Part 1- I hated that the parents tried to force activities on him that he didn't want to participate in, and that Dr. Dysan was a terrible psychiatrist, and doctor. It's a shame his father did not play a huge role in comforting him or making him feel like a good son. His thoughts of Benjamin alone were enough to show the reader that he didn't think highly of his son, and didn't love him as a father should. Although Benjamin didn't write his parents, or Lemon, I did have appreciation for them to keep on writing him, to make him feel loved. Well, at least his mother.
Part 2- His letters back and forth with Elliot were amusing. I found it strange that Elliot was a girl. I liked his relationship between Amelia, it showed that he did have feelings and attachment to things other than his imaginary world. Even though his camp counselor didn't have great things to say about Benjamin to his friend, their relationship to Benjamin was meaningful and that's what matters in child development. I remember being in camp and having, what i hope now to be as a good relationship, with my counselors and it made me want to come back to camp. The dates were pretty weird too, but Elliotown time was different from Earth time, so I couldnt expect it to be month day and year format all the time.
Part 3- It tore me apart to know that he was institutionalized. In my opinion, he was a normal boy, who had some growing up issues, due to his terrible parents. His mom, who babies and pities him, and his father who belittles him. Yes, his bathroom problem was a little too much for 12 years old, but having an imaginary friend and town was his way of being himself and creative. In the end, Benjamin actually becomes crazy, and instead of making any type of sense, he blabbers in his last letter. I think he could have been saved even up to the point where Dr. Dysan says it's ill advised to bring Benjamin home. That pissed me off, because as the reader knowing Benjamin's thoughts, he didnt deserve to be there in the first place.
GREAT BOOK, don't ever take it off the syllabus for future classes.
Sorry it took me a while to get back to this comment. I don't know how I missed it!
ReplyDeleteI too like H a great deal. I like it as a book, but I also like it as a teaching book. I never will take it off the syllabus as long as I can find copies. Unfortunately, it is out of print and every time I assign it, I'm worried the bookstore can't scare up enough copies. It's readily available in Kindle, but I know that ebooks aren't necessarily all that accessible yet.
Jules also
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