Got the skeleton of the blog up and running. Feel free to comment on this post to begin discussion of the book up to page 23. Though the page number we technically end on today is 21, the paragraph continues onto page 23. The page given on this blog will always be noted in this fashion when the paragraph extends onto further pages.
Let the discussion begin.
I was wondering if anyone else found the board's reaction to hearing Hal speak slightly outrageous. Granted they were expecting an intelligent well spoken young man, but their comments sounded overly dramatic. Exclaiming "Sweet mother of christ" and pinning him to the ground. Am I misjudging this? or is it perhaps some kind of intentionally absurd reaction that Wallace was going for?
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ReplyDeleteI thought that pinning him to the ground and slamming his face into the carpet was a bit much, especially if they thought he was having a stroke. I think that was the point, though, and that the blame for the overreaction rests on the characters rather than the author.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I can blame them for freaking out, though, because they certainly weren't expecting it. But yeah, it was definitely over the top and outrageous. If I was Hal, I wouldn't have reacted with such calm at people yelling "Sweet mother of Christ, what are those... sounds?" at me, which makes me think he's very used to this sort of behavior.
Also, in the Year of Depends Adult Undergarments am I to assume that the bug crawling in and out of the hole in the wall is a metaphor for Erdedy's anxiety, a sort of "monster inside me"? If I remember correctly, every time he gets anxious and has to convince himself to not call the woman etc. the bug is out of the hole?
ReplyDeleteIt has been about 2 years since I've read anything from IJ, but I still think I can contribute to your discussions. I just have to be very careful with my words. I don't want to spoil anything.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Hal's "words" and actions at the interview session--keep reading. You'll find out soon enough what kind of a mind Hal has, and then you can go back and re-read the opening scene with a new perspective. Also, keep in mind how Hal's uncle acted during the interview (a little nervously, if I remember correctly) and the fact that Hal ends up at the ER at the end of that chapter.
I love the transition between scenes on p. 10: "Call it something I ate" into the flashback regarding Hal eating the fungi or whatever it is, especially since it's something that continues to pop up throughout the book. I especially love Avril's running and screaming and her kind-of ineffectiveness as a mother at that very moment, which is also tied into her neurosis.
ReplyDeleteIt's unrealistic to start analyzing anyone's actions at this point. The deans are just "head and bodies." Charles Tavis is briefly noted as Hal's uncle. Furthermore, there is a string of babble towards the end of the chapter that is impossible to comprehend: mention of names we don't know, mention of events we don't know, and the impossibility of actually knowing who's talking when.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find interesting about this chapter is that the Deans are debating whether or not they might appear to be using Hal for his tennis abilities if they accept him to the University. They see him as sound of body, but lacking intelligence. As the reader, I'm inside Hal's mind. I see him as sound of mind (he is aware of all of his surroundings) but dealing with an unresponsive body/voice (described animalistically, or "like a stick of butter being hit with a mallet" or as "waggling"). There is a severe lack of communication. We immediately relate to Hal, and we're puzzled by the deans. We somehow know Hal's telling the truth as he repeats, "I'm in here!"
I particularly like the mold story. It relates panic and adult hysteria--the kind that the deans are experiencing. This might be totally bogus, but maybe Hal's outward actions are drug induced? Hal says, "Maybe it's something I ate." Furthermore, C.T. seems angry. A how-could-you-do-this-to-me sort of angry. Though it doesn't seem like Hal's controlling his actions, Hal would be responsible if he was having a drug trip.
Two quotes I particularly like:
Hal: "There's more to life than sitting there interfacing, it might be a news-flash to you."
and
Random Cuban nurses aide: "So yo then man, what's your story?"
By analyzing the events in the chapter (wondering if the mold relates to drugs, wondering if the Deans are overreacting, etc.) we are merely sitting there interfacing. The last line of the chapter is startlingly personal. Maybe we should pay more attention to the way we feel, what happens to us while we're reading, than to the intricacies of the novel.
And my feelings upon reading the chapter: confusion, discomfort, a bit of "oh fuck I don't know if I can actually read this thing, it's wicked confusing and long" hysteria. You?
On another note, I'm on an e-reader. Did we read Erdedy yet?
Quitters, the lot of you!
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