So..... I'm really tired and this is gonna be horrible. Bear with me. We all know how bad studying for an Olson test can be....
I believe I want to explore the metaphor of race and the symbolism of the two pictures the author gives us (his father and his older brother). The reaction of the reader to seeing the temporary masks on the character's faces and not distinguish between mouse and man is interesting. Is he attempting to give the reader an alternate view of a human being? Or perhaps showing the reader there is more to everyone besides their external shell? Hmmm... That and the pictures of the author's father and brother's faces provides a reality check to the reader; it forces me to really imagine the truth behind the stories and what happened to the survivors and to those who never made it. Art's brother never made it out, and he was left to suffer and ideal brother's shadow, because he never grew old. And yet his father calls him by his dead brother's name before the reader is shown his headstone. Seeing Art's father jolts the reader out of a fairy tale setting, where there was little grey between good and evil, to a place where defining good and evil is impossible to do. For every argument, there is an equally good counterargument, and nothing is clear anymore.
I would love to include something about postmodern architecture and it's representation of society. It is its own symbolism--one of chaos, imperfection, and great beauty in the world. It is very close to the novel, because human nature cannot always be transplanted and be at home wherever it goes, unlike the international style of building. Some people, like the author's father, are still fish out of water when taken out of context and out of the place they lived in. He cannot move from the past because the past creates his character and essence of humanity (even though he is a racist...). Like buildings, people become rooted and accustomed to their culture and way of survival, even when it looks weird when one picks up trash along the street and saying what they could use it for. Or perhaps a little of Scott McCloud and how the reader is placing themselves in the story when comics are simply drawn, and projecting their own beliefs, ideas, and opinions on someone own work.
Yup. See you next time folks with more sleep.
