#overarchingthemes

There was a section in the book that stood out to me as very interesting. Last week in class, we talked about different themes of the book correlating to either characters, conflicts, etc. We then discussed the themes of “memories” and “dreams”. These two themes came through in the beginning of chapter 16, “I had slept fitfully, pursued by the ghosts of the night before and nights past” (Welch, 42). Although it appears that the narrator/main character had an eventful night of drinking, it is hard for us to determine if some of the events even happened.  We can assume that the narrator has had a hard time opening up from his trauma (his dad and brother dying) which leads me to the question, “ Is the narrator aware of his reality? Or does he purposefully trick his mind into fantasy to forget?” We know from earlier in the book that he has a hard time recalling details, for example, in chapter 8 when they are discussing the duck “Amos” and who killed him (themes of dreams and memories of events).  In the first paragraph of chapter 16, the narrator explains the dream he had due to his hangover, however, he does not recall if some events took place while he was asleep or awake, “ I do not know whether I was asleep or awake during the last scene, but the boy changed quickly into a place ceiling” (Welch, 42). At the end of this scene, I wondered if “ Will dreaming and forgetful thinking be his downfall in life?”

Overall, I found this scene really interesting since it incorporates how the narrator thinks, dreams, and lives which shows the deeper connection to figuring out who he truly is and why he is this way since we know he is very distant and cut off from the rest of society.

Claiming Personal Space: Behavior “Bless the people who say sorry when passing you and bumping into you. Hate those people who try to get on the train before the people getting off have gotten off” “Worst has to be when the train is cramped and your every moment infringes upon someone else’s personal space.” “squeeze in as much as i can” “make myself as small as possible” “Getting hit on. All women know the strategy to deal with this, but it’s not fun.”

Work Station/Time “I count down the minutes and it’s a constant struggle of me hating my life and the experience and the unpredictability of it. I could definitely use that 20 minute time on the train more effectively and I sometimes do, but what’s worse is that time walking to and from the station that’s lost.” “I actually like having the “cheat” time that isn’t otherwise socially acceptable 100% of the time. I can listen to podcasts on a crowded train, read or veg and play a game if I have a seat.”

Storage “I carry two bags, a backpack with my laptop and books (very very heavy) and an extra bag because I usually cannot stuff everything into my backpack. Same thing at the end of my workweek going home.” “Backpack with laptop, books, notebooks, packed lunch, apple that sort of thing.” Morning Routine Organization - Anxiety/stress/forgetfulness “Wake up and leave within 40 minutes. Includes brushing, contacts, stretches for a few minutes, make breakfast while going back and forth from my room getting dressed, pack breakfast and lunch, get out.” “Make Tolerable” “Get out of bed and eye the day I was born” Cleanliness: creating a barrier between the person and the seat, other people, and poles Insert pics Noise Control: arriving trains, people talking or playing music loudly, etc. Insert pics Body Relief/Support "...my comfort varies. I take an express bus, and it gets packed. On the way home, I have a certain door I stand at on the train for the best placement to run for the bus- and try to get a spot where I won’t be pushed up against a dudes armpit. And so I stand on the train home too, by choice, to have the best spot. The only time I sit with regularity is my morning train. I get on at the first stop, and so you trade the pleasure of a seat with the frustration of not leaving for ages.” “Recently, I got up from my seat to let an elderly woman with a cane sit, and the train was so packed that I had to try to twist myself into a pretzel in order to get up.”