A Complicated Kindness Summary
A Complicated Kindness Summary Sheet
Core Mennonite Beliefs * First and foremost: Christians * Specific Mennonite philosophies * Non violence * No circumstances * Mennonites are exempt from going to war * Rejection of the world * Should focus on heaven * Things in real life are distractions * Community * Strong emphasis on doing charity and helping each other * Putting faith into action * Actions reflect inner-self
Religious fundamentalism and the coming-of-age novel * Coming of age * The achievement of maturity * Transition from childhood to adulthood * Fundamentalist religions have strict code for adult behavior …show more content…
* Coming-of-age novels set in fundamentalist communities often feature a protagonist who rebels against religious authority * Coming-of-age novels set in fundamentalist communities tend to end either with: * The protagonist coming to a more mature understanding of his/her religion OR * The protagonist rejecting his/her religion
Significance of the songs * Rejection of Mennonite values * Yet some songs have Christian themes * Embracing of secular world * Connection to other characters * Tash * Trudie * Ray * Travis * Other young people
Plot * It does not exist * Wanders around, frequent flashbacks * Lack of traditional plot * Realistic * Reflects Nomi’s life has no structure * Suspense * Confusion connects readers to Nomi * Feels trapped in Mennonite society * Lack of guidance * Rejecting to constraints of Mennonite society * Depressed * Rebellion * Music – wishes for a life free of constraints * Family * High * High school assignment
“You” * Addressed to a specific reader * Writing to her English teacher – Mr. Quiring
Nomi’s difficulty with language * “I’m pretty bad with uh . . . words” (Toews 268). * “I also only said half of what I meant and only half of that made any sense, which is, I admit, a generous appraisal of my communication skills” (Toews 130). * Often doesn’t say what’s on her mind * Worries about what to say in between Travis’s songs * Frequently trails off . . . * Similar to her father * Has difficulty with written assignments in English
* Father just as wordless as Nomi is, as devastated * Disconnected with wider community * Disconnected with the world she’s interested in
Words as connection to outside world * Graffiti on trains * Literature * Nomi is very well read * Tash has a city library card * Music
* Gets little bits of outside world * Have small library * Banned to watch movies and television * Older Mennonites have their mother tongue, different from English and French
Word as rebellion and escape * Cigarettes in mouth * Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth * Poster on Nomi’s wall (Toews 99) * Broken English by Marianne Faithfull * One of Tash’s favorite singers
* Instead of using mouth to communicate, she puts a cigarette in * Have thoughts but does not know how to express
Words as painful * Nomi lacks the language to discuss her family’s tragedy * Adults do not explain
Portrayal of fundamentalist community * Reflect on the novel’s portrayal of the Mennonite community * Negative aspects portrayed? * Positive aspects portrayed? * Charity * Kindness of community members * Will pray for Nomi * Offer her Bible verses as comfort * Ray
Nomi embraces/adapts certain Mennonite values * “I may be a disappointment to Menno Simons but I would like him to know that I have carved, out of the raw material that he has provided, a new faith.
I still believe that one day we’ll all be together, the four of us, in New York City.” (Toews 121) * “I used almost the entire length of the driveway to write my favourite quote in chalk. life being what it is, one dreams of revenge. It’s by Gauguin” (Toews 98). * “I never dream of revenge” (Toews 99). * “Life being what it is, one dreams not of revenge. One just dreams” (Toews 321).
Example of close reading
“Imagine the least well-adjusted kid in your school starting a breakaway clique of people whose manifesto includes a ban on the media, dancing, smoking , temperate climates, movies, drinking, rock ’n’ roll, having sex for fun, swimming, makeup, jewellery, playing pool, going to cities, or staying up past nine o’clock. That was Menno all over. Thanks a lot, Menno.” (Toews 7) * Unhappy with her religion rejects pleasures
“Later that day The Mouth came over to talk and pray with Trudie about her fondness for guys like Kristofferson and Billy Joel. He told her that in his dictionary hell comes after rock ‘n’ roll.” (Toews
17) * Rock n roll highly discouraged * Not a good Mennonite
“People would say hey, is that Lou Reed and his Mennonite family of roadies?” (Toews 121). * Live in east village in NY city * Singer, write songs * Songs are much more mature than her fantasy * Deals with drugs, sex, disappointment in life
Lyrics of “Walk on the Wild Side” * See village unchanging * Presents freedom * Using drugs, rebelling, completely different from her life * Explicit lyrics, song very melo, jazzy * A lot of lyrics are about female freedom
“I like to ride my bike to train crossings in empty field and watch graffiti fly past me at a hundred miles an hour. It really is the perfect way to view art. I silently thank the disenfranchised kids from Detroit or St. Louis for providing some colour in my life. I’ve often wanted to send a message back to them. Nomi from Nowhere says hello. But the train doesn’t stop here and I don’t have any spray paint.” (Toews 75) * Unable to communicate back to the outside world
“I went to my room, slammed the door shut and fired up a Sweet Cap. I took a marker and made a word bubble coming out of Christina’s mouth. fuck youuuuuuuu! she said to that ugly old house off in the distance. I put on Broken English as loud as it would go without blowing the speakers and then I stared at myself in my dresser mirror while I sat cross-legged on the bed inhaling carcinogens.” (Toews 243)
“I put on Tash’s Keith Jarrett record and watched the needle wobble around and around, six inches from my head. I liked the way he moaned when he played the piano. I decided to like anybody who would allow their moans to be taped and distributed to the world. I wanted the world to hear my moans, I thought. And then realized that I would have to also learn how to play an instrument brilliantly. Wake up to the fact, I said out loud. I don’t know why. I wondered if it was possible to donate my body to science before I was actually dead. I wondered if a disease were to be named after me what the symptoms would be.” (Toews 100) * Realism * 1st person * Depressed, suicidal, hopeless * Moaning of jazz player represent her inability to communicate * The moaning is like her only way to express her feelings * Wants to be famous to put on a record for her moans * Weird mutation of desire of fame * Want to have a purpose in life * Possible thesis: Her inability to communicate leads her to despair.
“I don’t know why she was crying…” (Toews 193-194) * Possible thesis: Lack of communication within family and herself caused her to come up with explanation of her on-going life events.
Core Mennonite Beliefs * First and foremost: Christians * Specific Mennonite philosophies * Non violence * No circumstances * Mennonites are exempt from going to war * Rejection of the world * Should focus on heaven * Things in real life are distractions * Community * Strong emphasis on doing charity and helping each other * Putting faith into action * Actions reflect inner-self
Religious fundamentalism and the coming-of-age novel * Coming of age * The achievement of maturity * Transition from childhood to adulthood * Fundamentalist religions have strict code for adult behavior …show more content…
* Coming-of-age novels set in fundamentalist communities often feature a protagonist who rebels against religious authority * Coming-of-age novels set in fundamentalist communities tend to end either with: * The protagonist coming to a more mature understanding of his/her religion OR * The protagonist rejecting his/her religion
Significance of the songs * Rejection of Mennonite values * Yet some songs have Christian themes * Embracing of secular world * Connection to other characters * Tash * Trudie * Ray * Travis * Other young people
Plot * It does not exist * Wanders around, frequent flashbacks * Lack of traditional plot * Realistic * Reflects Nomi’s life has no structure * Suspense * Confusion connects readers to Nomi * Feels trapped in Mennonite society * Lack of guidance * Rejecting to constraints of Mennonite society * Depressed * Rebellion * Music – wishes for a life free of constraints * Family * High * High school assignment
“You” * Addressed to a specific reader * Writing to her English teacher – Mr. Quiring
Nomi’s difficulty with language * “I’m pretty bad with uh . . . words” (Toews 268). * “I also only said half of what I meant and only half of that made any sense, which is, I admit, a generous appraisal of my communication skills” (Toews 130). * Often doesn’t say what’s on her mind * Worries about what to say in between Travis’s songs * Frequently trails off . . . * Similar to her father * Has difficulty with written assignments in English
* Father just as wordless as Nomi is, as devastated * Disconnected with wider community * Disconnected with the world she’s interested in
Words as connection to outside world * Graffiti on trains * Literature * Nomi is very well read * Tash has a city library card * Music
* Gets little bits of outside world * Have small library * Banned to watch movies and television * Older Mennonites have their mother tongue, different from English and French
Word as rebellion and escape * Cigarettes in mouth * Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth * Poster on Nomi’s wall (Toews 99) * Broken English by Marianne Faithfull * One of Tash’s favorite singers
* Instead of using mouth to communicate, she puts a cigarette in * Have thoughts but does not know how to express
Words as painful * Nomi lacks the language to discuss her family’s tragedy * Adults do not explain
Portrayal of fundamentalist community * Reflect on the novel’s portrayal of the Mennonite community * Negative aspects portrayed? * Positive aspects portrayed? * Charity * Kindness of community members * Will pray for Nomi * Offer her Bible verses as comfort * Ray
Nomi embraces/adapts certain Mennonite values * “I may be a disappointment to Menno Simons but I would like him to know that I have carved, out of the raw material that he has provided, a new faith.
I still believe that one day we’ll all be together, the four of us, in New York City.” (Toews 121) * “I used almost the entire length of the driveway to write my favourite quote in chalk. life being what it is, one dreams of revenge. It’s by Gauguin” (Toews 98). * “I never dream of revenge” (Toews 99). * “Life being what it is, one dreams not of revenge. One just dreams” (Toews 321).
Example of close reading
“Imagine the least well-adjusted kid in your school starting a breakaway clique of people whose manifesto includes a ban on the media, dancing, smoking , temperate climates, movies, drinking, rock ’n’ roll, having sex for fun, swimming, makeup, jewellery, playing pool, going to cities, or staying up past nine o’clock. That was Menno all over. Thanks a lot, Menno.” (Toews 7) * Unhappy with her religion rejects pleasures
“Later that day The Mouth came over to talk and pray with Trudie about her fondness for guys like Kristofferson and Billy Joel. He told her that in his dictionary hell comes after rock ‘n’ roll.” (Toews
17) * Rock n roll highly discouraged * Not a good Mennonite
“People would say hey, is that Lou Reed and his Mennonite family of roadies?” (Toews 121). * Live in east village in NY city * Singer, write songs * Songs are much more mature than her fantasy * Deals with drugs, sex, disappointment in life
Lyrics of “Walk on the Wild Side” * See village unchanging * Presents freedom * Using drugs, rebelling, completely different from her life * Explicit lyrics, song very melo, jazzy * A lot of lyrics are about female freedom
“I like to ride my bike to train crossings in empty field and watch graffiti fly past me at a hundred miles an hour. It really is the perfect way to view art. I silently thank the disenfranchised kids from Detroit or St. Louis for providing some colour in my life. I’ve often wanted to send a message back to them. Nomi from Nowhere says hello. But the train doesn’t stop here and I don’t have any spray paint.” (Toews 75) * Unable to communicate back to the outside world
“I went to my room, slammed the door shut and fired up a Sweet Cap. I took a marker and made a word bubble coming out of Christina’s mouth. fuck youuuuuuuu! she said to that ugly old house off in the distance. I put on Broken English as loud as it would go without blowing the speakers and then I stared at myself in my dresser mirror while I sat cross-legged on the bed inhaling carcinogens.” (Toews 243)
“I put on Tash’s Keith Jarrett record and watched the needle wobble around and around, six inches from my head. I liked the way he moaned when he played the piano. I decided to like anybody who would allow their moans to be taped and distributed to the world. I wanted the world to hear my moans, I thought. And then realized that I would have to also learn how to play an instrument brilliantly. Wake up to the fact, I said out loud. I don’t know why. I wondered if it was possible to donate my body to science before I was actually dead. I wondered if a disease were to be named after me what the symptoms would be.” (Toews 100) * Realism * 1st person * Depressed, suicidal, hopeless * Moaning of jazz player represent her inability to communicate * The moaning is like her only way to express her feelings * Wants to be famous to put on a record for her moans * Weird mutation of desire of fame * Want to have a purpose in life * Possible thesis: Her inability to communicate leads her to despair.
“I don’t know why she was crying…” (Toews 193-194) * Possible thesis: Lack of communication within family and herself caused her to come up with explanation of her on-going life events.