Saturday, March 12, 2011
Kaitlyn Dickey, Post 7
This week in class we read Aimee Bender's "Ironhead" and "Motherfucker". Both dealt with characters who were outcasts in their own sense. Ironhead was different because he was born to a family of pumpkin head's and he himself had an iron for a head. He has difficulties fitting in because there is no one that looks like him. He is made fun of by everyone around him and is alone a lot. I think that is death due to his large head at the end if the story signifies how much he kept bottled up inside and eventually it became too much for him to handle.
Motherfucker is about a man who likes to have sex with single moms. He does this a lot with many different woman and the sex means absolutely nothing to him. I think that he likes single moms because they are so vulnerable and easy to get with. He eventually does fall for a woman named Starlet but in the end loses her. Although I think that he actually did like Starlet a lot, I believe that he has had casual relationships for so long he forgot how to actually have feelings for someone.
Motherfucker is about a man who likes to have sex with single moms. He does this a lot with many different woman and the sex means absolutely nothing to him. I think that he likes single moms because they are so vulnerable and easy to get with. He eventually does fall for a woman named Starlet but in the end loses her. Although I think that he actually did like Starlet a lot, I believe that he has had casual relationships for so long he forgot how to actually have feelings for someone.
Kaitlyn Dickey, Post 6
Aimee Bender's "End of the Line" is a story that covers many underlying topics. One of them is the concept that even though the Big Man is much larger then the Little Man, he still feels inferior to him. The Big Man is very lonely and doesn't have many people or things to live for and the Little Man has both of those and more. This shows that it's not about how big or manly you come across, it's about how you present yourself and what you achieve that determines who the bigger man is.
I think that the Big Man hurts and molests the Little Man to try to feel like the bigger man. He does this over and over because the high from making the Little Man feel this way only lasts for a little while and then he goes right back to how he felt before, if not worse. The Little Man does not enjoy this but he never gets too dramatic because I think he understands how the Big Man thinks and why he does what he does. In the end, the Big Man lets the Little Man go because he realizes he will not find what he's looking for by doing what he is.
I think that the Big Man hurts and molests the Little Man to try to feel like the bigger man. He does this over and over because the high from making the Little Man feel this way only lasts for a little while and then he goes right back to how he felt before, if not worse. The Little Man does not enjoy this but he never gets too dramatic because I think he understands how the Big Man thinks and why he does what he does. In the end, the Big Man lets the Little Man go because he realizes he will not find what he's looking for by doing what he is.
Molly Rutter, Post #7
I felt Aimee Bender’s “Motherfucker” was the least revealing out of all her stories we’ve read. I felt the moral of this story was not as clear as the others. It might have been that I found this story more difficult to relate to, or perhaps Bender wrote this story with the intention to leave out a moral/message.
However, there are two hidden underlying ideas emphasized throughout the story: the emotional ventriloquism and the house of desire. The emotional ventriloquist points out the motherfucker’s ability to interpret other’s emotions and use them to his advantage. The house of desire represents the power to act on one’s emotions. The motherfucker can be seen as hiding within his house, for he bases his behavior solely on his own selfish desires; he remains in this house out of fear and is unwilling to venture out and please someone other than himself. Contrarily, the scarlet can be seen has constantly outside of her house. She continually acts on what others expect of her, and struggles to conduct herself on her own terms.
Post #7
Amiee Bender's characters in "Ironhead" and "Motherfucker" could both be considered outcasts. In "Ironhead" a pumpkinhead couple gave birth to an ironhead child. As a result of the deformity he was born with, the ironhead was often by himself except for when he was with his mother. The ironhead boy only lived to the age of four, and died from exhaustion because he never learned how to sleep. Its seems like exhaustion is not the only contributing factor to his death. Despite being young, he still had to deal with the burden of being so different from everyone else. This, coupled with the extreme lack of sleep, is what caused the ironhead's death.
In "Motherfucker" the Mofo only slept with mothers. After sleeping with them he would usually keep some contact with the mothers, but he nolonger had intimate relationships with them. When he meets a starlet, he finds that he feels different about the starlet in comparison to the other mothers he had been with. He told her that desire was a house that should be no larger then oneself. Laughing from nerves or making jokes only opened windows in one's house of desire and made it less intense. The starlet listens to him and allows her house of desire to shrink. She tells him to stop asking questions because she sees that that is his way of keeping windows open. By leaving these windows open, it prevents him from becoming too attached to someone else, and for the first time, he closes all the windows. He realizes that he has feelings for the starlet, but he still leaves her. He keeps himself distant, his house of desire open instead of closed, because he fears getting too attached. He would rather let someone go than allow himself the chance of loving another person and geting hurt.
Chelsa Wlodarczyk, Post #7
In "Motherfucker" the Mofo only slept with mothers. After sleeping with them he would usually keep some contact with the mothers, but he nolonger had intimate relationships with them. When he meets a starlet, he finds that he feels different about the starlet in comparison to the other mothers he had been with. He told her that desire was a house that should be no larger then oneself. Laughing from nerves or making jokes only opened windows in one's house of desire and made it less intense. The starlet listens to him and allows her house of desire to shrink. She tells him to stop asking questions because she sees that that is his way of keeping windows open. By leaving these windows open, it prevents him from becoming too attached to someone else, and for the first time, he closes all the windows. He realizes that he has feelings for the starlet, but he still leaves her. He keeps himself distant, his house of desire open instead of closed, because he fears getting too attached. He would rather let someone go than allow himself the chance of loving another person and geting hurt.
Chelsa Wlodarczyk, Post #7
Zack Schwartz Post 7
When Amy Bender writes, the perspective she writes in greatly effects what the reader takes away from the story. In her story "The Motherfucker", the story is told from the point of view of the motherfucker. He is a man who seeks out women with children who are unmarried, and proceeds to have relations with them. Because it is written this way, the reader feels for the motherfucker more. If it was written from the point of view of a bystander, one would most likely have a negative perception of the motherfucker. Instead, the character and his motivations are better understood. In any cases, not just literature, if someone cares to understand someone, they will look at them in a better light.
In "The Ironhead", the story is told in the third person. This way, the Ironhead boy is looked on as an insignificant person, who does not matter. This is how he is treated in the story. The way it is written facilitates the perception the author is trying to instill within the reader's mind. The Ironhead boy is exiled from the rest of society because of his physical differences. The author does not include any dialogue to make him appear even more insignificant. This is a very effective strategy and works very well.
In "The Ironhead", the story is told in the third person. This way, the Ironhead boy is looked on as an insignificant person, who does not matter. This is how he is treated in the story. The way it is written facilitates the perception the author is trying to instill within the reader's mind. The Ironhead boy is exiled from the rest of society because of his physical differences. The author does not include any dialogue to make him appear even more insignificant. This is a very effective strategy and works very well.
Nadia Post 7
Bender takes Outsiders to a new level. She makes people believe that outcasts have a different setting within their situations, yet at the same time, its not like she is always placing the outsiders in situations where they are the helpless ones. It is more like the fact that she makes them into these characters that have a problem or addiction of goal that they need to fix or reach and shows their struggles. This week a prime example of that is "Motherfucker". He wasn't a character that she was concerned about when writing like he is seldom called out for. Instead he was someone that well, did mothers and in the process gave them a rocking show. He as good at what he did, and he played the emotions of these single mothers to give them a good time. When he met the starlit she was someone that he had never experienced, he wooed her without trying to hard, and then showed her his secret on how he does the things that he does. With this it was like he was sharing some of him to help her become a better actress but he was also letting himself get attached. That's where I believe she showed his outcast side. The fact he was a known (excuse my lingo) mother fucker, wasn't it. It was he fact that he parted from her after showing his ways, ignoring the calls of other single mothers, and finding his center in his small, mundane home. It showed so much. The last couple pages was the story, the first couple was setting it all up for us.
With "Ironhead" that was the one story she did make as a outcast because it was so obvious that she was making an outcast. And the thing that hit me the most, was the sadness I felt when I read that. People being excluded because of their looks, it add's more pressure on them even if they don't let it get to them. Ironhead who died from his head being to heavy, had more than solid lead (?) for a head, it was the outside emotional reassures of people being people, and not thinking before a judgement is made. Also with this story her lesson of don't judge a book by its cover, or there's more than just the first impression was something that shone through when reading. Out of the lessons she hides within her words, Bender made this lesson loud and clear.
With "Ironhead" that was the one story she did make as a outcast because it was so obvious that she was making an outcast. And the thing that hit me the most, was the sadness I felt when I read that. People being excluded because of their looks, it add's more pressure on them even if they don't let it get to them. Ironhead who died from his head being to heavy, had more than solid lead (?) for a head, it was the outside emotional reassures of people being people, and not thinking before a judgement is made. Also with this story her lesson of don't judge a book by its cover, or there's more than just the first impression was something that shone through when reading. Out of the lessons she hides within her words, Bender made this lesson loud and clear.
Zack Schwartz Post 6
Bender's use of magical realism allows her points to made in a unique, and therefore memorable fashion. Because most stories are either completely realistic or completely unbelievable, Bender's stories stand out. In her story, "The End of the Road", a man buys a smaller man as if it was a pet. He begins to envy it and then physically abuses it because power is the only thing that he has over the small man. This story could easily be about a bully and a nerd, but the reader remembers it more because of the magical realism. Bullies envy nerds because of their intelligence and integrity, but pick on them because they are weaker. The big man is essentially a bully picking on a nerd (the little man).
The story "Fruit and Words" will also be remembered for its use of magical realism. A woman goes into a fruit store which appears normal enough. After buying the fruit, the owner of the store takes her into the back and shows her she is selling words made of solids liquids and gasses. The woman "breaks" some of the gasses including the word hope. She refuses to pay and flees the scene despite the owners threats. This normal scenario including elements of magic effectively shows the reader one must believe that hope can never truly be broken.
The story "Fruit and Words" will also be remembered for its use of magical realism. A woman goes into a fruit store which appears normal enough. After buying the fruit, the owner of the store takes her into the back and shows her she is selling words made of solids liquids and gasses. The woman "breaks" some of the gasses including the word hope. She refuses to pay and flees the scene despite the owners threats. This normal scenario including elements of magic effectively shows the reader one must believe that hope can never truly be broken.
Hannah Lutley
Aimee Bender wrote two very interesting stories that we read this week. The first of the two was a story called "Ironhead." It was about a pumpkin family that gave birth to a baby with an ironhead. Because of this he was neglected and seen as an outcast in society. I think that we see that even though his family are outcasts his condition is even worse because he is not only an outcast from society but an outcast from his family. His death is the first time we see his family notice him. We think they don't notice him but he is actually remembered through his niece.
The second story that we read was called "Motherfucker" in this story we are presented with a man who has a strong desire to sleep with single moms. Typically he would sleep with a woman and would move on after a few days. Then we met the scarlet and things changed. He never wanted to push he to do things and throughout the time they spent together to told her to control her desires before they could move further and this ends up helping her in her acting career. He ends up not being able to stay in contact with the scarlet and we assume this is because he sees himself in her and he is also unable to face his problems.
The second story that we read was called "Motherfucker" in this story we are presented with a man who has a strong desire to sleep with single moms. Typically he would sleep with a woman and would move on after a few days. Then we met the scarlet and things changed. He never wanted to push he to do things and throughout the time they spent together to told her to control her desires before they could move further and this ends up helping her in her acting career. He ends up not being able to stay in contact with the scarlet and we assume this is because he sees himself in her and he is also unable to face his problems.
Laura Giunta Post 7
In Aimee Bender's "Ironhead" there is a family of pumpkin heads, in a world of humans, who have a son that is born with an iron head. Through the story we see how he does not fit in with his family or the rest of society. He is always miserable and made fun of in school. His family tries to make him feel better, but they just do not understand him. There is a point when he cannot sleep and his parents do not know why, and he would not tell them. It is sad when he goes to the store just to sit on the shelf with other irons so he can feel like he belongs for once, thats all he really wanted out of life. Sadly the boy ends up dying young because of the tremendous weight of his iron head.
Then we read her short story, "Motherfucker." This story was kind of similar to "Ironhead" because the main characters both have their own way of life and do not fit in with society. The mother fucker in the story goes around only having sex with single mothers. He never settles down in a relationship with one person, he says how he just loves all women. It never says why he does this, but I think he must have had issues being loves as a child with his own mother and finds it difficult loving others. Like "Ironhead," though he did not die, they both ended up being alone in the end.
Then we read her short story, "Motherfucker." This story was kind of similar to "Ironhead" because the main characters both have their own way of life and do not fit in with society. The mother fucker in the story goes around only having sex with single mothers. He never settles down in a relationship with one person, he says how he just loves all women. It never says why he does this, but I think he must have had issues being loves as a child with his own mother and finds it difficult loving others. Like "Ironhead," though he did not die, they both ended up being alone in the end.
Maggie DeMarco Post
Aimee Bender has a way of creating relateable situations out of crazy and weird stories. This week, in the story, "Ironhead," we saw a boy struggling with being an outcast throughout his life. Although it is a very weird story, and at first glance one would not think to relate it to human circumstances, with further analyzing, it is clear that Bender is constructing a unique way to write fables and stories with lessons learned. The boy with an ironhead could be compared to a child with a birth defect. This boy doesn't fit in at school, and dies at a young age due to his health problems. He has underlying secrets that he is afraid or does not want to share, which is also could be a reason for his death.
Similar to this story, "Motherfucker" contains a man who also is hiding secrets and is struggling with emotional problems. Although he comes across confident and controlling, it is clear that deep down he is alone and confused. At the end of the novel, when he is seen visibly upset, we see that he also is sad, just as he accused the Starlet of being. The starlet may have been special to him because he saw himself in her. This also may be why he felt a special connection to her, but did not call her back or see her again. He may have been to afraid to face his own problems, which he saw in the Starlet as well.
Similar to this story, "Motherfucker" contains a man who also is hiding secrets and is struggling with emotional problems. Although he comes across confident and controlling, it is clear that deep down he is alone and confused. At the end of the novel, when he is seen visibly upset, we see that he also is sad, just as he accused the Starlet of being. The starlet may have been special to him because he saw himself in her. This also may be why he felt a special connection to her, but did not call her back or see her again. He may have been to afraid to face his own problems, which he saw in the Starlet as well.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Brittany Coppinger - Post 4
This week we read two amazing stories by Aimee Bender: "Ironhead" and "Motherfucker". Reading and reflecting on these stories made me think a lot about emotions, and just how much one person can hold. Ironhead died because his head was too heavy. Not just because it was made of iron, but because it was so heavy with all the emotions he held in because he couldn't let them out. This suggest that we need a release for our emotions, that sometimes there is such a thing as too much emotion. But the motherfucker taught the scarlet to embrace her emotions. He taught her to let the longing and desire fill her shrinking house until it fit snug like a coat. It was embracing this emotion that gave her a new level in her acting. She was even better then before. So on one hand we have a boy dying from keeping his emotions too close, and on the other we have a scarlet reaching a new level of greatness by surrounding herself in the emotions she tried to push away.
Maybe the difference is that while the scarlet learned to embrace her emotions, the ironhead boy let his consume him. Is there such a thing as too much emotion? Where is the line between embracing and consuming. Can you come back from that line once you've crossed it?
Bobby S. Post 7
In class this week we read two different, yet equally intriguing stories by Aimee Bender. The first of the two was a story called "Ironhead." This story features a family of pumpkinheads in a magical realist world. When the two parents decide to have a third child, he comes out with an ironhead. For this reason he is neglected and seen as an outcast in society. I think that the pumpkinheads represented a different race within a society and that their ironhead child represents a child with a deformity. However, when reading Bender's work it's never easy to discover what messages she is attempting to send to her audience.
The other story that we read this week was called "Motherfucker." As opposed to the other stories that we have read by Bender, this one seems more realistic or more likely to happen in reality. Bender characterizes the motherfucker, saying that he was reasonable because, "he didn't fuck married mothers, only available ones." One night at a party he meets a starlet and decides to make her his next target. For a few days he dines with her instead of having sex although this is what she wanted. He also teaches her that she has to control her desires before they have any other relations and this lesson helped her in her acting career. However, it seems as if the motherfucker becomes attached to her at the end of the story which was unusual because normally he has no trouble leaving women behind. Ultimately he decides to never contact her even though he lusts for her.
The other story that we read this week was called "Motherfucker." As opposed to the other stories that we have read by Bender, this one seems more realistic or more likely to happen in reality. Bender characterizes the motherfucker, saying that he was reasonable because, "he didn't fuck married mothers, only available ones." One night at a party he meets a starlet and decides to make her his next target. For a few days he dines with her instead of having sex although this is what she wanted. He also teaches her that she has to control her desires before they have any other relations and this lesson helped her in her acting career. However, it seems as if the motherfucker becomes attached to her at the end of the story which was unusual because normally he has no trouble leaving women behind. Ultimately he decides to never contact her even though he lusts for her.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Allison Shubert Post # 6
I enjoy Aimee Bender's writing style a signficant amount more than Jewelle Gomez's. I find that Bender's style is more relateable and intriguing and gives life to each one of her stories. Symbolism is something I enjoy a lot and makes the story worth reading and gives it depth. The one story that really demonstrated Bender's artistic abilities was, End of the Line.
End of the Line was about a large power hungry man going to the store and purchasing a little man, so he could control him. I feel like the big man was desperately lonely, and extremely jealous of the little man. The little man had a family that loved him, had been to many places, and seemed pretty articulate, and that intimidated the big man. Feeling the intimidating the big man tortured this little man in hopes to feel better about himself and more powerful. The big man found great pleasure in watching this little man, that he was so envious of squirm. At the end of the story after the big man lets him go I see that all the big man really wants is a sense of belonging and for someone to want him, no matter the size. It turned out that the little man did not really make the big man feel more significant, but made him realize the reality of his own size.
End of the Line was about a large power hungry man going to the store and purchasing a little man, so he could control him. I feel like the big man was desperately lonely, and extremely jealous of the little man. The little man had a family that loved him, had been to many places, and seemed pretty articulate, and that intimidated the big man. Feeling the intimidating the big man tortured this little man in hopes to feel better about himself and more powerful. The big man found great pleasure in watching this little man, that he was so envious of squirm. At the end of the story after the big man lets him go I see that all the big man really wants is a sense of belonging and for someone to want him, no matter the size. It turned out that the little man did not really make the big man feel more significant, but made him realize the reality of his own size.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)