The Wide Window
Text A: The blonde girl in the meadow
Text B: The boat
Text C: The organs
Text D: The faded blue individual
A Brief Analysis (4)
Text A's cover has a long blonde-haired girl with a bowed, reflective stance, alone amidst a landscape of greenery. I believe this is intended to be Kathy H., who at one point in the novel states, "I think of my pile of old paperbacks, their pages gone wobbly, like they'd once belonged to the sea. I think about how I read them, lying on my front in the grass on warm afternoons, my hair- which was growing long then- always falling across my vision." (Ishiguro 99) This seems to be the idea demonstrated here; the woman depicted does not appear sad or sorrowful, but caught up in her thoughts, perhaps ruminating over a book just finished.
I find text B to be the most complex.The muted yellows and browns, disappearing into their cloud-title, are somewhat eerie, in a resigned sort of way. The emptiness of the shoreline and the stillness of the water suggest somewhere untouched, forgotten, eroded by time and lost to circumstance.
Text C is the most direct when it comes to addressing the plot itself. The loose outline of a human body and its internal organs snake their way around the title's lettering, as though the words themselves are unable to escape their fate, choked by the barbed wire. The dusky blue forest in the background echoes fear and confinement, seemingly trapping its anamorphic, titular victim to its pre-destined fate.
I believe text D is Kathy once again, and though her outline is ambiguous, I imagine this is what Madame saw when Kathy was lazily spinning around with her imaginary baby. Personally, I see Kathy as just departing from a moment in which her hand was held out, and I am reminded of her vulnerability and innocence as she sang "oh baby, baby, never let me go..."
Collectively, these titles exude questions about time and isolation, with a certain degree of the ephemeral mixed in. In reflecting on all four of them, I wonder about companionship and individuality (which make sense, given that they're key themes throughout the book itself). Can you love another person if you do not love yourself? Can you know another person if you do not know yourself? Are we ever alone in love? Despite their differing content, they seem to nevertheless catalyze similar inquiries.
A Deeper Analysis (2)
I chose texts A and B to look at specifically. When I look at text A, I get a bunch of different words in my head. I think "Tycho", which is the electronic, lyric-less band I listen to whose music seems to give off the same vibes. I think of a specific couple of people I know (but who I won't name) whose mindsets seem to mimic Kathy's positioning; a dash of wallflower and a pinch of chronic over-thinking. I think of the words "cinnamon heart". Among other loose words floating around in my head: mindful, solitary, caught, torn, lost. Regardless of having read the novel, I would have assumed it was a coming-of-age tale, though lacking a love, community, or scientific component. I'd have assumed it was a relatively basic, stereotypical novel detailing the struggles of young women finding their place in the world (no offense to basic, stereotypical novels detailing the struggles of young women finding their place in the world). However, having read the novel, I realize that it is about a young woman navigating her identity... it's just contextualized by a bit more depth. Kathy is certainly figuring out who she is, but it's not the conventional society-says-this-but-my-heart-says-this plotline. Frankly, in this sense, Kathy doesn't really have a society. She has no examples to guide her on how to love, how to feel, or how to live, and as such, she is figuring it out from a blank slate, with a childlike innocence. It certainly seems that this is Kathy, and this is perhaps why the the cover triggered the word "lost"; Kathy is indeed lost in herself and lost in her desires for love, sex, identity, and some kind of self-fulfillment or meaning. I don't think the cover suggests the culture of the book, but it hints at some of the elements drawn to focus because of the book's culture: again, the aforementioned notion of figuring out who you are without a template. I like to think that this book would be created by those attempting to catch the eye of someone who is struggling with their own sense of self, whether visibly or not, and see a semblance of their pain in Kathy's stance. I'd hope that those viewers would be the ones to read it, too. It seems like a novel you'd drop in a stack alongside The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Infernal Devices.
When I look at text B, I think of "opportunity", "lost" (again), and "past". I think of the phrase "time gone by" and I think of a quote from Lemony Snicket's The Wide Window: "'Why would she be afraid of a dock?' Klaus asked, looking around at the wooden piers and sailboats." (Handler 4) Without reading the book, I'd think this book to be about death. A boat washed-aground, with frayed writing, alongside a moldy docking post and a deserted beach? It seems like the book would be about lost opportunities realized at the end of someone's life. Having read the book, though, I know that this is a reference to the boat Tommy, Ruth, and Kathy find in part 3. The boat seems to be a symbol of their confinement to their donor/carer lives; they can't sail away, nor do they particularly want to. Thus (and for me), the cover seems to ask: what would you do if you weren't afraid of the consequences? It reminds me of how fleeting this life is. From the consideration of the book's content, I think this cover speaks for all of the clones. However, from a larger sense, I think this cover reaches out to an audience of more timid-minded people, as though urging them to risk, to live without regret, without "what-if"s. This cover doesn't spark heavy emphasis on the cultural nature of the book. However, like text A, it suggests the book's motifs of loneliness, regret, and opportunity. I think that the individuals who made this cover were those a little more mentally complacent that those in text A but nevertheless still insistent on their viewers committing to living a full life. I'd hope that those who'd read this book were individuals who wanted to better attune themselves to their intrinsic answers to the questions I asked earlier.
Handler, David. The Wide Window. Scholastic, 2001.
Text B: The boat
Text C: The organs
Text D: The faded blue individual
A Brief Analysis (4)
Text A's cover has a long blonde-haired girl with a bowed, reflective stance, alone amidst a landscape of greenery. I believe this is intended to be Kathy H., who at one point in the novel states, "I think of my pile of old paperbacks, their pages gone wobbly, like they'd once belonged to the sea. I think about how I read them, lying on my front in the grass on warm afternoons, my hair- which was growing long then- always falling across my vision." (Ishiguro 99) This seems to be the idea demonstrated here; the woman depicted does not appear sad or sorrowful, but caught up in her thoughts, perhaps ruminating over a book just finished.
I find text B to be the most complex.The muted yellows and browns, disappearing into their cloud-title, are somewhat eerie, in a resigned sort of way. The emptiness of the shoreline and the stillness of the water suggest somewhere untouched, forgotten, eroded by time and lost to circumstance.
Text C is the most direct when it comes to addressing the plot itself. The loose outline of a human body and its internal organs snake their way around the title's lettering, as though the words themselves are unable to escape their fate, choked by the barbed wire. The dusky blue forest in the background echoes fear and confinement, seemingly trapping its anamorphic, titular victim to its pre-destined fate.
I believe text D is Kathy once again, and though her outline is ambiguous, I imagine this is what Madame saw when Kathy was lazily spinning around with her imaginary baby. Personally, I see Kathy as just departing from a moment in which her hand was held out, and I am reminded of her vulnerability and innocence as she sang "oh baby, baby, never let me go..."
Collectively, these titles exude questions about time and isolation, with a certain degree of the ephemeral mixed in. In reflecting on all four of them, I wonder about companionship and individuality (which make sense, given that they're key themes throughout the book itself). Can you love another person if you do not love yourself? Can you know another person if you do not know yourself? Are we ever alone in love? Despite their differing content, they seem to nevertheless catalyze similar inquiries.
A Deeper Analysis (2)
I chose texts A and B to look at specifically. When I look at text A, I get a bunch of different words in my head. I think "Tycho", which is the electronic, lyric-less band I listen to whose music seems to give off the same vibes. I think of a specific couple of people I know (but who I won't name) whose mindsets seem to mimic Kathy's positioning; a dash of wallflower and a pinch of chronic over-thinking. I think of the words "cinnamon heart". Among other loose words floating around in my head: mindful, solitary, caught, torn, lost. Regardless of having read the novel, I would have assumed it was a coming-of-age tale, though lacking a love, community, or scientific component. I'd have assumed it was a relatively basic, stereotypical novel detailing the struggles of young women finding their place in the world (no offense to basic, stereotypical novels detailing the struggles of young women finding their place in the world). However, having read the novel, I realize that it is about a young woman navigating her identity... it's just contextualized by a bit more depth. Kathy is certainly figuring out who she is, but it's not the conventional society-says-this-but-my-heart-says-this plotline. Frankly, in this sense, Kathy doesn't really have a society. She has no examples to guide her on how to love, how to feel, or how to live, and as such, she is figuring it out from a blank slate, with a childlike innocence. It certainly seems that this is Kathy, and this is perhaps why the the cover triggered the word "lost"; Kathy is indeed lost in herself and lost in her desires for love, sex, identity, and some kind of self-fulfillment or meaning. I don't think the cover suggests the culture of the book, but it hints at some of the elements drawn to focus because of the book's culture: again, the aforementioned notion of figuring out who you are without a template. I like to think that this book would be created by those attempting to catch the eye of someone who is struggling with their own sense of self, whether visibly or not, and see a semblance of their pain in Kathy's stance. I'd hope that those viewers would be the ones to read it, too. It seems like a novel you'd drop in a stack alongside The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Infernal Devices.
When I look at text B, I think of "opportunity", "lost" (again), and "past". I think of the phrase "time gone by" and I think of a quote from Lemony Snicket's The Wide Window: "'Why would she be afraid of a dock?' Klaus asked, looking around at the wooden piers and sailboats." (Handler 4) Without reading the book, I'd think this book to be about death. A boat washed-aground, with frayed writing, alongside a moldy docking post and a deserted beach? It seems like the book would be about lost opportunities realized at the end of someone's life. Having read the book, though, I know that this is a reference to the boat Tommy, Ruth, and Kathy find in part 3. The boat seems to be a symbol of their confinement to their donor/carer lives; they can't sail away, nor do they particularly want to. Thus (and for me), the cover seems to ask: what would you do if you weren't afraid of the consequences? It reminds me of how fleeting this life is. From the consideration of the book's content, I think this cover speaks for all of the clones. However, from a larger sense, I think this cover reaches out to an audience of more timid-minded people, as though urging them to risk, to live without regret, without "what-if"s. This cover doesn't spark heavy emphasis on the cultural nature of the book. However, like text A, it suggests the book's motifs of loneliness, regret, and opportunity. I think that the individuals who made this cover were those a little more mentally complacent that those in text A but nevertheless still insistent on their viewers committing to living a full life. I'd hope that those who'd read this book were individuals who wanted to better attune themselves to their intrinsic answers to the questions I asked earlier.
Handler, David. The Wide Window. Scholastic, 2001.
Anne Ross. First of all, and once again, you are such a talented writer and the diction you use always perfectly conveys the point you are making. Now, regarding the analysis of the book covers, I thought it was so clever how you incorporated the quote about Kathy reading the paperbacks- it fit so nicely with that cover. Also, when looking at the last cover of the spinning girl I hadn't thought about the connection between the spinning and when Madame saw Kathy spinning alone while listening to music. Overall the points you made about the covers I hadn't considered in my own cover analysis and I loved the insight incorporated into your post.
ReplyDeleteHey Anne Ross, I thought that your blog post was really good. I think that your analysis of the book covers were very descriptive as well as the comparisons and differences that you made with each one also. See I thought that the last text was a depiction of Ruth (idek why) and not Kathy. I really liked it all because it was different that what I had come up with.
ReplyDeleteHey Anne Ross!
ReplyDeleteYou do a really nice job of leading your reader through your argument and analysis. I do wish there was a bit more specific connect to the novel itself, but what you have is insightful and well-written.
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ANNE ROSS PENDER!! I agree with what Ms. Genesky said. I really enjoyed this post and the way you engaged the reader with your voice and tone. Your analogies brought out the best parts of the covers and reminded me of Ishiguro’s intentions for his novel to be cheerful. I appreciated the places where you were specific, like when talked about Kathy with her novels or with her imaginary baby, and I think some more incorporation of those specific moments would have helped clarify your argument.
ReplyDelete-Lexie
Hey Anne Ross!!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your analysis of all of these covers. I liked how you said that you would put this book in a stack with The Perks of Being a Wallflower; I think that is a perfect way to describe the cover. It seems like a cover that would be album art for The Head and the Heart to me. I also liked how you point out Kathy's innocence, a characteristic that is often covered up by her narration. Great job girl, cool blog.