Hits with Hannah !

     When Dana first meets Rufus as a child in Kindred, he appears to be innocent and naive, a victim of his harsh father and the society he was born into. Dana initially sees Rufus as a vulnerable child in need of guidance and protection from the harsh realities of the antebellum South, so she attempts to teach lessons of empathy, morality, and fairness to him, hoping to shape him into a more compassionate and just individual. Initially, Dana's efforts seem to have some positive impact on Rufus. He forms a genuine bond with her, viewing her as a confidante and ally. Dana, in turn, feels a sense of responsibility towards Rufus, recognizing the potential for change and redemption within him.      Unfortunately, as Rufus grows older, Dana's attempts to guide him in the right direction start to backfire. Despite her best efforts to influence him positively, Rufus begins to exhibit more and more selfish, entitled, and morally compromised behavior. Although Dana isn’t necessarily a

Mumbo Jumbo is an eccentric novel that intertwines history, fiction, and religion. Reed blurs the line especially between history and fiction throughout the novel. We’re thrown right into it at the very beginning, when he introduces the concept of Jes Grew. It’s not an actual physical disease (or plague, or anti-plague) that has ever existed, but Reed weaves it into a portrait of early 20th century America as if it were fact. Reed takes real historical events and gives us explanations for them that fit into his narrative. For example, he tells us that the US occupation of Haiti (a real, historical event) was actually launched by the Wallflower Order in an attempt to quell Jes Grew: “The Wallflower Order launched the war against Haiti in hopes of allaying Jes Grew symptoms by attacking their miasmatic source” (64). Reed states it factually, as if this was the obvious explanation to why the US attacked Haiti in 1915.  There are several other examples of how Ishmael Reed plays around with

Doctorow follows a rather simple pattern of characterization by using names for actual historical figures (Emma Goldman, Houdini, etc.) and explicitly not naming the fictional ones (e.g ‘The Little Boy’). (This obviously comes with the exception of Coalhouse Walker.) Mother’s Younger Brother falls into the latter category- he’s a somewhat odd character introduced at the beginning of the novel. Besides the fact that he is referred to as “Mother’s Younger Brother” (literally defined solely by his relation to another character), he is depicted in a fictional-like light throughout the beginning and middle of the novel.  Doctorow describes MYB’s actions in great detail and states the events regarding him with certainty. For example, when describing MYB’s frequent trips to New York for Broadway shows, Doctorow states that “He would work at his drawing table past the dinner then catch the evening train. He had made friends of some ordnance officers on duty at the armory on Lexington Avenue