A examination of the concept of the reading experience through "She's Not There," by Jennifer Finney Boylan, "Autobiography of a Face," by Lucy Grealy and "Close to the Bone," by Laurie Stone.
Abstract This paper discusses the reading experience and how readers can feel connected to a writer even though they may not have experienced exactly what the writer has written about. The paper suggests that a good writer can captivate an audience regardless of the topic of the book. The paper specifically analyzes "She's Not There," by Jennifer Finney Boylan, "Autobiography of a Face," by Lucy Grealy and "Close to the Bone," by Laurie Stone.
From the Paper "Another part of the book in which I felt an identification with the writer was when Grealy wrote about her efforts to concoct various methods of becoming ill in order to be permitted to miss school. Granted, Grealy's reasons for wanting to stay home were far more intense than my own, or those of most other elementary school children, the general feelings are the same for everyone. She describes a deep want to stay home, hiding her face from the taunting children at school allowing her to feel protected. Throughout childhood, kids experience feelings of segregation from certain other children and may be teased or laughed at for such things as their looks which are beyond their control. This sort of persecution causes many children to fear attending school, attempting to reject the pain they feel is caused by their presence in the company of others. Grealy was one of those children and, having been the outcast myself at some points in life, I could relate to her desire to withdraw from society. It may not have necessarily been to hide physical afflictions, but I too have spent mornings pretending to be sick, trying some of her techniques with the hopes that my mother would allow me to sleep in, and miss another day of class. As she says, she "sought out different ways of getting sick", "experimenting with dishwashing liquid" or "inhaling water." These different experiments show a child's severe determination to miss school and protect herself from what she sees as guaranteed suffering more painful than those of her self inflicted illnesses."
Abstract This essay takes on just one chapter of James Joyce's most critically acclaimed novel, Ulysses, and attempts to unravel some of the mystery behind the chapter entitled "The Lotus Eaters" It discusses the parallels between the Joyce chapter and its corresponding chapter in Homer's Odyssey, with an analysis of religious, political and sexual allusions in the chapter. It also discusses the contemporary influences on the main character, Leopold Bloom, analyzes his sexual inadequacy and attempts to put this single chapter in perspective with the rest of the novel. Includes quotes and page numbers from the unabridged text.
From the Paper "The meandering route that Bloom takes to the Postal Annex is also indicative of a dreamy "lotus-eating" atmosphere that parallels the Homeric description of the land of the Lotus-Eaters. In Homer's epic, Odysseus travels to a land of men who are generous to excess, and eat the lotus flower in order to induce a confused, forgetful, dream-like state of consciousness. Bloom is likewise a bit dazed, and his thoughts seem to meander as much as his footfalls as he stops by the window of the little tea shop. "Under their dropped lids his eyes found the tiny bow of the leather headband inside his high grade hat" (71). Joyce's writing here, and the subsequent language in the following paragraph mimic the confused leaps the mind takes as it is being lulled to sleep, and Bloom's eyes are half-hooded as if he is a man in a trance."
