"No Face" is one of my favorite stories in Drown. For one thing, I enjoy its comic book style, but my favorite part of this story is Ysrael, the main character.
I find Ysrael an admirable character because even though he has been through a lot, he is able to live without feeling self-pity. Ysrael definitely has a difficult life. Diaz writes that "So many wish [Ysrael] to fall. So many wish him gone" (p. 155), but Ysrael handles it well. In "No Face" Ysrael pretends that he is a superhero named No Face and that he uses his superpowers to deal with the people who try to harass him. He's like a superhero who saves himself from name calling, rock throwing, and fist fighting.
One of Ysrael's admirable characteristics is that even though many people don't treat him well, he faces them (get it?) without bitterness. In "Ysrael" when Rafa is teasing Ysrael and trying to make him take off his mask, Ysrael doesn't act aggressively. On the contrary, he seems pretty friendly and leads Rafa and Yunior to the grocery store. Even when Rafa is beating him up, Ysrael doesn't become violent; he simply tries to pick himself up. When a group of boys is trying to beat him up in "Ysrael" he doesn't fight back. He just gets up and runs away. Ysrael takes No Face, the name that people call him to annoy him, and uses it as his superhero name.
Another admirable quality about Ysrael is that he is mentally strong. In "Ysrael" Rafa discourages Ysrael by saying that the doctors probably won't know how to fix his face. Ysrael is able to ignore Rafa and refrain from hurting him. At the end of "No Face" Ysrael runs towards town "never slipping or stumbling" and "nobody's faster" (p. 160). While it's a bit ambiguous what this means, I thought it shows Ysrael's determination and patience while he is waiting to get his surgery.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Friday, April 1, 2016
Lorrie Moore
The stories in Self-Help are unlike many of the other stories we have read in this class. They are generally wittier and are written in a different style than the other stories. As we read Self-Help, I wondered what kind of person Lorrie Moore is. From her stories, she comes across as clever and creative. I read some interviews to learn more about her.
Many of the characters in Self-Help are artists of some type, so it is not surprising that Moore has had a life-long love of the arts, especially theater. In fact, when she was young, she liked the arts more than writing.
In "How to Become a Writer" Francie is constantly told that her plots aren't very exciting. Moore said in an interview that her life isn't very interesting (as in, not interesting enough to write a memoire).
In the same story, Francie also says that writers must be willing to spend large amounts of time alone, which Moore says she is able to do. Moore says that she was shy in her childhood and could express herself better by writing than by speaking. I found this kind of surprising, since none of the characters in Self-Help seem particularly shy.
Francie mentions that writers shouldn't expect to have glamorous lives, full of fame and fortune. Moore says that she has not wanted any fame, and that even the recognition she has gotten has made her a bit uncomfortable.
Francie's mom does not want to believe that Francie wants to become a writer. She would prefer her daughter to pursue a "more respectable" career such as law or child psychology. Francie is not discouraged by her mother's opinions and just wants to please herself. Unsurprisingly, Moore says that she also doesn't let others' opinions sway her easily.
Many of the characters in Self-Help are artists of some type, so it is not surprising that Moore has had a life-long love of the arts, especially theater. In fact, when she was young, she liked the arts more than writing.
In "How to Become a Writer" Francie is constantly told that her plots aren't very exciting. Moore said in an interview that her life isn't very interesting (as in, not interesting enough to write a memoire).
In the same story, Francie also says that writers must be willing to spend large amounts of time alone, which Moore says she is able to do. Moore says that she was shy in her childhood and could express herself better by writing than by speaking. I found this kind of surprising, since none of the characters in Self-Help seem particularly shy.
Francie mentions that writers shouldn't expect to have glamorous lives, full of fame and fortune. Moore says that she has not wanted any fame, and that even the recognition she has gotten has made her a bit uncomfortable.
Francie's mom does not want to believe that Francie wants to become a writer. She would prefer her daughter to pursue a "more respectable" career such as law or child psychology. Francie is not discouraged by her mother's opinions and just wants to please herself. Unsurprisingly, Moore says that she also doesn't let others' opinions sway her easily.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)