REMEMBER OR FORGET?

As The Road continues, we realize that that the father and the son are going south in order to escape from the cold harsh winter. The author doesn’t tell us where, the only thing we know is that it is somewhere south. In their way to the south they are forced to overcome several issues and see disturbing images through the road. One of this is when they pass through the city.

“They passed through the city at noon of the day following. He kept the pistol to
hand on the folded tarp on top of the cart. He kept the boy close to his side. The
city was mostly burned. No sign of life. Cars in the street caked with ash, everything
covered with ash and dust. Fossil tracks in the dried sludge. A corpse in a doorway
dried to leather. Grimacing at the day. He pulled the boy closer. Just remember that
the things you put into your head are there forever, he said. You might want to think
about that.
You forget some things, dont you?
Yes. You forget what you want to remember and you remember what you want to
forget.” (The Road, pg. 6)
This part of the book really shocked me since it is really sad to see that the children has to see all this tragic things being so young. I really like the way McCarthy describes everything so good that you get a clear picture of the setting in which it all is taking place.
As well, in the last part of this quotation, it says that “you forget what you want to remember and you remember what you want to forget.” I thought this was extremely interesting since its true that somehow, and for some strange reason, we always forget the thing we want to remember, but always remember those things that we wish had never happened. I think this mainly happens due to the fact that the things we remember are the ones which were most shocking and transformed us the most.

TRUST AND THE BEGINNING OF THE ROAD

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, is a novel which narrates the story of a father and his son as they struggle after the “end of the world”. At the beginning of the book, they encounter themselves in a cave sleeping as if they had lost all their belongings. As readers, with this scene we can infer that the father and the son are survivors of a world catastrophe which took away everything they had, including their beliefs.
“He knew only that the child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of
God God never spoke.” (The Road, pg. 3)

In this quotation from the book we can see how the father is in an enormous spiritual battle in which he has lost so much, that for him the child is his only hope. If he lost him he wouldn’t have anything left, since he is the only reason for him struggling to survive the horrible conditions. The child does not only serve as an allegory for hope, but as well represents the only innocence that remains. As a kid, he is actually not aware of the events that are happening and has no control over them, since he is frequently trusting hid Dad and obeying him.
“Can I ask you something? he said.
Yes. Of course.
Are we going to die?
Sometime. Not now.
And we're still going south.
Yes.
So we'll be warm.
Yes.
Okay.
Okay what?
Nothing. Just okay.
Go to sleep.
Okay.
I'm going to blow out the lamp. Is that okay?
Yes. That's okay.
And then later in the darkness: Can I ask you something?
Yes. Of course you can.
What would you do if I died?
If you died I would want to die too.
So you could be with me?
Yes. So I could be with you.
Okay. “(The Road, Pg. 5-6)

The son sees his father as a role model and a person he can trust, and due to this he never questions his decisions and agrees with everything he says. This is clear in the excerpt above in which we can see how he responds by saying “Okay” to everything.
In this first chapters I really liked the way McCarthy is telling the story with so many details, making everything sound so real and melancholic. Also, while reading these pages I enjoyed a lot the relationship between both characters since it is based on trust and relying on each other to move on. The Father needs the child for hope, and the child needs the Father to take care of him.

Want a Haircut??

Throughout Coming through Slaughter, Buddy Bolden is portrayed as a strange character which not only is extremely talented, but as well has this psychopath demented side. This is clearly proved by one scene specifically in which Bolden murders Picket in the barbershop. Here is a quotation from page 73 which clearly demonstrates this.
"Right on my head. But i still have the razor and we stand looking at each other. The blood drooling of his chin on to the wet shredded shirt. He takes a quick look at himself in the mirror and the tears just rush out of his face. I am exhausted, sorry for him. Got no anger at him now. I'm finished i'm empty but i cant tell him. What the hell is wrong with me? And Picket's face is hard waiting to come for me, looking around the room." (Ondaatje, pg.73)
Right from the very first part of the quotation, by Buddy saying: "Right on my head. But i still have the razor and we stand looking at each other”, we as readers know that he is in control of the situation since he has the razor and is about to attack. All of a sudden, we see how he kills Picket slowly and although he affirms to be “exhausted, sorry for him” he continues the murder. This part is fundamental for the development on our perspective about Buddy since it definitely shows how he has this double interior identity fight. Somehow, he appears to be good and wants to stop killing Picket, but at the same time he continues doing it. It seems as if some interior force was controlling him and he had so much anger inside that just made him explode. Buddy Bolden is a man who is completely lost in life, and it seems that the only way in which he is able to express himself and be free at last is through music.
Although it sounds really random, this part of the book reminded me a lot of Sweeney Todd and in all the crimes he commits in the barbershop throughout the movie.
Since I know how much this has gotten you excited about getting a haircut I posted a video below which will make this possible!

Dragging his bone over town...

Michael Ondaatje´s book, Coming Through Slaughter, does not only expose the life of cornet player Buddy Bolden, but as well describes the Jazz Age in such way that you feel as if you had been there. In the novel (somehow a biography), the author uses a very unique and particular form in order to transmit a message, a form which is not linear and keeps us readers traveling from place to place and from time to time. This is definitely not coincidence, since by doing this Ondaatje is bringing Buddy back to life.
Buddy Bolden used to be an extremely talented jazz player, but his life was totally unstable. He never settled down in a place, and as much as he tried he kept on moving around, leaving the ones who cared about him and looking for new experiences. In effect, Ondaatje´s structure serves perfectly as an example to understand Buddy´s constant indecision and his emotions towards living. In order to infer all this ideas, the author incorporates small verses of some songs that somehow transmit Bolden´s feelings, just as he did in reality. The following song is found in the book and it certainly important.

Nora´s song

“Dragging his bone over town. Dragging his bone over town.
Dragging his bone over town. Dragging his
bone over town. Dragging his bone
over and over dragging his bone over town.
Then and then and then and then
dragging his bone over town
and then
dragging his bone home” (Ondaatje, pg.17)

As the title of the song suggests, this indeed relates to Bolden´s wife, Nora Bass, and her constant instability with Bolden. As the lyrics say Buddy is always “dragging his bone over town”, meaning that he is frequently moving from one place to another. Somehow, he appears being lost in life and careless about everything. Bolden moves from place to place, leaving Nora and his beloved ones behind, until finally de begins “dragging his bone home”. It is really amazing how Ondaatje by using various resources, including the use of song verses, can leave us readers with such a wide and interesting perspective of Buddy Bolden and of the beginnings of jazz.