Pet pt.1 reflection

 Elizabeth Thompson

Dr. Ellis

EN 376

15 November 2023

Inner Monster

            Pet is initially described by Jam’s parents as a monster, and he takes offense to that. Yet, he assumes a protective role over Jam while her parents fight and reprimands them saying, “Are you not ashamed, are you not full of shame, see how shameful you shamelessly shout about me being here, not once thinking if your child was safe, without noticing her, you shame things, where are your eyes, they are not clouded by shame, but maybe they should be” (47).

            In a single breath, a single sentence of run-on clauses, he berates them with authority. They become the cowering child they have made of Jam. There is a strange dynamic between Pet and the parents, especially Bitter, his creator. Is Pet Bitter’s inner monster taken form via her outlet of painting? Is Pet even a monster if only some humans are monsters? Pet is made with and of Bitter’s hands. Is he her creation or a part of herself, and what does it imply that Jam was the one who gave life to him? What does it imply that Pet is the one to shame Bitter? Pet seems to have some kind of relation to Bitter’s psyche in his protectiveness of Jam and use of Bitter’s reasoning at moments. He has no eyes, but he tells Bitter her eyes are unclouded by shame although they maybe should be. How does Pet perceive or navigate the world? Does his lack of eyes make him an objective witness? Perhaps he cannot see because Bitter does not want the monstrous parts of herself to be witnessed. Perhaps he takes offense at “monster” because ultimately, he is still a part of Bitter that loves Jam, and that love is not monstrous and ugly.

            It will be interesting to see how Pet interacts with Bitter in the future and whether or not his presence will be productive or destructive to the psyches around him.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LaValle Reflection

  Elizabeth Thompson Dr. Ellis EN 376 6 November 2023 Identity and Mission             LaValle characterizes Grimace’s mission as a spiritual one that is suited to his identity. Near the end of the book Kim says, “Each of us gets the job that suits us. You have been used to hearing the voices others can’t hear… That’s why you’re the Signalman” (37). She then says she is the Pilot because traveling between Earth and the Astral City requires “Someone used to navigating between a world where they’re understood and a world where they’re misjudged” (37). While Kim is talking about the displacement of her people from Africa across the world via colonization and living as a sort of misjudged alien in those places, she could also be alluding to her gender identity. When Grimace asks her what she thinks about church, Kim says, “Half my good memories happened in my church. A few of the bad ones too. But it’s like first love, it always has a place in your heart” (24). Later, she jokes with Grimac
Read more

Adeyemi 2nd Weekly Reflection

  Joshua Singh Dr. Ellis EN 376 Second Adeyemi Reflection One of the benefits the novel’s structure serves is that each chapter follows the perspective of a singular character. This can also highlight the parallels between different characters' realizations of what is happening around them as well as how this realization compares to what they have been taught growing up. More specifically, Amari and Inan’s internal conflictedness stands at odds with their father’s teaching, and their maturation is seen through how they define themselves against him. For example, Amari does not want to emulate her father’s violence and cruelty, nor does she want to continue in the path of violence and destruction that he has shown her since the beginning of his reign. After she kills one of the captains, the spectators of Orisha applaud them and call Amari “Lionare.” Rather than feeling honored by this, Amari rebukes any of the glorification that would usually accompany being cheered on with a t
Read more

LaVelle Reflection, We Travel the Spaceways

 Ruth Owusu  Dr. Juniper Ellis  Postcolonial Literature  LaVelle Reflection, We Travel the Spaceways     In the short story, We Travel the Spaceways, it is an oddly entertaining story. I understood it to be an inside look into Grimace's daily life and mind as a homeless man in New York City. Even in this futuristic tale, homelessness is still a struggle and people's treatment remains negative. However, with the arrival of Kim, she is unlike the other human beings. She is willing to sit, talk, and walk with Grimace and together be a part of each world. That fact, I would say was a big takeaway for me in how Kim was receptive and kind to Grimace, fully aware of his status in society. This was only possible because she was a spirit made flesh. There are many times when his soda bottles, labeled as his friends, would talk with him but also guide him as a means of protection, in rough times. As well as, his mind thinking about space and the Pathfinders. All these measures were a par
Read more