Re: JCO: Jinx is bitter, but is it just his heart?

Hi Joy,

I think you misunderstood what I said. I wasn't thinking about
predetermination in the lives of JCO's characters, but rather quite
the opposite. The way I see it, each of the characters, when things
happen to them make certain choices, many small ones usually, the
cumulative effect often taking them in a particular direction, but
often, other small choices, that wouldn't necessarily have been
predicted, are made, that shift the trajectory of that life direction.
I can't think of many examples, but Marianne in "We Were The
Mulvaneys" comes to mind.

That's actually what I like about JCO, that her characters are very
"real" in that they DO make small choices, day after day after day,
that do in the end make a difference. (As do we in our lives).

I'm interested, however, in your comments about Jinx .....
unfortunately, I can't remember enough about the story to respond
specifically about your comments. There certainly is suffering in
JCO's work, but I note that the individuals often struggle to overcome
the many obstacles in their lives that are holding them down, whether
"successful" in the end or not, their struggle is often valiant.

I'll be interested in what others have to say about your thoughts.

ruth

On 10-May-05, at 4:39 PM, Joy Armendariz wrote:

<excerpt>Hi Ruth,

 

I completely agree with you. JCO shows characters that follows a
predeteminated line and it's like they have no other choice but
falling into the pattern. Although at the beginning of the novel, Jinx
semed to be preparing himself for something more than what he was
supposed to be, as the story unfolds we see a bitter Jinx that tried
but could fight the patterns of life.

I realy find Jinx characterization very dramatic and real, except for
the part of the murder (or maybe in spite of it), but he seems almost
a very close characterization of humanity, those who try, and bleed
and suffer but reach nowhere.

It would be nice if you could tell me how you perceive Jinx
relationship with Iris. Thankx.

And by the way, i do want to keep talking about this. Bye.

<bold><italic>Ruth Pickering
<<dragonroots@sympatico.ca></italic></bold> wrote:

Hi Joy,

I too really like this book (but I like most of her work for the reason

you cite below) because she seems to be able to

"get inside" her characters so that they become for me, not characters,

but "real people" in all their complexities.

I don't have an "answer" to your questions, but wonder if it matters.

I see JCO writing about people to whom "things happen", and whatever
it

is, we get the chance to see, again in all its complexity, the many

responses that people are capable of WHEN those things happen .......

for a guy like Jinx, the fall WOULD change his life, whether the game

was won or not, but this, of course, would depend on how he chose to

have it change his life, from the one he imagined might happen if he

had won the game and hadn't fallen. (maybe THAT wouldn't have changed

his life as much as he thought i! t might have....)

sorry that's a bit convoluted ....

I'd be happy to get into more conversation about this if you wish, but

I'm guessing others are already jumping in .......

cheers,

ruth

On 8-May-05, at 2:23 AM, Joy Armendariz wrote:

> The whole chapter talks about the struggle, both emotional

> and physical, Jinx went through. i really liked this chapter because

> it seems almost as if JCO was a basketball player feeling everything

> Jinx was feeling (which i've felt too). It seemed that Jinx had the

> game in his pocket, but almost at the end of the chapter something

> happened and Jinx fell after he attempted to score. He falls and we

> know that something really bad is happening.

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