Yes this book was rough, diffucult, hard, down right impossible for some to read. What book? Neal Stephson's The Diamond Age, let me be honest here, because I know you all can agree. While reading this book I would sit down and read 5 pages then look at the book in astonishment because I had no clue what just went on and how I had gotten this far in the book. Amazing how your mind wonders sometime isn't it? There were certain sections of this that I would get beyond involved in though and read with a smile on my face. I know, unlike some people, I'm a big fan of Nell. :-) I guess in my mind I just find her simply adorable and further more I find her a powerhouse for women. Sure in the end she becomes a queen of young women but I see her in another light.
Within in the story it seems like Nell has grown up without a mother, until the Primer comes along and introduces Nell and Purple. Now I'm not a fan of Purple because she seems a bit to protective of Nell, almost like she is holding her back from growing and learning. Her real mother never actually held her back, but their finanical situation, which she never took motivation to change, affects Nell's growth and learning. Maybe I just have sympathy for Nell, but I think that she is a very able and independent young girl, even without the Primer. I know the Primer would put her in situation basically before they would happen but have you ever listened to a book?
It sounds nearly insane to listen to what a book has to say and apply it to real life, unless you like sappy romances I guess. Nell does though she looks and learns, she tries, how many of you have ever tried something you saw in a book, and I don't mean a how to book? If you were reading a fairytale like Rapunzel, would you let your friends try to climb up your hair? I say it would be a bit painful. I understand the Primer teaches in a different sense by giving Nell lessons that you can apply to real life, maybe she's just lucky.
Still Nell gives her independance a personality as she grows and when she finally rids herself of Purple this is when she is about to take her stand. She rids herself of Purple close to the middle of her journey and we start to become less aware of the Primer in her life. A transition of growth, saying I don't need motherly advice for I can stand on my own two feet now.
The stand Nell takes at the end by becoming queen really shows her power. The Primer has helped to shape Nell into the position she is made for. The question that bothers me is, if Nell was made to be in this position, then is it the Primer or fate who choose her, she would be here either way so she would have had to use her independance to gain this...
Okay I'll admit it I can't get into the geeky technology books, this is the reason that I still have to blog about Pick Up Axe and The Diamond Age. So let's start with Axing because I think this was the more interesting and less "growth reading" of the two stories. Ok when you look at it from the serious aspect of life it is three friends who are basically geeks. Keith seems to me almost like an idiot savant, or maybe just immature, who knows. How can someone be so intelligent to the point where they can do all this programming and still act like they are in high school?
Sure we all have talents in different areas but Keith just seems to be throwing away his life to act out on the immature impluses. This could be related to college in a way now that I think about it. I know people who have gone to college with a 4.0 or close GPA, except there is one difference this is the first time they have stepped away from their parents into a world their own. Just like Keith they have an immature and irrespondsible attitude - I know you guys have watched this happen this year -let's blow off every assigment, run around and party, forget the importance of what we are here for. Oh and above all let me make myself, the pride and joy of my family look like a complete idiot because I decided I wanted to have fun so I went from a 4.0 to a 1.2 GPA. Now I'm not saying this happens to everyone. I understand the guys, or at least I think the guys, in Pick up Axe are old enough to be out of college. We don't see any flashbacks in this play so we can only assume this was Keith in college, or maybe he missed out on this phase becase he is going through it now.
Brian and Mick are a bit different, they remind of someone who comes to college and does actually strive beyond their potential. The thing that I don't get with Brian and Mick is they are so organized and put together yet fail to see Keith destorying them. I looked at this as the way the world of business really does work. Sure we've all made promises in life, but what about getting a better deal? So people will do whatever it takes to get ahead, lie, cheat, steal. Mick and Brian seem like the kind of guys who are to nice to do this so they ride it out and just deal with Keith's poor attitude, unaware of what they are in for.
As much as I wish I could analyze these characters in a psychological way, I have no background to do that. I think it might be worth looking into this because people may view Keith as just another child, stupid and immature. Still it is up to the audience in this world of survival of the fittest, maybe Keith being immature and careless gives him a leg up to get where he needs to be in this world.
If you wanna know more about the characters I like Vanessa's blog and how she sees Keith, I believe ADD toddler is the pharse used.
Surpised to see my back in the blog o sphere? Well, I'm still kickin and so on and so forth. I'm going to be updating alot in the next couple of days starting with my presentation.
I wrote my paper on Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, and changed the title to Death of a Housewife.
Thesis:Within Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller our main character, Willy Loman, gives fatherhood a turn in another direction; he may not be a stay at home mother but Loman portrays very feminine qualities as well as a past desire to pinoneer stay at home dads.
The beginning of my paragraph talks about the normal 1950s family leading up to the fact that the Lomans may have been a bit off key.
I conclude with expressing the counter argument of how at first glance the Lomans look like the picture perfect family of the 1950s then develop into the fact that Willy has a much more matural drive than his wife Linda.
Most of my sources refer to the families of the 1950s I do have a few interesting ones on reading and gender as well as Criticisms of Death of a Salesman. My favorite article contains a refers to Willy planting in the garden and relates him to another female character from London.
I don't like my thesis or my paper, Kellyn has offered some suggestion of where to cut down so I can incorporate more about the gardening, other than that I'm open for many many suggestions.