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Reading the Work- Grapes of Wrath #5

For context, this quote is spoken by Casy, a friend of the Joads who traveled with them to California. He used to be a preacher and then stopped, because his personal views changed. Anyway, they were talking about a rich guy who owned hundreds of acres that could be turned into farming land and supply work to a ton of people, but instead is just sitting there unused.

“If he needs a million acres to make him feel rich, seems to me he needs it ‘cause he feels awful poor inside hisself, and if he’s poor in hisself, there ain’t no million acres gonna make him feel rich, an’ maybe he’s disappointed that nothin’ he can do’ll make him feel rich-- not rich like Mis’ Wilson was when she give her tent when Grampa died. I ain’t tryin’ to preach no sermon, but I never seen nobody that’s busy as a prairie dog collectin’ stuff that wasn’t disappointed” (pg 207).

There’s another quote that I’ve heard a couple different versions of, and I have no idea who it comes from. It’s “Too many people spend money they earned...to buy things they don't want...to impress people that they don't like.”  I think these two quotes connect really well. Basically, people always feel they have to prove themselves, and they think the best way to do that is to make a lot of money and spend it on “trophy” items. So (most) of those people spend countless hours working away, missing out on real life moments, to make this money because they think it’ll make them gain the respect of their peers or feel powerful. “Mis’ Wilson” was a character that the Joad’s met on the road. I think she was one of the first people the Joad’s saw camping on the side of the highway. Grampa Joad was super sick, and Mis’ Wilson let him sleep in her tent. She didn’t have many possessions, and certainly no one ever said she had to share her tent, but out of the kindness of her heart she did. That is what Steinbeck is saying makes a person feel rich.

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Reading the Work- Grapes of Wrath #4

There was this passage I read a while back, and I was surprised at how relevant it was. Here it goes:

“This you may say of man-- when theories change and crash, when schools, philosophies, and narrow dark alleys of thought, national, religious, economic, grow and disintegrate, man reaches, stumbles forward, painfully, mistakenly sometimes. Having stepped forward, he may slip back, but only half a step, never the full step back” (pg 150).

I know this is kind of confusing, but basically Steinbeck is saying that as schools of thought change over the years, it can seem like we’re doing worse off than before. But in terms of progress, we are still doing better. We are still making progress. We may have to work harder due to bumps and ruts in our paths but what is right will eventually win. When you try you hardest for progress, regardless of stumbles that seem to set you back further than where you started, you will eventually end up progressing. Idk. I’m not nearly as poetic as Steinbeck so this was a little bit of a mess. But I think this is important to remember, as we seem to be in a “step back” phase

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So it sounds like your book is super confusing but interesting due to its many layers. It’s similar to my book, The Grapes of Wrath, in the way that someone who is different (Gently in your case, the Oklahomans in mine) are looked down upon or seen as suspicious. Also, it seems like your world is in political tension, and in The Grapes of Wrath there is no shortage of tension due to the changing economy. I think the symbolism of the King as corruption of power is interesting and I would be a great idea to extend further. Also, the first thing I noticed was the strange names in your book. Gently in particular. Why was this name chosen? Was it purposeful? I mean that’s an actual word, and the rest of the names seem made up. I think that would be an interesting direction to take. If Gently was there to create a trade alliance, why are they causing other issues/getting involved with other countries? I could be misinterpreting your book though! 

Political Values Early On

Okay, so my book starts off with a human being (assumed) trying to make a trade alliance with the planet of Gethen (it starts in the middle of the action). After two years of being a resident, Gently finds out that the only person he trusted, Estraven, on the planet, the only person who really listened to him and believed he was an alien, was giving up arguing Genly’s cause to the king. However, Estraven explains it in a way that shows Karhide’s political values. Seeing the Ekumen (the people seeking the alliance) as a threat to his power and a new rival. Genly’s outreach is only sought after as a playing card in the political battle versus Orgoreyn (a neighboring country). This sounded really similar to like a world war setting because of fights over territories and threats to power. The King’s ignorance sets the scene of how Gently will be treated throughout the book and the main reaction to his existence on Gethen being whether or not he really is an alien and if he is telling the truth. The King represents the corruption of power over a more rational decision. The King uses the fear of the envoy to justify his aggressive outlook on the alliance. Estraven explaining why he is withdrawing his support to save his own reputation shows the political arrogance of Karhide and foreshadows the danger of the envoy or in a bigger, modern sense, it could be related to the irrational fear of immigrants being used to manipulate the people to support the wrong decision.

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Reading the Work- Grapes of Wrath #3

Alright, so I’ve been throwing this argument around in my head for a while, and the argument is whether or not the GoW is sexist. And the truth is, I just don’t know. I guess yes. Here’s why.

The book was published in 1939. The norm of the time was that women stuck to domestic affairs while the men worked. There’s no arguing that fact. It was also a norm that men did the thinking and made the decisions for the family. Since this book was written right after the peak of the migrations, it can be considered a reliable account of current events of that time. So when a situation like this occurs....

“Ma looked to Tom to speak, because he was a man, but Tom did not speak. She let him have the chance that was his right, and then she said, ‘Why, we’d be proud to have you. ‘Course I can’t say right now, Pa says all the men’ll talk tonight and figger when we gonna start. I guess maybe we better not say till all the men come. John an’ Pa an’ Noah an’ Tom an’ Grampa an’ Al an’ Connie, they’re gonna figger soon's they get back” (pg 94).

I would assume that it’s a norm. Of course, in today’s standards, this definitely would be sexism, but it was accepted back then. Not that it makes it okay.

And then there’s Rose of Sharon, the oldest Joad daughter, who is pregnant for most of the book. In one of her first passages, she’s described as such:

“her round soft face, which had been voluptuous and inviting a few months ago, had already put on the barrier of pregnancy, the self-sufficient smile, the knowing-perfection look; and her plump body-- full soft breasts and stomach, hard hips and buttocks that had swung so freely and provocatively as to invite slapping and stroking-- her whole body had become demure and serious” (pg 95)

When I read this I had to set the book down for a second. “as to invite slapping and stroking”?!?!?!?!?!? “INVITE”?!?!?!?! WTF STEINBECK. As if her existence is a personal invitation to men to grope her. I don’t even know if this was normal for back then. I mean it probably happened but it also probably wasn’t okay even then. Men could just get away with it more. So I was like, is this purposeful? Is Steinbeck saying these sexist things on purpose to prove a point? Or is this just a byproduct of the time, a casual statement thrown in no different than his descriptions of the cotton fields?

So after reading these two passages, some of you must be wondering why I would even consider this book to be anything besides sexist. And I guess that’s because I’m not convinced Steinbeck believes what he wrote. For example, the first was a norm, and Steinbeck probably saw no problem with it. But because of the way the second quote was worded, in addition to some other passages throughout the book, something is pushing me to believe that this is Steinbeck talking through the stereotypes (I don’t think that’s the right word) of the time. Like he saw these things happening and knew they weren’t right. But I don’t know. There just has to be a plethora of feminist literary criticisms out there on this book.

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Reading the Work- Grapes of Wrath #2

Basic gist of The Grapes of Wrath: one family, the Joads, lived in Oklahoma until they were forced to leave their farm because tractors could do work faster and cheaper than manual labor. The same thing happened to the rest of the farmers in Oklahoma. They embarked on a journey west to California, where they were told work was readily available. But as they got farther along in their journey, they began to live in squalor as there was actually a scarcity of work due to every farmer and his mother heading to California at the same time. The suffering never seemed to end.

The book is set up so that every other chapter is following the Joads’ journey specifically. The other chapters are broad explanations of what’s happening to Californians and Oklahomans. The broad chapters are full of rich descriptions and scattered dialogue, and Steinbeck used these chapters to really speak some wisdom.

One in particular that I really liked was about used car dealerships. While every other industry seemed to be suffering, the used car dealerships in Oklahoma were booming. Oklahomans couldn’t buy the old beat up cars fast enough. Salesmen would become greedy-- and sell these horrible, beaten down jalopies for prices as high as they could get away with. They were profiting. The pace of this chapter is so quick, and really makes you feel the intensity of the dealership and the salesmen trying to make a profit off of scared, suffering families. Here is one paragraph that I really liked:

“Jesus, where did that Apperson come from, the Ark? And a Chalmers and a Chandler--ain’t made ‘em for years. We ain’t sellin’ cars--rolling junk. Goddamn it, I got to get jalopies. I don’t want nothing for more’n twenty-five, thirty bucks. Sell ‘em for fifty, seventy-five. That’s a good profit. Christ, what cut do you make on a new car? Get jalopies. I can sell ‘em fast as I get ‘em. Nothing over two hundred fifty. Jim, corral that old bastard on the sidewalk. Don’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. Try him on the Apperson. Say, where is that Apperson? Sold? If we don’t get some jalopies we got nothing to sell” (pg 62).

If you don’t imagine a suited up, sweating, red in the face businessman walking down an aisle of trashed cars excitedly talking to his employees as he passes them then you didn’t read the paragraph right. Not only does it set the scene perfectly, but you also get an idea of how desperate the families are to move to California. During a time when every nickel counted, families were willing to spend all their money on a trashed car just for the HOPE of a brighter future.

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Reading the Work- Grapes of Wrath #1

So GoW is pretty lengthy-- 455 pages. I figured that if I read 2 chapters every day I’ll be done in time with a few days to spare. I kept up pretty good with it until the 16th, which was MIFA. Now I’m about 10 chapters (200 pages) behind. Yay! So I’m not really sure how to tackle this. Thank God the book is interesting. Actually, that’s something I wanted to talk about.

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. I have always loved books that are super descriptive of the setting and the characters. And this book is that to the max-- there are huge paragraphs describing something so small and simple. Steinbeck is AMAZING at characterization as well. The dialogue is so...appropriate (?) of the time period and setting, and you immediately get a sense of who the characters are based on the way they speak. It’s the little details like their southern drawl that makes this book seem so authentic and realistic.

Just the idea of this book is so appealing to me. This time period/setting (Great Depression/Dust Bowl) was obviously extremely difficult to live through, and despite learning about it for so many years I felt like I was missing something. Like I wasn’t getting the full picture. This book seems to satisfy a little bit of what I was wondering. Even though it was so sad that these people had to leave everything behind (houses, pets, sometimes even family members), I still romanticize packing up your prized possessions and driving out west to California. There’s something so appealing about that, even though the circumstances are not appealing at all.

I love this book so much, and I hope I can catch up on it because I’m a little overwhelmed by how far behind I am

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Picking the Work- The Grapes of Wrath

It took me two seconds to pick my book. The fact that we had to find criticisms almost completely influenced my decision to pick The Grapes of Wrath, because it is such a classic and I’ll undoubtedly be able to find something. I also picked it because I absolutely love Of Mice and Men and Steinbeck’s style.

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Why YOU should read A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman, is a beautiful story about a grumpy old man, his neighbors, and his past. Let me tell you, it is worth your time to read this book. While I wouldn’t consider it a MUST-READ, it is a charming, feel-good book that will make a lasting impression on you. At 337 pages, it seems kind of long after a quick glance, but the story doesn’t get that deep. It’s fairly surface level. Some people may like that, and some may hate it, but both will love the way Backman writes. After reading this passage, you’ll know what I mean:

“When  [Ove and a stray cat] get back to the house, Ove reluctantly feeds the wretched animal, and once it’s finished, announces they’ve got errands to run. He may have been temporarily press-ganged into cohabiting with this little creature, but he’ll be damned if he’s going to leave a wild animal on it’s own in his house. So the cat has to come with him. Immediately there’s a disagreement between Ove and the cat about whether or not the cat should sit on a sheet of newspaper in the Saab’s passenger seat. At first, Ove sets the cat on two supplements of entertainment news, which the cat, much insulted, kicks onto the floor with its back feet” (pg 173).

See? The book is written in third person, but by the way Backman writes, it’s like you’re inside the heads of every character, including animals. And the characters are so animated and fun to read about.

And the story is so sweet. At first, Ove is pretty easy to judge. You dismiss him as just being old and cranky. But then, you get to know his past. Backman includes chapters that take place before the present storyline. You pity Ove, and you begin to understand him as well. And it’s interesting to see how the whole story fits together.

Not everyone will love this book, but it is still worth the read just to “meet” Ove. He is a character so unique but so commonplace as well. It’s a great story you won’t soon forget.

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Lang Leav- Mentor Poet Option 1

I know nothing about poetry. But I know that after researching 21st century poets, Lang Leav has a remarkable way with words, and that she’s definitely an option for being my mentor poet. Her poems are gorgeous and sweet, and I can’t wait to buy her books. She writes about love, like every other poet in this world, but hers seem different, and not clichéd. The only problem is I feel like I’ll get tired of the love thing pretty quick but I don’t know. Maybe she’s so good that won’t matter!

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Permission

Erika has permission to push herself and her creativity in new directions without fear of messing up. She also has permission to relax and not stress out over everything.

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Literary Merit: A Man Called Ove

-Entertains reader: yes! -Does not conform to the expectations of a single genre: No -Has been judged as artistic: Probably not. Nothing was very unheard of with the book. -Has stood the test of time: It’s too recent to know. -Shows thematic depth, nuance, is complex: yes- white shirts, death, morals/principle, Rune being taken away/the rights of old people, etc. -Demonstrates innovation in style, voice, structure, characterization, plot, and/or description: Only in voice and plot. -May have a social, political, or ideological impact on society: No -Does not fall into the traps of pulp fiction such as clichéd or derivative descriptions and plot devices, or sentimentality rather than earned emotion: some clichés and descriptions, but emotion is earned. -Is intended by the author to communicate in an artistic manner: no -is universal in its appeal: yes

Overall? I believe A Man Called Ove does not have enough qualities to have literary merit!

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A Man Called Ove: That Ending

The Ending of A Man Called Ove was awesome. It was so heartwarming. You finally see Ove transform from this grief-ridden, grumpy old man to a friendly, happy guy. Ove finally finds the strength to go on without his wife, and he goes out and buys his seven year old neighbor an iPad for her birthday. The “cat-annoyance” Ove tried to get rid of throughout the book eventually becomes his housepet. And finally, the last couple of paragraphs, were adorable. Ove died from his heart condition, and Parvaneh was trying to sell his house. She was showing it to this couple, and the guy had ALL the same idiosyncracies as Ove. And driving a Saab was one of the qualities Ove was most proud of, and in the very last sentence, the guy looking at Ove’s house says he drives a Saab. I couldn’t take it. It was such a sweet ending, and the book was so good.

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A Man Called Ove: Neighbors

Learning about Ove’s neighbors is adorable. Ove thinks and tries to act like he hates them all, but by the way he talks about them, you can tell he secretly likes them. The first one’s we learn about are Ove’s newest neighbors, Parveneh, her husband Patrick, and their two young daughters. At first Ove really hates them, understandably, because Patrick backs up a trailer into Ove’s mailbox. But throughout the book, Parveneh befriends Ove, and Ove ends up liking them. Without them knowing, they prevent Ove from committing suicide at least twice. And then there’s Jimmy, Ove’s jolly 20 year old neighbor. One of the sweetest moments in the book is when we learn about how Ove threatened Jimmy’s stepdad after Ove overheard him abusing Jimmy’s mother. It was so sweet. A major plot point in the book was about Ove’s ex-best friend, Rune. Rune and Ove were besties, until Rune “overthrew” Ove as head of the Resident’s Association. But Rune becomes ill, and the old people’s home tries to take him away from his wife. In the end, Ove’s whole street gets together and stands up against the “people in white shirts” in quite the badass moment. I know I rambled on a lot about Ove’s neighbors, but in the end they impacted his life in such a good way and prevented him from committing suicide.

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A Man Called Ove: Death

My god what is it with reading books about death this summer? Like in Loud and Close, Ove, the main character, has to deal with the death of a loved one. In his case, it was his wife. Ove’s wife was really his only friend, except 2 neighbors that he fought with a lot. So when Ove’s wife, Sonja, died, he was crippled with grief. So much that he tried to commit suicide multiple times. But every time, something stopped him from following through. Ove dies in the end of an unrelated heart condition, and throughout the book we learn about the other people that have died in his life—his parents, his father-in-law, his wife’s precious cat, and his unborn child. It’s really sad, but somehow the book still manages to be lighthearted and humorous.

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Loud and Close: Literary Merit

-Entertains reader: yes! -Does not conform to the expectations of a single genre: Yes, because I can’t pin it to a single genre. Drama? Realistic fiction? Adventure? -Has been judged as artistic: I would say it’s artistic, with the illustrations and the different styles of writing for Oskar, his grandma, and his grandpa. -Has stood the test of time: It’s too recent to know. -Shows thematic depth, nuance, is complex: I would say it’s nuanced, but I’m not completely sold on complexity. -Demonstrates innovation in style, voice, structure, characterization, plot, and/or description: Yes! I had never read anything like this before. -May have a social, political, or ideological impact on society: It’s possible. It shows a new side of the 9/11 terror attacks, which definitely had a social, political, and ideological impact on society. -Does not fall into the traps of pulp fiction such as clichéd or derivative descriptions and plot devices, or sentimentality rather than earned emotion: Definitely has earned emotion! Not cliché at all. -Is intended by the author to communicate in an artistic manner: not completely sure. -is universal in its appeal: even though its about 9/11, it’s really about dealing with a loss, so I would say yes.

Overall, I would say that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close does have literary merit, especially if it stands the tests of time.

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Loud and Close: Metaphors

Throughout the book, Oskar talks about having “heavy boots”, which is one of the saddest metaphors I’ve ever heard. He says it whenever something makes him depressed. The imagery is huge here—I imagined a little kid with these giant boots that he struggles to walk in. The thought of this young kid feeling like he’s being dragged down with the weight of the world by his boots (or really, his depression) is just heartbreaking, and makes it one of the most powerful metaphors in the book.

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Oskar

Oskar was a very interesting character. He’s 9 years old, but sometimes he speaks like he is much older. He’s extremely intelligent, which you can understand from his random facts and how he explains things. But we’re also reminded often of how childlike he is. His vivid imagination, albeit dark and frightening at times, is definitely that of a 9 year old boy. His fears also make him seem younger, even though they’re justified. And then there’s the depression from his father’s death that he has to deal with, which ages him a bit. Another characteristic of Oskar that makes him more complex is his qualities that look like mild autism. So, like the book itself, Oskar is a nuanced character with multiple layers to him and his personality.