sort of characters. I don't mean maniac as insane or like a lunatic but more as frantic, wild and outrageous. Gene Wilder has the look with his eyes, hair, wardrobe and also with his peculiar mannerisms. He acts in peculiar ways and allows for 4 of the five children that are touring his factory to find themselves in very unfortunate situations such as turning into a human blueberry or to be shrunk so tiny as to fit into his mother's purse. He does this to find who is loyal enough for him to turn his factory over to. V too has the look but aside from being a bit odd doesn't seem to be at all frantic necessarily. However, wouldn't seemingly random acts of violence, death and destruction constitute as frantic, wild and outrageous? V justifies his actions by seeking back the freedom that was stolen from him and the people of London. The London that is portrayed in V for Vendetta is a war torn, desolate land with not much to salvage. The main setting that we are really shown outside of Wonka's chocolate factory is the impoverished town that Charlie Bucket and his family live in. V is fighting for those in the war torn and dictator controlled London while Wonka winds up choosing Charlie to take over his factory in the future. V gives Louis Prothero a tour of the resettlement camps that he once controlled and held V in as a prisoner. He then burns Louis' dolls in the same ovens that Louis once controlled. A twist of irony as punishment. V created a fake resettlement camp, complete with fake guards and even a fake inmate. This was all done to imprison Eve, or so she thought, but in reality to teach her a lesson and test her mettle. She passed with flying colors and was eventually passed on the teachings and spirit of V. Wonka does much of the same. Misbehaved kids receive the same ironic punishment. Augustus, the heavyset glutton, pigs out on all the candy in Wonka's garden but has a particular liking for the cocoa river that runs through it. Well wouldn't you know that Augustus falls in and is swallowed by the river much the same way he stuffed his face full of cocoa and candy. The same goes for Violet who wanted the piece of candy that was a three-course meal. True to her name she turned violet, well more precisely a blueberry. Like V did with Eve, Wonka did with Charlie. He put Charlie through a test basically throughout the movie by having Arthur Slugworth try and bribe all the kids. Charlie didn't give in. Charlie and his grandfather made one mistake though by sucking in the air bubbles that lifted them off their feet. Testing Charlie's mettle Wonka acted mad at him and said he in fact didn't make it through the factory and win the grand prize. When Charlie proved himself by turning down Slugworth one last time Wonka announced Charlie the winner and heir to his factory. The examples go on and on but the fact remains that while V and Wonka handled things is vastly different ways, they did so in similar fashion. Sure, were never going to talk about Willy Wonka in class, or even V for Vendetta anymore but I wanted to point out a few similarities that I saw and how in many ways the story is the same. Thank you and good day.

10:27pm: geek love
"With Lil downstairs watching a tv screen through a magnifying glass, her mind steeped in the amnesiac vapor of her own decay, and Arty's wonderful face gone to worms despite me, I sit here looking at the full, ripe flesh of this almost normal young female and for a single satisfying instant see her on a platter with a well-basted skin crackling to the touch" (p33). "I stared in silence as Miranda swooped, shrieking, down the playground slide, searching to see alive in her all the dead love in me. 'She's happy" (p36). These are quotes of Oly's talking first about her mother and then her daughter Miranda. It is obvious during this part of the book, as she has grown, that she is torn between how she feels about her freakdom. She talks lowly about her mother , tried to help her brother Arty and talks more highly of Miranda. However, despite the fact that she says how beautiful and seemingly "normal" she is and such she is upset by the fact that Miranda hates her tail and wants to get rid of it. Oly lived her life as part of a freak show and you would imagine that she would be used to it and comfortable but as she has grown older she begins to change. I think its because all she has ever known is "norms" paying to come see her family of travelling freaks and now she wants something different. She still has feelings for her roots, which is natural and why she hates the fact that Miranda does'nt want her tail anymore, but she has also gotten wiser. Sure, Miranda is her daughter but I think Oly is showing signs of love for her seemingly normal looking daughter because she is just that... normal. I think Oly is developing a new appreciation for normalcy becasue of her daughter and despite her own upbringing.

7:37pm: laziness gets the best of me...again
Ok so I meant to elaborate on my last post about V for Vendetta reminding me of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory but I've been too busy and lazy to really look for examples and give quotes so all I have to really say about that idea is what I said in my last blog. Goats seem to be the bastard children of unicorns. They have the same look and horn and all but they are not nearly as magical and versed in flight. Poor goats, really, what the fuck is so magical about eating tin cans?

7:49pm: V for Wonka
Ok so I should'nt be posting this right now being as though I am at my internship so I have to make a quick comment and will elaborate on it later. But as I'm nearing the end of V for Vendetta I'm reminded of Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory because of how V is preparing Evey to take over for him. If anyone else has any comments on this please feel free to share. Sharing is caring and I will be here all week. To be continued.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... because you can just never have enough periods............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

9:00pm: assignment #3
Symbolism is a tricky concept in any area it is used because like a poem, it is up to the reader to find his or her own meaning in it and apply that meaning to help develop an interpretation. V for Vendetta is rich with symbolism, which makes this assignment a difficult one. The dolls that Lewis Prothero adores and the Shadow Gallery are two symbols that stuck out to me because of a connection I found between them, as well as a connection to my own personal beliefs about religion. Firstly, I think it’s important to understand each symbol for it’s own individual meaning and then see how they connect to one another. Then I would like to connect the two symbols in the novel to my own personal religious beliefs by way of a song that I wrote for my band to show how else symbolism can be interpreted in your own personal life.
The word fate tends to have a negative connotation so immediately you do not expect the “voice of fate” to be a warm, sensitive man. Lewis Prothero surely isn’t that, but it is how some see him because of his doll collection. “He collects dolls, you know. Wouldn’t think it, would you? Big man like that collecting dolls. He’s sensitive” (Dascombe p17). Page 33 has several pictures of his dolls and the most striking feature about all of them is that they all look alike and are lined up in military fashion. They are not happy looking dolls as their faces appear expressionless, a stone cold apathy. The dolls resemble the people of London because they too are helpless, unhappy, and led by a militant force. There are no individuals; they are all just a faceless number in a collection of dolls being played by the overpowering, controlling government. Neither Lewis, nor the government actually cares about the people or even the dolls themselves. They care about the power of being in control and having a collection of individuals to showcase and do with as they please. Lewis is not the leader; he is but a mere radio broadcaster that acts as the “voice of fate”. His collection of dolls represents his lust for power and control. They are all that he has any say so over. As the voice of fate he is what the people of London consider to be the end all-be all of life, government and society. However, Lewis has no control because he is told what to say. With his dolls however, Lewis is the leader and in control.
The shadow gallery is the home of V, a renegade set out to bring back freedom to a people that are under the iron fist of its government. Amongst being home to the only freedom fighter in London, it is also home to the only uncensored artwork and music that exists. "We are in the shadow gallery. This is my home...they have eradicated culture; tossed it away like a fistful of dead roses...all the books, all the films, all the music" (V p18). It is an art lovers Eden. The shadow gallery also doubles as a playhouse with elaborate sets that V uses to create a desired backdrop for the so-called plays and dramas that he creates. Art, theater and home are three adjectives that can best be used to describe the shadow gallery, being as though it is the home of V, art and theater. V is obviously the creative type and uses his form of art to help bring change and freedom. He uses art to try and help change the world that he lives in. Art is and, generally speaking, always has been the subject of censorship and controversy. Usually, it is not understood by the masses and in turn becomes vilified for it’s intent and content. The shadow gallery and V are the epitome of this. They are tucked away and hidden from the public, much like the government now is trying to censor anything considered to be artistic and creatively inspired. The intent of the shadow gallery is to give art, creativity and freedom a home. It is uplifting, inspiring and liberating, which goes directly against what the government now and in the novel are dictating. If V were to live in a suburban town home, condo or average apartment then the message wouldn’t be as clear. The shadow gallery is his home because of it’s content. The art, music and theatrical sets, which the government is so opposed to, are the perfect content of the gallery because they represent freedom of thought, speech and creativity. All of which is what V is fighting for.
So the shadow gallery is V’s personal theater and the home of art and creativity. It is here that he creates the backdrops to his plays and works to evoke change in society. I have established that Lewis Prothero does not necessarily cherish the actual dolls that he has in his collection, but rather he adores the power and control that he has over them. Thus, it is fitting what takes place in the shadow gallery between V and Lewis. V has created the set of the resettlement camps that he once occupied and has put Lewis there to give him a tour. V then shows Lewis his dolls and points out the fact that Lewis used to man the ovens at the actual camps. V then burns all of Lewis’ dolls in the ovens while Lewis looks on horrified. The symbolism of this act couldn’t be any more powerful. The home of art and freedom has been staged to recreate the resettlement camps that oppressed and suffocated. V, the essential freedom fighter then burns the dolls, which represent love for power, greed and control in the ovens that once tortured many human beings. As a man of the government, Lewis can only look on helpless while everything that he loved gets burned in the flames of freedom. This scene is a microcosm of V’s ultimate goal.
When thinking about this assignment I instantly thought of the newest song that my band and I wrote. The song is called “Mime Imagination” and is about my hate for organized religion because of how I feel it has been exploited throughout history to justify people’s own personal agendas. I certainly have no problem whatsoever with anyone that considers themselves to be religious. I, in fact, think religion as an ideal and model to live your life by is great. However, I am wholeheartedly opposed to organized religion because of how it has been twisted and whored out by people for their own liking. With that being said, I found a connection here in several different aspects. The government and V have tried to justify the unruly means by which they work by reasoning that their ultimate goal is worthwhile. The government in London imprisons it’s own citizens and kills at will while V, the bearer of freedom and hope, kills to reach his goal. Secondly, Lewis’ adoration of dolls resembles the worshipping of false idols much in the same way that Christianity, as well as other religions put so much stock in figures, architect and symbols. Finally, the shadow gallery is more or less a sort of sanctuary very much like a church, synagogue or other religious establishment is meant to be. However, like the theater that the shadow gallery is, some religious establishments also act as holier-than-thou fronts for crime, cover-up and brainwashing. The worshipping of false idols and the use of good intent to justify one’s own unruly actions are essentially what the song is about in regards to V for Vendetta. I wrote all the lyrics and am adding them because I feel that they relate to the topic in a way and like V, I’m using art to express myself and try to bring about a sense of awareness. The band is Folded Hand, check us out at the Rock and Recovery festival in Baltimore April 21-23.
Mime Imagination: (verse) Just a lesson to be learned, take this as your guidance not as the word. A storied man held in reverence, Aesop gave us this fabled savior for our penance. For these sins that we’re destined to commit, hellacious excommunication our only other option. Learn from the prophets and follow the redemption, a gift unto man a Son born from imagination. (Pre-chorus) Imagination, born from imagination. x8 (chorus) Propagandas lies, man-made believing your own. Stealing money, corrupting minds. Mass genocide, no more fucking martyrs, no more fucking lies…crucified paradise. (Post chorus) Theological drug poisoning your mind, to take you higher and higher. Give yourself to Him. Don’t speak, you’re just a mime. Crucified paradise. (Verse) Take another look at who’s to blame, an overbearing force thriving on pain. Holy wars because of it, perpetuating brainwashed minds sense subsided. Narrow-minded intolerance, blind to the contradictions, the fucking hypocrisy that you feed us. Right the wrongs in a house of mirrors, you’re one in the same refusing to hear this. Fuck you I refuse to worship your gift unto man, a son born from imagination. (Pre, chorus, pre).

8:39pm: V for New Blog
In class on Thursday when we paired up and discussed different topics about V for Vendetta it prompted me to write about a few observations I have made thus far in my own reading. I'll begin with something we talked about on Thursday, which is the meaning of color. The first bit of text on page 194 says "But the people are so cowed and disorganised, a few might take the oppurtunity to protest, but It'll just be a voice crying in the wilderness." The pictures before and after that text are great representations of what it is saying. The men that appear to be yelling and protesting are shaded in yellow, which we said in class to symbolize brightness and happiness. The rest of the crowd is more of a grayish red. While no one here is in any sort of bright and happy circumstance, the ones protesting are doing so in order to bring change and a better life possibly being cause for the yellow shade. At the top right of page 197 the text reads "and there are places where the ice is treacherously thin." This being said about dissatisfaction, disorder and civilazation's fragile crust...cold chaos. The people in the picture that accompany the text I quoted are an odd array of colors with fanatical expressions on their faces giving the idea of hysteria and disorder.
On page 71 Mr. Almond appears up to no good and seems to get a little too close for comfort to Rose with the gun in his hand. He holds it close to her face and says bang which gives her a scare. Mr. Almond says "Don't worry Rose. I didn't load it. Not tonight." Did he possibly think of shooting her? Later when he surprises V he forgets that it is still unloaded. Basically, he surprises Rose with an unloaded gun and when he sees V it is still unloaded and V capitalizes on that by killing Mr. Almond. With V being the bearer of roses it is interesting how it played out that Mr. Almond scares Rose with an unloaded gun only to do the same with V and have it backfire.
Has anyone else noticed a possible reference to suicide? I'm not sure what it could mean or if it even exists but here is what I noticed. The third picture on page 68 shows Dr. Delia Surridge's hand turned up with what looks like blood droplets in her palm and on her wrist. She is holding a rose in her other hand. On page 75 she goes on to expect and almost welcome her death by the hand of V. On page 193, the lady looking to buy a gun, which she eventually does from Mr. Creedy in a dark alley, holds her fingers to her head lke a gun and says "bang". I have not read too much further past this point but I would imagine that she will be killed soon as well. It is apparent that there are many dissatisfied characters in this story, could many of them be so dissatisfied and unhappy that death is welcomed over the controlled life that they are living?

5:47pm: Oh Foster, how I love thee
"There's no such thing as a wholly original work of literature" (p 29). This Foster character reiterates this point several times throughout his book and goes even further to say that nothing is original. I'm paraphrasing but his basic gist is that everything has been said already and everybody takes a piece from everyone else. Being an artist and musician myself let me say this; FUCK YOU Thomas Foster you pretentious fucking self-serving asshole. Now, I would like to break down for you why I feel he “got off” writing this book, using it as a form of literary masturbation to fulfill his lust for the subject.
"And that's geography? Sure, what else? I don't know. Economics? Politics? History? So what's geography then? I usually think of hills, creeks, deserts, beaches, degrees latitude. Stuff like that" (p 165). Okay for starters, Foster says that he doesn’t know and that he usually thinks, well you should know if you are going to write a book and claim to be the end all-be all of reading literature. "Geography is setting, but it's also (or can be) psychology, attitude, finance, industry-anything that place can forge in the people who live there" (p166). What the hell are you saying, that geography can be anything imaginable? Get to your point.
"Another character in another novel might find the heat oppressive... but she wouldn’t be Taylor Greer” (p167). Blah, blah, blah he hasn’t said a damn word in anything of substance in any of the previous quotes. And by the way Tom, if she were another character in another novel of course she wouldn’t be Taylor Greer. Great observation genius. “It doesn’t matter which prairie, which bog, which mountain range, which chalk down or limestone field we envision. The poets are being fairly generic in these instances” (p173). “We feel that those novels and stories couldn’t be set anywhere but where they are, that those characters couldn’t say the things they say if they were uprooted and planted in, say, Minnesota or Scotland” (p164). Am I alone in seeing Foster contradict himself here? How can he explain that it doesn’t matter which prairie or mountain range we envision in one instance then say that novels couldn’t be set anywhere but the exact location there are set. Get your story straight O.J. “Okay, so here’s the general rule:…when writers send characters south, it’s so they can run amok… the effects generally follow the same pattern…But do they fall under the influence of warmer climes, or do those welcoming latitudes express something that’s already been trying to make it’s way out? The answer to that question is as variable as the writer-and the reader” (p171). Basically what Foster is telling me here is that a story’s general flow and meaning is variable to each individual author and to each reader, dependent upon how they interpret it. Well I sure as hell needed some creepy sexual predator looking Michigan University English professor to tell me that I can interpret a story how I wish to interpret it. I interpret you as being a jackass Tom. “If you want your audience to know something important about your character (or the work at large), introduce it early, before you need it…the principle doesn’t always work, of course” (p205). Thank you once again for contradicting yourself so clearly. No explanation needed. “We’re into the realm of speculation here, but this is how it strikes me” (p209). “That’s up to you. But I’ll tell you what I think, and what I try to do. It seems to me that if we want to get the most out of our reading, as far as is reasonable, we have to try and take the works as they were intended to be taken” (p228). “Too much acceptance of the author’s viewpoint can lead to difficulties” (p232). And again, not only contradicting himself by telling us to try and take a work the way it was meant to be taken, meaning through the authors viewpoint, and then turning around and saying it could inevitably lead to difficulties, but he is filling these pages with opinion and in his own words “speculation”.
Now please don’t get me wrong, I do feel that many of the points and observations he has made have been beneficial to our class discussions and how we read and interpret the readings that we have had thus far. However, with the opening quote I used, which by the way I took as a slap to the face of every aspiring artist and musician, he opened himself up to criticism. Not to mention the fact that numerous times he finds it necessary to critique many great authors one of which being Mark Twain. Foster used many of his own personal favorite pieces of literature and authors to make his point, which isn’t a great range of sources. The credit Foster receives as an author, professor and expert on literature in this context I liken to that of Nostradamus. Foster wrote an entire book making obscure links and connections between things that he feels might be related and have some sort of other deeper meaning. Looking back now, we can twist any writing of Nostradamus into a prediction of just about anything we want and call him a genius soothsayer. Let me end this the way I began it by saying on behalf of all artists, whichever art one may choose, FUCK YOU Thomas Foster for the slap in the face you gave all of us and our creativity and originality. Have fun with your pen and your hand you pervert scumbag.

7:26pm: one more about the girls
I'm sure our conversation in class about The Girls is over and I'm pretty sure this won't even count as a post since were done with it but I have one final thing to say about the story. Last class we talked a lot about Arleen being a Christ figure and what role did Father Snow play. It was mentioned that he may have been a grim reaper character but I disagreed with that, and still do. However, I have found a good amount of evidence that would suggest the dad is the actual grim reaper character. On page 216 when the narrator is describing the mother and Arleen talking about going to check out a sweater a line that the dad says is thrown in there almost seemingly for no reason. "Daddy said that when you look death in the eye, you want to do it as calmly as a stroller looks into a shop window." When the mother passes out and begins to die he never gets up to do anything and instead only asks, "Dear?", with no clue given as to what his tone was. On page 217 when the girls are describing how thier parents are changing they say that "Daddy had wanted to burn like a hot fire." If you notice, the dad never has any specific dialogue with Father Snow. Instead, the narrator tells the reader what the dad said rather than him actually saying it himself. On page 219 when Father Snow says that he is thinking of resigning his parish the narator says the dad remarked that he and Mommy were with him 100 percent on it. Why is he so in favor of Father Snow stepping away from the church? Also on page 219 the narator lets us know that he told Father Snow the story about a house guest that could get out of his body whenever he wanted to and turn around to look at himself. This being some sort of weird ghost-like type story that he tells Father Snow. There is of course the proposal story that he ran a man over and killed him without giving a second thought to it what so ever. Even when this is told in the presence of a minister he has no regret or remorse and states only that the story was never told in public before. He is completely cold and unmoved by the significance of it. While Father Snow talks about repenting all the dad says, while smoking, is "We've had a good life, full. Can't take that away from us." Father Snow replies, most likely quietly and to himself "Another way of thinking, a different approach to everything in life." Finally, that last scene on age 221, carrying into page 222 depicts the father as a grim reaper or devilish sort of character. Arleen picks bloodsuckers off of the cats and puts them into the ashtray the dad is using. They most likely burn to thier death in his ashtray while he continues to smoke. On page 222, right after Arleen says that the girls are killing thier mother the dad is described like so, "Daddy lay his burning cigerette in the dish, then ground it out and lit another. The ashes moved with continuing, even renewed, effort." It is without doubt that I say the dad is the grim reaper or even devil sort of character in this story. For the most part, the only time he is ever really mentioned at any length or makes an appearance is when death is involved in some way.

10:13pm: Assignment #2
Regarding setting, “The First Four Measures” and “Death Defier” are clear examples of how emotional conflict and central themes of the story are carried out. Both stories have settings that involve seemingly barren, desolate places that are more important to the development of the story than would appear at first glance. In “The First Four Measures” three settings are critical to the emotional conflict, themes and overall plot of the story. The church in which the protagonist receives piano lessons, his home and the home of his family’s house sitter are all very similar settings in which emotional tension and plot development are created. “Death Defier” on the other hand uses a broader setting of war-torn Afghanistan as the emotional landscape from which emotional conflict and action grow out of. An in depth look into the settings, emotional conflicts and plot developments of each story will show the relationship had between theme and setting.
“The church auditorium was large and echoing, with two grand pianos, a darkened stage with velvet curtains, and a side room with mechanical floor polishers and cleaning supplies were stored…the concrete church steps were cold, and my legs felt numb…’It’s freezing in here’”. (Bellows pgs 112, 117). The cold, unwelcoming and unhomely feel of this church, a place that ideally is meant to be just the opposite, sets the awkward tone for the conflict between Mr. Nichols and the young boy. Taking into account that a side room of the church contains floor polishers and cleaning supplies it comes as no surprise that towards the end of the story Mrs. Spence witnesses Mr. Nichols touching the young boy in an unusual way. When she tells the boy’s parents of it, in order to try and protect him of any wrong doing, she is essentially trying to prevent or “clean” up any possibility of dirty play. Also, in light of recent catholic priest scandals the fact that the piano lessons took place in a church eludes to the possibility of child molestation on Mr. Nichols’ part. That of course is what Mrs. Spence was fearful of when she witnessed one of these lessons. The other two settings in the story, the young boy’s home and the home of Mrs. Spence are important because they serve as metaphors for each of their makeup and personality. The young boy lives in a rather large house that he desires to be able to play the piano to fill the empty rooms like a flood, “the house drowned in my accomplishments”. (p 115). Several times throughout the story he makes mention of such a desire, to fill large empty spaces with his music and to play beautifully. He looks to be trying to fill a void in life as is represented by the large, empty house that he has been raised in. He makes a connection with Mrs. Spence because she too has an empty void that she seems to want to fill. Mrs. Spence’s void is represented by her small condo that is occupied by only her small brown terrier Candy and photos of her family because as she puts it “that’s my family, only pictures now.” (p116). The homes that each of them come from explains the driving force behind their character. The young boy is in search of accomplishment and beauty deeper than a large, expensive house while Mrs. Spence is a nurturing, lonely old lady that looks to feel wanted and important. The three settings of the story lead to the plot and character development as well as the emotional conflict that ensues.
Granted, people are sick, hurt and killed in war, however the theme of death cold not have been as effectively told had the setting of “Death Defier” been a lush green landscape in the middle of the Bahamas. Afghanistan, a barren, arid and war-decimated country consisting mainly of desert serves as the perfect backdrop for a story about death and human conflict. It is no coincidence that Graves is sick throughout the entire story, presumably on his deathbed by the end. Nor is it a coincidence that the other two main characters, as well as their two companions are killed and brutal imagery of burnt and rotting soldiers are peppered amongst Donk’s descriptions of the area. It is ironic though that the only mention of life and fertility, the grass that is sought after to cure Graves of malaria, is what sets Donk and Hassan on a journey to their eventual death. This is an important aspect of the setting that the only signs of life and vitality are miles away and a journey for it leads to death. Human conflict is shown amongst each of the characters as well as between the different nationalities that are present in the story. In comparison, such is war and the influx of various cultures in a foreign land. “Each end of the road streaked off into a troubling desert nothingness and appeared to tunnel into the horizon itself…the country felt as empty and skull-white as the moon. Not our familiar moon but another, harder, stranger moon.” (Bissell p181). There is no escape from the strangling hold of war, and the ravaging effect it has on the land it is fought on. This is clear by not only the conflict between the characters and cultures found in the story but also by the fact that no one makes it out alive despite their search for life and well-being.
In conclusion, setting plays an influential role in terms of emotion and theme in a story. It can be used to set the tone, develop characters and plot, as well as to create an implied feeling and emotion for which the story is intended to be read through. The church and homes of the two main characters in “The First Four Measures” do just that as the church sets the mood for the uneasiness of the relationship between Mr. Nichols and the young boy, which in turn helps to develop the plot. The homes of each character helps to establish their personality. “Death Defier” uses the perfect setting of a war-torn desert to create a mood of hopelessness and despair in order to tell a story about death and human conflict. Without the proper setting a story could not be nearly as effective in getting across the themes and emotions that it intends to.

9:41pm: Stone Animals
This story is a cross between the films Donnie Darko and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I fail to see how acid or other psychedelic drugs did'nt play a part in this story. The unusual behavior of all of the characters suggest that there is a lot more than meets the eyes of the reader. More than rabbits, more than hauntings, more than an affair that never really happened. The real estate agent who sold Henry and Catherine the house didn't have a name because no one ever remembered it and rather than telling her name she preferred to wear skirts that were too tight so people would remember her. Possible drug dealer being secretive about her name yet with a calling card so to speak? The rabbits allude to a drug theme when considering the possible hidden meaning of drug promotion in Alice in Wonderland and the tripped out plot of Donnie Darko and his unique encounters with a 6 foot tall bunny rabbit named Frank. Henry is always away at "work" and on his last trip home, which closes out the story, seemingly loses his mind. He begins to, what I believe, hallucinate about all of these rabbits and the war that will ensue after dinner. Apparently he is holding a spear and there are others in the yard sitting on their rabbits waiting for the war. Who are these other people sitting on their rabbits and I thought the supposed war was going to be the exterminator taking care of the rabbit problem. The whole thing is in their heads from the house and their possessions being haunted to these rabbits that magically come and go as they please. I do not believe that Liz, Lucy or Marcus even exist. They never make any sort of real appearance or share any dialog with other characters. All we hear about them is what Catherine says and she is certainly no credible source. Catherine seems to have some sort of obsession or compulsive disorder with painting, which all could be drug induced as well as her and Henry's odd sleeping habits. Sleep is another odd theme given. They both have weird dreams and Catherine has a tendency to sit up in her sleep and talk to Tilly who isn't even there in the room. Tilly wets her bed, sleep walks and refuses to wake up where she fell asleep. How the kids play a role in this, going by what I perceive as a drug laden story, I do not know, but I do think that there is enough evidence of drug use to evoke discussion about. Could the title of the story be another clue to drug use, "Stone Animals"? I know its not called Stoned Animals, but close enough?

5:43pm: The Girls
The two sisters in this story drove me completely crazy, so much so that I had to remind myself I was getting so incredibly angry over two characters in a short story. Yes, very stupid of me but that's how much I sincerely hated these characters. However, through these two self-absorbed, judgmental asses there is alot to uncover. They refer to Father Snow as Father Ice yet admire ice for it's brilliance and hardness, which they feel is a contrast to Father Snow. It is said that they never had enough ice in their lives. Throughout the story we see that they in fact are cold as ice so to speak and for a number of reasons. For one, they snuggle with the urns of their two dead cats. Secondly, they had never been in love, which comes as no surprise being as though they are overwhelmingly inseparable and very condescending of everyone they come in contact with. Lastly, when their mother falls at the end of the story everyone else around the table runs to her aide in a show of support and compassion while all these two pretentious snobs do is "clutch each other and cry out". Also, the assemblages that they put together are described as "cold and peculiar". What is peculiar is the fact that they do not care for birthdays because they aren't twins, nor born on the same day a year apart. They have a unique relationship with their cats aside from the dead ones that they so adore. When Arleen informs the mother that their cats killed a mockingbird they adamantly defend their cats despite the fact that they already know the cats killed a dozen songbirds that summer alone. There is something very odd to these characters. Like I said before, they have a coldness towards everyone and most everything yet find some liking in each other and their cats. They do not like houseguests because they feel as though their parents don't want to be alone with them and they make mention to the fact that they feel their father is changing because lately he has been acting as though they are not everything to him anymore. They come from money as is shown by the nice house and possessions they have, and also seem to be spoiled and I would assume sheltered, however there is something more at play here that I feel needs to be discussed. Could there earlier mention of an adoration of the brilliance and hardness of ice be a cry for something such as authority or independence from the sheltered, wealthy living they have been raised in?

5:36pm: Death Defier post
A few things struck me significantly while reading Death Defier, which prompted me to write now rather than procrastinate. When I began the story I was immediately turned off by the names of the characters, places and overall writing style that was used in the first few paragraphs. I didn’t care, nor much less even want to continue reading about these characters and whatever the hell journey they would be going through. However, the development of the plot and characters throughout the story made this a very engaging and enjoyable read. The characters themselves stand out in a unique way because of the sense of closeness that they share despite several glaring differences. Donk and Graves are both white, male members of the media in their respective way that are teamed with their translator Hassan, a native of Afghanistan. A sense of distrust is felt between Donk and Graves in the beginning even though no specific altercation gives way to it. Donk admits early on that he suspects Hassan of stealing his and Graves belongings from their hotel room previously. Hassan, for what it is worth, comes off as a meek and humble translator that adamantly denies any wrong doing towards either of the other two and works only to translate for and guide his media counterparts. This all makes for an interesting alternative of how the story would be told if told through the eyes of either Graves or Hassan, being as though it is told primarily through the eyes of Donk.
Maybe Graves comes off as bitter and arrogant because he is sick and in no mood for pleasantries, but a few times in the story he makes it a point to correct others that he is not American. Rather, he is an Englishman that is working alongside Donk who is the American of the group. It is interesting that he goes out of his way to separate himself in terms of nationality or what have you from Donk, yet he is quick to defend Hassan, an Afghan, of accusations that Donk attempts to make against him for stealing their belongings. Despite the perceived uneasiness between the three men, Donk becomes determined beyond reason to help cure Graves of the malaria that afflicts him. Perhaps this is so because he knows Graves may be fatally sick and Donk appears to have a somewhat odd fascination, I guess you could call it, with death. He repeatedly makes mention of the fact that he watched his father die, as well as his own beliefs on death and such. He regrets lieing to Graves at one point that he is not a haunted man when in reality he admits to being so, which becomes evident with his dieing words of "Dad!" at the end of the story. He states at one point that death is avoidable, which makes for truly great irony to close out the story. Finally, in a seemingly safe haven at General Mohammed's place Donk becomes restless in needing to find a cure for Graves and saving him from inevitable death. When all of his other options fail he takes the General's advice and heads out in search of special grass to cure the malaria. Donk, Hassan, Black and Red beard go in search of the grass. Hassan in willing to go because of his serviceable attitude towards Donk and Graves but the General's men are less than thrilled. They encounter some obstacles and go out of their way during their journey and despite the men's warnings, Donk races towards what he believes is the healing grass only to step on a bomblet and wind up killing the whole lot of them, including himself. Donk believed in death being avoidable and unnatural, yet it was his fascination with this that led him and his companions to their death. This in turn left Graves to die being as though he now would not receive any medicine and ended with Donk calling out for his Dad with his last breath. A truly great ending to a story that is filled with so much more than meets the eye.

1:26pm: assignment #1
“Until Gwen” and “No One’s A Mystery” offer two somewhat similar stories from two entirely different perspectives and voices. In order to fully understand the relationship between the two stories it is important to first discuss the plots of each and how they are skewed by the voice of the particular story. Next, an analysis of expectations and surprises in the plot is important to find a deeper meaning or possible obscure theme that the author may be alluding to by way of various subtleties. It is this swerve in storytelling that challenges the reader’s expectations, allowing for a more open-ended conclusion.
“Until Gwen” is a complex read for a few reasons. The most glaring of these reasons is the fact that is it written in the second person, which if unaccustomed to such a point of view makes following the story a bit more difficult than a first person tale. Secondly, the story is told non-linearly, leaving the reader to decide between the present or a recollection of the past. This sort of structure and second person point of view helps to make the story because of the nature of the plot, leaving the reader slightly befuddled as to what exactly each of the characters is up to. With both the father and son being involved in crime, drugs and prostitutes the author’s intent is to make the read as twisting and complex as possible so that there is no clear cut feeling that one should have after reading the story. It makes the reader examine the story more closely and get their own feel from it rather than having it drawn out for them how they should feel or interpret the story. This is even furthered by the fact that the story is told by the son who has just been released from prison, had his own dealings with crime, yet shows a much softer side in his recollection of Gwen and his uncertain upbringing.
“No One’s A Mystery” on the other hand is a more straightforward read told in the first person through the voice of an eighteen-year-old girl. The young girl is apparently the mistress of an older married man that has been driving her around in his truck to avoid his wife from finding the two of them together. Due to the fact that the young girl is telling the story the reader gets a broad scope of perspective from both her observations and the dialogue between her and the older man. The contrast between the characters points of view, experiences and expectations make the story more complex when searching for a deeper theme that may be present. At the surface we see an eighteen-year-old slut that could very well be breaking up a marriage and we see a scumbag of a husband that is dodging his wife in order to continue this secret relationship. Upon closer reading however, the relationship is still light years away from being kosher but there is more to it than just a cheating husband with a much younger girl. The subtleties in their actions and dialogue with one another give way to several possible themes at work, which throw normal storytelling expectations and straight “tell me what this means” attitude out the window.
“Your father picks you up from prison in a stolen Dodge Neon, with an 8-ball of coke in the glove compartment and a hooker named Mandy in the backseat.” (Lehane p 19). “And you sit there until it’s almost noon and weep for not protecting her, and weep for not being able to know her ever again, and weep for not knowing what your real name is, because whatever it is or could have been is buried with her, beneath your father, beneath the dirt you begin throwing back in.” (Lehane p35). The first quote is the opening sentence in the story while the last quote is the final sentence in the story. In between, the voice of the story fluctuates from ex-con, son of a criminal mindset to that of a remorseful, soft and compassionate man that longs to find his identity and regain a love that has since been lost. Certainly, not much is given to lead the reader to believe how the story ends with the son forcing his father to dig up his lost love’s body and then killing his dad and burying her on top of Gwen. This roller coaster sort of personality and character change makes it difficult to expect where the story will wind up and just what sort of feelings one should have for what is seen at the surface. “Until Gwen” speaks volumes on the need for companionship and identity. Before Gwen the narrator followed in his father’s footsteps and lived a life of crime with not much care given to his past. Gwen apparently changed that and the whole story he spends reminiscing of her and the life and identity he gave her. He speaks aloud at her grave that he wished he had taken a picture of her before she died, much like he wishes the same of his dead mother, possibly to always be able to see her and feel as though she will always be with him in more than just his heart and mind. His father became dispensable to him because he never offered any sort of real companionship and instead killed or scammed everyone he met forcing him to flee the area and move on to his next con. Bobby, or so the narrator believes his name is, realized that there is more to that when he met Gwen and now that she is gone and his father his dead, he is left to pick up the pieces of a broken past.
The narrator of “Until Gwen” and Jack, the husband in “No One’s A Mystery” are similar in that they come off as unlikable characters that are up to no good. However, like Bobby, Jack slowly starts to develop into an almost compassionate, likeable character because of his relationship with a girl in the story. As the story starts “He pushed my head down onto the dirty floor of the pickup and kept one hand on my head while I inhaled the musk of his cigarettes in the dashboard ashtray.” (Tallent p1). While the story progresses Jack begins to open up a bit and humor the girl as she talks about how she will write how much she loves Jack in the diary that he bought for her. She goes on to dream of marrying Jack one day and having kids with him. Jack concedes that he doesn’t believe her but would like for her dream to be true. The last line of the story suggests that Jack already has a kid with his wife because he knows what a baby’s breath smells like after being breast-fed. He refers to it as “bittersweet”. What exactly he considers to be bittersweet we are unsure of, but we are certain of one thing that Jack is unhappy about something, which is why he is cheating on his wife. His mistress apparently makes him happy but whether he is happy because she is an escape from his wife or because he longs for the wide-eyed youthful innocence that she offers is left up to the reader to decide. I, for one, take Jack to be a child molester that has more or less brainwashed this young girl into thinking he is everything she wants and he can offer anything. If such is the case then the signs are there of a broken down young girl depending heavily on this sexual father type figure that offers some sort of support and care for which she otherwise never had. She fails to mention anything about her own family life.
In conclusion, both “Until Gwen” and No One’s A Mystery” break free of typical storytelling structure ad expectations with their open ended conclusions and complexities found within such particulars of the story as voice, point of view and subtleties in dialogue and action. Expectations are constantly being changed the deeper the reader searches for answers and clues into where the story is going.

10:25pm: The first four measures
When I first began reading the story I had thought that the main character was a girl, given the femininity, or so I thought, of his dialogue and other traits and/or circumstances. It wasn't until I read on page 118 when the piano teacher called him a "brave boy" that I figured it out, which sort of explained his less-than-personable demeanor towards Mrs. Spence and thoughts on various subjects. I can't help but find similarities between the main character of the story and Holden Cauffield of Catcher In The Rye. The similarities may seem abstract but they smacked me in the face while I read and felt as though I was reading of another journey of Holden's. Both characters seem to push others away and/or prefer to be by themselves. However, like Holded gravitated towards hs sister Phoebe and tried to protect her the main character of this story finds a liking in Mrs. Spence and even defends her against his parents at the end of the story. Also, both characters mention the want to have some sort of meaning or fill the void of a space(life?) with something more than what we see. Holden talks of kids and purity in a sense while in this story the character hints at recognition or accomplishment of some sort. "This music that I was trusted and talented enough to learn. I pictured the empty rooms filling like a flood, the house drowned in my accomplishment" (p115).

7:22pm: This is more like it
Ok so after seeing a few of the other intro messages in class I realized that my drunken tangent from a week back maybe wasn't such a bright idea. So my name is Frank but I hate my name and usually go by either Soulfly or Devin. Or whatever you want to call me, I don't really care. So I'm still sick and am going back to bed cause I'm a bum. Tootaloo my darlings. that was stupid, im such an ass.

9:59pm: Intro mesage
You may ask yourself what am I doing home on a friday night writing my intro message on livejournal for a class, well my friends I will tell you. I am drunk and waiting for my guitarist to get out of the bathroom so we dcan get more beer and some more, well that doesnt really matter but tehy wiull be good. I like good things that make me feel good. I refer to them as goodies. Bad idea: jamming so loud that the cops come voer and tell us to stop. Good idea: doing naked jumping jack out in the driveway once they leave. FUCK YOU COPPERS! WERE SO METAL MICROWAVES HIDE WEHN THEY SEE US CUMMING oh, caps lock was on and i spelled cum. Pardon the pun i think id ont know.