Farewell

After two hundred and ninety-eight pages later, I have completed this unpredictable roller coaster of a novel. The book was recommended to me by a friend; when I started the novel the only knowledge I had was that it was a book about a boy who makes questionable decisions and goes to Jamaica. To be honest, I thought the recommender was leaving out some important details. However, if I were to recommend the book, that's exactly how I would describe it.

From an AP standpoint, that's not exactly a great claim to fame as the novel lacked complexity. However, from a reader's standpoint, it is not necessarily bad. I've struggled to get through some of the less interesting books this semester, but I had no trouble flying through this novel. The book is easy to read, intriguing, and at points a serious page turner.

Similar to Song of Solomon, Rule of the Bone is a coming of age novel. Other than that, it does not share any similarities with novels we have read this year. It does not involve science nor an all controlling government. It has a theme of abandonment, and follows a teen on his journey as he experiences real events (no flying or white peacocks in this novel). The main character is young, and the book takes place in modern time which allows the book to be easily relatable.

That said, the book was not all that relatable as I have minimal family issues, have never lived anywhere but with my parents, and am not into drugs. I can relate to Bone as we are both teenagers, which allows me to understand his thought process and interest at many points throughout the book. However, for students that face issues similar to Bone, they would find the book highly relatable.

I would recommend this book to any student that has trouble staying interested in a book. It is perfect novel for a student that has trouble getting through lengthy novels as it is has some meaning that can be analyzed but is also an easy to read, interesting novel. Although I argued it was not AP worthy, it does still have some literary merit and could be used for lower level classes. However, due to the its vulgarity, I do not think the book is fit for anyone younger than a junior in high school. Drugs and sex are consistently referenced throughout the novel.

This book stands out from the crowd of books we have read this year. When I think about classic AP English novels, my mind drifts towards dull and complex novels (don't worry Mrs. Laclair, you have avoided that) and this novel is anything but mundane stereotype. This book is modern and covers many topics I would have never imagined would be in a book I read for an official class. Although I had criticisms along the way, Banks had me turning the pages at a fast rate and I found myself enjoying the novel.

Meaning of the Work as a Whole

After another busy portion of reading, I have finally finished Rule of the Bone. In this section, Bone temporarily mends his relationship with his father. However, quickly the relationship once again becomes unstable and Bone leaves his father's residence (known as the Mothership). Additionally, and unfortunately, Bone's father-figure (I-Man) is killed.

In my last post, I expressed that I believe the book has a lack of meaning. However, I was timid as I wanted to see what was to come. Now, after finishing the whole novel, I still do believe it has a lack of meaning. In comparison to other novels we have read I do not believe Rule of the Bone is as complex or significant as they are.

That said, it is still important to evaluate the meaning of the work as a whole. Similar to Song of Solomon, this is a coming of age novel that follows the journey of a fourteen year old boy. Banks' uses Bone's journey to develop the meaning of the novel. Additionally, the use of a modern setting allows the reader to better connect and makes the message more relevant to todays readers.

A main theme in the novel is abandonment and I believe Banks' message to readers that your reliance can come from anyone. Bone tries to build a stable relationship with his parents countless times. In the beginning of the novel, Bone actually says, "My mother who was like my best friend" (2). However, just days later after he leaves the house because he, his mother, and his step-father constantly fought. Then, after Russ left him, Bone returned to his mom to try and build their relationship again. However, things did not go well. They quickly argue, Bone shouts, "Nothing's changed! And it never will! Nothing!" (205).

This shows that Bone consistently tries to build a relationship with the same people. Similar to his encounters with his mother, Bone tries to build a relationship with his father in Jamaica multiple times but it always fails. On the other hand, Bone runs into a completely stranger on a run down bus and they end up having an incredible relationship. The day they meet Bone states, "I knew that I had met the man who would become my best friend" (151). Sure enough, they become best friends and stick by each other's sides through thick and thin.

To do so, he uses a coming of age novel with a theme of abandonment. Throughout Bone's journey many friends and family members go in and out of his life. His partner in crime ditches him, his father threatens to kill his best friend, and his mother refuses to take him in. In the long run, the one who helps him the most and becomes his closest friend, is a Rastafarian man from Jamaica, whom Bone shares very little in common with. Banks' overall message to reader in the novel is that friendship and healthy relationships can come from anyone.

The AP Debate

Throughout the time I have read this novel,  I have had an internal debate whether it is AP worthy or not. Last week, after reading a peer's blog I became convinced mine was in fact AP worthy. However, as I continue to read, I continue to debate. At points, it seems like a deep novel about an adolescent who has abandonment issues. However, at other times it seems like an inappropriate novel that follows the random adventures of a youngster.

At this point, I have read three-quarters of my novel and I currently do not believe it is AP worthy. That said, the novel moves at a fast pace and often the end of a novel reveals the meaning of the work as a whole. So, while I currently do not believe it is AP worthy, I hold my tongue as there are almost one hundred pages left.

Now comes the difficult part, justifying my decision. The best way to put it is that the book is an entertaining read, but has little intellectual meaning. The novels that we have read throughout the year, such as Brave New World and The Handmaid's Tale, have had complex meanings. As I read those novels, it was very clear the author was trying to send a message and it was clear what that message was. In Rule of the Bone, this is not the case. As I read, I continuously search for deeper meaning but I cannot pin-point the author's message.

It is clear it is a coming of age novel as Bone tries to find his "I-Self." However, the route he takes to do so is, well, ridiculous. It is both unrealistic and forced. One day he's in New York living on a bus, next he takes a plane to Jamaica, and soon thereafter he magically happens to run into his long-lost father. The book is supposed to be a "modern" version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and in an attempt to do so I find the plot incredibly cliché. In order to demonstrate and affirm Bone's abandonment and trust issues, Banks (the author) follows a predictable pattern. As soon as Bone becomes happy, an unfortunate event (either someone leaving him or a friend betraying him) occurs and Bone is once again unhappy.

Additionally, Bone is the only complex character in the novel, if that. His actions and decisions can be analyzed, which always leads back to abandonment and trust issues. The rest of the characters are two-dimensional and almost no characters (other than Bone) stay in the novel for extended periods of time. I-Man is only other character who has remained in the novel for long and the author reveals very little information about him. Other than that, Russ, Buster, and Froggy were only involved for short periods of time and although his parents play an important part of Bone's identity, they are not important as characters themselves.

Lastly, there is little importance in the stylistic aspects. Banks writes the novel using poor grammar and run-on sentences, which represents the fact that the story is being told in the eyes of a fourteen year old boy. Other than that, there is little meaning the style the novel is written.

In conclusion, I think this novel is a fun book to read that includes sex, swears, and drug use but I do not believe it is of literary merit. The plot seems like an impractical mimic of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Banks leaves very little to be analyzed. Because of this, I do not believe it should be added to the AP curriculum nor do I believe it is AP worthy.

Character Analysis

Today, I would like to analyze different characters in the novel. In this section of reading, the main character, Chappie, made a big transformation. Additionally, in this portion of the novel the reader was introduced to new characters. Chappie meets Froggy, as well as a Rastafarian named I-Man.

The biggest change that occurs in the section is that Chappie changes his name to Bone. After leaving his previous apartment that he shared with a biker gang, he got a tattoo of two crossed bones. Russ said, "That's what your name oughta be. Bone ... It's hard. It's fucking universal, man" (107). Chappie, now Bone, replies, "I was feeling truly excellent, like I was a way new person with a new name and even new body" (107). Bone's tattoo and new name are a turning point, and after this point he transform into a young adult. He becomes increasingly rebellious and after breaking into an unknown family's summerhouse, he says, "That first night in the summerhouse was the best I'd felt in a long time" (119). It seems that after making changes in his life, Bone is happy for the first time since leaving his house.

However, similar some characters' dependence on soma in Brave New World, it seems that Bone is dependent on marijuana for happiness. Moments after stating he was happy, he exclaimed that the night would be better if he had weed and starts combing the house for pot. After finding some, he says, "we [Bone and Russ] each smoked a joint and the evening was way perfect" (122). Throughout the novel, Bone is often searching for marijuana and he feels unhappy if he doesn't smoke for a long period of time.

For me, Bone is right on the border of being likable and unlikable. His intentions are often good, but he still makes questionable (and poor) decisions. For example, he helps bring a young girl (Froggy) back home to her mother. However, in the process he steals hundreds of dollars from an innocent man. I believe it will take the whole novel for me to decide if I like him or if he is too much of a delinquent to like.

In the first sections of my reading, Russ seemed like a main character. However, in this previous section Russ left Bone for good. After living together in the summerhouse, Russ promptly packs his things and returns to his mother's house. This shows that Russ is not as defiant as Bone and does not want to live his life on the run.

The next main character is I-Man, who Bone just recently met. After leaving the summerhouse, Bone went to a rundown bus he had previously spent a few nights at. Upon his arrival, he found that a man named I-Man is living there. Quickly after meeting him, Bone says, "We smoked and talked a while and before the night was gone I knew that I had met the man who become my best friend" (150). Over the course of the section, they do in fact became great friends. I-Man is an incredibly likable Rastafarian. He is kind, intelligent, and seems to have nothing but good intentions. He took Bone in, gave him food, taught him how to grow plants, and taught him about his Jamaican and Rastafarian culture without pressuring Bone to become Rastafarian. He has been a good influence on Bone, and Bone seems to look up to him.

So far, those are the most important characters in the novel. That said, characters seem to appear and disappear very quickly. I truly believe I-Man is a main character, but he could leave just as Russ did.

That's all for today folks, hope you enjoyed reading!

Stylistic Aspects

I am now a little over one hundred pages into my book and it is moving at quite a fast pace. I enjoy the pace of the novel as there are very seldom boring sections. Chappie and Russ are always getting into different adventures, which makes reading entertaining and intriguing. Of all the books I have read so far, this is the most difficult to put down. In this post, I am going to tackle Russell Banks' style approach in this novel.

To begin, Banks is an author whom is known to write about the struggles of ordinary, relatively impoverished characters and that is exactly what he does in this novel. Chappie lives in low-income family in New York City, and his mother is divorced and remarried to a step-father he does not like. After further research, it is understandable that Banks writes about this topic because it reflects his upbringing. Like Chappie, Banks grew up in a low-income family in a city (not New York City but Boston) and his father left his family when he was twelve.

Now, let's get into specific stylistic elements. The novel is written in the first person point of view and it is written in past tense. The story is told through Chappie, which allows the reader to better understand his feeling and internal thoughts. This style occurs throughout the novel but here is an example so you can get a better sense. At one point, Chappie says, "I was more than idly curious because in a way I was dependent on Russ... Russ was the same for me as his Camaro was for him, the only thing this side of total nothingness" (57). Sentences similar to this one are used very often and it is one of the most important elements of the novel because it allows the reader to have a good understanding of Chappie's thoughts.

Additionally, the story is written chronologically and in a style in which Chappie is both older and wiser and is now looking back on his youth. I did some research and learned that this is called a confessional novel. He often reflects and says things such as, "It was around this time that I started missing my mom again" (58) and makes confessions about certain situations saying things such as, " I did not take a whole lot of comfort from this" (75).

Unlike Margaret Atwood's use of sentence structure in The Handmaid's Tale, there is no specific sentence style in this novel. Sentences vary from very short to very long. The only detail I have noticed is that some sentences are very long and seem to be an English teacher's nightmare, run-on sentences. Banks utilizes motifs throughout the novel, including the use of drugs. However, he rarely uses allusions.

If I notice any changes or identify more stylistic elements as I continuing reading, I will be sure to elaborate in later blog posts. As of now, I am thoroughly as well as curious to see what is to come.

Initial Thoughts

Last night I began to read Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks. As of now, I have finished the first three chapters which is twenty-four pages. The reader is introduced to the main character, Chapman, who is also nicknamed Chappie and Bone. He lives in New York City with his mother and a stepfather. He's a high school student who often cuts class and smokes weed.

For the first segment of the book, quite a lot occurs. It was quickly apparent that Chappie is not very happy. His mother's divorce and remarriage as well his relationship with his stepfather negatively effects him. It is obvious his stepfather abuses him and over time their relationship has deteriorated. Chappie says, "When I was a real little kid he was an okay stepfather... but when I got to be a teenager he sort of pulled out of the family unit and did a lot of heavy drinking which now my mom was into blaming me for. I didn't care he didn't like me anymore" (9). Throughout the section, it becomes obvious they have a terrible relationship and quickly into the first chapter they get into a fight. This leads to Chappie asserting he is fed up and running away to live with his friend Russ.

Another big topic within the section is marijuana, which Chappie refers to as weed. At one point, he cuts class and says, "It had been a couple days since I had been high and whenever I went that long I'd get jumpy and restless and kind of irritated at the world" (4). This shows that Chappie does not only use marijuana for recreation purposes but also as an escape from his dramatic life at home. Eventually, he moves out and lives with Russ and older "bikers." He comments that he went through weed quickly with this group and they seem to egg him on into making bad decisions. Chappie said, "They were letting me sleep on this ratty couch they had because I kept supplying them with weed," and continued to say, "The bikers were older than us and heavier into drugs" (17). Chappie often smokes weed and purchases it whenever he has the money to do so, and even uses it as a form of paying rent.

Overall, it was a very intriguing section and I am excited to continue reading this book. It was eventful and I enjoy reading from Chappie's point of view. I am curious where Rule of the Bone will go and I am already hooked!