Reconciliation

At the end of the novel, one of the most important moments in the plot occurs when Rowdy decides to reconcile with Junior. On one hand this moment seems to be a touching gesture, showing how individuals can put aside differences to regain a lost relationship. On the other hand, I am not sure how realistic this entire scenario is in the larger context of the novel. That is, I am not sure if Rowdy really would want to rekindle his lost friendship with Junior considering the betrayal that he felt. Rather, I would expect that the relationship between Junior and Rowdy would continue in a somewhat passive aggressive manner similar to how Rowdy did not tear up the picture Junior drew, but at the same time, did not come out and forgive Junior. Perhaps Junior was dreaming about his renewed friendship with Rowdy. The passage from the end of the novel displays a somewhat dreamlike quality due to its vividness and broad language as seen when Junior states: "Rowdy and I played one-on-one for hours. We played until dark. We played until the streetlights lit up the court. We played until the bats swooped down at our heads. We played until the moon was huge and golden and perfect in the dark sky" (230). I believe that the descriptors used in the passage such as the moon being "huge and golden" are what gives the passage this dreamlike quality. Overall, although it was endearing that two old friends could return their relationship to what it was, I do not believe that this is plausible given the rest of the plot.

Why?

Before I begin my post, I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. In fact, I enjoyed the novel so much that I read the entire thing on the way to a college visit. However, although I enjoyed the novel, I honestly do not understand why we are reading this book. I don't understand how it fits in with the curriculum of the AP exam. Even today when we took our in-class essay, we were supposed to use works of literary merit. Again, don't get me wrong, I love this novel, but I do not think that it should considered of literary merit. Are you being nice, or do you have an ulterior motive? 

Passage Analysis from The Bluest Eye

After finishing The Bluest Eye, one passage from the end of the novel was not clear to me so I decided to perform a brief close reading to better understand it.

One of the first meanings that I was able to take away from the passage was the distinctions between certain words that the author uses. Strength vs aggression, free vs licensed, compassionate vs polite ...

I believe that the juxtaposition of these words was intended to highlight how Pecola allowed the girls to feel strength, but did not actually empower them. She may have created feelings of strength but they were really aggression in disguise. Similarly, the shackles that bound Pecola may have inspired feelings of freedom in Claudia, but in fact these feelings were simply substitutes for the true and internal feeling of freedom. In this way, I believe that the author is commenting on the nature of true feelings. Although people may try and use others to empower themselves, it seems that what the author is saying is that true feelings of strength and freedom and compassion can only come from within. 

Diction in The Bluest Eye

One of my first observation after reading The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, is the specific stylistic choices that are used to open the novel. The telling and retelling of the story of Dick, Jane, Mother, and Father, serves as an opening backdrop for the novel. The story of the fictional family, at least in the eyes of the children in the novel, is the story of the perfect  white American family which differs greatly from the life of the poor black family. As the story is retold again, the punctuation is removed creating a continuous and flowing dialogue.Although I was at first unsure of what this stylistic change represented, time has led me to conclude that in a way it is almost an attempt by main character Claudia to insert herself into the fictional reality that is the world of Dick and Jane, and to remove herself from the reality of her own childhood. The future deconstruction of the passage through the removal of the separation between the words seems to represent a continued attempt to make fiction become reality through repetition, similar to a child closing their eyes and wishing for something to occur. Overall, I believe that this opening scene connects back to the title of the work, The Bluest Eye, in that is represents a desire for ethnic children to live the homogenized and idealized white childhood just like Dick and Jane in the same way that Pecola wishes for "pretty blue eyes."

Purple Hibiscus Blog on Wealth

Through my reading of Purple Hibiscus so far, I have come to recognize that the plot of the novel somewhat demonstrates the parable of those who are poor being happy, and those who are rich being miserable. In this way, I believe that the author is commenting on the nature of material goods and how happiness results from spiritual and interpersonal connections.

In the beginning of Purple Hibiscus, the reader meets Kambili, a shy and quiet girl. It seems that Kambili suffers from a lack of identity in large part to the oppressive and overbearing nature of her father. Although she and her family may be materially rich, much is lacking both in spirituality and in their relationships with others which creates an unhappy family dynamic.

Kimball's family stands in direct contrast to the family of her Aunt Ifeoma. Although Aunt Ifeoma lives in the war torn area of Nsukka, which is in a constant state of unrest, she and her family are happy with what they have. Their happiness can partially be attributed to the freedom that they all have to speak their mind and to express themselves freely. I believe that the contrast between the two families is representative of the nature of money. Although money may be able to solve many problems in the world and allows all who hold it to have material comforts, true happiness, it seems, can only be gained through personal liberties and freedoms.

Things Fall Apart and Purple Hibiscus

After reading the dedication for Purple Hibiscus, I think that I know what is going on. This novel was written by Okonkwo's granddaughter, at least I think. If this is true, it leads me to believe that perhaps Eugene represents Nwoye, but that almost seems out of character given that I remember Nwoye from Things Fall Apart as being calm and kind, which goes against my initial impressions of Eugene. This knowledge leads me to conclude that Eugene is an alter ego of Nwoye. If this deduction is somehow true, then it definitely reinforces the notion, "like father, like son." When Nwoye left Okonkwo and his family, he did it in one breath to escape the oppression that he faced as a result of his father. However, Eugene seems to be just as bad as Okonkwo, although in a more civilized society. He still beats his wife and acts with a chip on his shoulder, due to his own father. However, unlike Okonkwo, he is not afraid to show affection to his family. I am not sure where the plot of Purple Hibiscus sits relative to that of Things Fall Apart, but I know that the two are connected somehow.

Imagery in Purple Hibiscus

After my reading of the first 103 pages in Purple Hibiscus, one of the first thoughts that struck me about the novel was how heavily the author utilizes imagery. From my reading, it seemed as if every page had at least one extended description that contained numerous appeals to the senses. Although I recognize the value of imagery in a work of literature to make the words real to the reader, I almost think that the imagery in Purple Hibiscus, is overdone, and beings to lose its meaning due to its frequency. One example of particularly can be found on page 41 when Kambili says: "I followed him. As he climbed the stairs in his red silk pajamas, his buttocks quivered and shook like akimbo, properly made akimbo, jellylike" (41). The author is clearly trying to make a connection to akimbo so the reader can better develop an image, but I find the comparison to be distasteful and irrelevant. Similarly, on page 14 Kambili makes another bizarre statement when she exclaims: "I reached for my glass and stared at the juice, watery yellow, like urine" (14). As a reader I think that I can understand what the author is trying to do with her imagery, but I personally feel that it adds nothing to the plot, rather it takes away from what is happening and makes me cringe.