Manners, Jack, Manners

    When we were reading about Jack's interactions with people in the outside world, I was struck by Jack's lack of manners. People definitely picked up on this, causing Ma to have to "teach" Jack manners. Yet, due to Ma's decent job at raising Jack in Room, I'm not sure why she wouldn't have taught him manners in the first place. Jack is able to understand what most people are saying, and respond appropriately, yet has no idea what "no, thanks" means or when to use it. He needs to constantly remind himself which polite phrase to use when talking to people.
    It's not Jack's difficulty in using manners that surprises me most; it's that Ma didn't teach him them. I was raised by a single mother, and although we weren't trapped in a room, we spent most of our time together. My mom still emphasized using manners when talking to her. Did Jack's Ma simply not think about using manners with Jack after destroying her body during the first two years in Room? Probably not, as she used polite etiquette when talking and writing notes to Old Nick after she bore Jack. So why did she explain these phrases to Jack? Jack also probably heard people with proper manners on TV. Does he think that it's something only for those people? Or did Ma never teach Jack manners because she didn't think they would escape from Room and that Jack would never need to use manners? Either way, I'm not very satisfied with Jack's or Ma's opinions on manners?

Is Jack still trapped in the room?

    One thing that I noticed in last night's reading was a sense that Jack was still living in Room. This idea is supported by small details in the text. For example, on page 208, when Dr. Clay sees Jack drawing a picture, Jack explains to him that there are walls around the spaceship. It seems like just a passing detail, all Jack says is "Walls" when Clay asks him what is around the rocket. I'm surprised that there wasn't a scene of Clay talking to Ma about these walls afterward, although this is Jack's narration, so maybe there did talk, but Jack didn't overhear anything. The biggest issue with these walls would probably be why Jack decided to include them in the picture. It's not as if Jack ever saw a rocket (TV excluded) inside Room, making this the only place he can picture one. He just decides to arbitrarily draw walls around something in a picture. Perhaps he thinks there's something different about the rocket (having only seen it on TV) that doesn't allow it to be placed in a picture with other "real" things, such as Ma and Nick.
    Further complicating the issue with Jack's rehabilitation to the world is his opinion on going outside. I would assume that, for someone who has only seen pictures of trees and parks and other kids for their whole life, they would want to go and experience these things that they saw. Now that Jack has this opportunity, he seems reluctant to take advantage of it. Instead, Jack seems almost ambivalent to the outside and expresses little interest in going there. This is evidenced by Ma's quote on page 210, "If we stay indoors all the time, it's like we never did our Great Escape at all." Later on, when Jack is in the van going the dentist, he doesn't seem to acknowledge that he is actually outside. Yes, he says that "we're actually driving outside the big gates to the rest of the world" (222). But Jack says "rest of the world," not outside. This seems to create a distinction between the outside world and actually walking outside in Jack's mind. It seems odd, yet given the 100 or so pages left in the book, I believe that this issue will come to pass or be resolved.

Prolonged Breastfeeding

    Tonight's reading was really interesting for other reasons than this, but I'm still confused about one thing. Why is Jack still breastfeeding? I don't know of any child his age that is breast fed. It's also advised to breastfeed your child for only around a year, as it provides nutrients for them that they otherwise cannot acquire during that time. It's not unheard of, breastfeeding a child until they are 5 or 6, but it certainly is odd in this situation, as Jack can receive all of the nutrients he needs through their vitamins.
    Another interesting part about this prolonged breastfeeding is Jack's language in describing it. He never once says the word 'breast,' he just refers to it as an act in which he "has some." He doesn't say anything about Ma's reaction to this. Looking at this unusual act from Ma's perspective is also interesting. Women who breastfeed their children for longer than the usual year are sometimes accused of doing it in their interest, for the sexual arousal. Given the lack of similarly aged males (or females) Ma has nobody to share sexual pleasures with. Old Nick's habit of raping her also might drive her to seek refuge via breastfeeding Jack.

The ending wasn't that bad

    Maybe it's my bike (and running) fetish that's influencing this, or my goal of biking across the country on a solar powered bike, but I'm not too disappointed with the ending to Memory of Running. Disclosure: I have 3 different bikes and use them all on a regular basis. One of them is electric, another is designed for riding in snow, sand, or other sub-optimal conditions, and the last is a 'normal' Raleigh with an 8 speed internal geared hub... I also have been running competitively since 7th grade.
    So, I'm drawn to the book for obvious reasons, but biking aside, I'm actually OK with the ending. Smithy makes it to California. A feat in itself for someone weighing nearly 300lbs without any training or riding experience in the past 20 years. He also loses weight (obviously) but more importantly, sets himself up for a new life. He has no job and little money, but now he has experience with tons of different people and the mental drive that you develop from doing the same task for 8 months.
    OK, so the part with Norma standing behind him while he cries to Bethany is a bit too good to be true. Yeah, there isn't an explanation for how this worked out, and I think that the book would be better if it didn't go this smoothly but be look at the other parts of the conclusion. It's not as if Smithy just got a new life, job, and tons of money handed to him. He still needs to get home, deal with his parents' possessions, get a job, and plan a wedding (obviously).

Osmithyeus

    Two apologies, one for the horrible title, and another because this post might seem totally obvious. Smithy is becoming a hero. He started the book as a lonely, fat alcoholic who just lost his immediate family. After setting out across the country on his bike, he has finally developed heroic traits. He survives being brutally and unjustly attacked, shot at, and verbally abused, while just trying to help other people. When Carl hits Smithy, instead of leaving him at the hospital and continuing his journey, Smithy stops and takes care of him. Although he doesn't save Carl's life, his actions are heroic. The other blatantly obvious example of Smithy's growing heroism is when he saves Kenny. Once again, Smithy goes out of his way to save a complete stranger, while also putting his life on the line. Smithy does end up saving Kenny's life, but nearly loses his; if the cop's bullet had been an inch to the side, Smithy would have bled out. It's also surprising that he survived falling into a freezing river after being shot.
    My idea for the horrible title came from a comparison between Smithy and Odysseus. Both characters are war "heroes," although one embraces this status more than the other (I'll let you decide who). Both go on a journey that is longer and more difficult that it should be. Yet Smithy develops a new character on his journey and saves strangers, while Odysseus kills characters and runs from strangers. I'm not totally sure what this connection means--or if it makes any sense--but it is interesting to compare these two men and their journeys.