Monday, July 26, 2010
On the rainy river
I personally found this chapter easy to relate to. O'Brien is at a point in his life where he has just graduated from high school and has made plans for college and a successful career. I am also making plans for college and major decisions about what i will do with the rest of my life. It would be so difficult to put those plans on hold, leave everyone you knew behind, and travel across the world where you may die at any moment. We also learn that while they are away at war the people at home continue on with their lives. Jimmy Cross tells us in the chapter "Love" that when he meets up with Martha again she is no longer interested and has moved on with different plans. Also Norman Bowker tells us In "Speaking of Courage" that Sally Kramer, a girl he used to date, has moved on as well and married. It would be so difficult at the age of eighteen to put your life on hold while everyone around you progressed.
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"It would be so difficult at the age of eighteen to put your life on hold while everyone around you progressed."
ReplyDeleteI feel that might be an underlying theme to the novel. Learning to accept that the world one belongs to is always moving rather one is present or not.
good point. I think this is true also especially when he talks about Norman bowker traveling around the lake. I think the trips he makes around the lake are actually symbolic to how his home town continued on while he was away fighting the war.
ReplyDeleteThat chapter really pulls the reader in. It even uses 2nd person to do so.
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