Re: JCO:An Encounter with the Blind

Hi, Jane. And I wonder what would constitute America's "dropping the knife"
at the end of the story? No answers requested: it's just an image to reflect
upon.
Cyrano

In a message dated 9/8/2004 10:08:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
jward199@sbcglobal.net writes:

<< Hi Cyrano,

Thanks for drawing my attention to her remark in the Guardian article.
She doesn't seem to appreciate the collective "simple minded" mentality
that she describes, and that the Senator exemplifies, and at the same
time she seems extremely aware of, and shows us in detail in so many
different works, just how dangerous the people we set up as enemies, as
"evil people" can be. Certainly in this story.

Jane


>>


-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group

To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
To subscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: subscribe jco
To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco

Re: JCO:An Encounter with the Blind

Hi Cyrano,

Thanks for drawing my attention to her remark in the Guardian article.
She doesn't seem to appreciate the collective "simple minded" mentality
that she describes, and that the Senator exemplifies, and at the same
time she seems extremely aware of, and shows us in detail in so many
different works, just how dangerous the people we set up as enemies, as
"evil people" can be. Certainly in this story.

Jane


----- Original Message -----
From: Cyranomish@aol.com
To: jco@usfca.edu
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 5:56 AM
Subject: Re: JCO:An Encounter with the Blind


Hi, Jane. I like this interpretation of yours. It certainly ties in
with
the themes of the earlier stories: overestimating one's power &
importance. JCO
has always been concerned with tamping down the ego. Her remark in the
recent Guardian article -- Bush Americans' tendency to view themselves
as good and
other population groups as evil -- is part of that. I could see the
Senator
as today's White House and the boy as the Mideast.
Cyrano

n a message dated 9/5/2004 9:49:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
jward199@sbcglobal.net writes:

<< However, despite these obvious differences, there is the similarity
of
sharply drawn characters (Oates describes the blind boy as giving "the
impression
of having been drawn with minute, painsaking detail, with something like
a
very fine drawing pen") engaged in psychological manipulation. There is
also the
similarity of characters who, by the end of the story, are not confident
and
strong as they thought themselves to be in the beginning, but rather
powerless
victims in the hands of dangerous individuals.
>>


-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group

To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
To subscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: subscribe jco
To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco

JCO: Re: An Encounter with the Blind

Hi Laurie,

Your wrote: "I'm not sure how the Senator intends to victimize the boy,
other than to hijack him so his wife can be impressed. What else do you
think he had in mind?"

The senator tells us the story of the "niger" who played the guitar and
enertained his 18 year old wife. He says, "She likes music, an'
different things, sort of queer people." Then he refers to something bad
that happened, that other blacks had been jealous and "cut him up." The
senator seems to form an idea about the boy right then and quickly
offers to give the boy a ride. On the ride, the senator makes the boy
keep playing the harmonica while he describes his young wife in a very
sexual way. Then he imagines how excited she'll be and says "She'll hug
me hard when she sees who I brought for--" He breaks it off and hopes
the boy didn't catch on, but the boy did catch on. Later the senator
says "I ain't ever had no bad thought on you" but it seems clear to me
that he did, that he had intended the boy to be a sexual toy for his
young wife. JCO doesn't come out and say that, but it seems clear that
she doesn't intend us to trust the senator's words or intentions.

At the end, when the senator drops the knife out the window and the boy
smiles, I thought the boy was smiling because he heard the knife drop
and knew he could retrieve it after the senator left. I thought the
senator left the knife so the boy could carry on his "duty."

I do agree with you, Laurie, that the story seems to be saying that
control is an illusion.

Your description of "Rain" reminds me of the movie "Holy Smoke" starring
Harvey Keitel and Kate Winslet. He comes to save her and she ends up
saving him.

It is interesting how differently each individual interprets her work.
Thanks for your comments.

Jane


-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group

To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
To subscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: subscribe jco
To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco

Re: JCO: An Encounter with the Blind

Hi, Laurie: Yes, control is a very important theme. When we get to the BY
THE NORTH GATE story "Legacy" we'll see a very odd scene toward the middle where
someone quietly steps on someone else's foot during an important
conversation. It seems to be a weird sex/power gesture. Cigarettes play an important
part too, twice in the story.
Cyrano

In a message dated 9/5/2004 10:54:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
laurie@betteredit.net writes:

<< The boy is a desperado who has learned what he
needs to do to get by. The Senator is a man who needs
to be in control. He doesn't mind so much the
anonymous accident of a bear attack, but can't stand
the thought of a person getting to him.
There may or may not have been sex in that half
hour, but the main thing is that the boy got through
to the Senator in a way he resented.
At the end of the story, the Senator decides to
give the knife back; he tries to restore himself to
the role of decision-maker. Much as buying a round of
drinks or waving another driver forward at an
intersection might be an act of control rather than
kindness or courtesy.
>>
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group

To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
To subscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: subscribe jco
To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco

Re: JCO:An Encounter with the Blind

Hi, Jane. I like this interpretation of yours. It certainly ties in with
the themes of the earlier stories: overestimating one's power & importance. JCO
has always been concerned with tamping down the ego. Her remark in the
recent Guardian article -- Bush Americans' tendency to view themselves as good and
other population groups as evil -- is part of that. I could see the Senator
as today's White House and the boy as the Mideast.
Cyrano

n a message dated 9/5/2004 9:49:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
jward199@sbcglobal.net writes:

<< However, despite these obvious differences, there is the similarity of
sharply drawn characters (Oates describes the blind boy as giving "the impression
of having been drawn with minute, painsaking detail, with something like a
very fine drawing pen") engaged in psychological manipulation. There is also the
similarity of characters who, by the end of the story, are not confident and
strong as they thought themselves to be in the beginning, but rather powerless
victims in the hands of dangerous individuals.
>>
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group

To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
To subscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: subscribe jco
To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco