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.
Sailor, Bernadette's pet rabbit when she was a child, makes an appearance in the novel to highlight Bernadette's horrible experiences and that she is unable to bounce back from them, just like Sailor. When Bernadette's 20 Mile House is destroyed is traumatizes her similar to how Sailor is traumatized after being severely malnourished; both incidents leaving the victim unable to recover. Sailor later dies due to the incident, similar to how Bernadette has become a crippled version of her past, unable to function properly anymore, proving Sailor's death to be foreshadowing the demise of Bernadette.
ReplyDeleteThe twenty mile house, in "Where'd You Go, Bernadette?", is significant because the house is used to reveal Bernadette's identity in the past and why/how her personality has changed since then. The house is revealed in the form of a news/research article about Bernadette, where the interviews about her describe her as a resourceful and ingenious architect. Bernadette's personality is changed after the destruction of the house because the house is what she put herself into and the destruction of it helps us understand why she changed into the Bernadette living in Seattle.
ReplyDeleteIn "Where'd You Go Bernadette?" the Twenty Mile House display's its significance in the plot by representing the downfall of Bernadette's career, but it also leads to her becoming an icon among architects. Her three years of work were literally demolished by a wealthy neighbor, forming a dent in Bernadette's confidence as an architect. Despite losing The Twenty Mile House and leaving behind architecture, Bernadette is now a mysterious and delusional tale in the architecture community.
ReplyDeleteSailor, Bernadette's childhood pet rabbit, parallels other people in her life like Audrey, and he gives an example of what happened to Bernadette when she got close to someone. The relationship Bernadette had with Sailor ended in Bernadette's physical and emotional pain just like her relationship with Audrey. Because Bernadette got close to Sailor and he hurt her, Bernadette becomes distant from people in her life.
ReplyDeleteThe Twenty Mile House symbolizes Bernadette's obsessive nature and past struggles. Once a building glistening with pretentious awards and oozing creativity, the Twenty Mile House is a constant reminder of Bernadette's failures including her numerous miscarriages and the fall of Twenty Mile House itself. Bernadette's obsessive behavior is engraved in the Twenty Mile House; the house was perfect inside and out but she still never stops thinking about it because it was destroyed which fuels her out of control shopping trips and her unadulterated thinking.
ReplyDeleteBernadette in an email to Paul tells the story about Sailor, her pet bunny, who became feral because it was left alone for too long, because she wants to make sure Paul does not visit her and she wants to show how staying in one place without purpose has made her resentful. Bernadette tells him that even though, she was going to pet her rabbit out of love, the rabbit still bit and clawed at her; this is a warning to Paul that it does not matter what the circumstances are for coming to visit, because he will still not be wanted. Bernadette's story also talks about the rabbit being stuck in a cage without much sustenance, because she wants to tell Paul that she to has been kept in a cage in Seattle without being able to create buildings; this makes her resentful.
ReplyDeleteBernadette tells the story about Sailor to Paul Jellinek to indicate what the city of Seattle and the people close to her have caused her. Bernadette explains that Sailor, her bunny in many years back, went insane when he was left behind for weeks and nobody took care of him; the same happened to Bernadette after arriving to Seattle, nobody looked after her because Elgin worked long hours. This led Bernadette, like Sailor ages ago, to attack anybody who tried to approach her regardless of their intentions. Bernadette expresses that she feels extremely bored and that she even more carries the scars caused by the people who didn't look after her.
ReplyDeleteThe metaphorical story of Bernadette's old rabbit, Sailor, reveals her current struggle in Seattle and displays profound self awareness. For two months, the rabbit was left unfed and unloved, alone in a cage, becoming feral day by day. Bernadette equates her struggle of neglect from her husband and starvation to have something to obsess over to that of the rabbit, and as a result, expresses profound self-awareness.
ReplyDeleteThe story Bernadette shares about Sailor, Bee's pet rabbit, emphasizes their feelings of neglect and frustration. After witnessing the rabbits long teeth, overgrown claws, and overall abandonment Bernadette related it to her relationship with her husband Elgin. As Elgin and Bernadette's relationship deteriorates she is experiencing the same frustration with her conditions as the abandoned rabbit feels.
ReplyDeleteThe story of Sailor, Bernadette's childhood bunny, expresses the distance between Bernadette and Elgin and the feeling of abandonment in Seattle. Sailor scratched Bernadette when she returned because he had been abandoned by the Gloria, the maid, and left to live on his own; his long teeth and lack of food was traumatizing and lead him to becoming feral. Every human face became untrustworthy to him. Like Sailor, Bernadette was left in the new city of Seattle to fend for herself. The absence of her husband, Elgin, left her feeling alone and created a divide between the two and ultimately lead to her becoming "feral".
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