Thursday, April 25, 2013
While reading Super Sad True Love story I noticed concerning similarities between this society and our own society today. Although things like the aparat, GlobalTeens, and the far-fetched society norms rushing in with the youth culture seem outlandish, they are in many ways similar to the elements of the new era of technology that we are experiencing. I found that the extremes that are reached in the book to be quite funny. I really liked the point that Wesley made about Lenny carrying the fire for the ways of the old society. Lenny feels disconnected from the youth culture and fears he has aged out of being "cool" or"hip." It is only worse for him that the woman that he supposedly has fallen in love with happens to be deeply rooted in the new culture. This new culture has many problems. First of all there is a complete lack of privacy, and not to mention that the societal attitude towards sexuality has completely changed so that now sex is not a private matter. This society is completely dominated by the emphasis on youth. Similar to how our society is evolving into a place where aging is looked down upon, in Super Sad True Love Story youth is emphasized even more.
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Hello Jack, I obviously have never read your book before but is sounds quite interesting! I definitely do agree that our generation is rapidly changing, whether for the better or not is still to be determined, and that this change definitely brings about some problems. I find it interesting that this society has privacy problems much like Handmaid's Tale and the novel I am currently reading: 1984. Would you recommend your book thus far? If so, let me know because I might want to read it!
ReplyDeleteThank you sire,
Kevin W
Hey John!
ReplyDeleteMy novel also takes place in a society where privacy is virtually unheard of due to the controlling nature of the government. In Oceania, the society in 1984, the government constantly monitors its citizens with cameras in virtually every single facet of life; at work, on the street, and even in their own homes. I think invaded privacy is a very interesting idea incorporated by these two authors, and this is also explored in the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. It suggests that the government doesn't trust its out citizens to comply with the rules enacted by the government. It is also so relevant to what is happening nowadays (Orwell did a pretty good job of predicting, especially since he wrote this more than 50 years ago). I also wrote on my own post that I feel like technology is allowing us to be controlled in to our own society today. As a result privacy is not as easy to achieve as it once was. Of course it is not as extreme as either of these societies, but just food for thought in case you get hungry.
Cíao and I wish you luck on your reading adventures,
Benito
Wow, your book really parallels my book, A Brave New World. One of the Main Characters, Bernard, also hates his society. He doesn't necessarily want it to be like the old way, as I don't think he knows much about it. But he certainly wishes sexuality was less open, polygamy wasn't enforced, and that he could be an individual. Also, like Lenny, Bernard is dating a woman, Lanina, who is engrossed in the current society with all its golf, soma drugs, and open sexuality. Given the similarities, I wonder just how long society has been dealing with these issues. My book was written in the 1930s when was yours?
ReplyDeleteI wonder why Lenny is so taken with Eunice, since he rejects much of the new world in favor of books and aging. Eunice seems to be the last person on Earth Lenny would find attractive (physical appearance aside) because of how wedded she is to the current world of technology. When I read this book, although Lenny expressed a desire to be immortal himself, I never quite believed him, because he seems so different from everyone else.
ReplyDeleteNow i know absolutely nothing about your book, but when you say that Lenny carries the fire for the way of his old society, it makes me think of The Road. The way Lenny is so rooted in his old view of society is also the same as how the man and his son carry the flame of their old ways of society throughout their journey. Although, The Road is a little bit way more extreme than your book. I believe that there is a bit of a similarity in the way that Lenny and the man both cling on to their past views of society.
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