Garden of Forking Paths Post

Note: I apologize for the slight tardiness on this post

The Garden of Forking of Paths was the more interesting read of the two readings this week. The thing about that short story that I found most intriguing was the first person narrative of the story. The way the story was told through the eyes of the main character, Yu Tsun. Short stories like this are typically told in a third person format, but I liked how this story did it by having Yu Tsun tell his own tale.

Interestingly, when a story begins by telling the reader of a time off war, the reader expects an action packed, fast paced story. Instead the author, Borges, tells a story that is much more intellectual than anticipated. While a story of espionage, it is not a story of espionage that draws a reader into the story from start to finish. It almost seems like Borges is trying to draw the reader in by giving a scene of war, and pulling a “bait and switch” later in the story.

The Back to the Future clip shown in class was really interesting because it gave a more popular example of the labyrinth described in the story.

Lot 49 Blog Post

In the final three chapters of the novel, the thing that keeps sticking out to me is the names chosen by Pynchon for the characters. Oedipa's name becomes more and more appropriate for the character. Like Oedipus Rex, Oedipa is driven insane by the events of the story. Even when she is wandering, the reader is beginning to see that all the information Oedipa is getting is driving her totally insane. While her “doom” doesn’t come in the same way as Oedipus, it is a doom of insanity nonetheless.

Her name is not the only one Thomas Pynchon uses as a satirical device. The name of John Nefastis gives the reader, or at least me, the image of something dark, due to his name sounding like “nefarious”.

It almost seems like his character naming is for no other reason than to make the readers chuckle. For me, an example of this is Genghis Cohen. I can’t figure out why he would name the stamp collector like the legendary Genghis Khan, other than possibly trying to keep the reader’s attention, especially in the parts of the novel that are not as interesting.

From Dr. Hilarius to Mike Fallopian, the satire Pynchon uses ranges from the obvious to the puzzling. The most likely reason for some of his namings is simply to distract or puzzle the reader even more in a story that is already very puzzling. It is Thomas Pynchon’s strategy in the novel to be as ambiguous as humanly possible.

Blog Post for Crying of Lot 49

In the first three chapters of The Crying of Lot 49, the most interesting aspect to me is the naming of the characters. Most obvious of the characters is Oedipa. Her name alludes to the Greek tale of Oedipus Rex, as well as the Oedipus complex pioneered in the world of psychology by Freud. To me, Oedipa’s name really refers to the power she has over men. Throughout the first few chapters of the novel, she is constantly pursued and sought after by the men of the book. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus marries his mother to unwittingly fulfill a prophecy. His actions are seemingly predestined. It seems like it is the same way for Oedipa. Everything she does seems like it is almost destined to happen. 

April 7 Blog Post

In Chapter 12 of Watchmen, the most dramatic scene comes when Dr. Manhattan kills Rorschach to prevent any chance of him revealing the secret of Viedt’s new utopia. I feel like Rorschach essentially commits suicide. He has the choice to simply walk away from Manhattan and return to New York, or he could have lied and then went back to America and told the truth. Rorschach sees things in such black and white terms that it leads to his downfall. Even though Veidt’s plan has, at least temporarily, he sees no redeeming quality of it. He sees it as evil, and as something that must be punished. It is this quality that allows Rorschach to function, but it is his fatal flaw.

Instead, Rorschach makes a scene of refusing to go along with Viedt’s plan. Then, when Dr. Manhattan hesitates on whether to kill him, Rorschach demands it, and screams “DO IT!” to Dr. Manhattan. He knows that in Viedt’s new utopia, there is no room at all for a vigilante like himself. In addition, I think Rorschach sees what may happen when the utopia falls apart. He sees that when that happens, as Dr. Manhattan subtly predicts later in the chapter, the world will fall into a disrepair that even he and his version of vigilante justice can mend.

Rorschach’s removal of his mask also signifies that as he was born as Kovacs, he will die as Kovacs. For the final moments of his life, Rorschach removes his persona and dies as man, not hero.

Blog Post

The scene in this week's readings that most intrigued me was the scene when, on Mars, Laurie figures out that The Comedian is her father. The way the discovery is drawn out is very interesting. With the repeating quotes from The Comedian, the close-up shots, and the flashbacks, the reader is brought into the same world of confusion that Laurie has entered.

The symbolism of Laurie throwing the Nostalgia perfume bottle, coupled with Dr. Manhattan’s haven crashing down, is very powerful. It shows Laurie destroying everything she has held near and dear for years. Despite her animosity towards her mother, it still rocks her world to learn that her father is the man who attempted to rape her mother.

Another interesting thing about this scene is Dr. Manhattan’s reaction. It almost seems like he doesn’t know what is wrong with Laurie. To me, it appears that even though Manhattan can see what lies ahead, it might have surprised even him that Laurie crashed.

The image of the castle of Dr. Manhattan crashing to the Martian earth seems almost like an image from Laurie’s head, even though we know its actually happening. It is a very powerful moment in the story and for Laurie.

blog post

Chapter 6 of Watchmen gives the back-story of Rorschach through the lens of his sessions with the shrink. Immediately, this chapter connects with Chapter Four, which gives up the details of Dr. Manhattan. I was first struck by how seamless both chapters are in connecting past and present. In many novels/movies, flashbacks can be frustrating departures from the story. In Watchmen, the way the back stories are given to the reader is brilliant.

The detail that struck me was how both stories, are triggered by images. For Dr. Manhattan, the image of himself and Janey prompts the back-story. In this chapter, Rorschach’s tale is prompted by the inkblots the psychiatrist shows him during therapy. The use of the inkblots is a fitting way to tell the story of Rorschach, who is marked by his mask.

The stories of Manhattan and Rorschach show how alike the two are, despite very obvious differences. Both characters assume new identities from their “given” names. However, the way these new identities come about shows how different they are. While Manhattan is given his name, and still goes by Jon, Rorschach chooses to become who he is, and completely rejects his life as Walter Kovacs.

The way Alan Moore lays out the story of the two heroes shows a kind of reflection in the two, and yet he still shows how opposite they can be. Moore uses the different images to spark the stories, as well as bouncing back and forth seamlessly between past and present. He shows a sort of connection between the two Watchmen, a connection that lasts throughout the novel. 

Watchmen Chapter Four Blog Post

Chapter Four in Watchmen has a different format than the three previous chapters of the comic. This chapter is told exclusively by Doctor Manhattan on the surface of Mars. The story he tells switches back in forth from the present to various points in his past.

The reason I really like this chapter is because it gives us the real back-story to Dr. Manhattan. It shows us how he met Laurie, it shows us how he gained his powers, and it essentially gives us the life story of Manhattan. It is really interesting to see why Manhattan does what he does. It shows his transition from Jon to Dr. Manhattan. The reader sees the torture endured by all the superheroes, especially Manhattan. Manhattan is shown to grow more and more distant from the world and the people in it. We see that the accident, while making him godlike, has turned him into a God that is detached from the world.

And yet, in a chapter solely dedicated to Dr. Manhattan, we see plot developments in other characters. The Comedian is shown in Vietnam to be cruel, cold and heartless. The quote that really sticks out to me is “He understands perfectly, and he doesn’t care.” This quote from Manhattan really shows the demeanor of Blake. He is in a brutal war, with death and destruction surrounding him, and he just doesn’t care.

The takeaway for the chapter is Manhattan’s transformation. For me, the chapter gives us an insight into Dr. Manhattan’s mindset for the rest of the story.

Gulliver's Travels Blog Post

In Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver tries to impress the King of Brobdingnag by showing him gunpowder. This display by Gulliver is done in an attempt to impress the King. The fact that the gunpowder does not do much to impress Brobdingnag is a very telling story. In this tale, Swift is taking a shot at militarism. The fact that the gunpowder is so readily dismissed shows that the people of Brobdingnag, who have been shown by Swift to be a very kind and caring people, shows that the weaponry of Gulliver's society is unneeded for a successful society. Gulliver is a product of a society that worships materials, especially weapons. In the "real" world that Gulliver resides in, the most powerful people in society are the ones with the most, and biggest weapons. Gulliver is shown by the people of Brobdingnag that weapons and power are not the most important thing.