Thoughts on the Ending of Angry Black White Boy

When I read the ending to Angry Black White Boy, I was shocked. I really didn’t expect for Macon to die at the end, let alone be murdered in Alabama. Although that entire last book didn’t make me happy reading it, I felt like at the end things were starting to shape up at least a little bit. Leo and Macon are getting saved from the crazy racist Alabama men that look like they are going to beat and kill Macon and Leo. I sort of felt betrayed by Nique and Donner when I found out that the Alabama guys are just actors hired by them to be a part in their sick joke to get Macon to do what they wanted. It seems too intense of a joke for me. Especially hurting Leo. Nique seemed rightly outraged by it saying things like, “This how you treat the brothers, Con? What type of acting you call that?” (333). However, Donner cares more about his business than the situation at hand which makes Donner seem like a mad scientist villain in my mind. The entire test they put Macon through just seems unnecessary but it was an interesting turn of the already unconventional hero narrative.  

Although Donner and Nique were sort of the antiheros/villians in this scenario for orchestrating such a terrible nightmarish test for Macon, they also felt like the heros for making the torture of Leo and Macon stop. After Nique and Donner swooped in from the helicopter, though, Mansbach doesn’t give them the stereotypical “hero saving everyone and making everything peaceful” ending. Instead he makes the fate of Macon out of our perceived hero’s control. But, I’m not too surprised about that since Macon’s heroic journey is weird from the beginning. For the longest time Macon is convinced he is on a heroic journey while everyone else (including us readers) are very skeptical. Things like robbing white people with a gun when they’re talking bad about black people is up for debate about being heroic or not. It seems like Mansbach is making us question our definition of a hero throughout this book. Are they a hero if they’re doing illegal things? (Macon robbing people). Are they a hero if they have ulterior motives? (Macon doing everything to get the guilt of Cap Anson off of his shoulders). Are they a hero if they’re going through a time in their life when they don’t feel up to the challenge? (Macon deserting everyone to go to Alabama). Do you guys even think Macon is a hero at any point in this book?

The Ending of Room

When I was reading Room, I was a little skeptical about how the book would end. I really wanted the ending to be satisfying. But, I wanted it to be realistic as well. I was afraid that the book would end with Jack and Ma being perfectly normal and used to the outside world. When I got the the ending, though, I thought Donoghue did very well.

           Going back to Room is a great way to end the story. In the structure of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, there is usually a return to the familiar world after the quest is over. Of course, at the beginning of the book, Room is the normal world for Ma and Jack is Room. However, at this point in the book, it’s also transformed into the unknown. “... and Shelf but nothing on her, and our chairs folded up but they’re all different. Nothing says anything to me. ‘I don’t think this is it,’ I whisper to Ma” (319). The way that the known and unknown switch with each other is really interesting. I suppose that the switching is part of Jack’s and Ma’s journey though. For the rest of their lives, they’ll continue to make the unknown parts of the outside world the known parts of their world.    

Going along with the hero’s journey, traveling back to Room is it’s little heroic journey on its own for Jack, and especially for Ma. Ma is being brave throughout the entire seen. She pukes, yet she continues to stay with Jack to see Room. Ma even offers to battle one of her monsters, having the door closer. “Ma does a tiny smile. ‘Do you--?’ She clears her throat. ‘Would you like the door closed for a minute?’” (320). This is just another example of how throughout the entire book, Ma is extremely brave during her journey.

             I think that Donoghue’s choice of not depicting Ma and Jack as having solved their problems makes the story even more rich. More realistic and real, which was a theme throughout this book.

Fairytales in Room

Pretty early in Room, we see Ma and Jack talking about fairytales. Jack knows every story by heart, but still insists that Ma read them or recite them. These fairytales definitely serve as a form of entertainment for Jack. However, as we get deeper into the book, the role of the fairytales grow.

The mermaid story on the bottom of page 67 really stood out to me as a fairytale that has multiple roles. It really clicked that it had multiple roles after connecting the story to the previous pages, where Ma has just told Jack that there is a world outside of Room. Ma seemed really stressed out about talking about the outside.    

“It’s a real store.” Ma rubs her eye.

 “How--?”
 “OK, OK, OK.”
  Why is she shouting?
  “Listen, what we see on TV is… pictures of real things.”
  That’s the most astonishing thing I’ve ever heard.
  Ma’s got her hand over her mouth. (59)

Ma definitely didn’t mean to spill the beans about the outside, and ultimately ends up taking painkillers, getting into bed, and being “Gone” the next day. Telling Jack about the outside made Ma really sad. Later on, when Jack is asking her about the outside, she seems sad to be talking about it as well.

“Hmm,” says Ma, reading over my shoulder, “I think the kinds means kids in general.”

“What’s in general?”
             “Lots of kids.”

 I try and see them, the lots, all playing together. “Actual human ones?”

Ma doesn’t say anything for a minute, and then, “Yeah,” very quiet. (65)

In both cases, Ma sort of recoils and gets sad at any mention of the outside. Having lived in an 11x11 foot room for seven years, talking about the outside probably brings back so many memories and feelings-- which makes her sad-- so using the mermaid story to tell about her situation to Jack is a way to stay a bit distanced from the subject as well as communicate to Jack on a level he understands.

    We see her using fairytales to communicate with Jack in a way her understands later in the book too. This is when she’s gotten better at talking about the outside. However, she uses fairytales to the describe plans for escaping to Jack because he has a hard time processing the scary things Ma is asking of him. Ma uses the fairytales to instill the bravery that Jack needs within him and to give him the idea that this could be done because people did it in the fairytales.

    Now that they’re out of the room, I wonder what role the fairytales will play.

Heros Within A Lesson Before Dying

Pretty early into this book, I thought the main hero was definitely going to be Grant. I could see so many parts of the typical hero’s journey narrative within this book. Right at the start of the book, Grant’s refusal of the quest by being passive aggressive to his Aunt and Miss Emma when they ask him to help with Jefferson was very evident. As the book progressed we see Grant’s acceptance of the quest when Vivian, as a sort of ally mixed with supernatural aid, convinces him that he has to teach Jefferson. We also get a glimpse into Antoine’s role as a shadow of what Grant could become if he starts to think that all attempts to protest white supremacy would be futile and nothing would be change. Grant begins to do heroic things like giving Jefferson a radio to get his mind off the execution and generally caring more about Jefferson’s well being. However, around chapter 27-28, I didn’t quite feel like Grant was the main hero anymore. Instead, the hero became Jefferson.

Within the middle of Grant’s journey we start to see Jefferson’s journey start. He refuses the quest by insisting he is a hog and by just being really stubborn and giving his family a hard time. Then, after Grant talks to him while walking around, he finally accepts the quest by eating food and then later saying he knows he isn’t a hog and that he’ll try to achieve what Grant is asking of him. Within Jefferson’s journey, Grant is the supernatural aid-- giving him all this wisdom to convince him to take on the quest to go against the system of white supremacy. Within Grant’s journey, trying to turn Jefferson into a man who will fight the system his is big test and supreme ordeal. I guess, even though their journeys are pretty different, both of them need the other for their journeys to function smoothly to get the outcome Grant’s Aunt and Miss Emma want. Jefferson needs Grant to begin his journey, and Grant needs Jefferson to end his journey.

I also think that Jefferson’s journey is sort of an extension of Grant’s journey. Grant has gone to college and has enough outsider knowledge to see the white supremacy that so present in his society and start to question it and protest it. He goes against how he’s expected to act as a black man many times but there is a certain point where he can’t protest the system with widespread effects. That’s where Jefferson picks up that thread of the journey. Because everyone in this area is following Jefferson’s story, whatever Jefferson does many people are going to see. Grant trying to teach Jefferson sews their journeys together so Jefferson can accomplish what Grant wouldn’t be able to do by himself.

Anse is a Crab

A few days ago, the first thought as I woke up was, “Anse is a crab.” Crab, like the sea creature. I don’t know what happened in my sleep to convince me that Anse is a crab, but when I woke up it felt pretty solid. I’d somehow proven it in my mind.

Thinking about the book though, if Addie is both a fish and a horse then I wouldn't be surprised if Anse wound up as a crab. Anse does have some crabby qualities though. When Anse is rubbing his hands on his pants, doesn’t that seem similar to a crab slowly opening and closing its claws? Thinking about his next move?

After pondering why Anse could be a crab for a while when I was awake, I couldn’t really find any evidence for him resembling a crab-- physically or personality wise. I guess the connections I made in my sleep were too deep to uncover while awake. Do you see any similarities?

I guess now I’ll write my actual blog post.

Anse Isn't a Good Person

As I was reading this book, my opinion of Anse declined with each chapter. At first I felt a little sorry for him because he seemed lost without his wife. But, as time went on and I learned more about him and his ulterior motives, that sorrow turned into dislike and anger.

Now, having read the entire book, I’m confidently saying that Anse really isn’t a good person. He seemed to love Addie for what she could do for him instead of for who she really was. And, her used Addie all the way to the grave-- to “get them teeth” and a new wife. Would he really honor Addie’s dying wish if he didn’t have to get new teeth?

Anse also never steps up to be a good parent. He put cement on his son’s broken leg, and then wouldn’t take him to a doctor soon enough. I mean, who endangers their children like that? He also never accepts much hospitality from people they meet along the way, making his children sleep outside and possibly even go hungry (the Bundrens aren’t mentioned eating food at any point except the bananas at the end). He also takes his children’s things and sells them to in exchange for poor looking mules. In the exchange he sold Jewel’s horse-- which was entirely Jewels because he worked to pay for it with his own labor-- and spent Cash’s money. To be fair, Anse also sold some of his own things, but Jewel’s horse was irreplaceable. Towards the end of the book, he also stole money from Dewey Dell that she claimed didn’t even belong to her. For a man who wouldn’t accept charity from those they encountered on the trip because he didn’t want to be indebted to them, he seemed very eager to take those $10 from Dewey Dell.

I think the icing on the cake for me really being done with Anse is when he finds a new wife. Anse, having scolded Darl on the trip for laughing at Jewel on his horse saying, “I don’t expect you to have no respect for me, but with your own ma not cold in her coffin yet.” takes a new wife not even two weeks after Addie dies (106). Doesn’t that seem a little disrespectful; getting new teeth and a new wife while being “hangdog and proud” after his wife just died? (260) To me that makes Anse seem like a huge hypocrite.

Ulysses Compared to Odysseus

In O Brother, Where Art Thou?, there are many parallels between the Ulysses character and Odysseus in the Odyssey. First of all, the name Ulysses is Odysseus in Latin. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus was described as a crafty man. In O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Ulysses shows signs of that craftiness as well.

One of the earliest instances where I noticed this was while Ulysses and his crew were recording their hit Soggy Bottom Boys song. Even before they started recording, Ulysses made up a story on the spot so the blind radio man would let them record their song in the first place. In the Odyssey, Odysseus makes up believable stories several times on the spot; to Athena as a shepherd boy, Eumaeus, and several people at the palace. Once they started singing, Ulysses-- the main singer-- seemed to be coming up with the words from the top of his head. All this reminded me of how in the Odyssey, it was mentioned about Odysseus would be a bard in a second life because he is such a great story teller. In O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Ulysses has the same charm to captivate people and the craftiness to come up with tales on the fly that Odysseus has in the Odyssey.

Ulysses also uses that craftiness later on in the movie to create disguises for himself and his crew twice. The first time, Ulysses grabs some unsuspecting KKK members, steals their clothes, and uses them as a disguise to save Tommy Johnson from being murdered. This reminds me of when Odysseus and his crew hides on the the underside of the sheep as a disguise to escape from the cyclops. Later on, Ulysses uses beards to separate his crew's identity from the ones of the Soggy Bottom Boys so they wouldn’t become arrested. When the Soggy Bottom Boys performed, this reminded me of the scene right before the great slaughter in the Odyssey. Odysseus is disguised as a beggar when he wins the competition to marry Penelope. This is like Ulysses being disguised as a Soggy Bottom Boy as he wins Penny back with his talent. 

After reading the book and watching the movie, I felt that Ulysses seems more genuinely crafty than Odysseus. Ulysses thinks up all the ideas on his own while Odysseus mostly has the divine intervention of Athena. Although Ulysses has his crew with him throughout the movie, they aren’t responsible for most of the crucial ideas that advance their agenda. I think this makes Ulysses have even more credit for being crafty; Ulysses has to come up with solutions to problems that work for three people, not just himself like Odysseus had to do for most of his journey.

A Throwback

As I was reading through the Odyssey, I was reminded of a video my Latin 3 class did sophomore year. It's got some adaptations, but I thought you guys would enjoy it.