The first thing I would like to talk about is Serge and Babettes relationship, in this part of the novel we got to see a side of Bebbetes that I never expected. When Babette first saw her Dame Blanch she started complaining about her dessert, at this point I did not expect that much from her since I saw her as a person who does not like to trouble other people. But then she called the waiter and told him to take back the dessert, they argued for a while but when Babette told him she would call the manager he took the plate back. I thought that was reasonable in the beginning, but then she started laughing at him, she said how "quickly he backed down when he heard his boss name? His master ha" (Knock 221). Although what she did was wrong I think Serge had a part in this too, since he shows Babette little attention and is really demanding I think Babette did this because for the first time in her life she was the one in control. This reminds of that one kid in primary school who would tell the teacher everything, especially when he promises you that he wouldn't..But it happens so much more often with siblings. My question for you guys is what do you think about Babette did she get enough character development or was she left aside?
That face you make when your brother/sister starts calling moms
I would also like to talk about the side affects of medicine, since it plays a major role in the novel. We know that Paul has some type of mental illness (never got the exact diagnoses), when Paul went to the doctor then prescribes him some pills. At first I did not really think it was important, but as I kept reading they revealed a lot of interesting information. We learn that the pill has some side affects these include "Nausea, decreased appetite ....feeling of fear, hyperventilation and memory loss"(Knock 191), now it all makes sense it explains..why he forgot he had his sons phone in his pocket, why he was so scared in the coffee shop in the beginning and why he took extreme measures when he was protecting his son (was about to hit the manager with a pump). This all raises an important question, is it really all worth it ? Many medications have sever side affects, many children have died from these side affects. After I saw all these unsolved problems I deiced to watch Generation RX, which I read about in Conner's blog, after I watched the documentary I had a hole new perspective about the issue. It also talked about the lack information given about the drug, it made me think about how little we know about the medications we take and why do these death still happen today. What do you think about medications and why do you think people still die from them, is it their parents fault or the government etc?
So what do I think about the novel, I personally liked the plot of the novel but I did not like the rest. I personally think that it was too slow paced, we also did not get any one else perspective. I personally think that it would have been more effective if the novel was told from a 3rd person perspective since you would see everyone opinion. But one of the things that I dislikes the most was how distracted Paul gets, it could have been his mental disorder but we do not even know what that it. I Also think that the ending was not a proper ending, like non of the important issues got in the novel, what I am trying to say is do not choose this book :) (but that is just my opinion). What do you think about the novel, the things you liked and the things you didn't.
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How are you sad that this is your final blog? This is one of the most tedious projects I've done... At least it was well enough spaced out that it didn't feel like a lot of work. I particularly enjoyed your little Naruto reference of Guy giving the thumbs up. Reminds me that I forgot to make a reference to that show. In response to your question, I don't think that Babette got much character development but she was intended to be seen as the rich and powerful man's submissive wife. Although, her little outburst about dessert was probably hinting that she has anger issues as well (as we see later when she pushes Paul to stop Serge from turning in their children). I'm impressed that you actually watched that documentary, it was really good wasn't it? It really puts in perspective the corruption within our healthcare system, a place that should be devoid of corruption since it deals with matters of life and death. I truly believe that it is the drug companies' fault when someone dies from their drug because they produced it. I like the US statistics that you posted, however I believe that if death by suicide wasn't so certain (because of the easy access to guns) the statistics would all decrease. Death by gunshot is easy and quick, it can be done without planning and in the heat of the moment when someone is angry or depressed. However, in Canada guns aren't as accessible therefore people use other methods of suicide which are more tedious and require more planning than a gun would. Consequently, suicide statistics have a large positive correlation with easy access to firearms.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this summative, you had a lot of freedom which you rarely get. I honestly prefer Generation RX over my own documentary, mine was about steroids which I thought would be good since it had a lot of famous actors in it. I could have used Canada's chart but I felt like it would be a really bad comparison, since in Holland laws are not that strict, like you could buy weed in a store if your 17. I was comparing the U.S to Holland because the law is a lot less strict their, you can easily buy guns in both countries so it felt like a "fair experiment" (not in a bad way). Thank you for sharing your opinion :)
DeleteHey Mohammed! I really enjoyed reading about your final conclusions on the novel. To answer your question about Babette's character development, I personally think that her character was purposely undeveloped to further enhance the fact that Serge is the one in charge. Serge is the one who likes to make the decisions and be in control, so we rarely hear from Babette and her opinions. However, when Babette finally "snapped" one could infer that it was to show the reader how crazy and hostile the situation had become. I can totally relate to having a sibling tell on you. I remember when I was younger and did something to annoy my brother, I would offer him the world just to stop him from telling my parents. Your information on medications instantly reminded me of those commercials that you see on TV. The other day I saw one on a pill that will make you have a clear facial complexion...however, side affects may include cancer, infections, etc (crazy right??). I find that with medications, they are cleared to be sold in a country because they work for the majority of people, but we have to remember that they do not work on everyone. Some people may not get side affects while others may have them. I don't think this is really the government's fault as these medications can help the majority of people. I feel like it is the consumer's own fault, as everyone responds to medication differently. Personally I liked the novel as it was interesting throughout. To me, it was one of those books that you can read at ease, as it goes by very fast. Although it feels like some of the questions have not been answered, enough has been resolved for me to be happy about the ending! I really enjoyed your blog post and reading your view on the ending of the novel! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Mohammed, I really enjoyed your final blog post. I agree with you on how we totally saw another part of Babette towards the ending of the book. At the beginning of the book I thought that she was a very classy, and selfless lady. But when she overreacted over her dessert at dinner, it was almost like she was a whole other person ...it was kind of scary to be honest. And to answer your question, I think Babette's character wasn't that important. They made her seem like she was just her husband's accomplice. Like you mentioned, Serge is very demanding and rarely gives his wife any attention, and in the moment, she felt like she was in control of the waiter because she is never in control with her relationship or with her very own husband. I really enjoyed your blog. Hope you enjoyed the book :)
ReplyDeleteHi Mohammed, I really enjoyed reading your blog throughout this assignment. It was really interesting to hear your thoughts on the novel. I was really shocked as well when Babette complained about her dessert..you're completely right it was out of character. Throughout the novel Babette has never really been much of an issue, she is just kind of "there". I agree with Yasmine in the comment above, in regards to Babette being more of an accomplice to her husband. It's important to remember that Babette is also under a lot of stress with the news of the crime and also the emotional distance from her husband. It was interesting to see her overreact to the slightest thing.
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