I wasn't thrilled with a lot of what's been going down lately with Inktober, so I decided to do my own prompts this year, focused on my favorite book characters.
𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Life of Pi 𝘣𝘺 𝘠𝘢𝘯𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘭
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Life of Pi 𝘣𝘺 𝘠𝘢𝘯𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘭
Pi Patel is crossing the Pacific with his family and their zoo animals when their ship explodes and swiftly sinks. Pi makes it to a life boat but he is the sole human survivor, and when he sees the Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, struggling through the waves, he tosses the life buoy to him, only considering later what it will mean to be stranded on the ocean together:
Most likely the worst would happen: the simple passage of time, in which his animal toughness would easily outlast my human frailty. Only if I tamed him could I possibly trick him into dying first, if we had to come to that sorry business.
Most likely the worst would happen: the simple passage of time, in which his animal toughness would easily outlast my human frailty. Only if I tamed him could I possibly trick him into dying first, if we had to come to that sorry business.
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵: 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳. 𝘈 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳, 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘳.
Aware of how unlikely his premise sounds, Martel delivers his story by way of Pi’s account to the insurance investigators, who question it at every turn and seem affronted that they are asked to believe it. Pi quietly challenges their assumptions. Despite all the trials of the journey, much of the tension in the book comes from Pi’s simple desire to convince these two dry men of Richard Parker’s luminous existence, and of how much he meant to Pi.
Aware of how unlikely his premise sounds, Martel delivers his story by way of Pi’s account to the insurance investigators, who question it at every turn and seem affronted that they are asked to believe it. Pi quietly challenges their assumptions. Despite all the trials of the journey, much of the tension in the book comes from Pi’s simple desire to convince these two dry men of Richard Parker’s luminous existence, and of how much he meant to Pi.
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗕𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 Amelia Bedelia 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘗𝘦𝘨𝘨𝘺 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩
The premise of each Amelia Bedelia book is simple and perfect:
1. She is given a set of common but ambiguously-phrased instructions.
2. She misinterprets the instructions and chaos ensues.
3. Just when she’s about to be fired, she soothes her apoplectic employers with a pie so delicious, their eyes roll back in their heads and their wrath is forgotten.
On the surface, the books are about wordplay. Amelia is a natural stand-in for her young audience. When I first read the series, I was a five-year-old who was just as surprised as Amelia that anybody would ask to have their raw chicken dressed (and just as delighted as she was when she found some doll lederhosen that fit the chicken).
But the character-driven reason for Amelia’s persistent misunderstanding is that she’s in the wrong line of work. She embodies the pathos and energy of somebody bursting with talent but stuck where they don’t belong. Why doesn’t she open a pastry shop and share her astounding pies with the world? Parish never explains, but it’s a fair guess that Amelia doesn’t have the money. The other great tragedy of the books is that each time the other characters discover and fall upon the pie, they never think to offer Amelia a single bite. The greed. The rudeness! This has bothered me for DECADES. So I drew Amelia sitting down after a hard day of wreaking havoc, finally enjoying a secret piece.
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 Amelia Bedelia 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘗𝘦𝘨𝘨𝘺 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩
The premise of each Amelia Bedelia book is simple and perfect:
1. She is given a set of common but ambiguously-phrased instructions.
2. She misinterprets the instructions and chaos ensues.
3. Just when she’s about to be fired, she soothes her apoplectic employers with a pie so delicious, their eyes roll back in their heads and their wrath is forgotten.
On the surface, the books are about wordplay. Amelia is a natural stand-in for her young audience. When I first read the series, I was a five-year-old who was just as surprised as Amelia that anybody would ask to have their raw chicken dressed (and just as delighted as she was when she found some doll lederhosen that fit the chicken).
But the character-driven reason for Amelia’s persistent misunderstanding is that she’s in the wrong line of work. She embodies the pathos and energy of somebody bursting with talent but stuck where they don’t belong. Why doesn’t she open a pastry shop and share her astounding pies with the world? Parish never explains, but it’s a fair guess that Amelia doesn’t have the money. The other great tragedy of the books is that each time the other characters discover and fall upon the pie, they never think to offer Amelia a single bite. The greed. The rudeness! This has bothered me for DECADES. So I drew Amelia sitting down after a hard day of wreaking havoc, finally enjoying a secret piece.
𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘅
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Where’d You Go, Bernadette 𝘣𝘺 Maria Semple
Bernadette the novel is a complex circus act that juggles Seattle soccer moms, Microsoft politics, an F.B.I. sting operation, and the conflicts between art, career, and family. But Bernadette the character feels like a sarcastic, grown-up version of Amelia Bedelia. A creative woman at painful odds with her environment, Bernadette is an agoraphobic architect who’s been suffering design block for years. Not only has she failed to finish a single house, chaos on a grand scale (think mudslides and Russian crime syndicates) follows in her wake. She blames Seattle. Her mentor is flabbergasted and tells her sternly that 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺. Bernadette still blames Seattle though, and when all her troubles converge, she pulls a vanishing act worthy of her reputation and then her real adventures begin.
p.s. Despite the wonderful talents of Cate Blanchett, the 2019 movie does not really capture the brilliantly searing spirit of the book. Read the novel or listen to the excellent audio version, narrated by Kathleen Wilhoite.
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Where’d You Go, Bernadette 𝘣𝘺 Maria Semple
Bernadette the novel is a complex circus act that juggles Seattle soccer moms, Microsoft politics, an F.B.I. sting operation, and the conflicts between art, career, and family. But Bernadette the character feels like a sarcastic, grown-up version of Amelia Bedelia. A creative woman at painful odds with her environment, Bernadette is an agoraphobic architect who’s been suffering design block for years. Not only has she failed to finish a single house, chaos on a grand scale (think mudslides and Russian crime syndicates) follows in her wake. She blames Seattle. Her mentor is flabbergasted and tells her sternly that 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺. Bernadette still blames Seattle though, and when all her troubles converge, she pulls a vanishing act worthy of her reputation and then her real adventures begin.
p.s. Despite the wonderful talents of Cate Blanchett, the 2019 movie does not really capture the brilliantly searing spirit of the book. Read the novel or listen to the excellent audio version, narrated by Kathleen Wilhoite.
𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 𝘣𝘺 𝘓𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭
𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘏𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘵, 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩; 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘴. — 𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘮 𝘎𝘰𝘱𝘯𝘪𝘬
Alice stumbles through Wonderland being told at every turn she is too big, too small, and too illogical when it is obvious everyone around her is making up the rules to suit them as they go. As a polite British child, she is used to the inanity of adults and endures, even though compared to other fantasy lands, Wonderland is tedious in the extreme. The moment Alice stops humoring and playing along, when she tells the entire court they are nothing but a pack of cards, Carroll notes that Alice ‘had grown to her full size,’ in other words, come into her own, because she is now thinking and acting for herself.
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 𝘣𝘺 𝘓𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭
𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘏𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘵, 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩; 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘴. — 𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘮 𝘎𝘰𝘱𝘯𝘪𝘬
Alice stumbles through Wonderland being told at every turn she is too big, too small, and too illogical when it is obvious everyone around her is making up the rules to suit them as they go. As a polite British child, she is used to the inanity of adults and endures, even though compared to other fantasy lands, Wonderland is tedious in the extreme. The moment Alice stops humoring and playing along, when she tells the entire court they are nothing but a pack of cards, Carroll notes that Alice ‘had grown to her full size,’ in other words, come into her own, because she is now thinking and acting for herself.
𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗴𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 True Grit 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 True Grit 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴
It’s hard to pick a favorite character from True Grit because what makes the book so much fun is the unlikely alliance that forms between the three crotchety main characters: fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross, bent on avenging her murdered father; Texas ranger La Boeuf, who is tracking the murderer for his own reasons, and swings between helping Mattie and hindering her; and Rooster Cogburn, a drunken, one-eyed man whom Mattie hires based on the sheriff’s account of available marshals:
“Who is the best marshal they have?' The sheriff thought on it for a minute. He said, 'I would have to weigh that proposition. There is near about two hundred of them. I reckon William Waters is the best tracker. He is a half-breed Comanche and it is something to see, watching him cut for sign. The meanest one is Rooster Cogburn. He is a pitiless man, double-tough, and fear don't enter into his thinking. He loves to pull a cork. Now L.T. Quinn, he brings his prisoners in alive. He may let one get by now and then but he believes even the worst of men is entitled to a fair shake. Also the court does not pay any fees for dead men. Quinn is a good peace officer and a lay preacher to boot. He will not plant evidence or abuse a prisoner. He is straight as a string. Yes, I will say Quinn is about the best they have.' I said, 'Where can I find this Rooster?”
p.s. While it’s well worth the effort to read the short novel, the Coen Brothers’ 2010 film is a faithful adaptation.
𝗕𝗮𝗯𝗮 𝗬𝗮𝗴𝗮
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Deathless 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘯𝘦 𝘔. 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦
Valente’s retelling of Marya Morevna and Koschei the Deathless, centered around the Russian Revolution, is dark and strange and wonderful. Marya & Koschei are intriguing characters, but Baba Yaga, with her sharp tongue and sharper wits, easily steals the show.
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Deathless 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘯𝘦 𝘔. 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦
Valente’s retelling of Marya Morevna and Koschei the Deathless, centered around the Russian Revolution, is dark and strange and wonderful. Marya & Koschei are intriguing characters, but Baba Yaga, with her sharp tongue and sharper wits, easily steals the show.
𝗘𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘇𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗲
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 A Christmas Caro𝘭 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴
I guess I can’t really call Scrooge one of my favorite characters because the man is dense as a brick, but there’s a reason he’s so wedged in our cultural memory. Everybody knows a Scrooge. Some of us have had the misfortune to know several. Though the book’s dark comedy comes from the ludicrous extremes of Scrooge’s miserliness, his real problem is a poverty of spirit. He’s a bitter old man, scornful of other people’s feelings but eager to rant about his own imagined grievances, living in self-imposed exile from the rest of humanity. It takes four ghosts working overtime to peel back the layers of his onion heart and get him to recognize his pattern of stepping back from people every time he suffered disappointment or embarrassment, and uselessly trying to fill the emptiness in his soul with money.
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 A Christmas Caro𝘭 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴
I guess I can’t really call Scrooge one of my favorite characters because the man is dense as a brick, but there’s a reason he’s so wedged in our cultural memory. Everybody knows a Scrooge. Some of us have had the misfortune to know several. Though the book’s dark comedy comes from the ludicrous extremes of Scrooge’s miserliness, his real problem is a poverty of spirit. He’s a bitter old man, scornful of other people’s feelings but eager to rant about his own imagined grievances, living in self-imposed exile from the rest of humanity. It takes four ghosts working overtime to peel back the layers of his onion heart and get him to recognize his pattern of stepping back from people every time he suffered disappointment or embarrassment, and uselessly trying to fill the emptiness in his soul with money.
𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Madeline 𝘣𝘺 𝘓𝘶𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘨 𝘉𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴
Who can resist the tiny, fearless Madeline, who jumped into the Seine to save Genevieve and awed the other girls with her appendix scar?
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Madeline 𝘣𝘺 𝘓𝘶𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘨 𝘉𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴
Who can resist the tiny, fearless Madeline, who jumped into the Seine to save Genevieve and awed the other girls with her appendix scar?
𝗛𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗻
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘯
In many ways, Huckleberry Finn is the epitome of the boy hero. He loves mischief and relishes danger. The hardships of his life (being nearly murdered by his drunken father, faking his death to escape said father, and then fleeing down the Mississippi) are coolly recounted as thrilling adventures. Though he lies and steals to further his journey, he is quick to pity anyone he feels is bullied. And yet he is also a product of his society, which makes him (like nearly every other character in the book) a racist.
It’s the conflict between this world view and Huck’s secretly-soft heart that drives the novel. About a third of the way into the book, Huck has a crisis of “conscience” and convinces himself he has to turn Jim in to the slave-catchers. But when the moment comes, he can’t get the words out. He can’t bring himself to betray his friend. I think a lesser writer would have given Huck an epiphany here, like “SLAVERY IS WRONG,” but Twain knew that Huck wasn’t capable. Nothing in his upbringing would cause him to question an injustice sanctioned by every authority he knew. Instead, Huck falls back on the other thing he’s been taught by his society — his own unworthiness. In a feat of mental gymnastics and very heavy irony, Huck avoids the moral dilemma altogether, consoling himself that since he wasn’t started right in life, it was pointless for him to try to be good, and he might as well just do whatever came handiest.
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘯
In many ways, Huckleberry Finn is the epitome of the boy hero. He loves mischief and relishes danger. The hardships of his life (being nearly murdered by his drunken father, faking his death to escape said father, and then fleeing down the Mississippi) are coolly recounted as thrilling adventures. Though he lies and steals to further his journey, he is quick to pity anyone he feels is bullied. And yet he is also a product of his society, which makes him (like nearly every other character in the book) a racist.
It’s the conflict between this world view and Huck’s secretly-soft heart that drives the novel. About a third of the way into the book, Huck has a crisis of “conscience” and convinces himself he has to turn Jim in to the slave-catchers. But when the moment comes, he can’t get the words out. He can’t bring himself to betray his friend. I think a lesser writer would have given Huck an epiphany here, like “SLAVERY IS WRONG,” but Twain knew that Huck wasn’t capable. Nothing in his upbringing would cause him to question an injustice sanctioned by every authority he knew. Instead, Huck falls back on the other thing he’s been taught by his society — his own unworthiness. In a feat of mental gymnastics and very heavy irony, Huck avoids the moral dilemma altogether, consoling himself that since he wasn’t started right in life, it was pointless for him to try to be good, and he might as well just do whatever came handiest.
𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗱
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 The Handmaid’s Tale 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘈𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥
Of all the doomsday fiction I’ve read, The Handmaid’s Tale is the one that seems to come into being more with each passing day. Told through the pragmatic voice of the deliberately anonymous heroine, the novel is grim but not as grim as it might be considering the subject; Atwood is a realist, not a pessimist. Overarching the horrors of Gilead is the reminder that the regime was short-lived, that tyranny is not a sustainable form of government, and that the oppressed fight back. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. Don’t let the bastards grind you down.
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 The Handmaid’s Tale 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘈𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥
Of all the doomsday fiction I’ve read, The Handmaid’s Tale is the one that seems to come into being more with each passing day. Told through the pragmatic voice of the deliberately anonymous heroine, the novel is grim but not as grim as it might be considering the subject; Atwood is a realist, not a pessimist. Overarching the horrors of Gilead is the reminder that the regime was short-lived, that tyranny is not a sustainable form of government, and that the oppressed fight back. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. Don’t let the bastards grind you down.
