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History as Fiction: Pulling Together Coincidences in Libra

  History as Fiction: Pulling Together Coincidences in Libra Libra is a great example of the ‘history as fiction’ genre because of the actual conspiracy involved in the events the book is based on. Throughout this semester we have read books from completely different eras on completely different events, each of which show what is possible when fictional plot is added to important historical events. The ambiguity of the events of the Kennedy assasination and the mystery around the people involved in it allows DeLillo to create plot within the coincidental and mysterious parts of the story. Additionally, the political importance of assasination, Libra has solid information to take from through records kept by both Soviet and American Intelligence Organizations about small details of both Lee’s life in general and the related events leading up to the Kennedy assasination. The primary plot of the story is completely fictional, yet DeLillo perfectly ties it into the characters he has ...
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The Parallels of Oppression in Kindred

  The Parallels of Oppression in Kindred Kindred does an incredible job showing the parallels between racism in the 1800s and sexism in the 1900s. While these seem like two completely different systems of oppression, their time periods made them both equally normalized and often led to good people acting in mean ways because their society allowed for it. We see this with Rufus and the way he treats Black people even as one of the most progressive white people in the book, and we see this from Kevin who often takes Dana for granted in their relationship because of certain obligations he believes she has as a woman and as his wife. Even though readers understand that both Rufus and Kevin are far more progressive than others of their time, it is frustrating to watch Dana experience the unfairness of their inherent biases. We see the most obvious oppression through Rufus’ treatment of black people throughout the book. He is clearly on the more progressive end regarding treatment of sl...
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Mumbo Jumbo’s Alignment to Reality

  Mumbo Jumb o’s Alignment to Reality Mumbo Jumbo seems like a really fantastical, nonsensical book, however its contents are a metaphorical and satirical representation of our real world. Jes Grew, and all the elements that go with it, are a representation of black culture and its movement throughout the US. Every element from the dancing to the rituals to the cult-like representation by its opposition matches the way black culture has been treated in America and most of the west. The name Mumbo Jumbo itself gives us an immediate indicator. Mumbo jumbo is defined as nonsense in the English language, however it is actually a figure from an African religious practice (Reed 7). This is similar to the two sides of the spectrum and their beliefs on black culture. While white people might find the cultural movements to be silly or unimportant, they have real meaning to those within the groups that they belong to, therefore giving them legitimacy. However, similarly to the book, white ...
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Ragtime: Weaving Reality & Fiction

  Ragtime : Weaving Reality & Fiction Ragtime shows an incredible mix of real life and fiction, giving readers a unique look into how they could interact. Many of the main plot points involve characters and events that are real being woven into the lives of fictional characters. By analyzing the book with the knowledge of what is real and what is fake, readers gain an interesting perspective on how much our trust in the narrator shapes our understanding of reality in historical fiction. Doctorow uses this trust to weave intricate storylines that fudge the details of history based solely on coincidences.  One of the important examples of the meshing of reality and fiction is seen in the main plot revolving around Coalhouse Walker. The plot of the story centers around his need for revenge against the fire chief who demolished his car as a joke. After his fiancé dies trying to get justice for him, he burns down the fire station in anger and forms a group of followers to cont...
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The (lack of) Rose-Colored Glasses in Sag Harbor

  The (lack of) Rose-Colored Glasses in Sag Harbor Sag Harbor is a coming of age story about Benji, the younger version of the narrator, Ben. It follows an impactful summer in Benji’s life that directly mirrors certain personality traits and opinions he has even as an adult. In class we have talked about this book in terms of its nostalgic elements, but the aspects of this book that mirror the present seem to go directly against that. He is trying to relive his past in order to tell us a cohesive story, and through the evident work he put into making this understandable to readers, he also shows us the intense trauma that this part of his life holds. Many events—including the BB gun incident, the freezer incident, and his general feelings of being behind—also show how closely related his current self is to his old self, especially through his trauma. One of the first examples we see in the book of his connection to the present is in the form of the freezer incident. His manager at...
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The Unconscious Forces in Jason’s Mind

  The Unconscious Forces in Jason’s Mind When reading Black Swan Green , it is impossible to understand Jason Taylor without the voices who constantly cloud his inner voice. The ones we hear the most about are Maggot, Hangman, and Unborn Twin, all of whom have some influence on his actions and words. They all play a unique role in influencing him, and together they create chaos and unity inside Jason’s head. These voices seem to take the places of the id, superego, and ego in Jason’s consciousness, a Freudian categorization of the unconscious forces that influence people’s behavior (Lilienfeld et al. 515). Interestingly enough, Jason seems very aware of these internal voices, showing his immense emotional depth in comparison to others around him. The main unconscious forces are id, superego, and ego, each of which parallels with a different internal voice for Jason. The id is the completely unconscious force that operates on pleasure, doing whatever it wants regardless of what is s...
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Fun Home in the context of the Lavender Scare

  Fun Home in the context of the Lavender Scare  Coincidentally, while reading Fun Home , I am also learning about homosexuality, communism, and homophobia during the 1940s-1960s for a project in history class. I found such specific parallels between Alison Bechdel’s view of her dad, Bruce, and the general sentiment towards gay men at the time. First off, for some context, in the 1950s a fear of communism within the gay community was rampant in the United States in the form of the lavender scare. During this time, the Cold War left Americans fearing that communism was seeping into the country through any –supposed– weakness . The red scare was a panic that people, especially those on the left, were encouraging communism and, thus, were going against our country. Similarly, the lavender scare was a panic that gay and lesbian people were more vulnerable to blackmail and threats and, therefore, could be used to push the communist agenda on America. Here was the thought process b...
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