Day 18 March 18, 2003
1. Names. Collect historical surveys. Some
journals to give back. Begin with Nickel
and Dimed on Thursday.
2. In the news:
Miranda, Eliz. Smart: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/17/national/17UTAH.html
Ryan, Horseshoe Bend, http://www.nps.gov/hobe/
Kristen, new flu strain, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,81235,00.html#top
Zach, NCAA
tourney, http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/18/sports/ncaabasketball/18KENT.html?pagewanted=1
Erica, Bush’s speech, http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/18/international/middleeast/18IRAQ.html.
AP News,
Bush
Tells Saddam to Leave by Wednesday
35 minutes ago
Edging to the brink of war, President Bush gave Saddam
Hussein until Wednesday to leave his country and told Americans that military
confrontation will ultimately make them safer. 
Full Coverage
U.S.
Terror Alert Level Raised to 'High'
2 hours, 41 minutes ago
With war in Full Coverage
White
House to Seek Up to $90B for War
2 hours, 9 minutes ago
The White House is expected to ask Congress for up to $90
billion to pay for a war with Full Coverage
Gulf
Veteran Executed for Killing Soldier
21 minutes ago
A decorated Gulf War veteran who claimed
his exposure to Iraqi nerve gas caused him to rape and kill a female
soldier was executed by injection Tuesday at a federal prison. Full Coverage
Americans
Divided on Iraq After Speech
1 hour, 25 minutes ago
As Molly Tipton listened to President Bush's message to the
nation, she found herself agreeing with parts of it. But she still sees the
prospect of war with
3. Today I’d like to do some more reflection on War Memorials, and think around and beyond it as well, to the kinds of implications for American society that it contains and implies, especially in two areas: how men define themselves as “men,” and the long-term effects of military service, experience, and training.
So. When Clint McCown was here last
spring he talked about raising questions, not providing easy answers, and I
respect him for that. Here’s a question that I think we might continue to ask,
emerging from this book: What does it take to make the passage to manhood in
What are they? Getting a driver’s license? Finishing school, getting a degree, getting a job? Turning 21? Serving in the military, playing on a championship team, getting married, fathering a child? What’s Nolan’s problem with all of these things? He’s shut out of them, for one reason or another. And/or: the rites prove to be themselves suspect, or to teach people ways of living and being that aren’t especially useful. Another question: what kind of men result from particular ways of defining manhood? There’s the old saw: “The God you worship is the God you deserve.”
Some passages and ideas to consider:
110,
Brother Willis: “If that man can do good works, so can we
all!”
132: Tump’s ancestors, conscripted and court-martialed, executed for being messy.
“Buried Treasure”: The stuff that’s buried in the ground, that Dell wants to clean up, 138 ff. The vision of Alma, who turns out to have more of a plan than Nolan expects, 145, besides looking good without her shirt. The money is in probate, of course, but still.
“Some Assembly Required”: chopping out stumps, heatstroke, then the marvelous conversation with the traveling Jesus guy, 152 ff., who turns out to be named Chet. He’s on disability—“they say I cracked up in the Marine Corps.” Another conversation about what one learns in the military, 156 ff. “Mostly what I learned was not to think for myself.” Not a bad thing in a complicated world: “You ain’t got to figure nothing out for yourself, you just got to do what you’re told and act like you’re supposed to.”
“Except for being a Jesus-loving lunatic, Chet really wasn’t too bad a guy.”
Pattern here? dangers that strike suddenly, unpredictably?
“Demolition Derby”: Buddy Pilot, who turns out to be the guy who shot Tump, more or less accidentally. The problem with Buddy, Nolan says, is that he’s an “unaffiliated misfit.” (171)
The demolition derby, which turns out to be mainly cars they’ve repossessed—Nolan watches them get crunched, 174. The Jaycees are raising money . . . for a new war memorial, of course, for the Gulf War, 175.
176: key passage on the “imaginary monument” for all the un-military casualties, Nolan, his cousin, his grandmother and sister-in-law and brother and mother and maybe his wife.
Steve shows up, then, trashing Ricky Malone’s car with his backhoe. Seems he’s after Ricky because both Steve and Tump were Marines. Baby-faced delinquents in the crowd, like Nolan and all the rest, “capable of just about anything” (178).
Nolan talks to Frank Shelton, who just might be Donna’s mystery lover and who Nolan tries to set up with Donna again. And Nolan goes to confront Buddy, who’s running the dart booth.
Maybe I was most surprised by his idea that Nolan needs to “become a veteran,” and that he does that by throwing all those darts at poor Buddy and by looking back so that Steve Pitts will blow himself up. Buddy needs to be brought to justice for shooting Tump with an arrow, surely, but by throwing fifteen darts at him?
“Revelations”:
Nolan’s palms are “clever forgeries.” His future’s still illegible, in doubt,
but
He’s driven off the road by two teenage punks, then finds Steve Pitts with his backhoe packed full of dynamite and fireworks. Turns out Steve has a brain tumor, maybe the product of the weird chemicals he worked around in the Marines. “I’d have been good in a war,” he says, 198. “Instead, I got peacetime.”
He
tells Nolan that Laney went up to
“That Angle . . .” Laney and Nolan out at the Horseshoe Bend battlefield, still uncertain. Naturally it turns out complicated, but they do start talking. Montgomery, the first guy killed: Laney said “He might have been one of those psychotic lunatics who just wanted to be a war hero.” Like Steve, we assume. 210
“I’m glad you never went into the army,” she tells Nolan. Memorials and what we learn from them. The battle turned into slaughter because “the goddamned fanatics wouldn’t let anybody quit.” 211.
Nolan had ancestors on both sides—his Creek great-grandmother never would have met his great-grandfather if not for the battle and the cloud that floated over. “We’re all just the natural products of the last ten thousand years of tribal warfare.” 212.
Nolan has a new job at the Salvation Army. Symbolic, no doubt.
Finally they talk about their marriage, a bit—Laney says he’s boring, and he agrees. But he goes to get their stuff from the dog, and manages it—the dog turns out not to be rabid after all, just young. And it ends with the chance they’ll go on. He’s not a big hitter, but he can “check my swing and draw the walk.”
5. About hierarchies: we talked about Celie, stuck at the bottom of a bunch of them. What about Nolan? He’s a white male, which gives him points in two areas. But otherwise? He’s not educated, not especially smart, his wife’s not faithful, he’s dependent on his father for money, he was never an athletic hero nor a war hero like Steve Pitts and his dad. In some ways, his fix is comparable to Celie’s—not as awful, surely, but no real picnic either. Like her, he wants love and work and friends. He doesn’t want to be an unaffiliated misfit.
Looking
out beyond this book, isn’t this a pretty common problem for American males,
especially those from working-class backgrounds who aren’t especially drawn to
or successful at academic work? How do you establish yourself as a man?
You get a good job and marry a desirable woman, right? But how do you get a
good job if the factories have all moved to
6. Another issue: what does military service do to people? This book suggests that its effects are often long-lasting and dramatic even when they’re not very visible, yes? Some of the veterans are enthusiastic about what they learned, but their enthusiasm seems a bit shaky to us, doesn’t it?
On
the effects of military training, David Grossman piece from Christianity
Today that I found on the web at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/8t9/8t9030.html
(from a lecture delivered at
It never occurs to Grossman, or if it does he doesn’t mention it, that military training also feeds directly into violence in civilian life, because military-trained killers do mostly reenter civilian life.
Student Responses
The main thing that caught me by surprise in this book is
the relationship between Nolan and his wife. It's unbelievable that a
couple could live their lives that way and pretty much think nothing of
it. On page 173, Nolan says, "prone to making more than my usual
share of mistakes." I take this to mean that he blames himself for
his wife straying from him. As far as I can tell, Nolan seems to be an
okay guy. He just doesn't fit the standards of the town in that he never
joined the armed forces and was never a football star. As for his
attraction to
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/17/national/17UTAH.html
I was very greatful to learn last
week taht Elizabeth SMart
had been found. I think that it will be some time before
Miranda Thorn
Response over
War Memorials
Ryan Whitaker
I
feel bad for Nolan, but some of the stuff that happens to him seems far fetched
but really this man can not catch a break at all. Does the guy ever live one
normal event in his life? He just tries to live a normal life and do things
that abide the law but he comes across some of the strangest of situations. One
day he is walking around town trying to find a job to make some money, and the
next thing he knows, he is saving people from snakes. Also when he is meeting
his father and Morgan and Tump to take a road trip
with them, and then he walks into the store and Tump
gets shot in the side by an arrow. Can’t
Nolan ever get anything to go his way?
Really he must think his life sucks cause
everything bad happens to him it seems like.
My
first response to the reading is that I've enjoyed the book. There were several
times I found myself actually laughing inside when I was reading. One example
is when Nolan is forced to bury the dead lizard in the yard while it is
raining. As he stands there with his
wife, he feels like he should say something, so he blurts out, "He was a
good lizard", and then starts laughing. I mean he's already in deep crap
with his wife because she thinks he killed the lizard, and then to start
laughing about the situation is hilarious.
My second response is that the way the Pastor singles Nolan out at the fair. I
couldn’t believe that a man of the Lord would actually do something that would
embarrass someone like that, plus he is a man of Holiness what gives him the
power and right to do anything like that.
He says things like "Even the least among us is blessed, just look
at this man (Nolan)" Nolan is just an ordinary guy trying to figure out
the mess that has been his life, he isn't looking for any attention, he tries
to be nice and polite to people, and he hates his job as a repossession man,
and everyone acts like he enjoys taking people's possessions. He feels bad
enough about his life, and then the pastor acts like Nolan gives everyone hope
since he is the biggest low-life in the world.
The address of the Web site I found that relates to this reading is:
http://www.nps.gov/hobe/
At the end of War Memorials I
found the situation with Nolan and Steve Pitts interesting and not expected.
Throughout the entire book Nolan avoids confrontation at all costs. Finally Nolan confronts Steve about Laney by
telling him to “back off from Laney” (198).
It seems that Nolan still has a hope that something will happen between
him and his wife to make their marriage better and he doesn’t want Steve to
figure into it. It turns out that Nolan
didn’t need to worry about Laney and Steve anymore because Steve had a plan to
kill himself and went through with it. I
was glad that Nolan finally got the guts to confront Steve about the affair
that he was having with his wife. It
bothered me that Nolan was so passive in the book and not sticking up for
things. In the last chapter some
interesting things happen between Nolan and Laney. They actually start to act like they are
married when they go to visit the war memorial.
Nolan and Laney have an interesting conversation about war and Laney
tells Nolan that she is glad that he never went into the army. Nolan admitted that he felt left out in their
town where almost every person had been in a war. This conversation about war is probably the
longest one that they had in the entire book.
When Laney finds out about Nolan’s new job she is very happy for him and
even calls him “sweetheart” (213). As
the reader I started to think that their marriage was going to work out after
all. The entire scene with Nolan going out after the dog seems to be him
showing Laney that he wasn’t the boring man that she thought he was. Nolan was starting to see the possible change
that was happening in his life. Change
was something that he had grown used to and could explain why he didn’t see
much bothered by anything. Nolan had
grown to like uncertainly and change in his own life. I think that it was something that kept him
going and he almost even looked forward to it.
I think there is a lesson to be learned from his outlook on change. We need to take things as they come and not
get too excited when change happens because the guesswork in life keeps us
moving in someway that we probably will never understand.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,81235,00.html#top
There have been a handful of cases of a mystery outbreak of a new flu
strain that has been going around the globe.
Doctors have said that there should not be panic because the strain does
not seem to be as aggressive as some other forms of influenza. There have been nine people that have died
but no more since this outbreak has been reported. The 167 cases that have appeared in the last
three weeks have been from health workers in
Kristen Washington
The Novel War Memorials
seems to hit me in a way that makes me question my
own personal reactions to
events and others around me. From watching Nolan
struggle and triumph with such life
issues as we all go through in life, it
makes me think that I too react
in similar ways. In away personal to my life
I felt strong convictions
evoked by reading this book. Like Nolan growing
up, I too felt that I wasn’t
close enough to God. I always felt that there
was something I needed to be
doing in order to establish a set place on the
right hand of God and set my
heaven reservation in stone. No matter the
institution of church and Sunday school
and 13 years of private Christian
school did this make me feel
anymore sure of my reservation. I guess like
Nolan I felt that I was just
unsure of being sure. Strange as it may seem I
think we all can be guilty of
this in some point in our life. I guess we see
those around us who are just so
wonderfully driven and know how to react and
know of their position that in a
way it makes those of us who are more
unsure about our standings feel
even more paranoid. Anyways . . . (sorry to
get off on a tangent), it just
was neat I felt how I could relate different
aspects of this book to my own
personal life . . .(not always true of most
other Novels). Another aspect
from the book was how Nolan faced different
relationships with people in his lives,
this all made him seem so real and
actually and tangible figure. And
how it touched on how time changes and
heals and also leaves some things
unsaid and or undone. Bottom line I liked
it, it made me think and I
can’t always say everything I always read evoke
such strong convictions.
Article response:
The New York Times
Fashion Tries to Smile on
the Outside
By CATHY HORYN http://nytimes.com/2003/03/18/fashion/shows/18FASH.html?8hpib
I know that there is
currently a lot going on in the world right now with
war and etc…. but personally I
am tired of hearing about all the
possibilities and promises and plans . .
. and on and on. That is why I
chose this article, but not to be
in contempt I would like to point out too
that with the issues at hand the
fashion industry, (as some may not feel
important) will and has been affected
in a large way. In the article Cathy
Horyn tells of the up and coming
trends that are focusing on happiness and
triumph, igniting bright and bold
styles and colors. This promotes strength
and power and for all of us who
feel we have no control right now of our
world, this is just the ticket.
The article also touched on the use of fur
now, it seems that the idea of
killing an animal for its fine coat isn’t as
important as war . . . who would have
thought! It also goes into the fact
that all wars cause a change in
production and costs. My thoughts are that
if we go to war it will happen
just as in the past wars and fashion will be
low key and less used (material
and extras). . . however in this article
my
own personal opinion is not the
case . . . I guess we may find out.
Erin Weber
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/18/sports/ncaabasketball/18KENT.html?pagewanted=1
Tonight Bush announced we may go to war, but I didn't want to write about
that. Every guy I know is starting pools, and asking people to join them
in the race for the NCAA mens college basketball
championship tournament. My favorite team, which is the Kentucky
Wildcats, has been picked by numerous guys in
The book War Memorials was a very interesting book. It definitely was a
change of pace from all previous texts we have read for this class. I
found it enjoyable and it kept my interest. Sometimes I found myself
feeling sorry for Nolan because he never seemed to do anything right. He
got fired from his fathers business, found a dead man, learned about his wife
cheating on him, he killed the lizard, and broke the
desk for starters. Overall, I feel this book was good. I liked the
story it had and I found it to be an enjoyable read.
Zach Simpkins
I found War Memorials really interesting. His life was really interesting – how everyone in his community thought the same way, but he was different. I wish I could have read more about his actual beliefs, but I think it was really well written. It talks a little bit about the religious struggles he goes through. When his younger brother and mother died, these were things that were difficult but he got over, and he felt bad for that. He really tries to become like everyone else in their beliefs, but he can’t do it. Something interesting that I found, which I wished would have been talked about more, was when Nolan was looking through the book on Andrew Jackson in the restaurant, and he was remembering a report he wrote many years earlier. He called it his anti-war, anti-Jackson, anti-American report. It’s amazing how much he differs from everyone else in his town. Patriotism seems to be such a huge part of that community. Another interesting part I read was when he was talking with some of the guys about the military, and Nolan says that most of what he knows about Jesus would put him pretty much at odds with the military. I loved this part, because I really agree with him. Jesus would never be involved in the military. Nolan also questions these men later in the book, wondering do they know what the real war is? I believe the real war is in ourselves. Evil is in all of us.
Last night
Bush gave Saddam Hessein 48 hours to do something
before the
Erica Wiebe
I really enjoyed reading
“War Memorials”, which surprised me because I
didn’t think that I would enjoy it
as much as I did. For the most part I
thought the story line was really
interesting and funny, although by the end
I sort of
felt like a lot of it was left undone. In
the beginning of the
book he talked a lot about his
dad and how he didn’t really feel like he fit
in, but they never really
cleared any of that up, by the end of the book
their situation was just as odd
as it had always been.
I also thought it was very interesting how the author brought
character into the book and brought
her and Nolan so close together yet
nothing ever came out of it in the
end. I didn’t want him to get back
together with Laney in the end
because it just didn’t seem right, they
didn’t seem happy together. I sort of thought that Laney was just
settling
for Nolan after Steve killed
himself, like her real love interest was gone
so she just stayed with him
because it was easy. I guess in my head
I had a
whole different ending planned
out, Laney would end up with Steve and Nolan
would end up
also curious to see whose baby
Laney was carrying, because I highly doubt it
was Nolan’s, and I don’t see
how he could not want to know, I don’t know how
he could just sit back and
raise someone else’s kid.
I found Steve Pitts’ character interesting because throughout
the whole
book he was built up like he was
a tough and hard character, and then in the
end when he killed himself he
seemed more like a coward. I also wasn’t
expecting him to kill himself either,
especially not the way he chose to in
the book. I was interesting though to see how the war
had affected him, he
never really mentioned his war
experiences until then. When it comes
right
down to it, the whole book is
basically about how the war affected everyone
in a different way. I think that Nolan’s character really grew a
lot in
this book, he broke out of his
shell and started to take advantage of his
life, instead of letting it take
control of him.
~Amy Rodabaugh