Thomas Pynchon's "The Crying of Lot 49," Chapter 5

For today's class, we were assigned to read the fifth chapter of Thomas Pynchon's, "The Crying of Lot 49." So far, Pynchon has incorporated several times the cultural characteristics of the time period in which this piece of literature was written, and he does so even more in this chapter. During this time, women were allowed more freedom, and Oedipa demonstrates this freely, as she explores her sexuality. For example, Oedipa has an extramarital affair, for no known reason. As opposed to tying sexual relations to love and a relationship, she seems to engage in the affair just for her own sexual enjoyment. She simply sleeps with another man, "just because she can." Also, another character in this chapter, Nefastis seems to inquire a sexual relationship with Oedipa for no other reason than just for his own pleasure. I believe that this type of behavior was the norm, and continues to be today, because of the new freedoms that were given to the women during that time. Another theme is the concept of many of the characters' growing isolation from the outside world. We see this as Pynchon writes "Oedipa sat, feeling as a lone as she ever had, now the only woman, she saw, in a room full of drunken male homosexuals." Oedipa is becoming increasingly separated from her husband and her lover, among others. Oedipa becomes mostly isolated from her husband, as she feels as if she doesn't even know him anymore, because LSD has taken over who he once was. Dr. Hilarius also displays his isolation in this chapter, as he is haunted by his past. I enjoy pieces of literature, such as this, where not only can I read and enjoy the author's work, but also learn and draw conclusions about the surroundings and time period.

Thomas Pynchon's "The Crying of Lot 49"

This week, we are beginning the novel "The Crying of Lot 49," written by Thomas Pynchon in 1966. Although we have, so far, only read the first chapter, it gives us an insight into the main character's life and the foreshadowing of the events to come in the book. So far, the plot of the story seems very dramatic. The opening of the novel begins with the main character, Oedipa, arriving at her house to find a letter. The letter informs her that her ex-boyfriend has died, and furthermore that she has been made the executor of the estate. The news of her ex's passing causes her to relive her former life with him and what it was like. We learn that he was a real-estate agent investor, with a very outlandish personality. She then realizes that she must pay her respects to him, and live out his will. We are then introduced to Oedipa's husband, who used to be a used-car salesman, but is now a DJ. Oedipa says about her husband that "he believed too much in the lot," referring to his used-car lot, and I think this is the connection with the title of the novel.  Later in the chapter, Oedipa's doctor, creatively named Dr. Hilarius, calls her early in the morning to lure her into trying a trial for a new drug. The timing of the encounter and the doctor's name are both suspicious and mysterious to me. Oedipa ultimately refuses the offer.  At the end of the chapter, Oedipa's thoughts return back to those of her late ex-boyfriend, and the chapter ends with her pondering of their relationship. So far, this novel seems ultimately confusing to me, but I look forward to reading on to learn more and solve this mystery of a chapter.

Allen Ginsberg's "A Supermarket in California"

Allen Ginsberg's poem, "A Supermarket in California," is one of the many eccentric poems published in "Howl and other poems." In the opening line of the poem, Ginsberg references to a poetry legend, Walt Whitman, who happens to be one of his idols. Ginsberg notes that he is having "thoughts" of Whitman, and mentions that he has a self-conscious headache- I interpreted this to mean that he looks up to Whitman's work, and is so self-conscious of his own that it has physically caused his head to ache. In the next stanza, Ginsberg says that he is "dreaming of [Whitman's] enumerations- or his literal list of achievements. Ginsberg, then, mentions another poet, Garcia Lorca as "down by the watermelons." As the poem goes on, Ginsberg also introduces a bit of sexuality, and mentions the accusations of Whitman's molesting, with the phrase "eyeing the grocery boys." There is a lot of symbolism with food in the poem, with the food mostly being fruits and vegetables, such as peaches, avocados, tomatoes, and watermelon. I think the fruits serve as a symbol of simplicity, being that they are natural and come from the Earth. Another important phrase in the poem is that "[they are] possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier." I think that the word "delicacy" is a metaphor actually meaning the poetic fame and talent that Whitman has. The symbolism of simplicity continues as Ginsberg imagines himself and Whitman are "dreaming of the lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways." Again, by the phrase "lost America," Ginsberg hints that the American society has become far too complex for his liking. The last line in the poem is full of imagery, as we imagine Whitman standing on a smoking bank and watching the boat, which was supposed to transport people to the afterlife, as it drifted into the "black waters of Lethe." By this imagery, I think that Ginsberg is implying that our modern society is forgetful of our simplistic roots, which Whitman is a prime example of. I do believe that Ginsberg has a point- although times will always change, we need not forget where we come from and enjoy the more simple things in life.

"Sonny's Blues" By James Baldwin

"Sonny's Blue's," a short story written by James Baldwin, is the story of a young, drug-addicted boy. The story is narrated by Sonny's older brother, an algebra teacher. Upon the death of their mother, he was told to look out for his younger brother, Sonny. The story is set in Harlem, the dreadful projects of New York where drugs and violence are prevalent among the youngest of lads. The teacher begins to reach out to some of his students, due to the realization that they, too, could end up with the same fate as Sonny.
An important part of this piece of literature is the title itself, "Sonny's Blues." To me, the "blues" refers to two things- a type of music and sense of feeling. The blues, the musical genre, is a popular type of music which arose out of African-American communities, and is seen within this short story. The songs that are classified in this genre are typically said to have a melancholic sound. Also, one may refer to their troubles as their "blues," which Sonny definitely had his fair share of. By using this word in the title, James Baldwin paid homage to Sonny's heritage and background, while also setting the tone for the audience.
There are many symbols in "Sonny's Blues," but the most obvious one to me is the use of light and dark in the short story. Throughout the story, Baldwin uses the symbolism of light in phrases such as "all that light in his face gone out," "like an animal waiting to be coaxed into the light," and "[he] came down into the streets for light." By speaking of the light, Baldwin is hinting at the lighter and more positive things in Sonny's life, albeit the very scanty bit of it. Baldwin also uses the contrasting symbol of dark in the short story. Baldwin speaks of being "trapped in the darkness," "every face looks darkening," "the darkness coming," and "the darkness in the faces frighten the child." Dark is seen much more than light in "Sonny's Blues," and I believe that is because the dark encompasses all of their life, and almost entraps them so much so that they can not escape into the light.
By using the contrasting themes of light and dark in his short story, James Baldwin describes the daily life of his characters and gives the audience a visual image.

Alice Walker's "The Flowers" and Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl"

For this class, we were assigned to read to short stories. Both stories are about young girls. The first of the two, "The Flowers" by Alice Walker. The short story is about a ten-year-old girl named Myop, the daughter of sharecroppers. The most obvious literary aid in this short story is the use of tone. At the beginning of the short story, the author uses phrases like "as she skipped lightly," "the days had never been as beautiful as these, "caused the excited little tremors to run up her jaws," and "bouncing this way and that way." I think this tone reflects the joy and innocence of her childhood, and the carefree mindset that a child has during the Summer. The tone takes a drastic change during the fifth paragraph, as Myop is far away from her home and notices the strangeness of her surroundings. The author then uses phrases like "the air was damp, the silence close and deep," "she stepped smack into his eyes," and "she gave a little yelp of surprise." The tone changes as she stumbles upon a man, who is raggedy looking. The most dramatic part of the short story is the last two sentences, "Myop laid down her flowers." and "And then the summer was over." In the first of the two sentences, I think that the "flowers" serve as a symbol of Myop's innocence. As she "laid down her flowers" for the strange man, I think that she lost her innocence through a sexual encounter. The last sentence has a very strong tone, and I think that the "summer" is a symbol of her childhood. At this point, Myop has now realized the significance of her losing her innocent childhood, and must now face the consequences.

The second short story is actually one long sentence, consisting of 684 words. This short story is the harsh words of a mother giving advice to her daughter, with the daughter periodically interjecting to defend herself. I think that the title of the short story, "Girl," speaks for the harshness of the mother, as she does not address her daughter by her name, but rather a generic pronoun. She imparts into her daughter advice on how to keep a house, and do daily tasks such as ironing, sewing, and laundry, as well as the more masculine task of catching a fish. The mother then gives the daughter advice on how to hem a dress to "prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming." 

In both of these stories, the tone plays a very important role and makes the overall effect of both stories more appealing.