A Letter to Charlie

I'm afraid I used up all my genius on the discussion blog, so here's what's left over. :)

Dear Charlie,

You are one amazingly perceptive young man! I'm glad that you could end the cycle of hate and blame-- at least on your part. Hating someone just gives them power over you and your future, and I wouldn't want anything to mar the bright future a young man like you has in front of them.

It's right to still love your Aunt Helen for giving you two presents. She wasn't necessarily a bad person. She was probably just very confused and messed up in herself. Even though she hurt you, she probably loved you very much. Sometimes people don't understand the things they do.

My own step-father did many bad things to me when I was a little girl. In his own way he loved me, and I don't hate him. Hating him would be a waste of my time and just prolong the "cycle". Plus, I'm thankful to him too. In the same way that you're thankful to your Aunt Helen for saying she loved you and buying you two presents. He taught me how to fish, how to ride a bike, and made me into a kick-ass Rummy player.

Sometimes people can't help how messed up they are.

But me and you, Charlie, we're going places. You can't let the past weigh you down. I know you won't, and neither will I.

Have a great life.

Love always,
A Friend.

Group Discussion

Throughout this entire novel, there are dreams. Dreams of the future, a better one, a worse one. Charlie is the one dreaming all of these dreams, but they don't apply to him.

• Page 12, 4th paragraph- Charlie sees his sisters future with her useless boyfriend.
• Page 51, 4th paragraph- Charlie wants his brother's college experience to contain cocoa, rain, and unconventional beauty.
• Page 87, 5th paragraph- Charlie discusses whether or not his cousin has a "chance" in life.
• Page 92, 3rd paragraoh- Charlie talks about what his Aunt Helen's life might be like if she lived.

There are even more examples of Charlie dreaming for other people later in the novel. However, a far as his own future, I have only seen him mention it twice in the first two sections. On page 29 when he pretends to be a college student, but makes ridiculous and overexagerrated statements and on page 47 when he states he might want to be a writer that interviews other people about their lives.

Charlie never seems to mention in a serious manner what he wants for himself, for his own future. I want your opinions, do you think Charlie fears his future, doesn't see himself as having a future, or is just the ultimate wallflower--that lacks ambition for himself?

Do you guys have any answers for me? Also, do you think that this would be a good question to pose to the class, and if not what question do you think our group should ask?

Super Man and the Bug-out

Spoiler Alert: If you haven't read "Super Man and the Bug-out" yet, you may not want to read this blog.

Before I started reading the stories in this book, I went through and read Cory Doctorow's commentary on them. I was highly intrigued by his description of a Jewish superman who believed in the Canadian values of "Peace, Order, and Good Government" rather than the flashy Super Man we all know, and possibly love.

I actually ended up reading this story before the ones we were required to read first, and I love it. A world where Super Man is useless because crime has been made obsolete, and he chooses to become an activist? Not only that, but he lets his overbearing Jewish earth mother guilt trip him about it. It makes a more human Super Man, something I appreciate in my heroes.

I also enjoyed seeing the bug-out up close in one of the stories for the first time. His interactions with "Supe" are genius and the political implications are astounding. Choosing to allow Hershie to speak at everyone of their war seminars effectively nullified the resistance in two ways that I could immediately see.

1. Seeing their opinions on the feed will assure dissenters that they are being represented, and will lower the likelihood of protests being staged. This will lower the current uproar in society.
2. Allowing Super Man to speak at the beginning will not actually achieve anything for "Supe"s cause. People will hear five minutes worth of reasoning on why war is bad, then they will hear hours worth of people refuting this opinion.

In the end, I felt more sorry for Super Man than you could possibly believe. Not only was he obsolete because of the lack of crime, but also by being given this glorious speaking job he was made useless to the resistance he believed in.

I much prefer Doctorow's take on Super Man to the original (it reminded me of Hancock with his flawed and jaded persona, but better because Hershie seemed like your fairly average Joe), and would like to read more stories about this Super Man that has normal problems along with his earthshaking ones. I feel like he is easier to relate to, and more a believable character.

Blog Post 3

During discussion, we all pretty much agreed that Olive’s hysterical talk with Christopher in the kitchen is pretty much the climax of the novel. I’m sad to say that this is my least favorite chapter in the book. I’ve never really cared for him, and my distaste just deepened.

I feel like he is victimizing himself, blaming his mother for his inability to get past his baggage. I’m sorry to say, having been abused as a child is an excuse, not a reason. I feel like Christopher probably hates his life with his stupid wife, bratty kids and filthy house. With Anne though, they can both blame their parents for their poor choices.

He brought his mother all the way from Maine just to indulge his feelings. Then he let her go out in an unfamiliar place, where an old, confused lady could definitely come to no good.

He’s SELFISH. Sometimes I hate my mother, and sometimes I don’t care, but I don’t use her and I would never leave her helpless. Hell, she’s screwed me over plenty of times, yet I still let her be on my cell phone plan so that she isn’t without a phone.

Still, it served a sort of purpose. It woke Olive up to herself a bit in the end; she realized a lot of her loneliness was a consequence of her own actions. Her rudeness and abrasiveness had caught up with her.

On the last page she showed amazing insight. If any part of this novel sticks with me, the last page will be it. Youth squanders love and age misses it.

My boyfriend treats me with more kindness, love and caring than anyone else ever has. I think I’ll try to be a bit kinder to him and be more appreciative of the things he does. After all, I can be harsh and abrasive; I don’t want to end up alone.

Post 2

To me, the introduction of new characters in every chapter of Olive Kitteridge makes the story seem disjointed. I know the reappearance of Olive throughout the book is supposed to add a sense of continuity, even though Olive is often barely mentioned. Plus, I don’t think that Olive is a strong enough or interesting enough character to carry this plot-less book. I feel like I’m reading about my grandmother and the constant introduction of new characters just leaves me feeling frustrated and uninterested.

Really, Strout should have chosen several well developed characters and had the chapters differentiate between them, and showing interactions between a few characters. For example, along with Olive talking to Kevin in the car, maybe she could have shown us Kevin in middle school or Kevin’s mother dying; whereas, other characters—such as Angie—seemed superfluous and should have been cut out of the novel.

I feel like I’m drowning in a sea of random personalities as I read this novel and I really don’t like it.

As for the novel being depressing, that has no context in the defining of good literature and bad literature. 1984 was the most depressing and freakish book I have ever read, and I still liked it… even though I had the heebie-jeebies for weeks after finishing it! Many depressing books are truly excellent; however, this one is not. I think that the approach and style of Olive Kitteridge gets the point across but fails to pull me in as a reader—and actually has caused me to intensely dislike the novel.

Hopefully our next reading in this class will be much better—I’m looking forward to some good literature. I spend too much of my spare time reading airy fantasy novels below my level, and I need you to make me read something challenging, thought-provoking and excellent.