Danbi's Deliberations

While flipping back through the book, I noticed a peculiar detail -- both the first and the last chapters of Black Swan Green are titled "January Man". As a result, intrigued, I went back to compare the Jason that we knew from the beginning of the story to the very end and it's clear to see that Jason has grown in many ways -- some more noticeable than the rest.  One of the most noticeable ways Jason has grown from the beginning to the end of the novel is his view on the importance of social standings and fitting in. Throughout the novel, we see Jason avoiding certain people or actions simply because they would give him a bad rep amongst his other male peers. Yet, I never really found myself finding this a major fault in Jason just because I empathized and kind of understood him. At his age, it is COMPLETELY normal to ache to fit in and want to be liked and to top it off, if I was threatened with severe bullying and the things that Jason has gone through as the "bott...

Throughout her novel,  Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, Allison   Bechdel alludes to several pieces of literature in order to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the scene at play and provide an additional illustration. Not only would she compare scenes to literature with a simile (ex. ______ was like <insert piece of literature), but she would also zoom in and focus on the books that her father was reading, indicating greater importance and meaning to the reader. This was a notable stylistic choice in her writing that constantly made me feel like she was dropping in extra hints or symbolism that you wouldn't quite get unless you dug into them -- maybe it was just me because I was unfamiliar with most of these titles but after looking more into them, you begin to realize how interesting her subtle allusions were.  One of the first books she alludes to is A Happy Death by Albert Camus. This piece of literature is introduced as one that her father was reading...

TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide, depression Although not introduced until much later in the novel, I found the character Joan Gilling to be one of the most interesting in relation to Esther. Joan and Esther are noticeably very similar -- they're from the same hometown, church, and of similar age. Additionally, they both are very academically accomplished and capable, and both even dated Buddy Willard. The resemblance between the two characters is uncanny--so much so that it's hard to believe there's not some deeper meaning or symbolism behind Joan's character. The reader is kind of "forced" to compare the two women from the beginning, where Joan reads about Esther's suicide attempt in the newspaper. She (Joan) describes the same feelings of listlessness and depression that we see Esther goes through and as a result, promptly buys a plane ticket to New York, somewhat "inspired", thinking it would be easier to kill herself there. When she fails, she is mo...

Throughout The Catcher In the Rye, Holden Caulfield confides in the reader/listener in a charming and friendly way. However, he is very ready to pass judgment on the people around him. His friends, family, and even complete strangers often come under Holden’s intense scrutiny over the course of the novel. For this reason, I found myself struggling to like Holden as a character as he himself is incredibly flawed yet has a "holier than thou" way of speaking. The most notable and jarring of Holden's flaws is his sexism. The way he describes and treats women throughout the novel was probably the most frustrating part of the novel. He interprets most of their actions based on sex and only seems to care about them when they are providing him something in return. The first notable instance of Holden’s perception of women is possibly also the most telling. His experiences going on double dates with his roommate Stradlater paint a harrowing picture of dating at the time. Stradlate...

                The American romantic-comedy film 10 Things I Hate About You is centered around the romance of two young students, Kat and Patrick, who fit the stereotypical “female outcast” and “teenage bad boy” characters. Kat’s father makes a rule that unless Kat begins dating, her younger sister, Bianca, is not allowed to. A boy desperate to date Bianca pays Patrick to seduce Kat who is seen as scary, unapproachable, and antisocial by her peers. However, Kat simply feels frustrated by societal expectations and rules that seem to determine the way she has to live her life. Thus, she feels that everything from dating to acting nicely in the halls are actions meant to please society instead of living how one really wants to. Unexpectedly, the two students begin to fall for each other and trouble brews when Patrick’s original agenda is revealed. In the film 10 Things I Hate About You, Kat demonstrates a coming-of-age narrativ...