plath, relating, & more

Jessica Lynn Becker (beckerj@uwec.edu)
Wed, 17 Dec 1997 01:50:02 -0600

ENOUGH FOR ME!  i don't know what you're all talking about right now, but
i'll venture into a topic rather than continue reading through a backlog of
digests (1 hour of reading with 2-3 to follow doesn't really excite me all
that much)....

On Plath-i absolutely loved the bell jar.  something about the scene where
she loses her virginity....i saw an abuse of innocence there.  not so much a
loss, because she didn't know what she was doing nor did she know why she
bled so bad afterward.  i think her innocence was dulled in that case, not
destroyed....i don't know, just a thought.  reminds me a lot of myself.

On Relating to Books-someone posted something about being able to relate to
holden rather than to huck finn....i think because with as much as things
have changed in our society since the '50s, the basic fundamental emotions,
problems, and feelings that teenagers experience today are strikingly
similar, although we now have the threat of aids and increasingly potent
illegal drugs, gangs, etc.  all of those things existed in the era of huck
finn, but not in such serious terms.  aids was replaced with some other
disease, drugs with alcohol, etc.  *****  how many of us could relate to
Hester Prynne?  i for one could, because i know how sex can be used against
you to drive you towards shame.  i don't think its when or how the book is
written, but rather how the characters relate in their lives that makes *us*
relate to them.  it's all in how you relate to the characters and their
lives and the similarities they share with you.

On Threads-i think threads are what makes this list thrive.  how many of us
could stand just sitting around and discussing salinger all of the time
without any threads to sprinkle in the mix?  (please don't flame!)  what i
mean by that is the fact that, to use an old cliche, variety is the spice of
life.  threads are what make this list interesting.  threads bring us
together.  threads help us realize that we are all more than just faceless
names punching keys on computers in order to convey thoughts.  threads make
us a family.  while sometimes these threads may seem a bit excessive and
drawn out, they make us whole.

On Names-have any of you seen "Chasing Amy?"  (another movie by film guru
Kevin Smith...read:  mallrats, clerks)  i won't ruin the plot, but the basic
gist is that the main character falls in love with a lesbian and has to deal
with his homophobic friend as well as his own feelings about sexuality,
relationships, and life.  cute movie, great ending (maybe sad, maybe happy,
depends on how you read the situation).  what i found interesting was that
the main character is placed in a holden/mr. antolini situation (in some
respects).  the main character's name is also HOLDEN.

good luck with finals, work, life everybody!  (choose applicable term)

jessica :)
          
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