1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Theresa)
2. Cry, the Beloved Country
3. Everything Is Illuminated (Fatima)
4. Reading Lolita in Tehran
5. Little Women (Anisha)
6. In Plain Truth
7. Red Storm Rising (Albert)
8. Bird's Eye View
9. Moneyball (Dan)
10. The Stand
11. About a Boy (Liz)
12. A Long Way Gone
13. Mountains Beyond Mountains (Kelsie)
14. Bel Canto
15. The Road (Laz)
16. Life of Pi
Read and enjoy! Let's keep the blog going over the summer to talk about any books we read off of this list (or any others). And a book club meeting/AP4 reunion is definitely in order before we all head off to college.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Fight Club
I like this book alot. Here are some things I have been pondering...
Fight Club seems to glorify masculinity. Men go into bar basement and beat the crap out of each other for a good time. I read an article which suggested that consumerism and the absence of external threats, such as World War II, has placed men in the roles of women. There is no evil dragon to fight, and women are pushing equality in all aspects of society. Fight Club represents a nostalgia for violence and purpose. However, the narrator/Tyler kills himself, a most unglorious ending for a hero of war. He doesn't defeat the enemy, which is consumerism. Instead, he just changes it. Whcih brings me to my next point...
Tyler is strongly anti-consumerism. He and the narrator are disgusted by the idea that chains like Denny's might claim and corrupt newly discovered planets. So, Tyler engineers Project Mayham to overthrow the system. Project Mayham, though, is set up exactly like a modern corporation. Many outgrowths of Mayham exist in cities across the country. No one "employee" knows the overall purpose of his job, but he mindlessly submits to the chain of command that ends with Tyler. Each faction has its own task that is supposed to serve the greater purpose. If Tyler hates corporate America, why does he promote corporate behavior with Mayham? His goals are ultimately barbaric, to return mankind to a caveman existance, but his methods follow the society into which he was born, the one that is organized into corporations. Even after Tyler dies, the project continues with success. What is our good friend Chuck (I wish) trying to say here?
I am also really interested by the idea that the relationship between Tyler, Marla, and the narrator is a love triangle. The narrator suggests that Tyler was created because some part of him wanted to have Marla. Clearly, this becomes more than just sex. Why does Tyler love Marla? And the narrator loves Tyler. Many suggest this is homoerotic. I think that it is more accurately interpreted as the narrator loving the ability to control his fate, to lead men, and to make history. He loves the power Tyler has and the admiration he achieves. He loves the complete lack of concern with any consequences. I don't see this love as having anything to do with physical attraction because Tyler and the narrator are the same person.
Floor's open, folks, and the year's not over just yet!
Fight Club seems to glorify masculinity. Men go into bar basement and beat the crap out of each other for a good time. I read an article which suggested that consumerism and the absence of external threats, such as World War II, has placed men in the roles of women. There is no evil dragon to fight, and women are pushing equality in all aspects of society. Fight Club represents a nostalgia for violence and purpose. However, the narrator/Tyler kills himself, a most unglorious ending for a hero of war. He doesn't defeat the enemy, which is consumerism. Instead, he just changes it. Whcih brings me to my next point...
Tyler is strongly anti-consumerism. He and the narrator are disgusted by the idea that chains like Denny's might claim and corrupt newly discovered planets. So, Tyler engineers Project Mayham to overthrow the system. Project Mayham, though, is set up exactly like a modern corporation. Many outgrowths of Mayham exist in cities across the country. No one "employee" knows the overall purpose of his job, but he mindlessly submits to the chain of command that ends with Tyler. Each faction has its own task that is supposed to serve the greater purpose. If Tyler hates corporate America, why does he promote corporate behavior with Mayham? His goals are ultimately barbaric, to return mankind to a caveman existance, but his methods follow the society into which he was born, the one that is organized into corporations. Even after Tyler dies, the project continues with success. What is our good friend Chuck (I wish) trying to say here?
I am also really interested by the idea that the relationship between Tyler, Marla, and the narrator is a love triangle. The narrator suggests that Tyler was created because some part of him wanted to have Marla. Clearly, this becomes more than just sex. Why does Tyler love Marla? And the narrator loves Tyler. Many suggest this is homoerotic. I think that it is more accurately interpreted as the narrator loving the ability to control his fate, to lead men, and to make history. He loves the power Tyler has and the admiration he achieves. He loves the complete lack of concern with any consequences. I don't see this love as having anything to do with physical attraction because Tyler and the narrator are the same person.
Floor's open, folks, and the year's not over just yet!
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