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Slot Machine -- writing and watching
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From: Nina Lindsay <nlindsay>
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 08:34:00 -600
Ginny's comments about Elvin's letters home made me think more about these sidelines that are such an intrinsic part of the development of this character. They do provide, for the reader, the clue, or foreshadowing, that Elvin is a "clever writer", so that, throughout all the soul-wrenching humiliation of his camp experiences, we're able to hold out hope. It's this hope that so delicately sets the deeply true-to-life tone of the story.
I think the aspect of this novel I appreciate most is the way in which Elvin
"finds himself". His sidetrack into wrestling and the resulting disappointment are something I've rarely seen in kids' books -- that is, that you can commit yourself wholy to something, and still find that not only is it not for you, but that you might not ever be able to get it. It's the real-life flip-side to the maxim of "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Actually, Elvin does end up "trying again", but just in a different direction -- perhaps we should say, "If at first you don't succeed, try again, but with a wider perspective" -- don't beat your 'failures' to death, but let them create possibilities. Then they become something besides
'failures'. I also appreciated the fact that, although he discovers the environment he needs in the Arts Sector, Elvin doesn't immediately find his "slot" there. Place, and people -- that is, community -- end up playing the largest role in his quest for individuality. This feeling of finding community is reinforced by the fact that what he discovers he likes to do most is just "watch". What an unproductive role in this society of individualism and work ethic! Just, WATCH? But watching, and writing about what he observes, is really what Elvin's been doing all along, in his narrative, and -- more concretely -- in his letters home to his mother. He's chronicling a community, and thus sharing, and supporting it. And it's through this effort that Elvin finds that his "slot" is as huge and accomodating as he can make it.
Nina Lindsay Student -- School of Library and Information Studies University of Wisconsin, Madsion nlindsay at mail.soemadison.wisc.edu nalindsa at macc.wisc.edu
Received on Thu 21 Mar 1996 08:34:00 AM CST
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 08:34:00 -600
Ginny's comments about Elvin's letters home made me think more about these sidelines that are such an intrinsic part of the development of this character. They do provide, for the reader, the clue, or foreshadowing, that Elvin is a "clever writer", so that, throughout all the soul-wrenching humiliation of his camp experiences, we're able to hold out hope. It's this hope that so delicately sets the deeply true-to-life tone of the story.
I think the aspect of this novel I appreciate most is the way in which Elvin
"finds himself". His sidetrack into wrestling and the resulting disappointment are something I've rarely seen in kids' books -- that is, that you can commit yourself wholy to something, and still find that not only is it not for you, but that you might not ever be able to get it. It's the real-life flip-side to the maxim of "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Actually, Elvin does end up "trying again", but just in a different direction -- perhaps we should say, "If at first you don't succeed, try again, but with a wider perspective" -- don't beat your 'failures' to death, but let them create possibilities. Then they become something besides
'failures'. I also appreciated the fact that, although he discovers the environment he needs in the Arts Sector, Elvin doesn't immediately find his "slot" there. Place, and people -- that is, community -- end up playing the largest role in his quest for individuality. This feeling of finding community is reinforced by the fact that what he discovers he likes to do most is just "watch". What an unproductive role in this society of individualism and work ethic! Just, WATCH? But watching, and writing about what he observes, is really what Elvin's been doing all along, in his narrative, and -- more concretely -- in his letters home to his mother. He's chronicling a community, and thus sharing, and supporting it. And it's through this effort that Elvin finds that his "slot" is as huge and accomodating as he can make it.
Nina Lindsay Student -- School of Library and Information Studies University of Wisconsin, Madsion nlindsay at mail.soemadison.wisc.edu nalindsa at macc.wisc.edu
Received on Thu 21 Mar 1996 08:34:00 AM CST
