Fact of Fiction?...Who Gives A Shrimp!!!!

The art of storytelling is an art that has been passionately loved and persued since the dawn of time. It is the source of nearly ALL entertainment that we know from day to day (be it lyrics, tv shows, visual art, or literature). It is the reason that we as human beings in a complex society act, think, and feel the way that we do. However, most importantly, the art of storytelling is what keeps the past alive within us. The art of storytelling is what allows memories to live again and knowledge to flow from mouth to ear, person to person, generation to generation, culture to culture. It holds the ability to transform a listener or reader or viewer into someone that is minutely different from the person they were before the given experience. "Abstraction may make your head believe, but a good story, well told, will also make your kidneys believe, and your scalp and your tear ducts, your heart, and your stomach, the whole human being." (O'Brien Writing Vietnam)

Two "storytelling marvels" that have recently come under the spotlight in class are, of course, Forrest Gump (1994) and The Things They Carried, a novel written by Tim O'Brien, a Vietnam War veteren and acclaimed author of fiction. As I type this, I am, myself, surprised at my choice of words "storytelling marvel" to discribe Forrest Gump. Forrest, himself, says that "stupid is, as stupid does.", and I will be the first to say that this very quote just about sums up the movie. I have mentioned in class many times that I do not like the film, but yet I think the fact that even a heavy critic of the film can consider it a "STORYTELLING marvel" is a testiment to the fact that dispite my personal feelings for the content, Robert Zemeckis (the director) did a fantastic job at getting the story of Forrest Gump across. "Forrest Gump has the elements of an emotionally gripping story. Yet it feels less like a romance than like a coffee-table book celebrating the magic of special effects.", says Stephen Holden, the top critic for the New York Times. What I do take comfort in, however, is the fact that from the moment I (unenthusiastically) begin the film, I know for a fact that it is entirely fictitious and holds no real historical accuracy. This is something that somewhat bothers me with Tim O'Brien's writing style.

While I commend O'Brien's choice to stray from the beaten path in his writing style, I can't help but struggle with the fact that his stories are not true...yet they are...but they're not, dispite the fact that they are. This just simply bothers me. Don't get me wrong, I can take a good story in whatever form it may choose to come, but I NEED to know beforehand what I'm taking in. If it is pure fiction (and I know that) I will love the story. If it is straight from history (and I know that ) I will love the story. However, O'Brien's use of metafiction makes me want to shake him and scream "MAKE UP YOUR MIND, MAN!!!! DID IT HAPPEN OR DIDN'T IT?!?!?" Maybe I'm just too particular about my taste in good writing, but the truth is I hold artists to a high standard, and I truly feel that in order to form a valid opinion, the opionioned must be completely honest. These are my honest thoughts on storytelling.



"And that's all I got to say about that.." (Forrest Gump 1994)

Holden Caulfield: The Man, The Myth...All Of Us

Each and every one of us knows Holden Caulfield. The funny thing is, when I say this, I am not specifically referring to THE Holden Caulfield; but to all of us. I refer to my freinds, to my classmates, and to myself. The truth is that, however appealing it may or may not be, as teenagers, we all have a bit of Holden within ourselves. Be it the uncertainty, the pent up angst, or the will to flee from where we just are not comfortable, every teenager that I know shares more of Holden Caulfield's characteristics than they may expect.

I, myself, can certainly relate to the ways and traits of Holden. As someone who struggles with where he is at the moment, I can easisly sympathize with some of what Holden feels. However, there are also MAJOR differences between he and I. I have not been through one tenth of the pain and suffering that Holden has felt in his lifetime. I hope to god that I never experience a life in the way that he lived his own. Another major difference between Holden and myself is in the way that we handle ourselves when it comes to unfavorable situations. When I find myself in a place that I would rather not be, I often choose to follow a path of sublimation and outlet my feelings in the most positive way that I can (be it songwritting, running, etc.) Our friend, Holden, on the other hands seems to approach these circumstances in a slightly different mannor. Not that I am saying that becoming a 16 year old binge drinker is a problem, but I do feel that there MAY be healthier ways to cope with stress. But if being a teenager will teach you one thing (honestly it will teach you millions of things) it will teach you that you must find a good, healthy way to deal with what you may rather not. Holden knows that. I know that. We are not all so different it seems.

McMurphy V. Big Nurse...

Throughout Ken Kesey's One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, a rivalry is established between two key players at the institution. In one corner of the ring, we have Nurse Ratched, aka Big Nurse; the power and control behind the staff, "her face smooth, calculated, and precision-made, like an expensive baby doll, skin like flesh colored enamel." (Kesey 11) Big Nurse has sly demeanor. She exists only for the pure pleasure of putting other people in their places and making her patients feel inferior and inadequit. Big Nurse wants the institution to be her oyster, and its population her sycophants. The truth is, she couldn't be any more successful at acheiving her narcissistic goals. UNTIL...

Randall. Patrick. McMurphy.



In the other corner, R.P. McMurphy steals the wind from her sails and sells it back to her at an increased rate. "He stands looking at us, rocking back in his boots, and he laughs and laughs. He laces his fingers over his belly without taking his thumbs out of his pockets. I see how big and beat his hands are" (Kesey 16) He marches to the beat of his own drum; an eccentric, a maveric, a free-spirited man. He has never subscribed to the typical societal norms, and he never will. No, McMurphy's motives lie elsewhere. A defiant man with purpose; he takes a breath of institutional air and decides to make the place his own. In doing so he wins the hearts of his peers (and even some staff). So do the math...



We have an egotistical, power hungry nurse, driven merely by rules and formalities. We have a one-of-a-kind, gambling, good-timing son of a gun. Who will be victorious?

The truth is: neither one. Sure, Big Nurse forces McMurphy to have a labotomy, eventually leading him down the path of his death, but did she really win? McMurphy set out to change the lives of those in the institution and there is NO doubt in my mind that that is exactly what he accomplished. Every single patient there was a better person due to him. They each won in their own respective ways.

King Arthur: The Legend Never Dies..

What exactly is it that has made the story of the life and times of King Arthur endure the ages? Is it the excitement and adrenaline rush that comes along with the Knights of the Round Table? or the romantic elements of knights and ladies? Is it the glorious times we see in Camelot that have brought audiences to King Arthur's doorstep since the Middle Ages? These are questions that can be answered in every different possible way, and that is part of the beauty of the story. The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table has survived all of the tests of time, and remains today a beloved topic for literature, theater, oral tradition, and even the big screen! Can the stories long-lived success be attributed to one particular aspect? I say nay.

It is a perfect blend of multiple aspects of the story that has created the reader/viewer support for so long. These are stories of heroism, love, daring, magic, nobility, and downright senselessness. For me, it is: The Once and Future King, Excalibur, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that paint the most interesting pictures of the time period. But as any fan of great movies will agree: Monty Python and the Holy Grail can NEVER be left out of conversation, in reference to the life and times of King Arthur! This is a purely genius work of comedy that would make anyone wish to visit Camelot. Well, "On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place." (Monty Python and the Holy Grail 1975)

Of the written word I've read of King Arthur, I would surely say that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was the most enjoyable to me. This is a story of heroism, nobility, "pleasure", and some simple senseless violence, in the name of pride. Sir Gawain chooses to risk his own neck to save his king, and THIS is exactly what being a knight in these troubling, yet truly hilarious times is all about. In my opinion, this plays a big role in just why the story of King Arthur has survived so many hundreds of years. Sir Gawain plays a dangerous game, in the name of honor. "And now, Gawain: think. Danger is yours to overcome, and this game brings you danger. Can this game be won?" (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 487-490) This, to me, is a really fascinating story, because it can be broken down into a million pieces and analyzed, and when all of that is said and done, the story can be described very simply as a great discription of the time period. It is simply enjoyable and does not entirely lack humor, as certain stories of the time period surely do.

Other great stories that simply cannot be left out include: T.H. White's The Once and Future King, Malory's Le Morte de Arthur, First Knight, Camelot, and many others that have held an important place of the big screens, the stage, and the pages of innumerable books. Of these works, I found The Once and Future King to be particualarly interesting due to Arthur's age. "It is for the time when I am a real King, and have got this kingdom settled. I was wondering whether you would care to help, when you are old enough" (The Once and Future King 316) The concept of Arthur's childhood and his rise to power was particularly cool to me.

GO BRUCE! GO YALE! GO JETS! GO METS! (Bonus points!)

nights making love all knight

After reading Le Morte D'Arthur, The Once and Future King, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I have come to have a true respect for the themes of knights, chivalry, and all of the various comedic absurdities that make up the middle ages. However, my interest in the topic was far from instant. When we first began reading Le Morte D'Arthur, I found it incredibly boring and questioned who would actually read this story by choice, BUT as I forced myself through, and on to The Once and Future King, I began to think that possibly I was quick to judge. Now that I have completed the first three parts of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight I truly enjoy sitting down and dealving into this topic, because I've begun to find that, contrary to my original views, these particular themes and settings really do allow the mind to run wild in some fairly entertaining ways. One aspect of these stories that I think I enjoy most is that, even in the most serious and trivial parts, the reader can't help but laugh at just how ridiculous it all is. Mideival Europe is a land of very proud, very violent men, with a total lack of just cause for anything they choose to do, but this is what makes the story so great. 4 out of 5 stars.

Beowulf: The Man, The Myth, The Ego

In my own personal opinion, I do feel that Beowulf is selfish for his excessive desire for fame. I feel that he has lost touch with his original intentions of upholding his family name, and acting purely for good. He has entered as state of mind, where his own personal glory and ego has taken over his actions. He inflicts pain on his enemies in excess, and aims to shock and awe his audiences, when actions of such amplitude are often unnecessary. I feel that if Beowulf regained his connection with his younger (more focused, and good intentioned) self, he would be the greater man. Without his mind in the right place, he will never be able to be the legend he wishes to become. Beowulf...you disappoint me.
To say that Beowulf is not a great figure of action and battle, however, would be foolish. He surely IS a "hero", just possibly not the "hero" he imagines himself to be. In the case of how Beowulf dealt with Grendel and Grendel's lovely mother, I personally would have handled the situation slightly differently..without inflicting more pain and death that was necessary. To me, the fact that he sees himself as such an astounding hero, and god among men, makes him less of a hero, and more of the generic human being, longing for fame.

The Fifth Child Book Cover...

In my opinion, the book cover that is listed at the very bottom of the choices would fit the story best. The image shows Ben with his hands pressed up against his window, almost as if to suggest to the viewer that he is in some need of escape, be it from the asylum, from his family, or from the world that he is trapped in within his own mind. Ben is shown here as a young child in need. He appears to be longing for something in this photo. He appears to be in desire of what is beyond the window, and yet Lessing does not show us what he desires. This image definitely leaves the viewers mind to wonder and image what it is that Ben is longing for. That is the main reason why I feel this image is the best choice for a cover of The Fifth Child. My second choice for the photo would be the copy of the cover that we used in class. I think the close up view of Ben's face shows and intamacy and a much more personal and human side to Ben.