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.