Going After Cacciato: 1

I am about one-third of the way through Tim O’Brien’s, Going After Cacciato, and my opening thoughts about the novel are different than I expected, yet positive.  I have really enjoyed O’Brien’s character development and how you can almost feel like you are present with them in some of the scenes.  The character of Paul Berlin has been the main surprise for me, because when I picked up this book I just figured that naturally, the character of Cacciato would be the protagonist.  However, thus far, the personal reflections are those of Paul Berlin, a soldier from Cacciato’s squad.  Berlin’s character seems very reflective and more insightful than most of the other soldiers, but Lieutenant Corson has been by far my favorite character, as well as the most amusing.  As the novel progresses, I am interested to see what role the pretty young refugee, Sarkin Aung Wan will play, if any.  She was a surprising development to the plot, and I think it is interesting that there is an attraction between her and Paul Berlin.  Up until now, Sarkin Aung Wan seems to represent an inner strength and confidence that Berlin does not have, so perhaps she will help him find and develop this inner strength. 

The Violent Bear It Away

Flannery O’Connor’s, The Violent Bear It Away, is interesting to look at as a bildungsroman because the protagonist and his journey are not heroic.  The book is very dark and twisted, and it is not a novel that I would, on my own merit, think to categorize as a bildungsroman.  However, The Violent Bear It Away is considered a bildungsroman, and I believe it is the coming-of-age of the protagonist, Francis Tarwater that makes it such.  The novel follows Francis’ struggle between a religious life or a secular life, as pressed on him by his two respective guardians, Old Tarwater and Rayber.  Although it may be idealistic, I prefer to think of one’s coming-of-age as a positive process that comes about through a process of courageous decisions and self-cultivation.  On the contrary, the coming-of-age of Tarwater seems to be more of an attempt to escape his life than cultivate it.  This is seen in Francis’ actions of not burying Old Tarwater after his death,burning Old Tarwater’s farm, and drowning Bishop (although he does manage to quickly baptize him just before his death).  Another aspect of this bildungsroman that made it different than what we have read before is that in many ways Francis never actually seems choose for himself his life.  While he performs many actions, they are more mechanical impulses than decisive choices.  In the end, it seems to me that the development of Francis is less about his self-cultivation as his inaction and allowing destiny to take over.  

The Bear: A Bildungsroman

Well, I cannot say I am sad to be finishing our discussions on The Bear.  Although I did not enjoy this work very much, I did admire Ike’s coming of age experience.  Amidst all the hunting, lineages, and chaos of Faulkner’s style of writing, I was intrigued by Ike’s decision to renounce his inheritance.  This was interesting to me for two reasons: 1.) Ike has already been an orphan for large part of his life and by renouncing his inheritance he is, in a sense, renouncing a part of the family ties that are still accessible to him.  2.) The reason Ike renounces his legacy is because of the tainted past of his grandfather, which he does not agree with and does not want to be tied to.  This impressed me because a past is a past because it is done and over with.  Whether Ike renounces his inheritance or not, his the past of his family will not change and people will not forget.  In this case, it seems that taking the inheritance and living more comfortably would be the popular choice, but Ike seems to choose what he believes will give him freedom and fulfillment.