Response to the Class of October 27th

Today, we have a discussion about Manners of Dying in the class. Manners of Dying is an epistolary fiction and the audience is one single person. There have five characters in this fiction: the captain (Harry Parlington) who is writing to family, the doctor who provides medical information and “assistance”, Mrs. Barlow who is the audience, Kevin Barlow who is the prisoner being executed, and father priest who is priesting for Kevin. The captain’s purpose is inform Mrs. Barlow how her son Kevin Barlow “faced up to his execution by hanging for the crimes for which he was convicted.”

Dr. J proposed two possibilities for explaining why this fiction has different perspectives of single plot. First, it may be different templates that are written by Harry Parlington. The different versions are different templates, and Kevin shows up nine different personalities in each template. Second, it may be a parallel universe that parallel stories happen at the same time. Dr. J explained that the parallel stories were affected by butterfly effect so the same character would have different personalities and different fates.

In my opinion, I think this fiction is described as a parallel universe because I believe that personality is destiny. Kevin has different personalities, so his responses to the same event are really different. Kevin’s emotions are different at each parallel universe, such as Jerk, calm, sense of humor, calm, thoughtful, spiritual, timid, afraid, and nervous. Maybe the author is trying to tell us the significance of personality. For me, I would like to be a optimistic person so that I can face death calmly.

Response to the Class of October 20th

      In the class of October 20^th, we were taught the new type of fiction, which called metafiction. Metafiction, a kind of “fiction in which the author self-consciously alludes to the artificiality or literariness of a work by parodying or departing from novelistic conventions (especially naturalism) and traditional narrative techniques,” which was used to describe the fiction Happy Endings by Dr. J.

       The characters in this story are simply that they are described “superficially”. I agree with the idea that this story is driven by plots. It is different from the character driven story. The author Margaret Atwood revises the plots over and over again in the different sections. Therefore the characters are not three-dimensional as usual as in the common fiction.

       In my opinion, Margaret Atwood utilized the special perspective to describe these different plots with a same ending had implied the deep meaning. I think I am shallow when I first read this fiction; I felt nothing but just knew its format is novel. However, after the discussion in the class, I realized the difference between the character driven story and plots driven story. Moreover, the plots were connected with ending just like the way of hypertext.

     

Response to “Manners of Dying”

Manners of Dying is composed of nine letters with the similar plot about how Kevin Barlow faced up to his execution. These letters are told in the voice of the director of Cantos Correctional Institution. Although it makes my heart sinks, I think it is a good fiction.

It describes a lot of manners of dying, such as died generally by hanging, took his own life by “asphyxiation caused by forcing down his throat a potato dropped into one of his socks,” etc. These manners include suicide, accidental death, and natural causes. In the back of any of manner, Kevin’s attitudes to face up his execution are distinct. However, these plots are not attractive to me. Honestly, they are boring. The only thing I would like to focus on is that the attitudes of Harry Parlington, the director of Canto. Whatever processes that Kevin goes through, Harry gives me an impress of apathy. I can’t believe his words that they don’t use violence when Kevin revolts. He described the death as usual events. And he shakes hands with Kevin sometimes before the execution, which just likes a usual manner of farewell. In my opinion, these words are ruthless to a mother, especially after her kid is dead. If I am the mother, I don’t want to know what my kid eat what my kid do before his execution. How sad she is when she receives those letters. What a lugubrious mother. Moreover, this fiction also makes me miss my mother. Life is tragic but also precious. Even he is a prisoner under sentence of death.

What makes it a “Good” Fiction?

The writing layout of Happy Endings by Margaret Atwood is novel to me. At the beginning of the fiction, the author puts the premise on the top: “John and Mary meet.” Then ”what happens next?” I believe it is the same question appears in every audience’s mind when they read the premise. Six individual sections composed the whole fiction, which are describing different plot about the question “what happens next?”

Although the plot of each section is different, they have a same ending- the end of A. Therefore the “happy endings” are all the same. “John and Mary die. John and Mary die. John and Mary die. “ Actually, I can’t understand why the author describes this ending is a happy ending. For me, instead of happy, I would like to describe the death is ominous. The happy endings are not exist. The authorial voice is easy and makes me doubt whether this is a satire.

The six sections of stories show me six types of love stories. Same characters, different positions and flexible plots. I have to admit this is an amazing and interesting story. In my opinion, the author implies the weaker status of females. Moreover, she is introducing the principle that same ending can have thousands of processes.

Respond to the Film "Vincent"

The third short film we have seen is Vincent directed by Tim Burton. It is the story about a seven years old boy who named Vincent. The color of the frame is black and white. I guess it is a horror film that describes Vincent’s imagination. His imagination possessed by the house. He cannot leave the house; he has a dead wife and his dog is a zombie. One impressive thing in this film is the headless adult. I think this deal has two functions. First, the main character Vincent is highlighted so audience can focus on him. Second, it creates a Vincent’s own imagination world through this way.  To be honest, this artistic film is hard to understand for me. But I can feel it is an amazing movie.