Taking into consideration the quiz questions for pages 49-71, what struck you as most significant in pages 71-97 and why? Focus, for example, on a specific symbol, "form," or exchange and discuss its contribution to characterization, theme, tone, etc.
What struck me the most was Bernadette's ignorance of social rules and laws. Like when illegally parked at her husbands place of work. Normally people would repark or follow parking laws in the first place. Instead Bernadette ignores these laws. To me it is amazing how Bernadette is an adult, but she is in her own little world.
ReplyDeleteWhen Bernadette was describing how she felt about the comparison to Canadians and Americans in "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" by Maria Semple, she mad some very interesting comments about how she felt talented Canadians were being treated vs how the talented Americans were. Her comment on the wave of equality made a strong connection with me because I hadn't thought about Canada in that way, yet her comment about the obnoxiousness of Americans was not as surprising to me.
ReplyDeleteThe way Bernadette behaves, thinks, and lives struck me as most noteworthy because she is so strange, for example, her hatred for Canadians and her impulsive decisions to buy items from REI. Many people in "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" think Bernadette is quite strange as well, like Audrey Griffin who despises her.
ReplyDeleteSomething that struck me as noteworthy in "Where'd You Go, Bernadette?" is the emotion and feeling of friendship Bernadette attaches to her emails. For example, whenever Bernadette emails her personal assistant from India, Manjula Kapoor, she always tells what is currently going on in her life and how she feels about each situation; she always writes what is happening in her life as she writes the email.
ReplyDeleteI find it very interesting how secretive many characters are in this book. Specifically, Audrey Griffin is so focused on eradicating the blackberry vines that she would trespass into her neighbor's yard to deal with it.
ReplyDeleteBee's way to describe Choate, her probably soon to be school, was striking for me. She absolutely adores Choate and describes it as the most picturesque place ever; from my own experience, I know that romanticizing places might blur your perspective and therefore make your life complicated. Romanticizing might make Bee's life very challenging in the future, which one could find as a concern.
ReplyDeleteWhat struck me the most was the way Audrey seems to think that rules do not apply to her, and how she uses her money to control people. Like when Audrey uses the money she owes Tom to control him, and how Audrey plans on trespassing into her neighbors yard.
ReplyDeleteMaria Semple's detailed description of Bernadette's rush and panic during Thanksgiving stood out to me because I associate Thanksgiving with relaxation. I enjoyed these details because they allowed me to paint a vivid picture of an unfamiliar feeling.
ReplyDeleteI was stuck by Bernadette Fox's relationship with Manjular Kapoor, as Fox fills the role of a close friend, or even a journal through her message exchange with Manjula, where Bernadette articulates emotion and personal struggle, as if to find an outlet or connection with Manjula. Through the consistent nature and depth of the messages in the text, Semple creates a distance between Bernadette, and her friends and family.
ReplyDeleteThe cardiac disease Bee had at an early age causes her to be self-conscious, shown through her repeatedly saying I am not sick, and this self-consciousness inspires her to go above and beyond in all that she does. She does go above and beyond by helping the kids at her school read and climbing the latter to help the dog.
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