there were many discussions in Volkswagen Blues about authors, writing and stories of heroes and native american myths in which they discusses on their journey. One of the ones I liked was the discussion on Etienne Brule. He was one Jack's brothers heroes. Something we see in Volkswagen Blues, is stories of heroes that turn out to be nothing of the sort.He had lived with the Indians and led expeditions. The Indians planned for battle, when they ran out of arrows and supplies, Etienne came in and ended the war.The girl was looking through the book and realized he betrayed his country and always changed wives. The Indians eventually put him to death.Jack thinks his brother is a represenation of Etienne Brule and tries to defend him and feels guilty for not helpig his brother. Etienne Brule was nothing of the herioc sort Jack thought he could be and in a way he wished the story wouldnt have ended with his death because he hoped of more from his brother. It really shows the power of myths and stories and the effect that they had on Jack. He imagined his brother to be so much like the people in the stories, trying to reconnect with someone he, in reality, hardly knew. Theo made a huge journey across the Oregon Trail, just like Jack, so i think Jack has the interpretation that he must be something of a hero and bring the two halves together. the only way for jack to connect with his brother is through the stories and myths.

I like the chapter "The Oregon Trail" and how it incorporates "The Oregon Trail Revisited." Quotes like "All the information they needed could be found in The Oregon Trail Revisited," "He didn't want to keep the girl from reading The Oregon Trail Revisited", and simply "their favorite book, The Oregon Trail Revisited" speak to the importance of this book to both characters. The book shapes a lot of their experiences, and provides them with historical information as well as camp sites. Even more exciting to me were the points where the line between their story and the story of pioneers gets blurred, when they talk to each other and say "you are walking beside a covered wagon because there were no springs on the wheels" or "you are on the plain and you see a large cloud of dust at first, then you see these black dots which turn out to all be buffalo." I just get the feeling that their journey is a small part of a shared journey of civilization across North America, from the Northwest Passage to California.

Although not directly a passage dealing with a certain book, I like the scene where Jack and La Grande Sauterelle meet Saul Bellow. This is an interesting passage for several reasons. Saul Bellow is a Jewish-Russian writer born in Lachine Quebec. He moved there when he was two, and lived there up until he was nine years old. Many of his books deal with the search for a cultural/individual identity, which seems to correlate with Jack's own quest for his brother. The interesting part comes when you learn that this passage in VW Blues takes place in Chicago, the place where Bellow spent the majority of his life after moving from Quebec. In this scene, Bellow says "Chicago..Strange city....I don't know if I like her or not, but I think she's in my blood" This seems to show just how much an environment has to do with how the characters view themselves. It only seems appropriate that Saul Bellow is the author they run into because of the type of books that he writes, and knowing this adds more depth to the passage. The book is simple, and at times a little to obvious in terms of how Poulin wants you to read into the text, but scenes like these provide opportunities to look for deeper connections and insights as these connect to the overall themes of the book. Overall, it was an easy read and I found it generally entertaining. There is a bit of repetitiveness in the plot in terms of the the museum visits and discussion of different books, but the constant change of location provides new opportunities to discuss different aspects of American and Canadian culture.

My favorite reference to Historical figures throughout Volkswagen Blues would have to be in the chapter The Secret Life of The Minibus when Jack and La Grande Sauterelle pull off the 401 so that she can sleep beside the grave of Joseph Brant, a former Mohawk warrior. She believed that " the old chief could help her come to know herself." (p57)After a few lines La Grande Sauterelle mentions the grave site of Mohawk poet Pauline Johnson. I think this is the reason I enjoyed this allusion to famous historic figures, from what we discussed in calls. Pauline Johnson was indeed a Mohawk poet, but she was also half white. Johnson, like La Grande Sauterelle had a split identity, they belonged to two sides or waring people. La Grande Sauterelle, half white and half Metis, may not have found out anything while sleeping at these graves, but felt the presence of people who were like herself. Throughout the whole novel, Jack is on a journey to be a better writer and branch out, while La Grande Sauterelle is looking to find her place in this world. She does not know who to side with, but by the end realizes that she does not have to take a side, she can live in harmony with others,as herself, a mixed blood. She realized that she is not the only person in the world that comes from different backgrounds. I also believe that in the end she comes to terms with that fact that she does not need to hold the burden of her ancestors as she did throughout the whole novel.

"There was a book on the table, open to a page with the story of Jesse James and his brother Frank. A spurt of orange juice had landed right on the paragraph on the right-hand page; Jack looked and saw that it was none other than Jesse James, the famous outlaw," (104). In this passage Jack has just returned from his deep-sea diver's complex. As he is emerging he decides to drink a bit of orange juice and accidentally gets some on La Grande Sauterelle's "borrowed" book. I think this particular section is my favorite part of Volkswagen Blues. In it La Grande Sauterelle quietly alludes to the fact that even though Jesse James was an outlaw, his brother still loves him. She knowingly places the book open to this section on the table where she knows Jack will be unable to miss it. This is brilliant thinking on her part; Jack almost believes that this was an accident. I love how she gets upset about the book being sprayed with orange juice. Relating to the idea that these borrowed books could be seen as the lands of the Native Americans makes this section incredibly rich. She is looking after the book and making sure nothing happens to it and because of this care she deserves to "borrow" the book. But even though the Native Americans took care of their lands, they were still taken from them, how is this fair? No one owns the land and no one owns the information in a book.

There is one particularly memorable scene in chapter 22 - "The Gatling Gun" - in which the poor ranger at Fort Laramie must unlock one of the displays and show La Grande Sauterelle an officer's diary just to curb her rage. This was perhaps my favorite mention of a book in the whole text, if only for the authority that book exercised. In the beginning of the chapter, La Grande Sauterelle throws a bit of a tantrum, and for good reason: the very weapon that was built to "shoot indians" was now being prominently displayed, and without proper tribute to the native peoples. What she delightedly comes to find out through the diary of the fort commandant is that the Gatling "constantly jammed with black powder from the ammunition", and so was never an effective weapon for the French colonists.

Unlike any other text in Volkswagen Blues, there can be no question about the authority of this. The commandant's diary represents firsthand, observed experience - an incredibly powerful form of literature, and one which can invite little skepticism. If every other text raised questions about American folklore, or about the identities of Jack and La Grande Sauterelle, or about Theo, this one spoke clearly to extinguish them. Not to mention, getting the guard to open a case and show you an exhibit is pretty awesome...

One of the passages pertaining to literature that intrigued me most in Volkswagen Blues was one found in the “The Oregon Trail” chapter—one where La Grand Sauterelle promotes intertextuality. She exclaims, “You shouldn’t judge books one by one, I mean, you mustn’t see them as independent objects. A book is never complete in itself; to understand it you must put it in relation to other books, not just books by the same author, but also books written by other people. What we think is a book most of the time is only part of another, vaster book that a number of authors have collaborated on without knowing it” (124). This reference to the interconnectedness of literature is prevalent throughout the book, and, more importantly, is reflected in the themes of place and person, as well.
In Volkswagen Blues, Poulin creates for his readers a world where the road, as an entity unto itself, connects a multitude of seemingly unrelated places as one, and by doing so, provides a far greater understanding of each place— deriving from their relations to the places that precede and succeed them. We also see several examples of places gaining a deeper significance through the texts that promote awareness of the indigenous experience—yes, the “voyageurs” are traveling through the great cities of Western expansion in America, but at what cost were these cities built? Thus we have the sort of elevated intertextual understanding of place.
Even more interesting, if you ask me, is the interconnectedness of person, of identity, found in the pages of this novel. A hitchhiker the main characters pick up seems to think that he is someone else, and fronts Hemingway’s persona to all ends; the bull rider’s wife mistakes Jack for Theo until he corrects her; and while visiting a park in San Francisco, Jack learns that Kerouac used to frequent that very patch of grass, and this “transforms” his view of the park—very similar to the ability of one text to inform the reader of another take on a different text. Most significantly, we see Jack defining himself via his difference from his brother, Theo, and learning about his identity through this binary, as one might gain new insight on a novel via its difference from another (or a collection of others)—one of the great values of intertextuality.
So in the end, I really like this passage about intertextuality because it highlights the theme’s prevalence throughout the novel in various forms. Intertextuality is made a far more broad term, encompassing all forms of existence. In the end, it provides the characters and readers like an elevated understanding of the characters’ identities and the significance of place in the novel and in our lives.

I really enjoyed pages 70-71. La Grande Sauterelle is reminded of her father and books of his that she read as a little girl. A road sign saying "Merlin County" brings back memories. (Before I talk about the stories she read as a little girl I also just wanted to say that I really like the way the simplest text can get someone thinking. It's really amazing and sometimes comical the way a train of thought can occur. An image, a feeling, a person, a book, or even a road sign can bring back memories.) So, her father had thirteen volumes of the Encyclopedie de la Jeunesse and she read a story about Merlin the Sorceror. I was just intrigued because I would have never thought to read tales like that as a little girl and I think that this reveals something about her character. I like how she knows enough about a lot of things and plays different roles in their journey together. Books seem to have been her education and perhaps a road map for her life thus far.
The page then goes on to mention another road sign "Soft Shoulder" and La Grande Sauterelle says that is her favorite sign, but she doesn't like the French expression accotement mou. These are two ways of saying the same thing and yet one version has more meaning than the other. I just thought it was interesting, that once again, the simplest of texts can hold so much meaning for one person.

I liked the passages in the book that dealt with the Oregon Trail Revisited. I thought that reading the stories of pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail provided an interesting parallel to the trip that was taking place in the present. Particularly because Jack and La Grande Sauterelle formed such a connection with the people the read about and also seemed to identify with them. In the end for La Grande Sauterelle she really is a pioneer as she travels west and ends up finding a new home. Jack's journey ends up being different, but he finds something he needs as well and that is the closure from his brother. As the early pioneers, their lives are changed forever, not just from the results of their trip, but also from the time they spent on the journey together. I am sure on their travel the pioneers met people with whom they formed relationships and would never forget. That is definitely the case for Jack and La Grande Sauterelle. They learned so much from each other, did so much for each other, even in absence I don't think they could forget each other or their journey even if they tried.

I really enjoyed reading about La Grande Sauterelle's relationship with books and her genuine love and respect for them. Her constant need to read and learn made her an increadibally interesting character. I liked her ideals behind "borrowing" library books. In the numberous passages throughout the book where she goes into a library to "borrow" a book that she feels a connection to, I never feel like she is stealing or doing anything wrong. I think it's interesting because generally, stealing from a library seems so wrong because they are basically just a public service. There are thousands of books accessable for public perusal at no charge (generally) and stealing from this selfless resource seems morally wrong. But La Grande Sauterelle feels so much for the books she borrows, loving every moment of reading them, that it is not stealing. She is not taking the book for profit and she sends it back. She just loves literature and as it says on page 27, "booksellers are too interested in profit." She doesn't believe that they appreciate the literature. Le Grande Sauterelle is such an in interesting character and she seems to be almost like the library books she loves so much. She has so much to offer and Jack appreciates her for being her, not because she is helpful to him, guiding him across the country and even finding Theo in the end. But these are all secondary to Jack, who loves and appreciates Le Grande Sauterelle for who she is.
I also really liked how Poulin used visuals in the novel. The pictures here and there really added to the feeling that I, as the reader, was part of the journey and it was engaging.

I think one of my favorite chapters was the one called "Deep Sea Divers Complex"(pg. 97). This chapter reflects the characters realtionship and and the role that psychology plays in this book. In this chapter we find out more about the characters and who they are. Here we also learn more about theo and his brothers need to protect him. Jack goes through this Deep Sea Divers complex, where he lays in bed for days. He was upset because he feared for his brother after he talked with the reporter. They used this title to describe his condition of withdrawal. La Grande Saturelle and Jack have this way of relatiing to each other and understanding where each is coming from.

I am uncertain about whether or not I could choose a favorite passage in Volkswagen Blues that talks about literature and authors, but there were a few that particularly caught my attention. One of these passages would have to be when Jack is describing his idea of the perfect writer on pages 31-34. Jack is a self-hating artist and "didn't like himself very much in general", especially the way he worked. The passage is a fabricated story about an author who is sitting in a bar when suddenly he gets a brilliant idea for a novel. He works non-stop on his writing and will not allow interruptions from his friends. His words are the only friends he needs. Suddenly the author is unconscious and wakes up in a hospital with a woman named Marie. He doesn't know what happened to his manuscript and panics briefly until Marie tells him that his story is the most beautiful she has ever read. Clearly, Jack has the imagination he needs to be a successful writer because he makes up this whole scenario. His dreams, he thinks, are too big and he is not capable of producing a novel that is worth reading. The fact that a woman is the first to read and rave over the novel that the "ideal writer" created is also a sign of Jack's loneliness and want for a female companion. Overall, this passage reveals a lot about Jack as a character.

Volkswagen Blues was one of my favorite books so far because I enjoyed the less wordy way Poulin wrote about his characters. He told a story but it felt very light and he didn't drag his feet with his style. Instead he just skipped loosely from place to place, and it gave the books a feeling of authenticity for me.

I really liked on page 98 how the book talks about the duality of reading and writing. The book addresses a very central theme or question of writing I think. Which is the idea that reading/writing can either help or deprive you of real life experiences. It is a question that I think many authors have at least crossed paths with in their literary quest. By reading we can explore places we can never go and be people we aren't, but is that a negative thing if it means we as our own identity are not exploring OUR world?

That was my favorite theme in the book. Jack on page 98 still sees himself as sitting back and using writing as a coping method for his monotony. But the interesting thing is when he is thinking these thoughts, he is actually on an adventure and is therefore storing up his own bank of stories with La Grande Sauterelle and forming a relationship with her.
I liked the obsessive nature of his confusion and his discomfort of feeling forever in the shadow of his brother. It was very relatable for people like myself who have star older siblings.

I found the most interesting passage to be when La Grande Sauterelle cut out the phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words" and rearranged them to say "A word is worth a thousand pictures." I thought that this was the most interesting because it shows how different one phrase can be to different people. It also explains literature because books, writing, art, literature, etc. can mean so many different things to different things. An English teacher in high school always told us that no two people are going to have the same interpretation of the same piece of literature and I think that La Grande Sauterelle's new phrase is so indicative of that.

I also liked the whole concept of La Grande Sauterelle "borrowing" the books from the Library and then returns them to the library telling them to keep better track of their books. As we talked about in class, it is much like the heritage of the Native people.

I also found in interesting that at one point in the book, there was an image of the amount of books they had brought with them on their journey. I thought this was interesting because it shows just how much both of them are influenced by and constantly surrounded by books.

Among all of the allusions and references to literary works, writing, and authors in Volkswagen Blues the section I found most interesting was the passage between pages 31 and 34 where Jack is contemplating the ideal writer.

Having read consecutive books about writers suffering from writers block (including Jack), it’s not surprising that the words come to the ideal writer like water from a spout. The most fascinating part of the passage is when the writer ushers his friend out of the house so he can continue his writing:

“Now please go away.” “I’m going to sleep here,” says the friend. “Leave me alone!” “Listen, it’s four a.m.” ‘SCREW OFF!”… “Or the day after, either! Tell her not to disturb me.” His friend goes out and he starts writing again”(33).

The passage really resonated with me as a writer, reminding me of the moments when the words or ideas just come so freely that you fear that if you lose your train of thought you’ll never regain the idea again, like sand slipping between one’s fingers. For some reason while I was reading the passage I couldn’t stop thinking of the story of Gabriel Garcia Marquez who wrote every day for 18 months to write 100 Years of Solitude while being forced sell his car to support his family and owe months of back rent to his landlord.

I’d like to think that the most important thing to remember about the passage is that Jack is describing the ideal writer. In doing so, Poulin is letting the reader know that writing as a profession is anything but the spontaneous, easily successful career that Jack dreams of it being. I would tend to think that very rarely do friends read authors manuscripts and respond that, “It’s the most beautiful story I’ve ever read!”(34).

I liked the passage about the deep sea diver's complex. After three days, Jack had finally emerged from his almost catatonic state of being. In trying to explain to La Grande Sauterelle where he had been and what he was thinking was not an easy task for either of them. He described it as being " a pathological state in which a person withdraws into himself when he's faced with a problem that seems unsurmountable. But in fact the person doesn't really know what's going on, and his behaviour is...instinctive. He senses that he absolutely has to protect himself, so he withdraws into the diving suit......" When wearing the diving suit, you remain safe and can go down as far as you need to. You can search deep within your very soul for the answers you are seeking and still remain safe. You don't have to hold back or worry that if you go too deep that you will never be able to return. Then suddenly, " you are in a new world. You're really very comfortable. You'd like to stay there forever... And that's it. That's the deep sea diver's complex." I think we have all experienced moments like this when we are so deep in thought that we tune everything else out. Then all of a sudden, we are back to reality and we experience a strange feeling that time has passed but that we were not consciously aware of what was going on around us. Some people are too afraid of letting their thoughts get to thet level for they feel out of control. It is not an easy task for many to bear your soul to its raw state and expose your deepest thoughts and feelings. I guess that is why some people need guidance from a psychologist or psychiatrist to help people confront and deal with their issues. What one person perceives as an unsurmountable problem to deal with may not be for others. I think much has to do with how the person has dealt with other issues in their past and whether or not they were successful.

My favorite passage that referenced another author was early in the book, on pages 30-31, when Jack mentions Gabrielle Roy. I felt a connection because that was the only author he mentions that I've read (thanks to this class), and I felt like Jack felt a connection with Roy. He discusses her physical appearance and how knowing her would change the significance of the title and the book itself. Jack comments on Roy's individualistic style and how it should not be taken for granted. In the very next paragraph, though, Jack berates himself for being a bad writer with bad working habits. Its interesting that he segways so quickly and in such a negative direction. The reader, of course, cannot comment really on his writing abilities, but this passage evokes pity for sure. Based on his character, I assumed that his writing was of certain quality, but perhaps that's what you hope for as a reader. You like Jack so you automatically want him to like himself and to be a good writer. When he comments on Roy's writing style, I got the sense that he was acknowledging that his lack of personal style. I thought it was telling that he knew to read Roy's work slow so as to pick up on and appreciate her writing. The fact that he can compliment and admire other writers shows modesty and an interest in learning, almost. I feel like if you want to learn from reading another authors' work, it is more than possible. I think Jack feels this way about Roy and many other accomplished authors.

I was particularly intrigued by the discussion of Jack Kerouac in the chapter, The Ghosts of San Francisco after attending the talk by Audrey Sprenger. Sprenger talked in detail about Jack Kerouac’s love of life which he expressed through meticulous writings detailing his own life and experiences. She also talked about he folklore that surrounded Kerouac’s presence. People all over the country have fabricated encounters or meetings with Kerouac. I think that Kerouac’s love of life and the folklore that surrounded his own life are connected. Kerouac lived life with such passion that even sitting in the same bar as him could be a mystical experience. His passion for life constructed him into a man that upon meeting, one feels as if he or she has known Kerouac his or her entire life.
When Jack and La Grande Sauterelle come upon Washington Park ( once a hangout of Kerouac) Jack remarks “ ‘Ah yes Kerouac used to come here often.’ He talked as if Jack Kerouac were an old acquaintance; in fact, he had read only two of his books and a few magazine articles about him” (195). The nature of Kerouac’s life and works leaves this impression upon people. Even though Jack has only read a few pieces of Kerouac’s literature he refers to him as if he were an old friend. Kerouac left a profound imprint upon society with his presence. La Grande Sauterelle ponders how “Washington Square was an ordinary park, a square of green with trees, benches, a few states…but all at once with Kerouac’s presence everything was transformed. Suspicious forms lay in the grass…. The park was filled with ghosts of the past” (195). Every location has a history, and it is the individuals who occupy a location, which color that history. With their actions and interactions, People leave ghosts of themselves in the places they visit through their actions and interactions. When learning of Kerouac’s previous presence at the Washington Park, La Grande Sauterelle understanding of the park completely changes. It transforms before her eyes into a former hangout of the beatnik generation.

While reading this book, I couldn't help but keep thinking how similar this novel was to On the Road, by Jack Keroac. The writing style was similar in terms of it being kind of like a fictional autobiography, and the journey across the United States was similar as well. By bringing in the use of all of the outside books, literature, authors, and writings as clues for Jack's search for his brother, I feel as if he was living their lives and not their own. For this reason I didn't care for this book as much as I have the others in this course. I don't feel as if the characters were as well developed, and I just don't like the feeling that I got from Jack's journey. This book was more of a history book than anything. I felt like it was just a hodge podge of historical facts and information that Poulin attempted to jumble into a fictional novel. One good aspect of the historical accounts, was that a lot of them were given from a Native Indian's perspective. This was a new way to look at old information which was greatly appreciated otherwise I would have felt less motivated to finish the book.

While not necessarily literature, the usage of writing in songs was very interesting to me in this novel. Particularly, I found the chapter about the search for "The Saddest Song in the World" particularly striking. Whether words are written or sung, they can hold so much meaning. I loved how even though they were driving in America, they are able to find on the radio an old French song which Jack remembers:
"America's road is long
And long is the road of love
When suffering's done, happiness takes its turn
So don't you grieve, my dearest, I'll be home
Wandering's what holds you when you're young
But I'll grow old, my love, so don't you mourn" (71).
Growing old is one of the things Jack fears most, but he finds solace in the revival of old dreams that travelling can uproot, particularly in the historical context of America, where people hope to somehow "recover heaven on earth" (71).

Although full of great stories, the one i particularly enjoyed was the story that Jack told of his Brother Theo in the Oregon Trail. "Look He's just galloped by on his horse. Did you see? He was heading to the wagons at the rear and he waved to us as he passed, Now and then the guide checks on things at the end of the convoy: that's where they keep the cows and horses they'll be taking to Oregon." This story I found interesting because it told the story of Theo leading the intrepid explorers westward and making the decisions and being in that dominate leader's role. Jack has not seen his brother for twenty years and he imagines his brother still as an intrepid leader. This is interesting because we find out later in the book that Theo is instead crippled by paralysis however, the story and image that Jack has created in his mind really sticks in your head as a reader.

I think that one of the most interesting passages in the book, and one of my personal favorites, is where Jack and La Grande Sauterelle are talking with the old man whose life story parallels/is hijacked from Earnest Hemingway. This is a pivotal moment for Jack and a major turning point in the book as Jack nears the end of his journey and prepares himself mentally (unconsciously and unknowingly of course) for the reality of his brother's life.

The old man has a great deal of insight that Jack and La Grande Sauterelle find quite valuable, and like many whom they meet on the road, they seem to form an instant rapport. In recounting his history, Jack laughs privately at the fact that he has actually given them the details of Earnest Hemingway's life, down to his Paris address. The man wisely steers them in the right direction in terms of where to find a character of Theo's description on the west coast. More importantly, however, he lifts Jack out of the sort of hero-rut he had been in since discovering Theo's criminal record in Kansas City. Jack is able to jump from historical revisionism (trying to identify Theo with a sort of "moral" bandit) to modeling him along the lines of someone closer to himself. He begins to wonder what, if any, contact and impact Theo had on 20th century literature. His mind eventually finds the beat movement as something to cling to, and something with which to identify Theo. This is important for several reasons. First, and most obviously, this is the closest idealization of Theo the reader yet sees from Jack. As Jack discovers from a photograph in the book Beat Angels, Theo truly did have contact with some of the most well known figures in the beat movement. This knowledge helps him narrow down Theo's location eventually, and helps him stumble across him. More importantly, however, by looking up to his brother in association with writers and literature, Jack is able to gain an appreciation for himself, what he does and what he is capable of. This new-found sense of self-respect and self-worth allow Jack to see resolution in Theo's fate and the validity and importance of his own journey.

The role books play in our lives is a reoccuring theme in Poulin's novel. Jack and La Grande Sauterelle's passion for books is exemplified by the concern that the Volks may be too packed with them to make it over the rockies. Topics involving books and literature tell us quite a bit about their respective characters. La Grande Sauterelle primarily reads to connect with the history of native tribes. Her outburst in Chapter 22 and her detailed accounts of massacres reveal her passion for this subject. Her "borrowing" of books is a kind of protest against the white man's capitalist rules. Jack, a troubled man, uses reading and writing to escape reality. He openly tells La Grande Sauterelle that he is unhappy with himself. The news of his brother's crime sends him into the "Deep-Sea Diver's Complex"(106). After he talks to the old man looking out on the Mississippi River, he reveals that the concepts of death and existence are very much on his mind. He finds books comforting. Jack has a few favorite authors he compares to old friends. He repeatedly refers to the writing process as shutting oneself off from surrounding events; a disconnection. One of the most interesting passages is Jack's description of the ideal writer. A first sentence comes to this fanasty writer in a bar as a revelation. He rushes to write it down on napkin. His friends are astonished and worried as he rushes out of the bar. He goes home and writes furiously. He shuts out everyone and everything (like Deep-Sea Diver Complex). After waking up in the hospital, he sees his girlfriend with tears in her eyes. "It's the most beautiful story I've ever read," she tells him (34). This fanasty reveals a desire to excape and awake to a new, better life. It is essential to understanding Jack's character.

In regards to books, two lines both on page 124 stuck with me. First the words that La Grande Sauterelle (and I am so embarrassed that I forgot the “E” in Grande on my second paper – I have French teachers from high school that probably would beat me with a stick if they knew…) tapes on the dashboard – “One word is worth a thousand pictures.” She is right of course – the idea that a picture is worth a thousand words is completely backwards. A picture is already a complete story, a moment of time captured, illustrated, leaving little to the imagination. One word though can convey so much – emotion, a time, a place, a person, a thing, any and all of the above. Words strung together lay out picture after picture within the minds of the reader with far more possibility than any actual picture could. The second passage on the same page dealing with books discusses how we cannot take one book alone, that it is part of a vaster array of books, by both the author and other authors. Marxist literary theory runs completely contrary to that and that this is essentially baggage that we add to literary works that does not belong there and pollutes our interpretations. La Grande Sauterelle appears to consider this not pollution but rather a greater experience based on the added works one brings to it. While I can understand her desire to want to add to a larger tapestry, it does seem like reading more in to the works than what the author intends causes one to potentially misinterpret what the work really says.