Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
"SUBSOIL"
Subsoil by Nicholson Baker, originally appeared on June 27, 1994 in The New Yorker newspaper.Two years later it appeared in the American Gothic Tales anthology created by Joyce Carol Oates, and published by Plume Publishing.
The story subsoil is uniquely told. Unlike any other story that we have read in this class Subsoil has an outsider looking in telling the story.In my opinion, this gave me a better understanding of the story because the narrator told the story the same way i would have told it if i was telling the story. Just to give a brief synopsis of the subsoil, the story was about a man named "Nyle T. Milner, a hard working agricultural historian, is busy researching and working on a book about the early harrow. He is in the process of traveling to the Museum of the Tractor located in Harvey, New York for a fourth time. He asks Bill Fipton for recommendations for accommodations, Bill offers up "The Taits" inn stating that they make an "interesting" soup. He explores the hotel room and comes across a Mr. Potato Head Kit. He opens the box quickly, and is surprised to find a real potato with all the facial features still punctured into it. The mummified potato startled him.Following his encounter with the potato, Nyle made his way down from his room for dinner. He learned that tonight's menu was leek and potato soup, however he was the only one eating it. After some time, he mentioned the Mr. Potato Head Kit he had found earlier, and stated how it had startled him. After dinner, Mrs. Tait led Nyle into the kitchen, revealing to him dozens of potatoes all shapes and sizes. Making sure to mention that they only use "fresh" ones. Nyle leaves the Taits and proceeds to his room. While trying to fall asleep he wondered why Mrs. Tait used the word "fresh".He awoke read to venture back downstairs to the kitchen, though when he got to the door he noticed a sprout coming through the keyhole. He opens the door and noticed a dozen or more potatoes coming toward him. Nyle goes back inside and tries to blockade the door. The potatoes are coming after him. Nyle tries to escape, however the dead Mr. Potato Head's spuds spawn veered toward Nyle's face, causing him to fall. The potatoes begin to inhabit his body planting themselves within. After some time Nyle awoke in a very dark place the box he originally encountered upon his arrival at "The Taits". A child begins pushing the Mr. Potato Head features into Nyle, and puts him back into the box. Later on (many years later) a man opens the box and is frightened by the mummified potato which ultimately begins the new Krebs Cycle."(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsoil_(short_story)). There are eight characters from the story they are as follows: Nyle T. Milner, The manager of the Harvey Motel, (not too sure if a name was give but i didn't read one for him), Bill Fipton, The Taits, Raymond Purty, Juliette, Douglas Grieb, and Shelby Hemper Fairchild. In every story so far that we have read there has been a few things that made each one gothic. In this story Baker used childhood memory of Mr. Potato Head (Toy Story lol), and a simple vegetable and turned them into cold hearted killers. This made the readers erase all of the fun and loving thoughts of Mr. Potato head out of their mind, gave them a different view on vegetables at dinner, and made the reader see them as evil. He also used the concept of fear and horror. Subsequent to Nyle seeing the shriveled up Mr. Potato Head he is left with a feeling of revulsion and fear which intensifies onward through the story. This story was my personal favorite becaus eit gave me a better understanding of what was going on and i didn"t have to figure out who was who or what role did the narrator play in the midst of everything.
The story subsoil is uniquely told. Unlike any other story that we have read in this class Subsoil has an outsider looking in telling the story.In my opinion, this gave me a better understanding of the story because the narrator told the story the same way i would have told it if i was telling the story. Just to give a brief synopsis of the subsoil, the story was about a man named "Nyle T. Milner, a hard working agricultural historian, is busy researching and working on a book about the early harrow. He is in the process of traveling to the Museum of the Tractor located in Harvey, New York for a fourth time. He asks Bill Fipton for recommendations for accommodations, Bill offers up "The Taits" inn stating that they make an "interesting" soup. He explores the hotel room and comes across a Mr. Potato Head Kit. He opens the box quickly, and is surprised to find a real potato with all the facial features still punctured into it. The mummified potato startled him.Following his encounter with the potato, Nyle made his way down from his room for dinner. He learned that tonight's menu was leek and potato soup, however he was the only one eating it. After some time, he mentioned the Mr. Potato Head Kit he had found earlier, and stated how it had startled him. After dinner, Mrs. Tait led Nyle into the kitchen, revealing to him dozens of potatoes all shapes and sizes. Making sure to mention that they only use "fresh" ones. Nyle leaves the Taits and proceeds to his room. While trying to fall asleep he wondered why Mrs. Tait used the word "fresh".He awoke read to venture back downstairs to the kitchen, though when he got to the door he noticed a sprout coming through the keyhole. He opens the door and noticed a dozen or more potatoes coming toward him. Nyle goes back inside and tries to blockade the door. The potatoes are coming after him. Nyle tries to escape, however the dead Mr. Potato Head's spuds spawn veered toward Nyle's face, causing him to fall. The potatoes begin to inhabit his body planting themselves within. After some time Nyle awoke in a very dark place the box he originally encountered upon his arrival at "The Taits". A child begins pushing the Mr. Potato Head features into Nyle, and puts him back into the box. Later on (many years later) a man opens the box and is frightened by the mummified potato which ultimately begins the new Krebs Cycle."(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsoil_(short_story)). There are eight characters from the story they are as follows: Nyle T. Milner, The manager of the Harvey Motel, (not too sure if a name was give but i didn't read one for him), Bill Fipton, The Taits, Raymond Purty, Juliette, Douglas Grieb, and Shelby Hemper Fairchild. In every story so far that we have read there has been a few things that made each one gothic. In this story Baker used childhood memory of Mr. Potato Head (Toy Story lol), and a simple vegetable and turned them into cold hearted killers. This made the readers erase all of the fun and loving thoughts of Mr. Potato head out of their mind, gave them a different view on vegetables at dinner, and made the reader see them as evil. He also used the concept of fear and horror. Subsequent to Nyle seeing the shriveled up Mr. Potato Head he is left with a feeling of revulsion and fear which intensifies onward through the story. This story was my personal favorite becaus eit gave me a better understanding of what was going on and i didn"t have to figure out who was who or what role did the narrator play in the midst of everything.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Veldt
The story “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury took place in an automated house in the future. A time in which every detailed day to day events from smallest to largest were accomplished with the absolute aid from machines.
I can relate to this story because in today's society i see a lot of parents similar to Lydia and George who try to buy thier children the latests shoes, game, clothes and try to keep them updated with the latest technologies but in the long run when they are unable to receive all the nice things they were getting before they gte angry because they expect new things all the time. George and Lydia made the mistake of getting the machine house and then they made an even bigger mistake by trying to take it away, but the biggest mistake I noticed throughout the entire story was abandonment. Abandinment occured twice in Bradbury's story. First, the children are figuratively abandoned by their parents when they are left in the care of a technological baby sitter. As the character of David McClean tells George, "You've let this room and this house replace you and your wife in your children's affections. This room is their mother and father, far more important in their lives than their real parents." This accidental abdication of parental responsibility sets the children up to become emotionally attached to the nursery. Then, when George threatens to turn off the nursery, the children are terrified because now they are going to be abandoned by their new, surrogate parent, the nursery. . Lets step into reality for a minute, who would honestly give up a house that dresses you, cooks the food, brushes your teeth, and even rocks you to sleep? I know I wouldn't. This cause the anxiety for not only George and Lydia, but for their children as well. The childrne were already so use to house and the nursery that they couldn't dare to think about losing the house, and the parent (George and Lydia) were afraid that the house was taking over their childrens mind.
This story made me think of the move to the suburbs After World War II, suburban housing developments began to spread across the United States. Many families now could afford an automobile, which allowed them to live further from the city. People could now own a home in a quiet suburban community and commute to work downtown. Laslty this story had one main issue, is that of man versus machine. The story is built around the struggle to control and direct the destructive power of the nursery's technology. Whoever controls the machine will have the ultimate power. In this story man is destroyed by the machines in two ways: not only are George and Lydia murdered by the nursery's technology, but the children's humanity is also destroyed. By identifying so closely with the nursery, the children have become less than human. They feel no guilt, remorse or regret when their parents die, and it is clear that they have become as cold and emotionless as the machinery that controls the nursery.
I can relate to this story because in today's society i see a lot of parents similar to Lydia and George who try to buy thier children the latests shoes, game, clothes and try to keep them updated with the latest technologies but in the long run when they are unable to receive all the nice things they were getting before they gte angry because they expect new things all the time. George and Lydia made the mistake of getting the machine house and then they made an even bigger mistake by trying to take it away, but the biggest mistake I noticed throughout the entire story was abandonment. Abandinment occured twice in Bradbury's story. First, the children are figuratively abandoned by their parents when they are left in the care of a technological baby sitter. As the character of David McClean tells George, "You've let this room and this house replace you and your wife in your children's affections. This room is their mother and father, far more important in their lives than their real parents." This accidental abdication of parental responsibility sets the children up to become emotionally attached to the nursery. Then, when George threatens to turn off the nursery, the children are terrified because now they are going to be abandoned by their new, surrogate parent, the nursery. . Lets step into reality for a minute, who would honestly give up a house that dresses you, cooks the food, brushes your teeth, and even rocks you to sleep? I know I wouldn't. This cause the anxiety for not only George and Lydia, but for their children as well. The childrne were already so use to house and the nursery that they couldn't dare to think about losing the house, and the parent (George and Lydia) were afraid that the house was taking over their childrens mind.
This story made me think of the move to the suburbs After World War II, suburban housing developments began to spread across the United States. Many families now could afford an automobile, which allowed them to live further from the city. People could now own a home in a quiet suburban community and commute to work downtown. Laslty this story had one main issue, is that of man versus machine. The story is built around the struggle to control and direct the destructive power of the nursery's technology. Whoever controls the machine will have the ultimate power. In this story man is destroyed by the machines in two ways: not only are George and Lydia murdered by the nursery's technology, but the children's humanity is also destroyed. By identifying so closely with the nursery, the children have become less than human. They feel no guilt, remorse or regret when their parents die, and it is clear that they have become as cold and emotionless as the machinery that controls the nursery.
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Icebound Hothhouse
This story kind of reminded me of a friend of mine. I say this because at the beginning the man was becoming mad and crazy and he was losing his intrest in poetry, but once he was introduced to the hothhouse he came back to his poetic side. my friend experienced this when her mother had passed away! Before her mother died she always use to write songs and make the instrumentals to go with it so that she would be able to one day put it on a cd. Once her mother died her passion for writting and singing ceased. She then got involved with my church and the members of my church and they inspired her to continue to write her music.