The Big Vent
"Signifying Nothing"
Dear Narrator,
After listening to your story about your father waggling his dick in front of your face one day when you were in the rec room and the only two there, it made me furious. How come you waited so long to say something? And when you were 19 and finally moving out, why did you ask then? Did you think just because you were "set free" that he would finally answer you? I just do not understand. Even though you were younger when it happened, you still knew what he was doing and should have spoken up then. After all those years passed, how could you just forget something like that?
If I was you, when your father gave you "the look" in the van after questioning him, I would have pursued for an answer. Whether he was pissed or not, I would have fought for an answer. You keep repeating yourself saying you want to go to your folks' place when no one is there but your father so you can kick his ass, well actions speak louder than words! Maybe if you actually did what you said you were/wanted to do, you might have gotten an answer.
Also, how could you not keep in contact with your family for so long? Even though what your dad did was wrong, that is no need to exclude the rest of your family, like your poor mother, wondering for over a year why her son has not called or visited. You onbly lived what, two miles away? Grow some balls, stick up for yourself, and tell them what is going on!
By the end of you story, I was even more upset with you. Although the family was together, laughing, it made me wonder why this day? Why was this the day to go to your family? Was it because it was you sister's birthday? Or the fact that the restaurant she chose used to be the restaraunt you chose each year for your birthday?
Here is some advice. Think, think really hard. Was your dad waggling his dick in front of your face just a dream, or was it real. Once you figure it out, ask yourself if you could live with yourself knowing what happened. Talk to someone!
Sincerely,
Your Concered Listener
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Reader Response #4
"Motherfucker" & "Ironhead" by Aimee Bender
After reading both of these stories, my reactions were kind of the same: What the hell?! With the story "Ironhead," I did not really realize that this was magical realism until about the middle of the story. I thought that she was just describing the way they looked by using objects. Although this story is magical realism, I could relate to it. When Ironhead was born, he was different from all the rest of his family. Even though I was not different immediately after I was born, I grew up to be different. Both of my parents like different thing than I liked, but they still loved me all the same and treated me just like a daughter should be treated. When I went to school, I was always the different one too, just like Ironhead. I was always known as the chubby girl, and I never grew out of it until I was in high school.
After reading this story, I felt sad for the family that lost their Ironhead. Even though he was not happy, wondering why he was different than his family and his head looked different than everyone else's, his family loved him very, very much. I could feel like mourning of the family, because by the end of the story, I realized I used to be an "Ironhead."
After reading "Motherfucker," I was kind of taken aback. I did not think that this story was going to be exactly what the story was entitling. While reading, my emotions were flying everywhere. I was upset, happy, and sad. I think what really got me in the story was when the "mother fucker" had snagged the starlet. I thought things were going to end, no more fucking mothers. It all looked so hopeful, until it all got ruined, just like it usually does with him. He, a normal guy besides his bad habit, had won her, a movie star, over. It seemed like things could not get any better. He was playing hard to get, reeling her in more. This is when I thought he had liked her for sure, and was not going to let her go. I was extremely upset when things did not work out, and he never called her to make another date. I was unimpressed.
After reading both of these stories, my reactions were kind of the same: What the hell?! With the story "Ironhead," I did not really realize that this was magical realism until about the middle of the story. I thought that she was just describing the way they looked by using objects. Although this story is magical realism, I could relate to it. When Ironhead was born, he was different from all the rest of his family. Even though I was not different immediately after I was born, I grew up to be different. Both of my parents like different thing than I liked, but they still loved me all the same and treated me just like a daughter should be treated. When I went to school, I was always the different one too, just like Ironhead. I was always known as the chubby girl, and I never grew out of it until I was in high school.
After reading this story, I felt sad for the family that lost their Ironhead. Even though he was not happy, wondering why he was different than his family and his head looked different than everyone else's, his family loved him very, very much. I could feel like mourning of the family, because by the end of the story, I realized I used to be an "Ironhead."
After reading "Motherfucker," I was kind of taken aback. I did not think that this story was going to be exactly what the story was entitling. While reading, my emotions were flying everywhere. I was upset, happy, and sad. I think what really got me in the story was when the "mother fucker" had snagged the starlet. I thought things were going to end, no more fucking mothers. It all looked so hopeful, until it all got ruined, just like it usually does with him. He, a normal guy besides his bad habit, had won her, a movie star, over. It seemed like things could not get any better. He was playing hard to get, reeling her in more. This is when I thought he had liked her for sure, and was not going to let her go. I was extremely upset when things did not work out, and he never called her to make another date. I was unimpressed.
Reader Response #3
"Captain's Club"
After finishing this story, I was sad for Tommy. I really wanted him to be able to experience the big, bright, red moon with Tree. I felt like that would have been the perfect ending to his very fortunate vacation for Tommy.
Tommy was not the most liked guy in his class, but when no one else was able to go on a once in a lifetime vacation with CJ, Tommy was the lucky one to go. Leaving who he loved most behind, his mother, it seemed like this vacation would never end well for Tommy. Things started to look brighter when him and Tree, CJ's dad's girlfriend, started to do things everyday together. He was having fun, trying to put his mom in the back of his mind, and enjoy his time with Tree. I felt sad for Tommy by the end of the story because he had already been experiencing all these great things with Tree, it was like this was going to be the grand finale, only she was not there. He was let down, Tree was let down, and I was let down.
The part of the story that came to a surprise to me was when CJ's father stayed behind on the last spot of their cruise. CJ's dad was supposed to be enjoying this vacation with his son and his new found girlfriend, but instead he stays behind with their tour guide, feeding her the same line as he did with Tree: I need to find something for my sister.
In this story, I can most relate to CJ. He is going on this cruise with his dad and his dad's girlfriend. Anytime when they are supposed to do an activity all together, CJ runs off to the arcade. My parents recently split up, and I know that when I go do something with my mom and her boyfriend or my dad and his girlfriend, I wish it was just the two of us. And seems how it is never just the two of us, I run away when I can. It is not that I do not like spending time with my parents boy/girlfriend, it is just I wish times were like they used to be. In a way, CJ feels the same way I do.
After finishing this story, I was sad for Tommy. I really wanted him to be able to experience the big, bright, red moon with Tree. I felt like that would have been the perfect ending to his very fortunate vacation for Tommy.
Tommy was not the most liked guy in his class, but when no one else was able to go on a once in a lifetime vacation with CJ, Tommy was the lucky one to go. Leaving who he loved most behind, his mother, it seemed like this vacation would never end well for Tommy. Things started to look brighter when him and Tree, CJ's dad's girlfriend, started to do things everyday together. He was having fun, trying to put his mom in the back of his mind, and enjoy his time with Tree. I felt sad for Tommy by the end of the story because he had already been experiencing all these great things with Tree, it was like this was going to be the grand finale, only she was not there. He was let down, Tree was let down, and I was let down.
The part of the story that came to a surprise to me was when CJ's father stayed behind on the last spot of their cruise. CJ's dad was supposed to be enjoying this vacation with his son and his new found girlfriend, but instead he stays behind with their tour guide, feeding her the same line as he did with Tree: I need to find something for my sister.
In this story, I can most relate to CJ. He is going on this cruise with his dad and his dad's girlfriend. Anytime when they are supposed to do an activity all together, CJ runs off to the arcade. My parents recently split up, and I know that when I go do something with my mom and her boyfriend or my dad and his girlfriend, I wish it was just the two of us. And seems how it is never just the two of us, I run away when I can. It is not that I do not like spending time with my parents boy/girlfriend, it is just I wish times were like they used to be. In a way, CJ feels the same way I do.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Reader Response #2
“Me and Miss Mandible” & “Emergency”
Q: What specific passages in the work trigger that reaction?
A: In “Me and Miss Mandible,” the very first day he begins writing, September 13, gave me a reaction like no other days he wrote. I think this day stuck out to me the most because we’re just getting into the story and, BAM! it’s very forward. He is talking about how he is a young, young student, and his teacher, Miss Mandible, is very attractive to him, and he knows she feels the same way. He just wonders when she will make her move.
After reading the first passage, I was kind of taken aback. I was confused. He talks about being an eleven year old boy, but in all actuality he is a thirty-five year old man. Knowing this information right off the back helps me to understand the rest of the story, then understanding his crush on Miss Mandible.
If that wasn’t enough, he also says he has the hots for a girl in his class; girl who is his age, eleven, but who is also a woman inside herself. “…with a woman’s disguised aggression and a woman’s peculiar contradictions.” (17) This passage led me to confusion because I wasn’t sure how ole or young he really was. Throughout the story, I was just as confused. Although that information from the first passage helped me move along the story with knowing facts about him, I was still baffled at the end.
“Emergency”
In the short story “Emergency,” there was one important part in the story that helped to make the whole story important. The paragraph says, “After awhile you forget it’s summer. You don’t remember what the morning is. I’d worked two doubles with eight hours off in between, which I’d spent sleeping on a gurney in the nurse’s station. Georgie’s pills were making me feel like a giant helium-filled balloon, but I was wide awake. Georgie and I went out to the lot, to his orange pickup.” The reason why I feel like this is an important piece in the story is because I feel like it explains a lot. From this one paragraph, we learn a lot about the narrator. Not only do we find out about his work schedule and why he’s always so tired, but we also know how the pills that he and Georgie take make him feel. I feel like when we figure out how those pills make the narrator feel, it helps explain the rest of the story. As an audience, we’ve already seen him taking them and how Georgie gets them. The effects of the pills take place throughout the rest of the story, and because we know how they make the narrator feel by this important paragraph, it can explain the crazy things him and Georgie do together.
Reader Response #1
“Real Estate” - Lorrie Moore
After reading “real Estate,” by Lorrie Moore, there was one part that seemed to stick out to me. Once analyzing why this seemed to stick out to me, I found what was most important to me: a sense of missing something that wasn’t yours anymore.
After selling her house and buying a newer, crappier house, Ruth would drive by her old one, missing what she had there. In that house were memories, a sense of not being sick. That house, which she left behind, hoping for the better, was now screaming her name to come back.
Just like Ruth, I also drive by my old house that I grew up in. After fixing our house all up, building a deck, putting siding on, and refurnishing everything, my mom and dad had to file for bankruptcy and we eventually had to move out. We lived in that house for as long as I can remember, and every time I drive by I ask myself, What if we never had to move and this was still our house? Just like Ruth, I criticize the house on how it looks and how I and my family would have made it look better.
Like Ruth, I miss my old house and know that it is not mine anymore. We both had memories galore in those houses, but we left them for a reason. My parents promised me everything would get better after the move, which was exactly what Ruth was hoping for. One problem, things seems to get worse.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Flash Fiction 2
“Snow”
After reading the second packet of flash fiction, there was one story that stuck out to me just as much as “Pendergast’s Daughter” did: Snow. The author, Julia Alvarez, is able to write in a way that I can see the story as I read it. This story was my favorite because I liked the story line. I could understand why the girl thought the snow was a bomb, and I could feel the way she was feeling. The way that Alvarez writes the story “Snow,” lets the audience project the images in their mind while reading.
Flash Fiction
“Pendergast’s Daughter”
After reading the first packet of flash fiction, there was one story that stuck out to me, “Pendergast’s Daughter.” This story is my favorite because of the imagery that is so vivid and attention grabbing. It’s not that I like the idea of the story, but the author, Lex Williford, writes the story so it can be imagined while reading. As soon as the story begins, in medias res, I could see everything that is going on. And even throughout the whole story, I could picture everything that I was reading. Even though this story is short, it can still make an impact like a piece of literature can.
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