Post by Kyra Benjamin on Sept 30, 2015 7:25:42 GMT
The beginning of the story was really familiar to me and once I got to the part about him swimming in the bath and the students making fun of him I remembered I’d seen an animation of this however long ago; I wonder why that part is what stuck the most.
Anyways so much happened in this book I almost feel the ending was too simple and didn’t match but many books end in this manner. Throughout reading I thought this reminded me a lot of The Catcher in the Rye, although this protagonist is more likeable, and as I’m writing this now I also feel the way someone new to town gets wrapped up in the scandals of the established residents is reminiscent of The Great Gatsby.
People like the Redshirt, both in literature and life, who intentionally cause all kinds of unhappiness for their own gain and never face real justice or consequence for their actions upset me like no other. He wasn’t as heinous but nonetheless that Iago style manipulation makes me so angry and I couldn’t possibly feel any sympathy for him. Against that kind of cunning character there isn’t always much you can do, but though he was a somewhat upright character and I understood his feelings most of my sympathy isn’t with Botchan either; it’s like that saying fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. In that case though it may seem a bit hypocritical, but I felt the most sympathy for the Pale Squash. Unlike Botchan he really couldn’t fight back or stand up for himself enough, he was too meek and that’s most likely why Redshirt knew he’d be able to get away with all he did. The Hanger was just a lackey, following along and riding on the coattails of Redshirt, a yes-man. Those types are really just as bad if not worse than people like Redshirt and I feel no sympathy for him either.
Question: Botchan says “To get a genuine apology from somebody, you’re going to have to keep beating them until their regret is genuine too.” (ch. 10, pg 116) So then do you think after his beating Redshirt found genuine regret and changed his ways?
Anyways so much happened in this book I almost feel the ending was too simple and didn’t match but many books end in this manner. Throughout reading I thought this reminded me a lot of The Catcher in the Rye, although this protagonist is more likeable, and as I’m writing this now I also feel the way someone new to town gets wrapped up in the scandals of the established residents is reminiscent of The Great Gatsby.
People like the Redshirt, both in literature and life, who intentionally cause all kinds of unhappiness for their own gain and never face real justice or consequence for their actions upset me like no other. He wasn’t as heinous but nonetheless that Iago style manipulation makes me so angry and I couldn’t possibly feel any sympathy for him. Against that kind of cunning character there isn’t always much you can do, but though he was a somewhat upright character and I understood his feelings most of my sympathy isn’t with Botchan either; it’s like that saying fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. In that case though it may seem a bit hypocritical, but I felt the most sympathy for the Pale Squash. Unlike Botchan he really couldn’t fight back or stand up for himself enough, he was too meek and that’s most likely why Redshirt knew he’d be able to get away with all he did. The Hanger was just a lackey, following along and riding on the coattails of Redshirt, a yes-man. Those types are really just as bad if not worse than people like Redshirt and I feel no sympathy for him either.
Question: Botchan says “To get a genuine apology from somebody, you’re going to have to keep beating them until their regret is genuine too.” (ch. 10, pg 116) So then do you think after his beating Redshirt found genuine regret and changed his ways?
