This week continued to read Invisible Monsters. I read pages 245 to the end (297). This is how the book finished:
Brandy, her secret sister, and Manus continue there goose chase while stealing drugs from mansions. They end up at one house that is hosting a wedding the next day. The host, Mrs. Leonard Cottrell informs her guests that the house belongs to her daughter, Evie who will be married tomorrow. She then begins to drop a T.M.I. story of how is it a miracle that they could find a husband that wanted their poor Evie. Or should she say Evan. When her son Evan told her that he wanted to be a girl, Mr. and Mrs. Cottrell let him.
Mrs. Cottrell invited her drug-smuggles house seekers to her daughters wedding tomorrow. At the event, our main character gets a a whole new load of crazies put on her plate. Brandy has known all along that her jawless accomplice is her sister. She met Evie at a transexuals help meeting. Our main character still wants to kill the both of and once again, starts a fire. This time at the wedding. Evie blames Brandy and shoots her. The bullet hit a book in Brandy's jacket pocket. (Sound familiar?)
Brandy doesn't die and at the hospital, our main character, who we finally discover is named Shannon, tells her brother that she shot her own face off. I can't really explain why, so I will use a block quote:
"The truth is I was addicted to being beautiful, and that's not something you just walk away from. Being addicted to all that attention, I had to quit cold turkey. I could shave my head, but hair grows back. Even bald, I might still look too good. Bald, I might get even more attention. There was the option of getting fat or drinking out of control to ruin my looks, but I wanted to be ugly, and I wanted my health. Wrinkles and aging looked too far off. There had to be some way to get ugly in a flash. I had to deal with my looks in a fast permanent way or I'd always be tempted to go back.
I wanted to everyday reassurance of being mutilated. The way a crippled deformed birth-defected girl can drive her car with the windows open and not care how the wind makes her hair look, that's the kind of freedom I was after." (Note - why does she wear the veil then. Hidding would be the opposite of freedom.)
Shane informs his sister that the hairspray accident was not an accident and he did it for the same reason. He wanted something to make him different. Same with becoming a woman. Shane didn't actually want to Ms. Brandy Alexander. He thought because it was unwanted, sexual reassignment surgery would be the "ultimate form of self mutilation."
The story ends with out main character finally achieving what she wanted - a complete loss of narcissism. While Brandy/Shane is undergoing his/soon to be her surgery, she leaves him/her all documents needed to give her brother her identity. She shows that its possible for her after all that she's done to hurt others, to "completely and totally, permanently and without hope" love someone besides herself.
I believe that the theme of this book is meant to question beauty. With characters constantly changing names, sexes, appearances, orientations, locations, and types of drugs to take, the novel displays the ephemeral nature of beauty.
I would like to go back and focus on the scene in which Brandy first gives Shannon her veils. Because reading the quote about Shannon blowing her own jaw off intentionally for the "freedom" of being mutilated, has me confused on why she would then conceal this "freedom" with a mask. I think all characters in this book are confused in what beauty means and therfore don't know what to look for in there ever-changing journey to find it, or repel it.
Something interesting that I learned this week is that an old favorite song, "Time to Dance" by Panic! At the Disco is fully based off of Invisible Monsters. It makes a lot of sense to me now. The song focuses mostly on the wedding scene but uses styles that Palahniuk weaved into the novel. For example, "Give me envy, give malice, baby give me a break" is a line of the song. Palahniuk frequently used lines similar to this to explain the narrators current emotions as well as tie in her fashion model background. For example, "Give me romance. Flash. Give me denial. Flash" (pg. 69) is used when she is referring to her dysfunctional relationship with her boyfriend Manus. The author actually uses the lines "give me malice" (pg. 13) and "give me a break" (pg. 19) in the book as well.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Week 2
I have currently read to page 244 of Invisible Monsters. So Far this is what has happened:
Palahniuk tends to jump back and forth from the past to the present throughout the book. The main character whose name is unknown grew up with a mom, a dad, and an older brother - a gay brother. Her parents weren't aware of their son, Shane's, orientation until one day his strep throat test came back as gonorrhea. He was always loved more than his sister prior to the gonorrhea because of an accident that took place a few years before. It was always Shane's job to burn the trash and one day a full can a of hairspray made its way into the trash , leaving Shane's face mangled and scorched. His sister was blamed for the accident and thats when favoritism began. All of this was warped when Shane turned out to be gay. His parents kicked him out of the house and a few years later a call informed that that their son had died.
The main character grew up to me a fashion model and worked alongside Los Angeles with her broad-shouldered, less attractive friend, Evie Cotrell. One day she was driving down the highway at night when a bullet flew through her windshield making a direct connection with her jaw. The entire jaw-bone was ripped off. Our main character drove herself to the hospital (I don't know how), but no one was able to perform surgery until the next morning. When doctors went to retrieve the missing jaw, only tiny sections were left scattered throughout the floor of the front seat. Birds had flown in through the shattered windshield and eaten the ex-model's face.
She spends months in the hospital and rehab healing and learning how to talk with just a dangling tongue and the roof of her mouth. When she is released, Evie asks her to house sit because she has a photo shoot in Cancun. That night at Evie's mansion, our main character's boyfriend, Manus Kelly breaks in to kill his girlfriend - to finish the job Evie, his lover, had started. His plan fails as his girlfriend locks him up, forces this giant conspiracy out of him, burns down Evie's house, and takes Manus unwillingly to meet the lovely Brandy Alexander.
Our main character met Brandy Alexander in speech therapy class. Brandy was like a goddess. She was gorgeously perfect with the perfect clothes and perfect hair. Brandy became the jawless girl's new mentor. She wanted to know nothing of her past and gave her a new name - Daisy St. Patience. Brandy became her new role-model, she would live through Brandy, if Brandy was beautiful, being associated with her would make her beautiful again.
Brandy tells Daisy of how she is currently undergoing a cross-gender surgery process. She is at the final step - the genitals and wants to go on a life-searching journey across the U.S. before she (or he) goes through with it. Brandy and her worshiper drag their slave, Manus with then on this journey. They develop a ploy to get drugs of which Miss Queen Alexander is so dependent upon. The three of them pretend to be interested in purchasing high class real estate. One of them distracts the agent downstairs with questions wile the other two tell him that they need to tour the upstairs where they proceed to raid the medicine cabinets fulfilling all of their narcotic desires.
One day Brandy asks Daisy is she knows of her childhood. She had never spoken about her past. Brandy tells her how she (he) was kicked out the house when her (his) parents found out that he was gay. She tells Daisy of her gorgeous younger sister of whom she was insanely jealous of and how part of her soul-searching journey would be finding her long-lost sister. Quite the goose chase I'd say.
Here is a block quote from Invisible Monsters that displays Palahniuk's style:
"Jump to how life was when you were a baby and you could only eat baby food. you'd stagger over to the coffee table. You're up on your feet and you have to keep waddling along on those Vienna sausage legs or fall down. Then you get to the coffee table and bounce your big soft baby head on the sharp corner. You're down, and man, oh man, it hurts. Still isn't anything tragic until Mom and AD run over. Oh you poor brave thing. Only then do you cry." (pg. 96)
I picked this quote because is shows Palahniuk's usage of common incidents and feelings that any reader can relate to. He moves back and forth in a staccato manner from realistic situations and people, to extremely out-there, surreal occurrences and ideas. The realistic stuff keeps his readers involved, while the crazy plot twists keep them guessing.
Palahniuk tends to jump back and forth from the past to the present throughout the book. The main character whose name is unknown grew up with a mom, a dad, and an older brother - a gay brother. Her parents weren't aware of their son, Shane's, orientation until one day his strep throat test came back as gonorrhea. He was always loved more than his sister prior to the gonorrhea because of an accident that took place a few years before. It was always Shane's job to burn the trash and one day a full can a of hairspray made its way into the trash , leaving Shane's face mangled and scorched. His sister was blamed for the accident and thats when favoritism began. All of this was warped when Shane turned out to be gay. His parents kicked him out of the house and a few years later a call informed that that their son had died.
The main character grew up to me a fashion model and worked alongside Los Angeles with her broad-shouldered, less attractive friend, Evie Cotrell. One day she was driving down the highway at night when a bullet flew through her windshield making a direct connection with her jaw. The entire jaw-bone was ripped off. Our main character drove herself to the hospital (I don't know how), but no one was able to perform surgery until the next morning. When doctors went to retrieve the missing jaw, only tiny sections were left scattered throughout the floor of the front seat. Birds had flown in through the shattered windshield and eaten the ex-model's face.
She spends months in the hospital and rehab healing and learning how to talk with just a dangling tongue and the roof of her mouth. When she is released, Evie asks her to house sit because she has a photo shoot in Cancun. That night at Evie's mansion, our main character's boyfriend, Manus Kelly breaks in to kill his girlfriend - to finish the job Evie, his lover, had started. His plan fails as his girlfriend locks him up, forces this giant conspiracy out of him, burns down Evie's house, and takes Manus unwillingly to meet the lovely Brandy Alexander.
Our main character met Brandy Alexander in speech therapy class. Brandy was like a goddess. She was gorgeously perfect with the perfect clothes and perfect hair. Brandy became the jawless girl's new mentor. She wanted to know nothing of her past and gave her a new name - Daisy St. Patience. Brandy became her new role-model, she would live through Brandy, if Brandy was beautiful, being associated with her would make her beautiful again.
Brandy tells Daisy of how she is currently undergoing a cross-gender surgery process. She is at the final step - the genitals and wants to go on a life-searching journey across the U.S. before she (or he) goes through with it. Brandy and her worshiper drag their slave, Manus with then on this journey. They develop a ploy to get drugs of which Miss Queen Alexander is so dependent upon. The three of them pretend to be interested in purchasing high class real estate. One of them distracts the agent downstairs with questions wile the other two tell him that they need to tour the upstairs where they proceed to raid the medicine cabinets fulfilling all of their narcotic desires.
One day Brandy asks Daisy is she knows of her childhood. She had never spoken about her past. Brandy tells her how she (he) was kicked out the house when her (his) parents found out that he was gay. She tells Daisy of her gorgeous younger sister of whom she was insanely jealous of and how part of her soul-searching journey would be finding her long-lost sister. Quite the goose chase I'd say.
Here is a block quote from Invisible Monsters that displays Palahniuk's style:
"Jump to how life was when you were a baby and you could only eat baby food. you'd stagger over to the coffee table. You're up on your feet and you have to keep waddling along on those Vienna sausage legs or fall down. Then you get to the coffee table and bounce your big soft baby head on the sharp corner. You're down, and man, oh man, it hurts. Still isn't anything tragic until Mom and AD run over. Oh you poor brave thing. Only then do you cry." (pg. 96)
I picked this quote because is shows Palahniuk's usage of common incidents and feelings that any reader can relate to. He moves back and forth in a staccato manner from realistic situations and people, to extremely out-there, surreal occurrences and ideas. The realistic stuff keeps his readers involved, while the crazy plot twists keep them guessing.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Week 1- Proposal
I think like most people I first heard of Chuck Palahniuk's work when I saw the movie based off of his book Fight Club. Palahniuk's writing style and topics appeal to most teenagers because they are filled with dark, sick humor, and odd characters with odd lifestyles. Every teenager likes weird and disturbing stuff. The first book I read of his was Diary which I read over this past summer. I really enjoyed that book because it was about the struggles of an artist to find inspiration which I could relate to well, but it was Palahniuk's surreal plot line that kept me enthralled.
Chuck Palahniuk meets the criteria for the American Author project in that he is American. An American satirical author to be exact. Palahniuk was born in Pasco, Washington and currently lives in Vancouver, Washington. Palahniuk is also a dramatist writer rather than a poet with a wide range of novels to choose from. Some of his well known fictional works include Fight Club, Lullaby, Haunted, Survivor, Choke, Diary, Invisible Monsters, and his most recent -Rant. Palahniuk has also written two nonfiction books entitled Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon, and Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories. The last, and most important piece of criteria is whether or not Palahniuk can be considered an important contributor to the development of American literature. I feel that Chuck Palahniuk is a significant author and contributor because of his influence on modern literature for a teenage audience. His sadistic style and surreal plot lines have developed into a cult-like phenomenon. His contribution is also demonstrated in film. The fact that his novel Fight Club was made into also cult-like motion picture further demonstrates his strong influence on modern culture.
I have started reading Invisible Monsters and am about halfway through. From what I have read so far along with my knowledge of Fight Club and Diary I have already found some reoccurring themes in Palahniuk’s writing. Therefore I feel confident in my ability to write a ten-page literary analysis based on Palahniuk’s writing. I have began highlighting significant quotes that I feel could later connect to cross-literary themes in more of his books. Right now my main concentration is his reoccurring plot structure. He has a main character with a routine life who’s life usually take a turn for the worse in a surreal twist.
These are the books I will read (or have read):
Chuck Palahniuk meets the criteria for the American Author project in that he is American. An American satirical author to be exact. Palahniuk was born in Pasco, Washington and currently lives in Vancouver, Washington. Palahniuk is also a dramatist writer rather than a poet with a wide range of novels to choose from. Some of his well known fictional works include Fight Club, Lullaby, Haunted, Survivor, Choke, Diary, Invisible Monsters, and his most recent -Rant. Palahniuk has also written two nonfiction books entitled Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon, and Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories. The last, and most important piece of criteria is whether or not Palahniuk can be considered an important contributor to the development of American literature. I feel that Chuck Palahniuk is a significant author and contributor because of his influence on modern literature for a teenage audience. His sadistic style and surreal plot lines have developed into a cult-like phenomenon. His contribution is also demonstrated in film. The fact that his novel Fight Club was made into also cult-like motion picture further demonstrates his strong influence on modern culture.
I have started reading Invisible Monsters and am about halfway through. From what I have read so far along with my knowledge of Fight Club and Diary I have already found some reoccurring themes in Palahniuk’s writing. Therefore I feel confident in my ability to write a ten-page literary analysis based on Palahniuk’s writing. I have began highlighting significant quotes that I feel could later connect to cross-literary themes in more of his books. Right now my main concentration is his reoccurring plot structure. He has a main character with a routine life who’s life usually take a turn for the worse in a surreal twist.
These are the books I will read (or have read):
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