I found it interesting, as i got towards the meat of the book, that there has been a distinct change in writing style. It wasn't a right away thing - meaning his writing style didn't change between chapters. Just, as i was reading i suddenly became aware that i wasn't 100% sure what was going on all the time and apparently hadn't for pages on end... but i could never turn to that exact point. His more erratic writing style is coinciding with the narrator's loss in identity. As he becomes less 'visible' he seems to allow himself to be open to many more possibilities. It seems like he is using his anonymity that whites have forced onto him to undermine the Sambo stereotype he has been living up until this point. Also, as we talked about in our presentation, his writing style is influenced by Jazz so what appears 'erratic' maybe just 'improvisational'. I guess what i mean by that is it's adding to the book, not taking away from its meaning.
Another thing:
What an absolutely bizarre 're-birth' scene. I suppose it was not unlike how we are brought into the world today... bright lights, lots of strangers overhead, and incredibly disorienting. I could not even imagine what it would be like to be even somewhat cognitive for that sort of thing. Its also a testament to how far medicine and psychological treatments have come over the last century. I mean i know that shock treatment is still readily available (especially for depressive cases) but for that to be the go to solution... geez.
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I agree with you about the improvisational style adding to the book. It's almost like he is breaking out of the rhythm of society and finding his own pace. He has been following the rules of society, but it has been getting him nowhere. Now he is going off the beaten path and can find his own way. Along those lines, the narrator finds escapes from the system through music and substances (alcohol, weed, what have you). When he or any other character is under the influence of something, we get a glimpse into what's actually going on. When he's listening to the jazz while high at the beginning, we take a trip into the depths of his thoughts. When the white men are drunk (battle royal scene, the drunk guy at the brotherhood meeting), their racism comes out full force. Even the northerners are released from being proper and reveal what they really think ("I like when they sing!").
ReplyDeleteThat is still a scattered theory in my brain, but I still think it ties back to the narrator finding his own stream of consciousness which leads him to his identity.