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| Image Study |
Everytime they mention the diner, I picture something exactly like this. It's a small town diner, with stools at the counter, and a tiled floor. The diner is a local hangout in Thalia. Duane and Sonny go there frequently. They love the food, the owner (Sam the lion), and the waitress, Genevieve. It's where Sonny goes to talk about his love life, his problems, and his future.
This truck reminds me of the one described in the novel. It's the car that gets him and Duane to Mexico, the one that he drives around everywhere. "Sonny's pickup was a '41 Chevrolet, not at its best on cold mornings. In front of the picture showit coughed out and had to be choked for a while but then it started again and jerked its way to the red light, blowing out spumes of white exhaust that the wind whipped away." (1) The way it is described in the book makes it seem like an old truck that can barely run. One that is covered in rust, aged by wind and rain.
The boys all play basetball on the school's team. This is where they frequently make fun of Joe Bob, run sprints until they puke, and where they are hassled by the team's coach, Mr. Popper. The game is not very important to them, for they lose almost every game they play in. What really matters to them is the rides to and from the games- those are what makes them legends. Especially Duane. "Might as well look on the bright side. Let's go to the bus." (73) The bus is what gets them through their loss, and what makes the game so much fun. This picture really captivates me- and it is what I picture when I read of Duane and Sonny playing basketball. I picture them playing in a happy atmosphere, with friends, and just having a good time.
This picture is what I initially thought of when McMurtry mentioned a pool party. I imagined innocent fun, pictures, and food. But that is not at all what McMurtry went on to describe. Jacy went to the naked pool party with Lester. Jacy was initiated into their "club" by removing all her clothes and jumping off the diving board. This moment in her life showed how she was willing to do anything to become a part of the wealthy group again. She completely ditched her boyfriend Duane to go to the party with Lester so that she could become a legend in her town. It really shows how self-absorbed she is and what is really important to her. Now, when I think of pool parties, I think that I will imagine them a little differently- and not in a good way. |
posted by Caroline Marsh @ 7:52 PM  |
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| Personal Response- Weird Events. |
| At this point, I have read about two thirds of The Last Picture Show, and I am intrigued by the story. There has not been much of a plot this far, though. The story mainly consists of three main things: Descriptions of the physical level between couples, Sonny and his new pal Ruth, and weird occurences that would never happen in real life.
McMurtry goes into great detail when describing what the couples do in their spare time. He spends too much time describing how intimate they get, and the situation constantly appears in his writing. He puts a lot of emphasis on it- it's like he wants the reader to feel like they're there, in the midst of things. "After the proper amount of kissing Sonny deftly unhooked her bra. This was the signal for Charlene to draw her arms from the sleeves of her sweater and slip out of the straps. Sonny hung the bra on the rear-view mirror. So long as the proprieties were being observed, Charlene liked being felt; she obligingly slipped her sweater up around her neck." (21) But McMurtry doesn't stop there- he keeps going. He puts so much emphasis on this that it makes it awkward. It is one of those books that I feel awkward reading in public because I feel that people will know what I am reading and will judge me. Sometimes, he just goes too far. Although it sometimes gets a little awkward, it makes it an easy read, so I am not complaining.
McMurtry also puts alot of emphasis on the relationship between Sonny, Ruth Popper, and his coach, Mr. Popper. He tells many stories about the guys' experiences with Coach Popper. But he frequently talks about Sonny and Ruth together, which I guess kind of ties in with what I just talked about before. He finds a way to talk about how Ruth cheats on her husband with Sonny in almost every chapter. I know there is a reason he emphasizes their relationship, I just have yet to figure it out. Hopefully I'll find out soon.
"Ruth got her dress off, but when she bent to pull the slip over her head one of the straps caught on a bobby pin-for an awkward moment she could not get the slip loose. Her face was hidden in the silk. Sonny moved to help her, but just as he did she tore it loose and looked up at him with a wry smile, as if to comment on her awkwardness." (117)
Events in this book are very weird, awkward, and downright inappropriate. (This contains adult material- beware.) There are two parts in this book that I need to talk about. One involves a large party that consists of skinny dipping, and a creepy younger brother. The other involves bestiality. When I first read about the naked pool party, I was shocked. McMurtry described a party in a pool where no clothes were required. "'That's my little brother Sandy' Bobby Sheen said. 'Don't pay any attention to him-he's not in the club. He just likes to swim under water with his mask on and look at girls" (94) This quote sums up the attitudes of the people that Jacy wants to hang around. They don't care about anyone but themselves. I don't know why Jacy would want to hang around them anyway.
Another strange event that I felt extremely awkward reading was when all of the boys went down to a farm to have sex with a blind cow. I have never felt more uncomfortable reading a book than I did the moment I read this. They grew up thinking that this was normal. "The farm kids did it with cows, mares, sheep, dogs, and whatever else they could catch. (103.) McMurtry makes this sound completely normal for the town of Thalia- I could not be more thankful that I did not live in Thalia during that time period The other strange aspect of this was that the boys stood around and watched people rape the cow, like it was no big deal. This story will scar me for the rest of my life.
But other than the weird events, this book is pretty good. It is fascinating to see what a small Texan city was like back in the day. It is intriguing because it allows the reader to get into the character's heads, and to see what a small Texan town was like back in the day. |
| posted by Caroline Marsh @ 5:54 PM |
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| Quotations |
| I will share with you some of my favorite quotes from this novel so far.
"Who you love is your own pretty self and what you really love is knowing you're pretty." (46)
This is said by Lois Farrow to her daughter, Jacy. At this moment, Lois is telling Jacy that she doesn't really love Duane, and that she only loves herself and how he makes her feel pretty. Lois says that the only reason Jacy is "in love" with Duane is because he tells her she is beautiful all the time. This quote really shows how naiive many of the people back then were- all they cared about was money and looks. I believe that this shows how all women picked their mates back in the day- they picked the one that would become the wealthiest. Later, Lois goes on to describe how she scared her husband into becoming rich and how now "he's done nothing but run around trying to find things to please me. He's never found the right things but he made a million dollars looking." Money runs her relationship and she's trying to make it run her daughters. I just hope that Jacy does not leave Duane for Lester, who has much more money. We'll see.
"It took a rich, fast crowd to go swimming naked, and Jacy always prided herself on belonging to the fastest crowd there was, moral or immoral. Indeed, for a rich, pretty girl like herself the most immoral thing imaginable would be to belong to a slow crowd. That would be wasting opportunities, and nothing was more immoral than waste." (83)
This is being thought by Jacy when she is contemplating whether or not to go to the party with Lester and ditch Duane. I like this quote because she is being very ironic. She says that it would be immoral to waste opportunities, but the real immoral thing was going to a naked party. She never once thinks about the improperness of the party, and she is constantly thinking of how it would put her in the fastest crowd there was. She only cares about being in the greatest, most "popular" crowd around. Jacy does not take into consideration how her boyfriend would react, or how it would hurt him, and I think that says alot about her character and her personality. She clearly does not have morals, for if she did she would not go to that party- that's why this quote is ridiculous and ironic.
"Loneliness is like ice. After you've been lonely long enough you don't even realize you're cold, but you are. It's like I was a refrigerator that had never been defrosted at all-never. All these years the ice has just been getting thicker. You can't melt all that ice in a few days, I don't care how good a man you are... I don't know, maybe at the center of me there's some ice that never will melt, maybe it's just been there too long. But you mustn't worry. You didn't put it there." (126)
This is said by Ruth to Sonny after she realizes that he is hesitant to make love to her again. I really like this quote because of the weird comparison that she uses. I don't think that many people would think to compare loneliness to ice in a refrigerator- and that is why it is so strong and memorable. Like ice in a refrigerator, her loneliness kept building up, until there was a thick wall of it. And she did not expect him (Sonny) to get rid of that ice all in one day, but maybe over the course of time, it would eventually defrost and make her able to love again. I love this metaphor because she is showing sadness and loneliness through it, but at the same time she is reassuring Sonny that he had nothing to do with it and that there is still hope for him and her.
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| posted by Caroline Marsh @ 5:39 PM |
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| November 22, 2009 |
| Relationships between the characters. |
In the first few chapters, the reader gains a look into the relationship between many of the characters- Sonny and Charlene, Jacy and Duane, and even the boys and Billy. Sonny and Charlene: Both of the characters do not feel much attraction for the other, and it is apparent that Sonny would much rather be with Jacy, the beau of his best friend, Duane. "Occasionally the two couples double-dated, but that was really harder on Sonny than no date at all. With all four of them squeezed up in the cab of the pickup it was impossible for him to ignore the fact that Jacy was several times as desirable as Charlene. Even if it was totally dark, her perfume smelled better. For days after such a date Sonny had very disloyal fantasies involving himself and Jacy." (Page 12). I believe Sonny has a want- maybe even as extreme as a need for Jacy, and as if he only stays with Charlene to get closer to Jacy. Charlene also has greater feelings for someone other than Sonny. She always has Duane on her mind. When she gives Sonny pictures of herself, even he can tell that she had the intention of impressing Duane. That shows the extent of their relationship. They stayed together to exchange physical contact, but nothing more than that- there were no emotional aspects of their relationship. Sonny and Charlene keep this relationship going for a year, but at that point, neither of them can keep it together any longer. Sonny becomes sick of their routine relationship, and can't take it anymore. The only thing that either of them care about, however, are the objects that they had given eachother. Sonny only cares about his football jacket- "He was amazed that breaking up with herhad been so easy: all he felt was a strong sense of relief at having his football jacket back (27.)" That jacket meant more to him than his yearlong relationship, and afterwards, he did not feel remorse for his newly ended relationship, but only happiness that the jacket was now in his hands. And Charlene only cared that the pictures that she had given Sonny were back in her hands. "And you can give me back my pictures. I don't want you showin' 'em to a lot of other boys and tellin' them how hot I am." (23)Everyone knew that Charlene wasn't the "hottest" in the town, but I think that she was saying that to make him upset over losing her- even if she didn't really care about his feelings toward her. She later goes to say that she could have happily stabbed Sonny with an ice pick, and no one that has actual feelings for someone would not want to cheerfully stab their partner. Their relationship was clearly not real, and only to be used to try and get with someone else. I feel that this relationship is a good representation of alot of relationships out there- many are just in it for the physical aspects, and to make someone else jealous. Duane and Jacy Duane and Jacy have a very intimate relationship. They spend every Saturday night together, usually at the Picture Show, where they engaged in physical activity. "Jacy and Duane kept right on kissing, even when the movie ended and the lights came on. They didn't break their clinch until Billy came down from the balcony with his broom, and began to sweep." (20) This shows how enthralled they were with eachother- they didn't even know what was going on around them. They are too in love to realize what is in their surroundings. Jacy's mom does not want her to be with Duane either. He is from a poor family, and according to her parents, "in about two months he'd quit flattering you and you wouldn't be rich anymore and life wouldn't be near as much fun for you as it is right now." (46) To Jacy's family, money is key, so I am interested as to see what comes of their relationship. Personally, I think that Jacy will give in to her parents, and leave Duane. Money is too important to her, and with Duane being poor, I believe she will give up on him and move on to some other rich boy. |
| posted by Caroline Marsh @ 2:25 PM |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Setting/ About the Author |
I began reading The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry. I have heard nothing but good things about it, and I wanted to read it for myself. The reviews I have read are all positive, full of praise, and state that it is a classic, and a great "coming of age novel." Larry McMurtry grew up in Archer City, Texas, a small, rural town. Archer city is the model for the town of Thalia, which is present in many of his works, including The Last Picture Show. "There was only one car parked on the courthouse square-the night watchman's old white Nash. A cold norther was singing in off the plains, swirling long ribbons of dust down Main Street, the only street in Thalia with businesses on it. " (1) The town is described as eerily empty, abandoned. "Sometimes Sonny felt like he was the only human creature in the town." (1) This makes you feel the despair and loneliness of Thalia, and even of the people in it. These descriptions help the reader get a feel for the small Western town that the novel is set in. There is only one street that has businesses on it, and the rest of the town is housing or empty. It is the typical "Small town USA" setting, and makes me picture tumbleweeds, and desert climate. Larry McMurtry also wrote many other books, a few of which were sequels to The Last Picture Show. This book recieved so much praise that it was eventually turned into a movie. The movie version of The Last Picture Showrecieved much praise, and I will probably watch it when I am finished reading the book. He also wrote and produced Brokeback Mountain, which is one of his most famous works. Larry McMurtry is a great writer, and I already enjoy his work- after reading just a portion of the book. I am looking forward to the rest of it, and will continue to post about my reading. |
| posted by Caroline Marsh @ 8:06 PM |
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| Setting/ About the Author |
I began reading The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry. I have heard nothing but good things about it, and I wanted to read it for myself. The reviews I have read are all positive, full of praise, and state that it is a classic, and a great "coming of age novel."Larry McMurtry grew up in Archer City, Texas, a small, rural town. Archer city is the model for the town of Thalia, which is present in many of his works, including The Last Picture Show. "There was only one car parked on the courthouse square-the night watchman's old white Nash. A cold norther was singing in off the plains, swirling long ribbons of dust down Main Street, the only street in Thalia with businesses on it. " (1) The town is described as eerily empty, abandoned. "Sometimes Sonny felt like he was the only human creature in the town." (1) This makes you feel the despair and loneliness of Thalia, and even of the people in it. These descriptions help the reader get a feel for the small Western town that the novel is set in. There is only one street that has businesses on it, and the rest of the town is housing or empty. It is the typical "Small town USA" setting, and makes me picture tumbleweeds, and desert climate.
Larry McMurtry also wrote many other books, a few of which were sequels to The Last Picture Show. This book recieved so much praise that it was eventually turned into a movie. The movie version of The Last Picture Show recieved much praise, and I will probably watch it when I am finished reading the book. He also wrote and produced Brokeback Mountain, which is one of his most famous works.
Larry McMurtry is a great writer, and I already enjoy his work- after reading just a portion of the book. I am looking forward to the rest of it, and will continue to post about my reading.
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| posted by Caroline Marsh @ 7:13 PM |
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| November 10, 2009 |
| About the Author |
I began reading The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry. I have heard nothing but good things about it, and I wanted to read it for myself. The reviews I have read are all positive, full of praise, and state that it is a classic, and a great "coming of age novel." Larry McMurtry grew up in Archer City, Texas, a small, rural town. Archer city is the model for the town of Thalia, which is present in many of his works, including The Last Picture Show. "There was only one car parked on the courthouse square-the night watchman's old white Nash. A cold norther was singing in off the plains, swirling long ribbons of dust down Main Street, the only street in Thalia with businesses on it. " (1) The town is described as eerily empty, abandoned. "Sometimes Sonny felt like he was the only human creature in the town." (1) This makes you feel the despair and loneliness of Thalia, and even of the people in it. These descriptions help the reader get a feel for the small Western town that the novel is set in. There is only one street that has businesses on it, and the rest of the town is housing or empty. It is the typical "Small town USA" setting, and makes me picture tumbleweeds, and desert climate. Larry McMurtry also wrote many other books, a few of which were sequels to The Last Picture Show. This book recieved so much praise that it was eventually turned into a movie. The movie version of The Last Picture Showrecieved much praise, and I will probably watch it when I am finished reading the book. He also wrote and produced Brokeback Mountain, which is one of his most famous works. Larry McMurtry is a great writer, and I already enjoy his work- after reading just a portion of the book. I am looking forward to the rest of it, and will continue to post about my reading. |
| posted by Caroline Marsh @ 8:07 PM |
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