Stealing Inventories
Dan Feuerbach
English 352
3-29-2006
Stealing Inventories
Miss Lonelyhearts:
1- Main character is male, but referred to throughout entire novel as Ms. Lonelyhearts.
2- Voice is third person but could easily have been told in first.
3- On page three Ms. Lonelyhearts says Christ is the answer but he needs to avoid Him unless he wants to get sick. However when he tries other forms of escape (i.e.: drinking, sex, love) he gets sick.
4- On several occasions before his epiphany he is sick or cold, then after his epiphany he is described as a furnace. (page fifty-six)
5- He doesn’t like Betty, just the idea of her. This is displayed in the quote “He begged the party dress to marry him.” (page fifty-six)
6- Lucy’s disdain for her husband is shown by her referring to him by his last name. (page thirty)
7- Tone in setting: The snow in May and lack of signs of spring set up a depressing, dismal tone.
8- His fear of his own personal disorder is shown through his insane desire to order everything he owns. (page ten)
9- Metaphor: On page eight he has a Jesus off of a Crucifix nailed to his wall that is described as “calmly decorative,” which reflects Jesus’ role in Miss Lonelyheart’s life.
10- Macro-setting: The prohibition era is demonstrated by the characters going to speak-easies.
Ironweed:
1- His mother is fiddling with dandelions on page two, which grow on her foe Katrina’s grave on page one-hundred and fifty-four.
2- Helen’s saintly image backed up by her putting two pennies in a collection box at church which is remarkably similar to the widow who did the same thing in the New Testament.
3- Mirroring: The story takes place on Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day.
4- Macro-setting: On page twelve Francis and Rudy reference the Orson Welles’ broadcast of “War of the Worlds.”
5- Living Object: Francis’ right shoe being busted, this is carried out through the entire novel and characters consistently refer to it. It is introduced on page nine.
6- Michael and Gerald, his family members are referred to as “crooked” after they die. However when Helen dies she isn’t crooked.(page two-hundred and twenty-two)
7- The three most influential women in Francis’ life (Katrina, his mother and Helen) are compared to the Fates in Greek Mythology.
8- The first thing Francis notices in the mission on page six is that Helen isn’t there. This establishes an important, but undisclosed relationship between the two.
9- On page twenty-four characters talk about the Erie Canal, which serves to ground this novel in Albany.
10- Francis comes to life a little more by getting a personal cliché. “Katie bar the door too wet to plow. He says this several times in the novel. It is introduced on page twenty-seven.
Fiskadoro:
1- Marie, Cheung and Fiskadoro represent the past, present, and future of the current society.
2- On page twelve an important piece of foreshadowing can be seen: “…the only one ready when we came.”
3- The languages give validity to the post-apocalyptic world they live in. The fusion of multiple languages and dialects and child-like sentence structures make this world come to life.
4- Cheung’s intellectual yet comical nature is displayed on paged one-hundred and twenty six in which he recites an incorrect version of the Declaration of Independence.
5- On page one-hundred and ninety-six the setting is described as grey and foreboding, at the end of the section Fiskadoro’s mother is dead.
6- Jimmy Hidalgo’s clarinet is a living object.
7- The sub-incision is a re-birth for Fiskadoro. He is a completely different type of human being when he returns from the swamp.
8- Novel ties apocalypse in with the rise of communism by intertwining a narrative about Marie being evacuated from Vietnam.
9- The sub-incision has been a part of Voodoo for a considerable amount of time. The use by the Voodoo tribe is given validity by its use in the novel.
10- On page one-hundred and seventy-nine Fiskadoro is anointed by the Voodoo tribe’s men.
11- Intellectual discussion becomes a kind of game. When the scientific community in the novel assembles to read a book about the atomic bombings the members mock and disrupt the meeting. (page one-hundred and fifty-two)
12- The scientific community has illiterate members and reads fiction like it’s fact. (page forty-six)
13- The name Twicetown is explained on page fifty-one. This fictional history is makes the reader become curious as to what exactly happened at Key West.
14- The survival of the island people is explained on page four. They become a food facility during quarantine.
15- On page seventeen the inhabitants use car-parts for decorations, which makes sense because there’s really not much else to use and no purpose for cars.
The Butterfly Stories:
1- All characters except prostitutes and “wise men” are referred to by occupation.
2- In the second section the main character is taking anti-psychotics regularly but the drug is never mentioned again in the rest of the book.
3- The book is told like a fairy tale, i.e.: “Once upon a time.” (Page forty-three.)
4- Gender crossing for sexual fulfillment. The Journalist goes from prostitutes to his wife to a transvestite to a man.
5- The Photographer and the Journalist are sex addicts. When they actually do their jobs on page one-hundred and six they are thinking of fucking whores the entire time.
6- The Journalist’s detachment from reality is displayed on page one-hundred and sixty-nine when he is embarrassed that he used a condom.
7- On page one-hundred and ninety-three his obsession with his life in Cambodia is shown by his carrying around the money that made people pretend to like him.
8- Narrator changes man characters name to reflect his standing in life. The main character is the butterfly boy, the man who wanted to be a journalist, the journalist, the husband and ultimately, Vanna’s husband.
9- On page one-hundred and three there is an abrupt perspective switch where the narrator pleads with the audience to feel sympathy for the Journalist.
10- The Journalist tells every woman he fools around with or wants to fool around with that he loves her, or he thinks it to himself.
11- The reason he is so attached to Cambodia is he has money which gives him power which makes him feel like God. (Page ninety-nine.)
12- On page one hundred and two the Photographer and the Journalist are compared and contrasted. The Photographer wants to hurt people, the Journalist wants to help but ultimately both ruin lives.
13- The state of the main character’s marriage is shown on page one-hundred and seventy-three where he says his wife looks “so adorable behind window-glass.”
14- The only reason he seems to love Vanna is she “married” him by default and he decides to run with it.
15- Images of butterflies abound in the book. They are used for metaphors, similes, descriptions, dialogue and setting. This gives the title a purpose and serves as an image system.
Democracy:
1- Fragmented style pushes reader though narrative.
2- On page eleven the narrator says “He said to her.” The phrase makes Jack Lovett seem like a king or master who hand selects Inez.
3- On pages nineteen, four paragraphs start with the word abandon. This repetition makes the reader want to see what is being thrown aside.
4- Chapter four of section one describes several firsts for the narrator, Inez and Lovett. It seems to mock the idea of love at first sight.
5- On page forty-two the word “marvelous” is over used by guests at a party. This makes their lives seem superficial and phony.
6- Inez feels (or is) plays a support role for her husband. This is displayed on page one-hundred and six: “In twenty-eight states and at least four languages Inez said she was very happy to be here today with her husband.”
7- Almost, but not all chapters start with Didion giving some kind of explanation about what will happen in the next section, several chapters end like this as well.
8- On page two-hundred and seven and eight an earlier reference to Inez’s detached indifference comes to full bloom during an epiphany: “ …and it occurred to her that for the first time in almost twenty years she was not particularly interested in any of them.”
9- Great piece of humor: “‘The ‘problem at hand,’ as you put it, is substance habituation.’ The therapist opened the drawer and extracted an ashtray…’I notice you smoke.’” Page sixty-three.
10- Theme: page fifty-one. Inez explains the biggest problem of her life is the loss of her memory. This recurs throughout the novel. It can also be argued this theme is the reason for the author’s style choice.
11- Macro-setting: The novel takes place during the fall of Saigon.
12- Set up: Page one-hundred and sixteen, The narrator announces something major with the first line “It was Billy Dillon who told Inez.” Fourteen lines later we find out what: “Janet was not dead.” In between time is slowed down to give the moment more impact.
13- Show-not-tell: Inez’s feelings toward Adlai and Harry shown in the phrase “Inez had not mentioned the jobs in Vietnam to either Harry or Adlai.” This is on page one-hundred and nineteen.
14- On page one-hundred and seventy-four Harry spouts elected-official jargon at his daughter in detox when she announces what she wants to move on with her life. “A plan. Two plans actually. Which dove-tail. A long-range plan and a short-range plan.”
15- Living object: Jessie’s tennis visor. It is mentioned repeatedly in the novel. It is what she is wearing when she leaves for Vietnam and when Lovett finds he later on.
English 352
3-29-2006
Stealing Inventories
Miss Lonelyhearts:
1- Main character is male, but referred to throughout entire novel as Ms. Lonelyhearts.
2- Voice is third person but could easily have been told in first.
3- On page three Ms. Lonelyhearts says Christ is the answer but he needs to avoid Him unless he wants to get sick. However when he tries other forms of escape (i.e.: drinking, sex, love) he gets sick.
4- On several occasions before his epiphany he is sick or cold, then after his epiphany he is described as a furnace. (page fifty-six)
5- He doesn’t like Betty, just the idea of her. This is displayed in the quote “He begged the party dress to marry him.” (page fifty-six)
6- Lucy’s disdain for her husband is shown by her referring to him by his last name. (page thirty)
7- Tone in setting: The snow in May and lack of signs of spring set up a depressing, dismal tone.
8- His fear of his own personal disorder is shown through his insane desire to order everything he owns. (page ten)
9- Metaphor: On page eight he has a Jesus off of a Crucifix nailed to his wall that is described as “calmly decorative,” which reflects Jesus’ role in Miss Lonelyheart’s life.
10- Macro-setting: The prohibition era is demonstrated by the characters going to speak-easies.
Ironweed:
1- His mother is fiddling with dandelions on page two, which grow on her foe Katrina’s grave on page one-hundred and fifty-four.
2- Helen’s saintly image backed up by her putting two pennies in a collection box at church which is remarkably similar to the widow who did the same thing in the New Testament.
3- Mirroring: The story takes place on Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day.
4- Macro-setting: On page twelve Francis and Rudy reference the Orson Welles’ broadcast of “War of the Worlds.”
5- Living Object: Francis’ right shoe being busted, this is carried out through the entire novel and characters consistently refer to it. It is introduced on page nine.
6- Michael and Gerald, his family members are referred to as “crooked” after they die. However when Helen dies she isn’t crooked.(page two-hundred and twenty-two)
7- The three most influential women in Francis’ life (Katrina, his mother and Helen) are compared to the Fates in Greek Mythology.
8- The first thing Francis notices in the mission on page six is that Helen isn’t there. This establishes an important, but undisclosed relationship between the two.
9- On page twenty-four characters talk about the Erie Canal, which serves to ground this novel in Albany.
10- Francis comes to life a little more by getting a personal cliché. “Katie bar the door too wet to plow. He says this several times in the novel. It is introduced on page twenty-seven.
Fiskadoro:
1- Marie, Cheung and Fiskadoro represent the past, present, and future of the current society.
2- On page twelve an important piece of foreshadowing can be seen: “…the only one ready when we came.”
3- The languages give validity to the post-apocalyptic world they live in. The fusion of multiple languages and dialects and child-like sentence structures make this world come to life.
4- Cheung’s intellectual yet comical nature is displayed on paged one-hundred and twenty six in which he recites an incorrect version of the Declaration of Independence.
5- On page one-hundred and ninety-six the setting is described as grey and foreboding, at the end of the section Fiskadoro’s mother is dead.
6- Jimmy Hidalgo’s clarinet is a living object.
7- The sub-incision is a re-birth for Fiskadoro. He is a completely different type of human being when he returns from the swamp.
8- Novel ties apocalypse in with the rise of communism by intertwining a narrative about Marie being evacuated from Vietnam.
9- The sub-incision has been a part of Voodoo for a considerable amount of time. The use by the Voodoo tribe is given validity by its use in the novel.
10- On page one-hundred and seventy-nine Fiskadoro is anointed by the Voodoo tribe’s men.
11- Intellectual discussion becomes a kind of game. When the scientific community in the novel assembles to read a book about the atomic bombings the members mock and disrupt the meeting. (page one-hundred and fifty-two)
12- The scientific community has illiterate members and reads fiction like it’s fact. (page forty-six)
13- The name Twicetown is explained on page fifty-one. This fictional history is makes the reader become curious as to what exactly happened at Key West.
14- The survival of the island people is explained on page four. They become a food facility during quarantine.
15- On page seventeen the inhabitants use car-parts for decorations, which makes sense because there’s really not much else to use and no purpose for cars.
The Butterfly Stories:
1- All characters except prostitutes and “wise men” are referred to by occupation.
2- In the second section the main character is taking anti-psychotics regularly but the drug is never mentioned again in the rest of the book.
3- The book is told like a fairy tale, i.e.: “Once upon a time.” (Page forty-three.)
4- Gender crossing for sexual fulfillment. The Journalist goes from prostitutes to his wife to a transvestite to a man.
5- The Photographer and the Journalist are sex addicts. When they actually do their jobs on page one-hundred and six they are thinking of fucking whores the entire time.
6- The Journalist’s detachment from reality is displayed on page one-hundred and sixty-nine when he is embarrassed that he used a condom.
7- On page one-hundred and ninety-three his obsession with his life in Cambodia is shown by his carrying around the money that made people pretend to like him.
8- Narrator changes man characters name to reflect his standing in life. The main character is the butterfly boy, the man who wanted to be a journalist, the journalist, the husband and ultimately, Vanna’s husband.
9- On page one-hundred and three there is an abrupt perspective switch where the narrator pleads with the audience to feel sympathy for the Journalist.
10- The Journalist tells every woman he fools around with or wants to fool around with that he loves her, or he thinks it to himself.
11- The reason he is so attached to Cambodia is he has money which gives him power which makes him feel like God. (Page ninety-nine.)
12- On page one hundred and two the Photographer and the Journalist are compared and contrasted. The Photographer wants to hurt people, the Journalist wants to help but ultimately both ruin lives.
13- The state of the main character’s marriage is shown on page one-hundred and seventy-three where he says his wife looks “so adorable behind window-glass.”
14- The only reason he seems to love Vanna is she “married” him by default and he decides to run with it.
15- Images of butterflies abound in the book. They are used for metaphors, similes, descriptions, dialogue and setting. This gives the title a purpose and serves as an image system.
Democracy:
1- Fragmented style pushes reader though narrative.
2- On page eleven the narrator says “He said to her.” The phrase makes Jack Lovett seem like a king or master who hand selects Inez.
3- On pages nineteen, four paragraphs start with the word abandon. This repetition makes the reader want to see what is being thrown aside.
4- Chapter four of section one describes several firsts for the narrator, Inez and Lovett. It seems to mock the idea of love at first sight.
5- On page forty-two the word “marvelous” is over used by guests at a party. This makes their lives seem superficial and phony.
6- Inez feels (or is) plays a support role for her husband. This is displayed on page one-hundred and six: “In twenty-eight states and at least four languages Inez said she was very happy to be here today with her husband.”
7- Almost, but not all chapters start with Didion giving some kind of explanation about what will happen in the next section, several chapters end like this as well.
8- On page two-hundred and seven and eight an earlier reference to Inez’s detached indifference comes to full bloom during an epiphany: “ …and it occurred to her that for the first time in almost twenty years she was not particularly interested in any of them.”
9- Great piece of humor: “‘The ‘problem at hand,’ as you put it, is substance habituation.’ The therapist opened the drawer and extracted an ashtray…’I notice you smoke.’” Page sixty-three.
10- Theme: page fifty-one. Inez explains the biggest problem of her life is the loss of her memory. This recurs throughout the novel. It can also be argued this theme is the reason for the author’s style choice.
11- Macro-setting: The novel takes place during the fall of Saigon.
12- Set up: Page one-hundred and sixteen, The narrator announces something major with the first line “It was Billy Dillon who told Inez.” Fourteen lines later we find out what: “Janet was not dead.” In between time is slowed down to give the moment more impact.
13- Show-not-tell: Inez’s feelings toward Adlai and Harry shown in the phrase “Inez had not mentioned the jobs in Vietnam to either Harry or Adlai.” This is on page one-hundred and nineteen.
14- On page one-hundred and seventy-four Harry spouts elected-official jargon at his daughter in detox when she announces what she wants to move on with her life. “A plan. Two plans actually. Which dove-tail. A long-range plan and a short-range plan.”
15- Living object: Jessie’s tennis visor. It is mentioned repeatedly in the novel. It is what she is wearing when she leaves for Vietnam and when Lovett finds he later on.
posted by Dan at 12:54 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home