The power of storytelling is very influential but the ability of telling a story that is captivating and true is difficult. There are times when an author bends the truth in order to catch the audience’s attention. In general, the audience does not get captured in the events of the truth but more of the story line. If the plot of the story is boring, then most likely, the audience will get tired of reading, watching, or hearing about the story. Storytelling is like magic. In order to tell a good story, the author must be able to get the audience to believe that it is real. In the novel The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, O’Brien was able to tell story about a real event that occurred but he captured his audience with description that was bending the truth. This is similar to the movie Big Fish directed by Tim Burton. The main characters of each story used their ability of storytelling to capture the audience although their stories are sometimes fiction.
The Things They Carried and Big Fish were both amazingly written stories that not only captured the attention of the audience but also allowed the audience to pounder about the possibilities. Both of these stories start out as being a true story. The Things They Carried is a story about the Vietnam War. This was a very believable story because the Vietnam War actually happened. By using a well known event, especially with an inside to it because he was in a solider in the war, people are more likely to believe what you are saying. O’Brien used actual events that happened in the war to write his story. He used the death of his brothers to enhance the realness of what was going on in Vietnam. Big Fish was similar because it was very relatable in the sense that it could be real, just like the way O’Brien wrote his novel. Big Fish was about the life of a father and his relationship to his son. The father to son relationship is probably one the most important and most personal situations a person can relate to. The authors make them relatable so that someone who isn’t familiar with what is going on can somehow relate to the characters personal experiences.
Some things however were not clear from the beginning. In The Things They Carried you did not actually know that the story was not real until the ending. But even then the story you though it was suppose to be tricked you and became something totally different. Compared to Big Fish the story starts just plainly stating that this is a true story made up of lies. Then it leads into why these lies made the movie so enjoyable. The Things They Carried was more of how lies kept people who passed alive. The main idea was about writing to preserve the memory of a person who passed. Big Fish was more about how memories could help a person live happily. In Big Fish, the character is dying of cancer and the only way for him to really be happy is he is reliving life the way he wanted to and imagined it to be. For example, he makes up the way he met his wife because the way he imagined it made it a story that was both romantic and worth telling. This obviously, captured the attention of the audience and he was able to awe them. In The Things They Carried, O’Brien wrote about his brothers. He wrote about the way they were; the way they acted, what they carried, and how they were important to the gang. His intentions were that he wanted to make sure they were remembered for what they did. Although you find out later that nothing like what he wrote actually happened the exact way he said but it was the memory of the soldiers that mattered and their commitment towards their country.
The way both of these stories were told I believe was meant not for pleasure but for a deeper meaning. In all story telling, there is more then just the climax and the plot. Story telling in both these stories was more about memory. The way a person should write in order to preserve the best and the most enjoyable. Both novels, no matter how bad the situation was, always somehow made it less terrible then it was. In The Things They Carried, O’Brien made all the deaths of his brothers not as bad as it probably was. For example, when Lemon stepped on the grenade, O’Brien wrote it as the lights from above pulled him towards the trees, almost like he was flying and then he just disappeared into the trees. This probably happened but not as graceful as the author made it seem. However, you feel like the way he died was not bad at all because you do not hear about the blood. O’Brien does put in that his body parts were all over the place which brings it back to the reality that this actually did happen and that he died. In Big Fish, when Ed Bloom is talking about the way he met his wife, it seemed all sweet and romantic with all of the flowers and hearts with Sandra’s name in them. But it pulls the audience back to reality when she is already engaged to be married. Then it gets bad because her fiancé beats him up but of course, Bloom promised not to hit him back and so now you have something bad happen but it is still a romantic moment because she breaks up with her fiancé and starts a relationship with Bloom.
In a way, the truth behind the story is not the events of the story but the overall meaning. The final resolution is where the truth is hidden because no matter how good the story is, the truth is that everything still happens in the way that they did. The Things They Carried was more on trying to get across that no matter how long ago a person passed away, their memories are always preserved in writing because each time a person reads it, they are able to revive the characters. Almost as if they are dead and each time they are read they become alive in your minds and then somehow start to live there. Big Fish is explaining, no matter what, as a person, you must live your life happily. It shows that the father is trying to show his son that imagination is wonderful and helps you live life to the fullest extent. He is trying to prove that truth is there but it is still as magnificent even though you fluff it up for your own pleasures. If you believe it long enough it becomes apart of you.
Overall, both The Things They Carried and Big Fish are wonderful titles that use the next level of storytelling. Captivating yet still having that truth behind it. Although the events within the stories are all made up, the real meaning behind it was still as it is.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
On the Road Chapter 8 - Chapter 11
Sort of happy this book is over yet i want to read part 3.
So basically, this whole section was about Sal going to Cali again. Him, Dean and Marylou set off on the road again. They start out with the little money that Sal had. When they ran out they had to pick up hitchhikers. The hitchhikers themselves had little to no money. But the interesting thing was that everyone was heading home while these three were heading out. They picked up two guys. The first one was going to his aunt's grocery store which is a sign that he is returning to his family. Then they picked up a musician who was also returning home. He had lost his guitar and most likely his "American Dream". This was just interesting because people are now starting to go home and these guys are going out.
Sal again is being used. Marylou is now using him to get closer to Dean. Marylou thinks that Dean is not in love with her so she uses Sal to try and get closer to him. After being dumped on the streets without any money or a place to stay, Sal finds that Marylou left him to go with a wealthier man. He finally figures out that before on the trip, she was only flirting with him for no reason. I think that Sal is really gullible and that this will continue to happen. Sal thought that Marylou actually liked him but he was obviously mistaken. Sal puts his emotions on his sleeve too much. This makes him really easy to be used by others. Like even the road trip i thought that he was being used for his money. Dean was broke and Bull would not let Dead borrow any money so for Dean to get back to his family, he had to use Sal's GI money.
Stopping at pt2 makes me feel like undone. There is no ending to this novel and there is a feeling of incompletion. I should read PT 3 on my own. I really enjoy this book because there is a surreal feeling to it. When im going on a road trip i feel really free and like the road is limitless. Theres a really nice feeling to the freedom.
So basically, this whole section was about Sal going to Cali again. Him, Dean and Marylou set off on the road again. They start out with the little money that Sal had. When they ran out they had to pick up hitchhikers. The hitchhikers themselves had little to no money. But the interesting thing was that everyone was heading home while these three were heading out. They picked up two guys. The first one was going to his aunt's grocery store which is a sign that he is returning to his family. Then they picked up a musician who was also returning home. He had lost his guitar and most likely his "American Dream". This was just interesting because people are now starting to go home and these guys are going out.
Sal again is being used. Marylou is now using him to get closer to Dean. Marylou thinks that Dean is not in love with her so she uses Sal to try and get closer to him. After being dumped on the streets without any money or a place to stay, Sal finds that Marylou left him to go with a wealthier man. He finally figures out that before on the trip, she was only flirting with him for no reason. I think that Sal is really gullible and that this will continue to happen. Sal thought that Marylou actually liked him but he was obviously mistaken. Sal puts his emotions on his sleeve too much. This makes him really easy to be used by others. Like even the road trip i thought that he was being used for his money. Dean was broke and Bull would not let Dead borrow any money so for Dean to get back to his family, he had to use Sal's GI money.
Stopping at pt2 makes me feel like undone. There is no ending to this novel and there is a feeling of incompletion. I should read PT 3 on my own. I really enjoy this book because there is a surreal feeling to it. When im going on a road trip i feel really free and like the road is limitless. Theres a really nice feeling to the freedom.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Chapter 14 - Pt2 Chapter 7
After doing my project on the Key Players of the beat generation, this book starts to make me think about everyone during this generation and how every one's lives always intertwined each other.
In the novel, i think a major theme would be similar to the saying "its a small world after all". Everyone who's in the "in" crowd of this beat group always met and had something to do with each other. Even though they are hundreds of miles away, they all still find a way to keep in contact and they seem like they see each other often. Just like when Sal met Dean and Ed. When they saw each other, they really didnt get into a huge fuss about it. It was just like a "hey!!" type of greeting. Its a warmer feeling i guess because now youre not alone in the world.
When Sal was at Bull's house, Bull was coming down pretty harshly on the men. But then he brought up the scene where Dale shot his wife in a motel and left with the cops chasing him. This reminded me of my key player's research where i found a man killing his wife. At this point, i believed that Sal was truly writing this based on a real life journey across the US.
Again the pearl was referenced in the last chapter. I think the pearl is a symbol of America hiding its beauty from the world. Like a treasure that people have to find.
There are certain parts of these chapters that got me confused. Things such as the ghost and the different death stories were confusing me.
In the novel, i think a major theme would be similar to the saying "its a small world after all". Everyone who's in the "in" crowd of this beat group always met and had something to do with each other. Even though they are hundreds of miles away, they all still find a way to keep in contact and they seem like they see each other often. Just like when Sal met Dean and Ed. When they saw each other, they really didnt get into a huge fuss about it. It was just like a "hey!!" type of greeting. Its a warmer feeling i guess because now youre not alone in the world.
When Sal was at Bull's house, Bull was coming down pretty harshly on the men. But then he brought up the scene where Dale shot his wife in a motel and left with the cops chasing him. This reminded me of my key player's research where i found a man killing his wife. At this point, i believed that Sal was truly writing this based on a real life journey across the US.
Again the pearl was referenced in the last chapter. I think the pearl is a symbol of America hiding its beauty from the world. Like a treasure that people have to find.
There are certain parts of these chapters that got me confused. Things such as the ghost and the different death stories were confusing me.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
On The Road Chapter 10 - 14
I'm beginning to like this novel.
Sal is finally developing his individually. He has basically decided that he needed to leave Denver and go to Cali. He ends up leaving by himself and finding Remi and his "wife" Lee Ann. But after being there he decides that he really dislikes Cali and wants to leave. When he left he made the decision of going to talk to a Mexican girl. You can see that he has become more assertive then he was. When he was with Carlo and Dean, he wouldn't be this straight forward. Now however, he is able to leave when he wants to and do things when he wants. In a way this portrays the "American Dream". Doing what one wanted and one felt like was every American's Dream. Sal's personality currently is just like this so called American Dream.
Although, he is able to show this "American Dream" philosophy, he is being used in so many ways. Once Sal got to Remi's home, immediately he had to write something for Remi to bring to Hollywood to sell. But of course, with Remi's very controlling personality, he was able to use Sal without getting Sal upset. Once Sal finally spoke out, Remi didn't argue and found him a job. But i think when he got Sal the job, he knew that Sal would help him steal from the people they had to guard and from the cafeteria because Sal couldn't say no after just helping him.
It was smart of Sal to leave Cali while he could because after the dinner with Remi's step father, he was in 100 dollars of debt. If Sal stayed, there might have been a lot of problems financially. Then somehow i know that Remi will have Sal do something to help them get through even though it was not Sal's fault Remi and Lee Ann were in the debt they are in.
Meeting the little Mexican girl, Terry, was probably one of the best story in the book because he is no longer with people he knew. He is with a stranger. This is a person that Sal doesn't really know and doesn't have any prior knowledge. This was a little more daring and very enjoyable to read. Before meeting this girl and actually developing a relationship, all of his other acquaintances were just people that he met and will never see again. Terry though has a strong possibility of reappearing again in this novel.
Sal is finally developing his individually. He has basically decided that he needed to leave Denver and go to Cali. He ends up leaving by himself and finding Remi and his "wife" Lee Ann. But after being there he decides that he really dislikes Cali and wants to leave. When he left he made the decision of going to talk to a Mexican girl. You can see that he has become more assertive then he was. When he was with Carlo and Dean, he wouldn't be this straight forward. Now however, he is able to leave when he wants to and do things when he wants. In a way this portrays the "American Dream". Doing what one wanted and one felt like was every American's Dream. Sal's personality currently is just like this so called American Dream.
Although, he is able to show this "American Dream" philosophy, he is being used in so many ways. Once Sal got to Remi's home, immediately he had to write something for Remi to bring to Hollywood to sell. But of course, with Remi's very controlling personality, he was able to use Sal without getting Sal upset. Once Sal finally spoke out, Remi didn't argue and found him a job. But i think when he got Sal the job, he knew that Sal would help him steal from the people they had to guard and from the cafeteria because Sal couldn't say no after just helping him.
It was smart of Sal to leave Cali while he could because after the dinner with Remi's step father, he was in 100 dollars of debt. If Sal stayed, there might have been a lot of problems financially. Then somehow i know that Remi will have Sal do something to help them get through even though it was not Sal's fault Remi and Lee Ann were in the debt they are in.
Meeting the little Mexican girl, Terry, was probably one of the best story in the book because he is no longer with people he knew. He is with a stranger. This is a person that Sal doesn't really know and doesn't have any prior knowledge. This was a little more daring and very enjoyable to read. Before meeting this girl and actually developing a relationship, all of his other acquaintances were just people that he met and will never see again. Terry though has a strong possibility of reappearing again in this novel.
Friday, April 2, 2010
On the Road Chapter 1 and Chapter 9
This novel was really boring and hard to start, similar to Grapes of Wrath. It's not boring to the point where i dont want to read it, its just the novel is ordinary.
On The Road starts with a man, Sal, talking about how Dean came into his life. When i read that Sal and his wife broke up then met Dean, i almost thought he was gay. But reading into the novel, you can tell that Dean is just a friend Sal depends on to achieve adventures. Dean represents this like, crazy American male who enjoys the pleasures of the world and he's a leader. Sal on the other hand is more of a follower. He gives off the feeling that he's scared of the world. You rarely see him step up and make a decision when he's with his friends like Dean. You can also see that Dean is using Sal. Dean is not very privileged and most likely didnt have education. Sal did have an education because he's writing at home and writing is a sign that he knew how to read too. Dean used Sal's education to better himself in his studies.
Sal is a really laid back too. He isnt the type, or so it seems, to be very strict in what he wants to accomplish. His goal was to reach California but he took many detours. Like he is in Denver currently and he plans to be stay there for a little while. He isnt the type to take lead either. He left New York after everyone else had left and i guess ina way he felt that he had to go. Since Dean and Carlo left Sal probably feels that he has to go with them. Shows that he is a follower too.
~I forgot to add this Friday~
I am really confused to what they are talking about when they say Machine.
On The Road starts with a man, Sal, talking about how Dean came into his life. When i read that Sal and his wife broke up then met Dean, i almost thought he was gay. But reading into the novel, you can tell that Dean is just a friend Sal depends on to achieve adventures. Dean represents this like, crazy American male who enjoys the pleasures of the world and he's a leader. Sal on the other hand is more of a follower. He gives off the feeling that he's scared of the world. You rarely see him step up and make a decision when he's with his friends like Dean. You can also see that Dean is using Sal. Dean is not very privileged and most likely didnt have education. Sal did have an education because he's writing at home and writing is a sign that he knew how to read too. Dean used Sal's education to better himself in his studies.
Sal is a really laid back too. He isnt the type, or so it seems, to be very strict in what he wants to accomplish. His goal was to reach California but he took many detours. Like he is in Denver currently and he plans to be stay there for a little while. He isnt the type to take lead either. He left New York after everyone else had left and i guess ina way he felt that he had to go. Since Dean and Carlo left Sal probably feels that he has to go with them. Shows that he is a follower too.
~I forgot to add this Friday~
I am really confused to what they are talking about when they say Machine.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Grapes of Wrath Chapter 27 - End
The ending of this book was long awaited.
Personally, I really enjoyed this novel. I was able to connect with each of the members in the Joad family (not including Noah although I did understand why he left). The last few chapters were surprising but noticeable.
The cotton picking part got me really excited. I felt like the family finally had a place to stay and would be able to make a living there. Everything seemed to be working out. I thought that them leaving the government camp was a good thing because the government camp seemed to be holding them back.
The ending was a surprise. I knew that Casy would be back but he was killed off so quickly. He gave Tom important information about what was actually happening in the dust bowl and then he dies. When Tom left the family because he needed to heal his face was almost a foreshadow for me. I knew that he would be leaving the family sometime. Although I thought that when he left, Ma wasn't like upset about it. Similar to Noah leaving or Connie. But she did say that he was her support and she needed him there. I guess she just finally figured out that for him to be safe, he had to leave.
I admire Ma for finally letting go of her family. She allowed Al to get married and leave the family to start his own. I guess she found out that she cant keep the family safe forever and kids need to grow up and make a living on their own. Her letting go is almost like lost hope. All the younger men in the family are now gone. This can only turn mildly bad for the family. By the time they leave the flood, they are down to 6 people. Two older men, two children, and two women. Im not sure how they will make a living competing with younger men and people who have the strength to work.
Rose was got really weird. Like she became really crazy. When Connie left her, it was a shock for her. She was very depressed and sad especially with a baby on its way. I think that this lead to her insanity. In many parts of this novel, all the chaos made Rose seem like she was out of her mind. When the Christian lady was talking to her about sinners, Rose took all of that in as herself. At the end, i felt that she, in a way, was conscious about what she was doing but in a way she found pleasure by breast feeding the man. Almost like she though the man was her stillborn baby. She really loved Connie and she really loved her baby. She just became a little nuts. Although i must give it to her, if i was in her shoes i probably would not be brave enough to do something like that.
Overall, i really thought that this novel was a easy read. There were times when all i wanted to do was skip through and only read when it talks about the family. By the time i got to those parts, i could never put the book down.
My Suggestion:
-Get past the first 3 chapters and you'll love the novel after that
-Read it on a weekend when you have time to re-read the descriptions
Thanks for choosing this novel.
Personally, I really enjoyed this novel. I was able to connect with each of the members in the Joad family (not including Noah although I did understand why he left). The last few chapters were surprising but noticeable.
The cotton picking part got me really excited. I felt like the family finally had a place to stay and would be able to make a living there. Everything seemed to be working out. I thought that them leaving the government camp was a good thing because the government camp seemed to be holding them back.
The ending was a surprise. I knew that Casy would be back but he was killed off so quickly. He gave Tom important information about what was actually happening in the dust bowl and then he dies. When Tom left the family because he needed to heal his face was almost a foreshadow for me. I knew that he would be leaving the family sometime. Although I thought that when he left, Ma wasn't like upset about it. Similar to Noah leaving or Connie. But she did say that he was her support and she needed him there. I guess she just finally figured out that for him to be safe, he had to leave.
I admire Ma for finally letting go of her family. She allowed Al to get married and leave the family to start his own. I guess she found out that she cant keep the family safe forever and kids need to grow up and make a living on their own. Her letting go is almost like lost hope. All the younger men in the family are now gone. This can only turn mildly bad for the family. By the time they leave the flood, they are down to 6 people. Two older men, two children, and two women. Im not sure how they will make a living competing with younger men and people who have the strength to work.
Rose was got really weird. Like she became really crazy. When Connie left her, it was a shock for her. She was very depressed and sad especially with a baby on its way. I think that this lead to her insanity. In many parts of this novel, all the chaos made Rose seem like she was out of her mind. When the Christian lady was talking to her about sinners, Rose took all of that in as herself. At the end, i felt that she, in a way, was conscious about what she was doing but in a way she found pleasure by breast feeding the man. Almost like she though the man was her stillborn baby. She really loved Connie and she really loved her baby. She just became a little nuts. Although i must give it to her, if i was in her shoes i probably would not be brave enough to do something like that.
Overall, i really thought that this novel was a easy read. There were times when all i wanted to do was skip through and only read when it talks about the family. By the time i got to those parts, i could never put the book down.
My Suggestion:
-Get past the first 3 chapters and you'll love the novel after that
-Read it on a weekend when you have time to re-read the descriptions
Thanks for choosing this novel.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Grapes of Wrath Chapter 21-26
When i thought of that camp that Joad's family reached i thought of like a huge camp site similar to like a national park camp site, with tents all around and each camp area was assigned to a particular wash room area. I also thought of a huge fence that surrounded this area. I am really glad that the family found this place because so far everything seemed too good to be true in this camp. People in this camp are very friendly. I suspected that the camp would be good because right when Tom entered he hit a road bump and when the guard told them about the reason of the road bump, I thought of how this camp actually cared about the safety of the children.
The camp is also really ideally ran. The way that this camp is being run reminded me of the Utopian society in the book Candide by Voltaire. In the camp, everyone had a role and if you didn't like someone in that role, you peacefully voted them out. So far in this book, when there was a problem the community committee leaders would solve the problems.
I however do not think this camp is safe. It seems like there is no way a camp like this could survive having everyone pay 4 dollars a month because of all of these privileges. Things like a grocery market within the camp, running hot and cold water, flushing toilets, and other things such as a self sufficient government and a dance floor. Its somewhat too good to be true. Then, Tom was able to find a job on the first day. That shocked me because it seemed like a lot of people in the camp had a hard time looking for work and all of a sudden a new guy comes along and is able to get a job in a matter of hours.
However, this camp represents something on a larger scale. This camp shows people from all over becoming one unified and together. This is what Ma has been trying to do all throughout the novel. This camp is like the justification of Ma's beliefs. The camp just reminded me of an inner chapter talking about how unified people are going to pull together and take back what they deserve. This camp seems like its going in that direction.
I also really like how the children of the family are finally getting a role in this story. Their childish immaturity is reminding me of how young this family is. I really enjoyed the two children's adventure into the bathroom and how they thought they broke the toilet. It shows how little they had in their farm land.
I cant wait to continue reading the next chapters and finding out what will happen to this family.
The camp is also really ideally ran. The way that this camp is being run reminded me of the Utopian society in the book Candide by Voltaire. In the camp, everyone had a role and if you didn't like someone in that role, you peacefully voted them out. So far in this book, when there was a problem the community committee leaders would solve the problems.
I however do not think this camp is safe. It seems like there is no way a camp like this could survive having everyone pay 4 dollars a month because of all of these privileges. Things like a grocery market within the camp, running hot and cold water, flushing toilets, and other things such as a self sufficient government and a dance floor. Its somewhat too good to be true. Then, Tom was able to find a job on the first day. That shocked me because it seemed like a lot of people in the camp had a hard time looking for work and all of a sudden a new guy comes along and is able to get a job in a matter of hours.
However, this camp represents something on a larger scale. This camp shows people from all over becoming one unified and together. This is what Ma has been trying to do all throughout the novel. This camp is like the justification of Ma's beliefs. The camp just reminded me of an inner chapter talking about how unified people are going to pull together and take back what they deserve. This camp seems like its going in that direction.
I also really like how the children of the family are finally getting a role in this story. Their childish immaturity is reminding me of how young this family is. I really enjoyed the two children's adventure into the bathroom and how they thought they broke the toilet. It shows how little they had in their farm land.
I cant wait to continue reading the next chapters and finding out what will happen to this family.
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