Blog 4: Stereotyping

BLOG FOUR - GOODBYE DAYS

Written by Aaliyah Strayhorne 

    So far, from what I've read in Goodbye Days, I noticed the vocabulary is that of a teenage boy as it is written from the main character's perspective. As we know, the main character is a boy in high school and the author truly uses diction and phrases that a teenager would. The author does implement a couple curse words as well as slang. However, I feel as though the author was playing the part too well, but not in a good way. The character, Jesmyn, has been described as an Asian girl with white parents. She said she was adopted. Carver is white. There have been a couple instances where Carver has made comments about her race, but not quite in a bad way. Except, there was a part where they were sitting in the car and Jesmyn was talking about her favorite food, which was southern food. Carver thought it was a bit funny and surprising since she was Asian. Jesmyn knew he was slightly making fun of her but she let it slide. Honestly, I feel like a white character (and author) implementing remarks regarding race is a bit uncalled for in the story. It is unnecessary. I mean, it is a popular book and the author did not get canceled for it, so maybe it is just me that feels as though race comments in a book about high school kids is a bit weird. It kind of makes you wonder if non-white people are stereotyped this often. Obviously it was just the mind of the author, but there are definitely many more people that think the same way.  I am not even Asian yet I am a bit offended by the comments in the book. However, when you read the book, it does not quite come off as racist initially but as I kept reading I found that the comment about the food Jesmyn ate was stereotyping Asians as only eating and liking Asian food like noodles, rice, dumplings, etc. All in all, I do not think the author himself is racist and perhaps he added the remarks just to add depth to Carver’s thoughts but I find it unnecessary and think the book would have been the same without them.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog 1: Initial Feelings

Image
BLOG ONE - GOODBYE DAYS  Written by Aaliyah Strayhorne The book I am reading, Goodbye Days, by Jeff Zentner, makes me feel pretty sad, as I feel sympathy for the main character. For some background knowledge, the main character, Carver, is experiencing and dealing with the death of his three best friends, and the worst part is, he may be responsible. Not on purpose of course. While I can’t understand how he truly feels, as none of my best friends have died before, it still makes me feel upset. With the book being written from a first person point of view, I am able to perceive Carver’s emotions and thoughts firsthand. He experiences feelings of guilt, misery, anxiety, and mourning. I could not imagine losing my best friend, or anyone I love. I’m very lucky to be fortunate enough to have all my friends still in my life. I’ve lost friends in a way where we no longer talk or parted ways, that’s as much as I can relate. I know losing friends due to death is a much more painful, trauma...
Read more

Blog 6: The Theme and Lesson

Image
BLOG SIX - GOODBYE DAYS Written by Aaliyah Strayhorne  After reading Goodbye Days, I feel as though people can learn a lot if they read it themselves. This book was full of strong emotions and lessons throughout but I think the biggest take away would be the idea that there is always a way out of the darkest holes you face in life. Carver, the main character, demonstrates this when he is faced with the death of all of his closest and best friends. And he can only blame himself. However, Carver eventually finds help, learns to take care of himself, and gets better. Of course, like many people, Carver wanted to give up but he kept pushing, even when he thought he couldn't. I feel as though many people can learn from Carver. In life, we are met with many challenges, some minor, others large, but either way, they could impact us negatively. We go through trauma. It’s the human experience. Getting out of bad times is also the human experience. When we go through something, it’s hard to ...
Read more

Blog 2: Odd Relationships

Image
 BLOG TWO - GOODBYE DAYS Written by Aaliyah Strayhorne      To be honest, I do not know exactly how to feel about Carver and Jesmyn, his dead friend’s girlfriend. As I read, I kind of get the vibe that Carver may sort of be developing feelings for Jesmyn. While it is too early to decipher, it just seems like they are going to be more than friends by the end of the book. Initially Carver just needed someone to talk to, but I mean, they stayed on the phone with one another all night long. Personally, I’m only doing that with someone I have a crush on… It doesn’t sit right with me solely because Jesmyn is the girlfriend of one of his friends that died. Like, wouldn’t Carver be reminded of his friend every time he saw her? Wouldn’t he feel weird dating Jesmyn after the car accident? Taking his friend’s place after he died in a fatal accident? It just seems disrespectful. Imagine how his friend would feel, seeing Carver steal his girlfriend as soon as he passed away. If ...
Read more