Stranger Things discussion
Document the Weird
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The Undeniable SupernaturalMostly everyone always denies the supernatural's existence no matter what; however, in Stranger Things the disappearance of 2 kids and the small signs of some creature causing all of this is too much to be denied. Eleven has all kinds of powers that are slowly being released to the viewers and the kids around her. Everyone in the town waits as long as they can until they finally have to except the presence around them.
Likewise in Carrie, the people that are involved in Carrie's everyday life are slowly yet surely introduced to her telekinesis powers. Carrie has always been different due to the extreme ways her mother raised her. She is naive and too innocent but like always the worlds slowly takes that away from her. Carrie knows she is different but is just starting to discover the true powers she has as she brings rocks falling from the sky onto her house when she is younger, "The stones fell principally on the home of Mrs. White, damaging the roof extensively"(King 3). Or when she has her first period at the age of 17 she is terrified and as she loses her control the light bulb above her shatters. On her way home she causes a plate to fall in woman's house and causes a kid to crash his tricycle, "Carrie glared at him with a smoking rage. The bike wobbled on its training wheels and suddenly fell over" (King 29). Carrie has begun to learn about how powerful she actually is but needs to learn how to control it first. No one knows what she can really do but are beginning to see undeniable signs of it.
Mod
In The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene tracks the last priest through the mountains and floods of Mexico as he runs for his life. The Communist government has outlawed religion and priests have the opportunity to die, marry, or renounce their faith. Our priest decides to take his chances and try to reach safety while the Lieutenant and his men hunt him. At one point, the Whisky priest is jailed and reflects on the nature of humanity saying, "Man was so limited: he hadn't even the ingenuity to invent a new vice." Greene's words speak into the cyclical patterns of human nature found in Stephen King's novel, The Shining. In the story, King exposes readers to VanderMeer's weird through his town, his characters, and his events to reinforce the destructive pattern of human nature.
"Nobody likes to see a Government folder with their name on it"
Popular Netflix film "Stranger Things," having over 4.6 million viewers total due to the captivating sense of "supernatural brilliance," as well as an aura of eerie mystery, has shot up in ratings with the combination of lovable good-natured characters, and the "weird" that surrounds Hawkins Indiana. Among the normality and stereotypes that are present throughout each episode, Stranger things seems to emphasize the statement "weird is the new normal," with Johnathan Byer's statement "Nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world" deeply resonating with each character as the show progresses.Enter character "Eleven." Eleven is introduced in the second episode with a somewhat fearful and hesitant view of a life free from the ties that bound her, with a supernatural aura that draws the viewer in to discover what is so unique about Eleven. It is later revealed that Eleven can move objects with her mind with the price of a nosebleed, much to the audience's shock.
As the show develops Eleven's character with her newfound friendship with Mike, the viewers realize that although Eleven is supernatural, the true monster is not Eleven herself but rather the greater evil that waits in the dark of the upside down.
In Stephen King's "Carrie," King uses a similar air of eeriness to tell the story of Carrie White, a young girl that like Eleven, has telekinetic powers. Although Carrie and Eleven have far different upbringings, one can't help but pity their painful pasts. Pasts that have shaped their character, anger, and most importantly power.
Much like the embracing of abnormality throughout Stranger Things with the truth that Eleven isn't the true villain, King voices the same about Carrie with the statement: “This is the girl they keep calling a monster. I want you to keep that firmly in mind. The girl who could be satisfied with a hamburger and a dime root beer after her only school dance so her momma wouldn't be worried . . .”
The viewer is thus catapulted knee deep in both the innocence and the hurt of each character, seemingly drowning in empathy with swirling questions of "maybe if their childhood was less traumatic then..." although Carrie and Eleven's lives would surely experience a complete 180 if their upbringing had been more pleasant, this pain is so deliberately placed by both Hawking and the Duffer brothers to instill a motive within both characters to destroy evil, answer questions as to how said evil was created, and to bubble up the fire of revenge that explodes in sparks of flipped cars, casualties, and the ultimate demolition of darkness.
The Lumberjack A long time ago, say 8th grade a very spooky and supernatural thing happened. This event was weird and uncomfortable because out of nowhere my good friend peyton transformed into a naked lumberjack on a night that was 13 degrees and had snowed 4’’. Now as you can suspect my friends and I were very confused in why peyton was standing naked in 13 degree weather holding a pic axes saying he was a lumberjack. Anyway we made some jokes about how stupid he was for doing that and got some good laughs out of it.
This reminds me of my reading because Carrie is also naked when she gets out of the shower. She gets made fun of and jokes made about her, and all the girls in the locker room are all just confused and grossed out. Just like we started chanting LumberJack the girls in the book were chanting period “PER-iod it was becoming a chant, an incantation”.
When I was younger, there was always this one house in my neighborhood that we never went to trick-or-treat at. It was ominous with its dark brick and high hill it sat on. This is similar to how people view the White's house. Carrie White is a telekinetic pubescent girl who is just now beginning to realize and understand her power. The first time she used her power was after her mom began yelling at her for talking with the sunbathing neighbor. On page 38 it says, "She (Margaret White) just whooped. Rage. Complete, insane rage. Her face went just as red as the side of a fire truck and she curled her hands into fists and whooped at the sky" (King 38). This insane mother-daughter interaction lead to a common routine in the white household of the mother locking Carrie in a closet to pray. Carrie became so mad and frustrated that she made large ice chunks fall on only their own house.
This World is on Firejimmy.patterson@student.cpalions.org
Andy and Charlie are truly living a life where not everything goes right and their plans sometimes go up in flames, literally. Charlie is a six year old who has a wicked power called pyrokinesis where even the thought of a person, or something else would be set on fire. Mostly, it is caused by the thought of a fire. Her mother said “It’s called pyrokinesis. It means being able light fires sometimes just by thinking about fires.” (110). Usually though, Charlie’s parents comfort her by saying it’s accidental and involuntary, but finish off by saying it can be controlled. One such example of her power being unleashed is at the beginning of the story when she “caused an accident.” “Eddy Delgardo looked down and screamed, ‘Godamighty, Jeesus’ His shoes were on fire!” (27). A man named Eddy was at a phone booth and while Charlie was wandering around the phone booths, she starting to light up a thought, and then disaster struck. This was a phenomenon where Charlie was not able to purge from her wandering mind of worry and fear.
This novel, written by Stephen King, is describing that Andy and Charlie are enveloped by a monster that is built up of their own fear and worry. Throughout the story so far, Charlie and Andy are always having their minds and thoughts set on the past, Charlie’s power, and the future. All of this thinking has caused a tremendous amount of fear to build up and eventually evolve into a monster that is slowly draining their live and confidence. Charlie now has a worry of disappointing her father and her mother. One such example is when she burned her beloved bear named Teddy. “A soft soundless passage of warm air…. And then the teddy bear was on fire.” (68). In a quick manner, her dad grabbed an extinguisher. After being shouted at by her father, she has this memory of fear implanted beneath her skull, trapping a handful of her happiness within. Fear is a monster that can be slayed not through independence, unless one is courageous and is willing to fight it. Fear is mostly done together with a good companion such as Andy McGee.
Invasive Thougths At night, when you are all alone, it seems that the worst thoughts infiltrate in, causing fear, paranoia or even action. Fear sets in, we start to question things around us, even the people we trust. How can we protect ourselves from these thoughts when they seem so strong, or is it possible that we can’t? However it may be possible that these thoughts are here to protect us.
Similarly in Stephen King’s, The Shining Danny has supernatural thoughts. Some are signs of foreshadowing, others are the thoughts of other characters. He can not seem to control these thoughts, however his friend “Tony” can either bring him deeper or pull him from these experiences. In the chapter titled “Night Thoughts” Danny has a dream of the accident his father seemed to deny, “Did Daddy have an accident? I dreamed…”. Danny can experience things people hid deep with in themselves. He can even hear their most personal thoughts. While deep in thought Danny sees the word REDRUM, which the reader knows as murder. Later in the novel the Torrance family makes their way up the mountain, suddenly Danny sees the hotel and realizes this is the location that he sees the word REDRUM. This place was what, “Tony has warned him against. It was here. What ever Redrum was, it was here.”. The stangeness of Tony and Danny could possibly save the family from the terror they may endure. Similarly to human experience, Danny can not escape the thoughts, partly because they are not logical. Stephen King shows that even through weird and terrifying encounters, there may be hope for safety with in them.
Tony’s impact on Danny’s lifeIn The Shining, Jack Torrance and his family experience a new way of life. Jack moves his family to the mountains of Colorado to be a caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. Jack’s son Danny has a special gift at the age of 5. He has a friend named Tony, Tony is a big impact on Danny and shows Danny certain outcomes that possibly come true in his life. Tony proposes a future possibility, “And, dangling over the white porcelain lip of the bathtub, a hand. Limpp. A slow trickle of blood…” Tony leads Danny to possibilities of the future to earn his trust when it is true.
Tony is a Ghost like figure who tries to pull Danny’s power out of him. He scares him to help him understand the impact his powers can have on his real life. Danny’s gift isn't understood by his parents and they are worried about Danny’s obsession with Tony. Tony is the cornerstone to Danny being able to understand his power and how to use his ability to basically foresee what the future could hold.
The ShiningThe popular television show “Stranger Things,” directed by Ross and Matt Duffers, captivates the idea that humans aren’t the only ones on this earth by it’s supernatural characteristics and events that occur in the series. In his novel, “The Shining,” Stephen King introduces this same supernatural effect that takes place in the form of thirty year old, Jack Torrance, and torments Jack’s wife and five year old son in a hotel far from civilization.
In Stephen King’s novel “The Shining,” he gives Danny, a little boy, the power to read people’s thoughts and know what they’re feeling. Danny can read what his parents are feeling and can know their thoughts, as well as others’ thoughts and feelings. He also has this imaginary “friend” named Tony who “speaks” to Danny and appears to Danny from far away. He speaks to Danny through many different, unusual ways, like on page 46, Tony shows Danny multiple boards with words engraved on them like, “ NO SWIMMING. DANGER! LIVE WIRES, THIS PROPERTY CONDEMNED. DANGER OF DEATH….” and he shows Danny the word REDRUM through green fire. REDRUM backwards is murder.
The Unnatural In the Netflix original, stranger things, a town that has never experienced a missing person, suicide or anything bad has a missing child. There is plenty of proof of supernatural occurrences but no one ever believes it when they see it. The supernatural occurrences just show how oblivious people can be to the truth.
In the book Carrie, Carrie is blessed with supernatural powers. She seems like an very average girl that everyone picks on and makes fun of. She discovers her powers by getting angry. When she thinks about something in her head it happens. For example, one day a mean boy was riding his bike and said, “Hey, ol’ fart-face! Ol’ prayin’ Carrie!” “Carrie glared at him with sudden smoking rage. The bike wobbles on its training wheels and suddenly fell over.” (29). Carrie made a bike with training wheels on it fall over on top of a kid just by glaring at it with anger. It does not really make sense because you would think people would be terrified of her and practically worship her because of her powers, but they do not because they don't even really know that they exist. They are oblivious to the fact that this girl has this crazy superpowers that could literally kill them.
In both of these it appears that everyone is so caught up with themselves and their everyday norms that they completely avoid the possibility. Maybe the authors are trying to tell us to pay attention!!!
ShiningIn the tv show Lost, none of the survivors of the crash thought anything odd of the island they had crashed on. But as time went on, the signs of a higher power became hard to ignore. While islanders like Jack Shepard tried to make logical explanations for the events that were occuring, others John Locke embrace the weird and accept the islands power.
In Stephen King’s The Shining , weird events like deaths of the previous caretakers of The Overlook, and Danny’s ability to “shine” make it hard to dismiss the supernatural. Jack is told that the previous caretakers of the inn died in a murder suicide involving a child and its parents and alcohol. Initially, Jack brushes it off and says that his drinking problems are in the past and that there. King is foreshadowing the weird that would happen later in the book.
King also gives the reader a peek into the future in chapter eleven page 115 when The Overlook’s chef Hallorann notices Danny’s ability to shine. Hallorann’s observation explains the weird events that happened previously such as Danny’s fainting spells.
While many try and deny the supernatural at first not everything can be denied.
CarrieBy Stephen King
The booming television series known as “Stranger Things” took the world by storm in October of 2017, centered in the spotlight was the telekinetic mystery girl named Eleven. Her incredibly strong mental powers developed an intimidation as well as respect from her fellow characters in the show, notably due to her nearly being completely mute.
In Stephen King’s story, Carrie, named after the main character, is filled with telekinetic experiences that are seen throughout the life of the young and interesting Carrie White. Carrie shows her true colors and her mental powers in the early stages of the book on page 20 when Mr. Morton calls her by the name Cassie, creating a fury and rage inside of her, causing her to use her telekinesis to levitate and move the heavy ashtray off of his desk. Mr. Morton noticed the tray moved, clearly hearing and watching the tray fall, but it brought some interest to his mind about how it happened because of how far onto the desk the tray sat. The powers of Eleven in Stranger Things were also noticed, but ignorantly denied, as they both get away with there tricks in a sly way. Later, Carrie causes the lights to flicker and go out when they had reportedly just been replaced, seen on page 25. This is another sign of a power that people have began to take notice of, fairly early into the book.
Unusual OccurrencesA Netflix original “Stranger Things,” captivates millions of viewers due to the supernatural characteristics as well as the mystery that occurs in Hawkins Indiana. Hawkins town is surrounded with unusual events throughout the show. Eleven, the character in Stranger Things, is presented with a supernatural power. The viewers see her ability to move objects, destroy things, and have visions with her mind which leads to nosebleeds. Later in the show, the viewers find out that Eleven is not the true monster but rather there is a different evil shown.
In the novel “The Shining,” Stephen King introduces the same supernatural effect in Danny Torrance. Danny has the power to read people’s thoughts and know what they’re feeling. Danny’s imaginary friend, Tony, “speaks” to Danny through his pointer finger. Tony has already told and shown him that something dreadful is going to happen at the Overlook Hotel. Tony warned Danny by saying “Be careful, doc… (48).” Throughout the book, flashes of the word REDRUM appear. Before the Torrance Family moved to the Overlook hotel, Danny has flashes of the word. When they arrive at the hotel, the word Redrum appears again. On page 91, King writes “The place Tony had warned him against. It was here. It was here. Whatever Redrum was, it was here (91).” The readers know that the word Redrum backwards spells MURDER. Is the Torrance family even safe at the hotel?
In a everyday world, strange things happen all the time. These type of things this big may not happen every single day. However, in the this book these strange things seems to happen every day. The world that has been created is a extremely intriguing. The main character in the book has the power to control things with her mind. She uses this to free herself from her mom’s religious mania. With this power comes great responsibility. She can use this to help her or create more destruction. In the novel Carrie by Stephen King, Carrie is almost a supernatural being because she has the power of telekinesis. She can bring tangible objects to rain down furry on the house. This is not normal that ice just comes down in big chunks during the middle of summer and just on your own house. King writes,”Then it hit the edge of the White’s roof and shattered, and it wasn’t glass at all. It was a bing chunk of ice”(41). This is just one situation in the book where the sequence of events was just strange. When King writes about Carrie getting put in the closet because she told her mom about her first period. This is bizarre. Carrie’s mom has lied to her face through all these years so when this happened she is ridiculed. King writes,”Momma began to force Carrie toward the blue glare of the closet”(69). This is just not human like. Mothers are supposed to be there for their daughters when stuff like this happens. Carrie’s mom has set up the tone for this book to be violent and unforgiving. She has taught the readers that she doesn’t care about feelings, she cares about forceful care to make sure everything is right in her eyes.
The Shine Inside of SocietySpecial abilities are things that society views as weird and an outcast but when society figures out the powers that the abilities hold, they wish to be closer to them and more like them. In Stranger Things when the group of little boys find Eleven stranded in the middle of the road, they view her as a strange and mysterious girl. They don't understand why Mike is drawn to help her until they find out what she can really do. When the other boys finally realize that El has special abilities they stop viewing her as an outcast and start building a relationship where they can help each other.
The “weird”we first experience in The Shining by Stephen King is the ability that Danny, the son of Jack and Wendy, has. Danny has the ability to hear and understand what people truly think or feel. The book calls this ability the shine. The first shine we find is Danny hearing his parents talk and he realizes “The greatest terror of [his] life was DIVORCE, a word that always appeared in his mind” (King 38). Danny knows that is parents are not happy with each other even though they both fake it like they are, Danny knows how they truly feel about each other. When Danny tries to explain his shine, his parents get mad and thinks that something is wrong or different with him. They realize that he is not a normal kid. When Danny and his family finally arrive to the Overlook they meet the cook and from the very beginning we realize that he is different also. Mr. Halloram, the cook, gets along with Danny from the very first time they talk. Mr. Halloram lets Danny know that he has this ability also. They both have the shine. When talking about the shine Danny says he has “been frightened as well as lonely sometimes, [and asks] Am I the only person you ever met?” (115). Danny realizes that he is not different, that he is expected in a society where he is not different. That because he has the shine he is not different in a negative way but he has a special ability for good.
Charlie CollierMrs. Jernigan
Class F
23 January 2019
The Shining
In fifth grade, the hockey team that I was on would travel all over the south staying in old marriot suits. Almost every time my dad would be with me in the hotel room. But this particular time in Pelham, Alabama my dad was coming the next day because of a business meeting. So my buddy and his dad drove me down there and checked me into the hotel. That night in my hotel room I could not fall asleep I felt like everytime I would close my eyes someone or something was watching me. In the Shining by Stephen King, King uses weird stories and occurrences about the Hotel to play an affect on Jacks character.
An example of weird story was, “He murdered the little girls with a hatchet, his wife with a shotgun, and himself the same way (pg.12).” This quote is explaining what claustrophobia and isolation can do to the mind. It can cause the human mind to create hallucinations and false emotions of extreme anger which can lead to the murdering of love ones. There has also been many weird occurances in the hotel that have affected Jack’s character. An example of this is, “ He hung up, closed his eyes in the hot booth, and again saw the crashing bike, the bobbing flashlight (pg.63).” This is another example of how the hotel is causing him to do and think abnormal things. The claustrophobia and extreme isolation is causing Jack to act in abnormal ways and is foreshadowing that Jacks new behavior might start to affect his family. So in conclusion, King uses weird stories and occurrences about the Hotel to play an affect on Jacks character.
Jeff Vandermeer uses the word “weird” many times. Weird can be taken many different ways, but Vandermeer’s definition "refers to the sometimes supernatural or fantastical element of unease found in stories". In “Stranger Things”, a television show created by the Duffer Brothers, the weird is not only something abnormal, but a place unlike the simplistic world of the early 1980’s that they believe they live in. When there are glimpses of something greater than us is occuring in the town of Hawkins, Indiana, it began with Eleven. Eleven is a girl who came from a laboratory where she was is treated and tested because of her telekinetic powers and relationship with the “Upside-Down”. When people tend to hear of telekinetic powers, nobody truly believes that it could be true, just like Carrie in Stephen King’s book. Carrie and Eleven faced many social hardships due to their powers and past history. Carrie was bullied and abused by her peers, but “what none of them knew, of course, was that Carrie White was telekinetic” (3). People did not realize the power that she held over them while she was being bullied for uncountable reasons. Just as Will’s voice became apparent through the lights and electricity, Carrie’s emotions were brought to light when she was in pain from her period. “There was a bright flash overhead, followed by a flashgunlike pop as a lightbulb sizzled and went out” (12) and when this occured, Carrie’s teacher was full of fear for a moment then disregarded it at first. Her response to “the weird” was initial fear then disregarding it as if it were just a coincidence.
What is that walking in the fire?I was hunting in the woods and I thought that I seen something out of the corner of my eye. I turned sharply towards the flash of darkness and nothing was there. I stood there for a minute looking around listening to find of spark something irregular. Nothing happens and I take one step forward, then there was black. In Stephen King’s Firestarter there is a fight between the hidden extraordinary life that lives within its ignorant basic world, fighting to survive against the people who made them.
In King’s book Firestarter, Charlie and her father have supernatural powers, but hey come at a price. When they jumped into the cab, Andy (Charlie’s father) was able to convince the driver to drive then to Albany, NY, “open contact always made to easier to push.” (King 6). The push is what Andy calles his powers. Later in the book charlie and Andy find a place for them to sleep and in charlie’s sleep she thinks of someone dying, and because of this she has it give pay back for what has happened to her. Andy could feel “ a soft, soundless passage of warm air… and then the teddy bear was on fire.” (King 68).
Ellie Buell From the mystery of a laboratory to the flickering lights, Stranger Things embraces the weird. Stranger Things, created by the Duffer brothers, encompasses the strange happenings of a small town in Hawkins, Indiana. Motivated by the noncommon effects of a looming laboratory, the town is covered by a thick cloud of supernatural events, starting with the disappearance of Will Byers, a young boy that lives on the outskirts of town. Will’s sudden disappearance leads to a winding path of discovery, ultimately ending in the introduction of the most arguably weird character in the television universe, Eleven. With her extraterrestrial abilities and unspoken knowledge, Eleven threatens the homey town of hawkins.
Similarly, Danny in The Shining echos the unspoken weirdness of Eleven. Introduced as a secluded, young boy, Danny and Eleven share the common judgement of being misunderstood. Brushed to the side, Danny is undermined by his age. His “knack” of seemingly reading people's minds is not voiced by him, but instead pushed away with the assistance of his “friend” Tony. This “knack” is voiced to him by his new friend Mr. Hallorann. The gift he was given, coined as “the shining” (114), is powerful. Danny’s quality of weird is not of his choosing, but of the gift that was given to him, as “[Danny]... shine[s] the hardest” (115).
A Shining Star is BornStranger Things exemplifies weird in many different ways and reveals super natural powers throughout the first four episodes. The disappearance of two kids in the town of Hawkins and the presence of a monster that is haunting the town highlights the supernatural that can cause unease to viewers. Eleven possesses supernatural powers that cause the people around her unease. The weird encounters illustrate to the reader the significance of weird in the world.
Stephen King is known for his strange yet entertaining writing, and one of his most popular novels is “The Shining.” From the beginning, the weird is encountered with a young boy named Danny and his imaginary friend. Danny explains, “Just Tony beckoning and then darkness and a few minutes later he had come back to real things with a few vague fragments of memory, like a jumbled dream” (41). It is evident that Danny is different from others and the introduction to Tony is the beginning of the weird. Later on Danny is asleep and he is woken up by what he believes is Tony, but we learn that it is not. Danny saw a dark shadow, “he watched the shadows...that wanted only to slip around him, squeeze the life out of him, and drag him down into a blackness where one sinister word flashed out red: REDRUM” (82). Danny evidently possesses super powers and can see things that normal people cannot. Danny and the chef of the hotel, Hollarann, spark a very tight bond and are able to connect because of their supernatural powers. Hollarann specifies Danny’s super power, “What you got, son, I call it shinin on, the Bible calls it having visions” (121). The strange relationship reveals that Danny has “The Shining.” Another weird element that is introduced in the first part of the book is Danny’s alcoholic father. Early in Danny’s life, his father Jack broke his arm, “their screaming boy wedged in the crook of her arm and Jack did not go after her...smelling beer and thinking...you lost your temper” (25). The weirdness of Jack, Danny, and the Overlook hotel will continue throughout the novel and will illustrate the importance of supernatural powers in the world.
Stranger Things
Books mentioned in this topic
The Power and the Glory (other topics)The Shining (other topics)
For your writing, you need to document your encounters with the weird in your book. Building a case for this encounter and its significance requires you to provide detailed evidence and quotations from your story. Your response should include apt references and interesting commentary that shows why these events matter and what they signify?
See the sample response below for its integration of quotations from the story and its commentary connecting pattern to meaning.
Responses: Characteristics
1. 200-250 words
2. Use quotations from the section
3. Analyze patterns and connect to meaning
4. Make an outside connection
5. Use creative thinking
Sample Responses:
Smoking Agents of Grace
In her memoir Just Kids, Patti Smith talks about living in the Chelsea Hotel in the 70s and tapping into the collective artistic spirit in order to shape her own craft. As she worked to discover her inner voice, she immersed herself in the words and works of those who lived and died in the hotel. She says, she "sniffed out their spirits" and "scurried from floor to floor, longing for discourse with a gone procession of smoking caterpillars" (Smith 113). For Smith, her muses range from Dylan to Rimbaud, Thomas to Wolfe. In a similar notion, Flannery O'Connor sought inspiration and refuge from theologians, philosophers, and writers - seeking answers to life's spiritual questions. Art for her was more instructive in that she wished to awaken sleepers who needed to "see." In her short fiction, O"Connor employs agents of grace to break sinful characters from their lives of deceptive mediocrity and reinstate a true vision.
"Greenleaf" examines the farm-life of Mrs. May, a stereotypical O'Connor character, whose opinions and perceptions show her ignorance and lack of self-awareness. In the story, Mrs. May spends most of her time criticizing her hired hand, Mr. Greenleaf, who according to her was "too shiftless to go out and look for another job" as he lacked the "initiative to steal," but if you ever wanted to talk to him, "you had to get in front of him." She contradicts herself throughout the story, a mark of her self-deluded status as the protagonist of the tale and the one whose perspective clouds or illuminates our own. Her faulty vision also includes Mrs. Greenleaf who she deems "large and loose" and one whom "Jesus" would be "ashamed" of for her unconventional prayer methods and "healing." In reality, Mrs. May's harsh criticisms and nagging eventually pin her against the hood of her car in a moment of "unbearable" awareness as the agent of grace, the bull (a totem of the Greenleaf's themselves) "pierc[es] her heart [...] in an unbreakable grip." May's awakening comes with a price, her life, but her soul sees the truth.
In "A Good Man is Hard to Find," the grandmother's vision is just as distorted, therefore, qualifying her for a visit from O'Connor's chosen vehicle of grace, the Misfit. The older woman, similar to Mrs. May, also wields harsh critiques with her words and actions, commenting upon topics and individuals she should leave alone. Her grandchildren, June Star and John Wesley, provide insight into her character as they tell us "she has to go everywhere we go" and "she wouldn't stay at home to be queen for a day." Yet, this granny admonishes her grown son when he speeds and lies to her family about a "secret panel" in order to detour the trip to Florida. In contrast to the misbehaved children, she manipulates and frustrates using passive aggressive behavior that showcase her selfish ambitions and self-assumption. Because of her, the car crashes, and although to June Star's disappointment, "Nobody's killed," O'Connor ironically brings the family face to face with her agent, the escaped convict known only as the Misfit. Granny tries to use these same manipulative tricks on him only to end up getting the entire family killed and leaving her "in a puddle of blood with her legs crossed under her like a child's and her face smiling up at the cloudless sky." Her death comes only after she has reached out for the criminal, calling him one of her own "children." O"Connor grants her humanity but "awakens" her sleeping morality and true vision of love and salvation.
While Smith and O'Connor hold different beliefs regarding spirituality, both women create out of who they are and what they believe.
"All the children are insane/Waiting for the summer rain"
Morrison's "The End" initiates us into the Vietnam haze of Coppola's Apocalypse Now. From its opening scene, Coppola gives us an inverted cosmos - a protagonist who loses himself in the great quest and who loses faith in his people. Conrad's little story plugged into the Vietnam War grants us endless vistas into the confusion of war, the ambiguity of man, and the inner darkness that threatens us all.
Morrison's lyrics always conjure the harlequin for me, the "be-patched youth" Marlow meets at the inner station who was "the most dangerous thing in every way" that Marlow had stumbled upon so far in the narrative. The harlequin - Kurtz's apostle - beckons Marlow into the inner chamber, offering initiation into the secrets of the wild and the man you only "listen to." In the opening scene, the surreal imagery only confirms Conrad's own clustering of appearance and reality, infusing dreams with nightmares and subjectivity. We stumble across the "midnight dances" and "unspeakable rites" involving the "initiated wraith" of Kurtz without ever getting a glimpse of the "shade" himself. Conrad keeps us outside the truth associated with these statements like he does at Kurtz's compound. While inside "the wilderness...had caressed him, embraced him, and consumed his flesh" so that all we get is a "lofty frontal bone" and a "voice" claiming all of Africa and the wilderness as his own.
Will the smoke and haze clear? Will Marlow also be initiated "amongst the devils of the land?" If not, then what indeed does Mr. Conrad have in store for us mere spectators?
Another Magician: Something Wicked This Way Comes
After following John Wade through his horrid transformations, looks like Fitzgerald provides another chameleon to lead us through this picture show of the Lost Generation. Dick Diver, Carnival Leader/Dream Weaver, takes shape and substance through direct and indirect observations of Rosemary, a lady whose "body hovered delicately on the last edge of childhood" (4). Poor Rosie, she will be drawn to Dick and his funhouse, but are her wings strong enough to carry her from its destruction?
The Divers wield culture like "kings," "rajahs," and "princes" (15). As a couple they are as mysterious as the sea- compelling, alluring, yet dangerous like fire. Dick's attentive handling of Rosemary "was all completely there" for "his voice [...] wooed the world" (19). Her reaction to the carnival was simply to let its "expensive simplicity" (21) consume her, but as the narrator quickly reminds us, she was "unaware of its complexity and lack of innocence" (21). Dick's "taking care of her" (21) includes his seductive words as he tells her she "look[s] like something blooming" (22). The god-like nature of the Divers is reinforced by Fitzgerald's characterization of their audience in that they "turned up ashen faces to her, like souls in Purgatory watching the passage of a mortal" (23). Clearly distinguishing the two groups and the power they wield over others, the narrator gives this perception a duality...a hidden, secretive persona that begins to bleed into the "reality." This exposure begins in the "bathroom" - but the Divers have fierce protectors (Cerberus like guardians) driven to guard hidden truths from crushing the "rose-colored" sandcastles built for the amusement and entertainment and seduction of their following.