Postmodernism in White Noise

Heinrich's argument with Jack about whether or not it is raining expresses the postmodern idea that meaning is never concrete. It is obviously raining as Jack drives Heinrich to school, yet the boy will not admit that rain is falling down. He insists that there is no way to actually know whether it is raining or anything in fact when basing observation on sight because sight is unreliable. People tend to believe what they can see, so Heinrich's argument undermines an important aspect of human reason. Heinrich also uses other abstract arguments to prove to his dad that there is no way to tell if it is raining or not. His arguments convey the idea that nothing and no meaning is necessarily as it logically should be.

White Noise Second Reading Discussion Questions

1. In chapter twelve, why does Bob Pardee look so sad at dinner with Jack, Babette, and their kids?

2. What does the last line of chapter thirteen "The American mystery deepens" mean?

3. What is the significance of Alfonse Stompanato's interrogation of his colleagues about their whereabouts at the moment of James Dean's death in chapter fourteen?

4. Why does Denise not keep questioning Babette about Dylar in chapter seventeen after the family gets off topic after she first asks Babette about the drug?

5. In chapter nineteen, after taking Bee to the airport, why does Jack go to the cemetery?

Hamlet Act 3, Scene 4

1. Summary – Hamlet goes to his mom’s bedroom to talk to her. Polonius is spying on Hamlet from behind an arras. During her conversation with Hamlet, the queen yells out “Help!” and Polonius yells out in response. Hamlet then kills Polonius. Hamlet makes his mom feel bad about marrying her dead husband’s brother and gets her to agree to help him by sleeping with Claudius one more time. During the conversation, Hamlet sees the ghost but his mom does not. Hamlet tells her that he is not actually insane. Hamlet takes Polonius body from the room.

2. Significance – This scene is important because it marks a turn in the tide against Claudius as Hamlet’s mom agrees to help her son and Polonius, Claudius’s faithful servant, is killed.

3. Quotations – Upon hearing Polonius yelling out from behind the arras, Hamlet says “How now? A rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!” He means two things by rat. One is that he is acting like there is actually a rat behind the curtain so that killing Polonius only seems like an honest attempt to kill a rat, not an intentional act to get rid of Claudius’s troublesome servant who is spying on Hamlet. This goes along with his act of insanity because if he is insane then he easily could think that a rat is speaking. Also, Hamlet is calling Polonius a rat for spying on him as he talks with his mother. I like that Hamlet uses “rat” to keep from being thought of as guilty and to call Polonius a mean name.

During her conversation with Hamlet, the queen says “Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.” Hamlet responds with “Mother, you have my father much offended.” I like this comeback because it sticks the guilt and blame on the queen while she was trying to put them on Hamlet. Hamlet also makes it clear that he does not consider Claudius his father because his mother refers to Claudius in her statement as being Hamlet’s dad while Hamlet refers to his actual father as his father in his statement to his moth

Response to White Noise First Reading Discussion Questions

Chapter eleven question from She Said She Said: Why is Babette suffering memory loss? Is it in any connection with medical problems that caused the evacuation of the elementary school?

It could be from medications she is taken. It seems as though Denise is pretty worried about medication Babette is taking and Denise does read her medical book a lot. I actually think that the problem with the elementary school is what is causing her forgetfulness. There must be radiation or chemicals or something that are causing problems with people in the school and the radiation or chemicals or whatever it is could be spreading through Blacksmith. I think other people in the town will start to suffer because of the mysterious thing that is causing problems at the school as the story goes on.

Chapter 1 question from Fettucini Alfredo:

Why does DeLillo use long, extensive lists with uncommon items to describe the college students and their arrival?

The list of items shows the shallowness and materialism of the young people of the world of the story. The sports equipment and music and things are held in a place of great importance by the students. The lists are long, showing that they need many worldly things in order to be happy; at least they think they do. They also have drugs and birth control pills showing their lack of morals. DeLillo is commenting on the young people of the real world trying to convey the message that they are too materialistic and shallow and lack morals just like the young people in the story.

Chapter 4 question from Quarter Rose:

Why would any mother in their right mind force their children to spend their Friday night free-time watching television that upsetted them?

Babette just wants to make sure the kids turn out right and that the family is strongly bonded and feels that having the whole family sits down together to watch TV on Friday nights will make the bond between the family members stronger and therefore make sure the children develop well emotionally. She probably chooses Friday nights because they are not school nights and maybe also because the shows on Friday nights are better than those on Saturday nights. She looking out for the kids’ best interests and the family’s best interests, not trying to crush her children’s’ social lives even though she probably is doing a good amount of damage to these. She is just naïve to kids’ normal desire to hang out with friends on Friday nights.

Hamlet Act 3, Scene 2

1. Summary: The play that Hamlet planned takes place and Hamlet has Horatio spy on Claudius during it to see how he reacts to part of it when a murder similar to that of Hamlet Sr. is talked about. Hamlet feels that if Claudius reacts in a horrified manner, the ghost was telling the truth. Hamlet makes offensive comments about Ophelia and his mother before the play. Claudius reacts to the part of the play mentioned earlier in a way that makes Hamlet believe that Claudius did murder his father. Polonius calls Hamlet to go to his mother’s room to talk with her.

2. Questions: Queen – Does it anger you that Hamlet picked the play that he did? Why does Ophelia not stop Hamlet from making offensive comments about her? Hamlet – Why do you interrupt the play? Wouldn’t it have been less conspicuous if you had just let the play happen as it was supposed to happen? Doesn’t your interruption make it easier for the king to see that you chose this play to reveal his guilt about your dad’s murder?

3. Quotations: Hamlet says “What, frightened with false fire?” to Claudius after the king has reacted to seeing the killing of Gonzago in the play. I like this question because Hamlet is basically letting the king know that he knows that the king murdered his father, but actually says nothing that proves that he knows this. He is rubbing it in that he knows this information while still retaining his innocence about the matter. Therefore, he strikes fear in Claudius without giving him grounds on which to have him punished for slandering the king.

When Polonius summons Hamlet to see his mother, Hamlet says to him “[d]o you see yonder cloud that’s almost in shape of camel?”; “[m]ethinks it is like a weasel”; and “[o]r like a whale.” These three quotations all talk about a nonexistent cloud. The quotations are funny because Hamlet is just acting to mess with Polonius.

White Noise First Reading Discussion Questions

Chapter 1: Why do people seem to like Hitler so much?

Chapter 3: Are Murray's statement that "[n]o one sees the barn," the barn being the "most photographed barn in America, and his comments that follow up on this statement meant to be comical or actually somehow philosophical?

Chapter 5: Is Murray in love with Babette?

Chapter 7: Why does Jack say "[w]e believed something lived in the basement" and then not follow this statement with a discussion about it?

Chapter 9: Why does Babette refuse to bring her kids and Jack's kids to dinner at Murray's when he says to do so?

Chapter 11: What does Jack mean when he says "I woke in the grip of a death sweat?"

Hamlet Act 2, Scene 1

1. Summary: First, Polonius has Reynaldo go off to find news about Laertes. Then Ophelia comes into Polonius’s room, very upset, and tells him of her encounter with Hamlet, which is what has caused her to become upset. Hamlet has acted insane in front of her. Polonius determines that Hamlet has gone crazy because he has kept Ophelia from him and decides to tell Claudius of this idea.

2. Questions: Polonius – If you had known that Hamlet truly loves Ophelia, would you have forced Ophelia to stop seeing him? I don’t think you would have. Polonius – Why do you distrust Laertes so much that you send someone to spy on him? Is Ophelia trying to make her father feel guilty for keeping her from seeing Hamlet when she comes into his room to describe her encounter with Hamlet when he is acting insane?

3. Quotations: Polonius says “But beshrew my jealousy!” when he begins to think that he caused Hamlet to lose his mind by keeping Ophelia and him apart because Hamlet really does love Ophelia. He is saying that he is upset to have suspected Hamlet’s intentions regarding Ophelia to be anything but true because it has brought an unfortunate consequence upon Hamlet. This is nice because he actually acknowledges his fault in separating the two young people even though they both truly love one another, as he believes they do, and because he actually feels bad about bringing about Hamlet’s craziness, as he believes he has done.

Polonius says “This is the very ecstasy of love,/ Whose violent property fordoes itself/ And leads the will to desperate undertakings/ As oft as any passion under heaven/ That does afflict our natures” to Ophelia once she has told him of Hamlet crazy actions. He basically is trying to tell her that love can make people do crazy things. The reason I like this quote is because it sounds nice and flows well.

Hamlet Act 1, Scene 5

1. Summary: Hamlet speaks with the ghost of his father. He tells Hamlet about how his brother, Claudius, killed him while he slept. He tells Hamlet to get revenge on Claudius but to do nothing to Hamlet's mother. Hamlet says that he will get revenge. He makes Marcellus and Horatio promise to tell no one about what happened on that night. He also informs them that he will be acting crazy so that Claudius will not suspect that he knows that he killed his brother, Hamlet's dad.

2. Questions: Hamlet - Why would acting insane keep Claudius from suspecting that you know he killed your dad? Hamlet - How do you plan to get revenge on Claudius? Horatio and Marcellus - Will you be able to keep quiet about the events that took place on the night when Hamlet spoke to the ghost? Queen - Did you actually marry Claudius because you love him?

3. Quotations: The ghost of the late King Hamlet says to Hamlet "Murder most foul, as in the best it is,/But this most foul, strange, and unnatural." It means that murder is a horrible thing no matter what, but when Claudius killed him, it was extra bad and also odd. Its like he's saying "My murder was terrible, not that all murder isn't, but mine was extra terrible." I like this quotation because "[m]urder most foul" sounds nice. Also because the quotation is true that murder is always bad, that a man killing his brother is quite bad and that Claudius's method of killing King Hamlet was wierd.
The ghost says to Hamlet "Taint not thy mind nor let thy soul contrive/ Agaainst thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven/ And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,/ To prick and sting her." This is nice because it shows that he still loves the queen because he does not want Hamlet to kill her. It is good that the ghost did not tell Hamlet to kill his mom because it would be terrible if Hamlet would have to kill his mother. Of course, Hamlet's dad wants Hamlet's mom to be punished but he trusts that God and guilt will punish her; the part about trusting God to bring about justice is very good.

Hamlet Act 1, Scene 3

1. Summary: The scene starts with Laertes telling Ophelia that she should stop seeing Hamlet because he won't be able to stay with her. He also tells her not to sleep with Hamlet. Then Polonius gives advice to Laertes, and Laertes leaves for school. Polonius forbids Ophelia to talk to Hamlet and she says that she will not.

2. Questions: Will Ophelia actually do what her father tells her to do concerning Hamlet? Would Hamlet actually stop seeing Ophelia just to enter into marriage with a different girl for the betterment of Denmark? Polonius - Do you have something against Hamlet?

3. Quotations: Ophelia says to Laertes "But, good brother/ Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,/ Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,/ whiles like a puffed and reckless libertine/ Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,/ And recks not his own rede." She makes this statement after he gives her advice. She is bascially saying that if he had better follow his own advice if he is going to give it to other people. This is rather cool because she is calling him out and saying that if she can't do the things he is telling her not to do, neither can he.
Polonius says to Laertes "Beware/ Of entrance into a quarrel, but being in,/ Bear't that th'opposèd may beware of thee." This advice is sort of cool because he is telling his son that it is best not to fight but if you have to make sure that you teach the guy who are fighting with that it you aren't one that he wants to get in fights with because you will hurt him. This is rather violent way of handling yourself but it would keep people from messing with you pretty well.

Hamlet Act 1, Scene 1

1. Summary: The scene starts out with Bernardo taking over guard duty from Fransisco. Marcellus comes up with horatio to show him the ghost that he and Bernardo have seen. They see the ghost, who is the ghost of the late King Hamlet, and Horatio tries to speak to it but it will not speak to him. Horatio explains that the soldiers have to be on guard duty and Denmark is preparing for war because the son of the late king of Norway plans to attack Norway. The men plan to take Hamlet, King Hamlet's son, to see and talk to the ghost.

2. Questions: How did King Hamlet die? Why has King Hamlet become a ghost? Why will the ghost not speak to Horatio when he firsts tries to speak with it; is it because Horatio upset it trying to get it to talk to him? Horatio - why were you so rude when talking to the ghost?

3. Quotations:
Marcellus states that "It faded on the crowing of the cock," "it" being the ghost. This quotation is sort of cool because it makes a connection between the normal world and the supernatural wotrld because the rooster is normal and the ghost is supernatural and the rooster causes the ghost to go away. This quotation almost puts a supernatural quality on the rooster, even though it is a normal creature of the normal world, because it has power over the mysterious spirit.
Horatio, when talking to the ghost, says "Speak of it! Stay and speak!" to the ghost. This quotation shows Horatio's bravery. It would be expected that Horatio would be too nervous being around the ghost to speak confidently if at all, but he assertively commands it.

All the Pretty Horses Essay Prompt

I liked Over and Out's character prompt idea best which asks "what is McCarthy trying to say by having Blevins die and Rawlins return home?" I'd probably write about Blevins's death and compare it to the death of the western myth and the death of innocence in the story. I'd also write about Rawlins's leaving Mexico to go back home. I tell how this symbolizes the loss of the grounded, reasonable part of John Grady's life by talking about the reasons why Rawlins is reasonable and down-to-earth. Finally, I'd write about the effects that Rawlins's departure for Texas and Blevins's death on John Grady.

All the Pretty Horses Sixth Reading

This time I read from page 181 to the end of part III.  The last reading was serious, and this one was just as serious if not more so.  When John Grady and Rawlins go to prison, they almost immediately start getting into fights and getting pummeled.  The prison is terrible, and guards don’t try to stop any of the violence.  First Rawlins gets knifed then John Grady gets attacked in the dining area.  That part was intense; the fight is quite close, and John Grady ends up killing the assassin.  John Grady believes that the assassin was hired but I really don’t know who would have hired someone to kill him.  On the note of John Grady killing the assassin, I think that it was okay because he would have been killed himself if he hadn’t, but understandably John Grady takes the incident pretty hard.  I was glad when Rawlins and John Grady got bailed out.  It was sad to see Rawlins leaving John Grady because he is my favorite character in the book, but at least he gets to go home where it is safe.

All the Pretty Horses Fifth Reading

For this fifth reading I read from page 132 to page 180.  This section was much sadder than the others I have read.  The first part is about John Grady and Alejandra’s relationship and that ends rather sadly, at least at this point in the story, for John Grady because Alejandra leaves to go to France.  The story takes its first real serious turn when John Grady and Rawlins are arrested.  They are taken out to the town where Blevins took back his horse and are actually reunited with Blevins there.  The police captain doesn’t believe anything they tell him.  Blevins, unfortunately, is in prison for killing some people.  According to Mexican law, there can be no executions as punishments for crimes.  This would be good for Blevins except the captain agrees to help out the brother of a man Blevins killed.  Blevins, John Grady, and Rawlins are taken out to an abandoned place and Blevins is murdered.  I never really cared for Blevins, but this part made me quite sad.  Although I didn’t like him much, I became somewhat attached to this character and was upset that he was killed.

All the Pretty Horses Fourth Reading

For this fourth reading I read from the start of part two to the break on page 132.  While John Grady first sees Alejandra in the first part of the book, it is in this reading that a relationship starts to form between them.  John Grady and Rawlins begin breaking horses and John Grady gets a promotion. And although he doesn’t say it, I think that Rawlins is a little upset that he and his friend are becoming more separated with John Grady moving out of the bunk house.  He’s a good friend though and tells John Grady to take the promotion.

On the note of style, something I noticed before but am going to point out now because it occurs in this reading is that McCarthy has people come into the story or mentioned in dialogue throughout the story but does not outright explain who they are.  This makes the reader feel more like he or she is in the story, experiencing things as they are happening in the lives of the characters because in life there is no narration to explain everything you don’t understand.

All the Pretty Horses Part One 20 Questions

1. Setting - In what time period does the story take place?
2. Character - Why does John Grady smoke if he gets upset about his dad smoking?
3. Action - Why won't John Grady's mom lease her ranch to him?
4. Action - Why did John Grady hide from his mom in the hotel lobby?
5. Action - Why does John Grady tell his dad "You ain't got no business smokin them things" on page 8?
6. Character - On page 15, why does John Grady's dad look so skinny and "agonized" as he paces?
7. Action - What happened between John Grady and Mary Catherine?
8. Style - Why does Cormac McCarthy not use quotation marks?
9. Style - Why does McCarthy use run-on sentences?
10. Action - Does Rawlins have a reason for leaving Texas othe rthan being company for John Grady?
11. Action - Do the Mexicans chasing Blevins catch him?
12. Action - Why do the wax makers want to trade for Blevins?
13. Action - Why do John Grady and Rawlins allow Blevins to travel with them?
14. Character - Is Blevins' name really Jimmy Blevins?
15. Action - Why don't the boys try asking for Blevins' horse back before trying to steal it back?
16. Action - Did as many people in Blevins' family get struck by lightning as he says did?
17. Action - On page 94, when the girl passes, why does John Grady continue to stare the direction in which she went even when she's out of sight?
18. Action - Why doesn't John Gardy answer right away when the wax makers ask if he wants to sell Blevins?
19. Character - Why does Rawlins dislike Blevins as much as he does?
20. Action - Will Blevins find the other boys again or vice versa?

True Grit

On the note of Westerns, I saw the new True Grit movie about a week ago.  I haven't seen the original so I can't compare this new one to it, but I thoguht the movie was pretty good.  Jeff Bridges did a nice job as the tough, one-eyed U.S. marshall "Rooster" Cogburn.  There was plenty of adventuring and old Western justice, and I'd recommend seeing it.

All the Pretty Horses Second Reading

My second reading of All the Pretty Horses was from page 30 to page 59.  I’m really liking the book now.  John Grady and Rawlins are on their journey to Mexico.  I’m not quite sure what they hope to find there, but I guess they probably just want to get away from the problems at home.  A new major character, Jimmy Blevins, joins the quest in this section.  John Grady doesn’t seem to care much about him though does defend him once.  Rawlings on the other hand dislikes him, as can be seen by his talking down to him and calling him names.  At this point Rawlings is my favorite character. He’s funny and he’s a lot less serious than John Grady, though I’ve nothing against him.  In contrast I find Blevins to be overconfident, too prideful, and rather annoying. 

Since my last reading I’ve gotten a lot more used to McCarthy’s style.  Not using quotation marks for dialogue has a cool effect because it feels like the story flows more smoothly because there is less separation between narrative and dialogue.  It also makes you feel more involved in the story than if there were quotation marks.  I’m not totally sure why but I think it does. Anyway the story is getting good and I’m excited to see what will come next.

All the Pretty Horses First Reading

So I just read to the break on page thirty in All the Pretty Horses.  The story hasn’t been all that interesting so.  The protagonist, John Grady Cole, and his dad are sad; reasons for this include the recent divorce of Joe’s parents and the recent death of Joe’s grandfather.  It’s only at the very end of this reading section that things appear to be getting good as he and his friend Rawling are to be about to start an adventure of some sort.  That should be cool.  The characters’ dialect is nice because it effectively characterizes them as Texans.  The lack of quotations was a little difficult to get used to, but it is an interesting technique, somewhat blending the dialogue in with the rest of the text.  Also, many pronouns are used where it would be clearer to use actual names.  This makes it somewhat hard to understand what is happens at times but can actually add an air of mystery to conversations between characters when this occurs in the things they are saying.