Atonement by Ian McEwan was a satisfying choice novel. I really like Part One (the first half of the book) with the set-up of the crime Briony commits. The second half was harder to get through, especially Part Two when Robbie was a soldier.
One major theme of this book, as the title suggests, is atonement. Briony commits a crime that destroys her family, mostly her sister, and feels like she must make up for it through her writing. Yet when she tells the story to a magazine she keeps her crime out; when she gets it back from the publisher who wants more depth she asks herself, “might she obscure the fact by concocting a slight, barely clever fiction and satisfy her vanity by sending it off to a magazine” (302)? When she approaches Cecilia to try to make things right, Cecilia says, “I won’t ever forgive you” (318). It is at the age of 77 when Briony realizes the reality of compensating for her crime, and the relation to her writing. “How can a novelist achieve atonement when, with her absolute power of deciding outcomes, she is also God” (350)?
Throughout the book the thing Briony devotes her life to, before she needs to make amends with her sister, is writing. “At the age of eleven she wrote her first story,” and at thirteen she writes her first play where she conveys her apprehensions saying, “the reader was bound to speculate that she was describing herself” (6). What Briony loves about her writing, however, is that “everyone would adore her” (11). At 77, when she is waiting for her novel to be published and sees her first play acted out, she concludes that her writing “was always an impossible task, and that was precisely the point. The attempt was all” (351).
I feel like Ian McEwan, as an author, is trying to reveal his own feelings about writing. Through Briony’s eyes, McEwan is showing the process he goes through to complete his own works. If this is true, McEwan is comparable to Tim O’Brien in the fact that he “heats up the truth.” Briony uses people from her real life and changes the details to make it fit in her story. “Who would want to believe them, except in the service of the bleakest realism? I’m too old, too frightened, too much in love with the shred of life I have remaining…But what really happened? The answer is simple: the lovers survive and flourish” (350). I can relate to altering information in my writing from writing my personal narrative.
McEwan’s writing style also remined me of O’Brien’s because of the way he set up the chapters. Each of the chapters gives different characters’ perspectives on what is going on, mentioning events that get explained later on. For example, Briony walks in on Cecilia and Robbie having sex, and “her immediate understanding was that she had interrupted an attack, a hand-to-hand fight” (116). Yet later on, Cecilia describes the details of her sexual encounter with Robbie. This is similar to O’Brien’s writing style when he mentions an event, like Kiowa’s death, and then explains it with more data in a later chapter. This technique builds suspense for the reader; it helped me stay involved in the book.
Another major theme of Atonement is maturity. Lola, Briony’s 15-year-old cousin, “had come to the nursery that morning in the guise of the adult she considered herself at heart to be” (32). Yet Lola is still a girl; after being beaten by her brothers, Lola sought out Briony to console her. While Lola is weakened by this experience, Briony is strengthened. “That a girl so brittle and domineering should be brought this low by a couple of nine-year-old boys seemed wondrous to Briony, and it gave her a sense of her own power” (110). Briony, as only a thirteen-year-old, doesn’t really grasp the power she has. She destroys her family by telling them what she thinks she sees (Robbie raping Lola), but she doesn’t foresee the repercussions of her actions. When Briony apologizes to her sister, she explains that what made her change her mind about Lola’s rapist was “Growing up” (323).
Atonement helped me see a cultural view of upper-class British life. It also helped me look through a feminine lens at a marriage that most would consider failing, but keeps the couple strong. Mainly Atonement reminded me that while a relationship can be destroyed with a single sentence, it may never be restored, even after a lifetime of feeling sorry.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Lost Youth
Thesis: In Persepolis and The Things They Carried, war wrecks young lives and needs to be coped with, but a childhood can be recovered.
Claims:
1. In Persepolis, Marji, a victim of war in her country, is forced to grow up too quickly.
- The images of torture, such as the iron, that Marji hears about are too shocking for a ten-year-old. “I never imagined that you could use that appliance for torture” (51).
- Marji goes to the basement to escape the destruction of war around her. “It was awful. But this was not the moment to give in. With this first cigarette, I kissed childhood goodbye” (117).
- At age 14, Marji left her family to escape the war and live alone in Vienna. “what I had feared was true…we’d never live together again” (152).
2. In The Things They Carried, the soldiers are boys forced to become men too early.
- “The average age in our platoon, I’d guess, was nineteen or twenty, and as a consequence things often took on a curiously playful atmosphere…Like when Azar blew up Ted Lavender’s puppy. ‘What’s everybody so upset about?’ Azar said. ‘I mean, Christ, I’m just a boy’” (37).
- “The whole platoon stood there watching, feeling all kinds of things, but there wasn’t a great deal of pity for the baby water buffalo. Curt Lemon was dead. Rat Kiley had lost his best friend in the world….Rat Kiley was crying (79).
- “He grabbed Kiowa by the boot and tried to pull him out. He pulled hard but Kiowa was gone, and suddenly he felt himself going, too” (149). “[Norman] three years later hanged himself in the locker room of a YMCA in his hometown” (155).
3. By not always taking matters like torture and death seriously, victims of war can seriously cope with them.
- “No one took the torture sessions seriously anymore. As for me, I immediately started making fun of them” (Satrapi 97).
- “Dave Jensen went over and shook the [dead] old man’s hand. ‘How-dee-doo,’ he said. One by one the others did it too” (O’Brien 226).
- “By slighting death, by acting, we pretended it was not the terrible thing it was” (O’Brien 238).
4. Marji in Persepolis and Tim O’Brien in The Things They Carried are trying to hold on to their innocence.
- The night before Marji leaves for Vienna, her grandmother comes to stay with her. “Can I sleep with you?” asked Marji (150). “That’s why I’m here!” her grandmother replied (150). “I smelled my grandma’s bosom. It smelled good. I’ll never forget that smell” (150).
- “I’m skimming across the surface of my own history, moving fast, riding the melt beneath the blades, doing loops and spins, and when I take a high leap into the dark and come down thirty years later, I realize it is as Tim trying to save Timmy’s life with a story.”
So What: O’Brien and Satrapi are saying that while war damages young lives and needs to be coped with, the innocence of youth can be preserved. They are both trying to distill hope into their readers despite the cruelties of war.
Claims:
1. In Persepolis, Marji, a victim of war in her country, is forced to grow up too quickly.
- The images of torture, such as the iron, that Marji hears about are too shocking for a ten-year-old. “I never imagined that you could use that appliance for torture” (51).
- Marji goes to the basement to escape the destruction of war around her. “It was awful. But this was not the moment to give in. With this first cigarette, I kissed childhood goodbye” (117).
- At age 14, Marji left her family to escape the war and live alone in Vienna. “what I had feared was true…we’d never live together again” (152).
2. In The Things They Carried, the soldiers are boys forced to become men too early.
- “The average age in our platoon, I’d guess, was nineteen or twenty, and as a consequence things often took on a curiously playful atmosphere…Like when Azar blew up Ted Lavender’s puppy. ‘What’s everybody so upset about?’ Azar said. ‘I mean, Christ, I’m just a boy’” (37).
- “The whole platoon stood there watching, feeling all kinds of things, but there wasn’t a great deal of pity for the baby water buffalo. Curt Lemon was dead. Rat Kiley had lost his best friend in the world….Rat Kiley was crying (79).
- “He grabbed Kiowa by the boot and tried to pull him out. He pulled hard but Kiowa was gone, and suddenly he felt himself going, too” (149). “[Norman] three years later hanged himself in the locker room of a YMCA in his hometown” (155).
3. By not always taking matters like torture and death seriously, victims of war can seriously cope with them.
- “No one took the torture sessions seriously anymore. As for me, I immediately started making fun of them” (Satrapi 97).
- “Dave Jensen went over and shook the [dead] old man’s hand. ‘How-dee-doo,’ he said. One by one the others did it too” (O’Brien 226).
- “By slighting death, by acting, we pretended it was not the terrible thing it was” (O’Brien 238).
4. Marji in Persepolis and Tim O’Brien in The Things They Carried are trying to hold on to their innocence.
- The night before Marji leaves for Vienna, her grandmother comes to stay with her. “Can I sleep with you?” asked Marji (150). “That’s why I’m here!” her grandmother replied (150). “I smelled my grandma’s bosom. It smelled good. I’ll never forget that smell” (150).
- “I’m skimming across the surface of my own history, moving fast, riding the melt beneath the blades, doing loops and spins, and when I take a high leap into the dark and come down thirty years later, I realize it is as Tim trying to save Timmy’s life with a story.”
So What: O’Brien and Satrapi are saying that while war damages young lives and needs to be coped with, the innocence of youth can be preserved. They are both trying to distill hope into their readers despite the cruelties of war.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Double Vision
Persepolis is my favorite book that we have read so far. It made me laugh, but most of all it made me think. I still don’t really understand why the book is titled Persepolis. There is a chapter with the same name, but it didn’t explain the meaning. Maybe it is a historical Iranian figure. Or maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention, and Satrapi did give an explanation.
One thing I liked about this book was Marji’s relationship with God. She says, “At the age of six I was already sure I was the last prophet” (6). And God holds her in his arms as he tells her, “you are my choice, my last and best choice” (8). Yet while she is able to talk to God, that doesn’t mean she is devoted to, or even proud of, him; that is what I like about their relationship—it’s honest. After her beloved uncle dies, Marji screams at God to “Get out of my life!!! I never want to see you again! […] And so I was lost, without any bearings…what could be worse than that” (69-70)? Satrapi does an excellent job of revealing an honest struggle with religion without being overdramatic.
Another struggle with religion Satrapi depicts is Marji’s feelings about the Iranian government trying to use religion to gain power. The universities were shut down “to ensure that our children are not led astray from the true path of Islam” (73), and Marji’s mom told her, “If anyone ever asks you what you do during the day, say you pray” (75). Marji obeyed her mother, but her family was not devout to Islam, and neither was the government, who only used it to take control of the people. Satrapi’s portrayal of the tension between staying true to one’s beliefs and doing what the law requires for survival is astounding. After reading what her family went through, her mom being raped and her uncle dying in prison, even if it is a fiction book, makes me value what I have in my own life.
Something I am blessed with that I share with Marji is a loving family. Even though Marji desperately wants to protest as a child, her parents protect her by not letting her. When Marji’s mom allows her to demonstrate a year layer, her family quickly leaves the site, and then the country for a trip. Marji argues with her parents, telling her mom, “You are the guardian of the revolution of this house” (113)! But her parents send her to Vienna because they want what’s best for her: “We love you so much that we want you to go,” and Marji realized it at last: “I couldn’t bear looking at them there […] Nothing’s worse than saying goodbye” (153). Marji’s honest emotions make her a character I can relate to.
What I couldn’t relate to throughout the book were the historical references. Although they were somewhat explained, it was hard for me to keep the leaders of Iran straight, especially what they were doing (or not doing) for the country. I think what would help me out is if I did some research about the 1979 Revolution and Iran’s leaders. Though I do think the pictures with the text helped me keep track of the different people better.
The drawings really added depth to Persepolis. I had never read a graphic novel before, and I enjoyed it. There are many things that can be said without using words, like when Marji’s parents say, “Let’s enjoy our new freedom! Now that the devil has left,” (43) and there is a serpent slinking in the background. The pictures help the reader see beyond the text, though, like Ms. Mork said, it is basically like reading two texts at once.
I look forward to discussing Persepolis in class, especially using the different lenses. I think it may be a challenge because of the “two texts,” but I want to get a better understanding of the message Satrapi was trying to send, past what she said in her introduction. One thing I want to ask the group is what people think happens after the end of the book, because the ending left me curious; maybe I should go buy Persepolis 2.
One thing I liked about this book was Marji’s relationship with God. She says, “At the age of six I was already sure I was the last prophet” (6). And God holds her in his arms as he tells her, “you are my choice, my last and best choice” (8). Yet while she is able to talk to God, that doesn’t mean she is devoted to, or even proud of, him; that is what I like about their relationship—it’s honest. After her beloved uncle dies, Marji screams at God to “Get out of my life!!! I never want to see you again! […] And so I was lost, without any bearings…what could be worse than that” (69-70)? Satrapi does an excellent job of revealing an honest struggle with religion without being overdramatic.
Another struggle with religion Satrapi depicts is Marji’s feelings about the Iranian government trying to use religion to gain power. The universities were shut down “to ensure that our children are not led astray from the true path of Islam” (73), and Marji’s mom told her, “If anyone ever asks you what you do during the day, say you pray” (75). Marji obeyed her mother, but her family was not devout to Islam, and neither was the government, who only used it to take control of the people. Satrapi’s portrayal of the tension between staying true to one’s beliefs and doing what the law requires for survival is astounding. After reading what her family went through, her mom being raped and her uncle dying in prison, even if it is a fiction book, makes me value what I have in my own life.
Something I am blessed with that I share with Marji is a loving family. Even though Marji desperately wants to protest as a child, her parents protect her by not letting her. When Marji’s mom allows her to demonstrate a year layer, her family quickly leaves the site, and then the country for a trip. Marji argues with her parents, telling her mom, “You are the guardian of the revolution of this house” (113)! But her parents send her to Vienna because they want what’s best for her: “We love you so much that we want you to go,” and Marji realized it at last: “I couldn’t bear looking at them there […] Nothing’s worse than saying goodbye” (153). Marji’s honest emotions make her a character I can relate to.
What I couldn’t relate to throughout the book were the historical references. Although they were somewhat explained, it was hard for me to keep the leaders of Iran straight, especially what they were doing (or not doing) for the country. I think what would help me out is if I did some research about the 1979 Revolution and Iran’s leaders. Though I do think the pictures with the text helped me keep track of the different people better.
The drawings really added depth to Persepolis. I had never read a graphic novel before, and I enjoyed it. There are many things that can be said without using words, like when Marji’s parents say, “Let’s enjoy our new freedom! Now that the devil has left,” (43) and there is a serpent slinking in the background. The pictures help the reader see beyond the text, though, like Ms. Mork said, it is basically like reading two texts at once.
I look forward to discussing Persepolis in class, especially using the different lenses. I think it may be a challenge because of the “two texts,” but I want to get a better understanding of the message Satrapi was trying to send, past what she said in her introduction. One thing I want to ask the group is what people think happens after the end of the book, because the ending left me curious; maybe I should go buy Persepolis 2.
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