Quarter 3 Post 6

In the last fifty pages of this book, Cliff returned home from his cross-country road trip; a solid conclusion to a somewhat wandering book. He continues his extended stay in Montana for a few more chapters, but finally heads back to Michigan, where he moves on to his grandfather's old property to rebuild the house that had been burnt down. Cliff can't return to his old farmhouse, as it was sold after he left, in the divorce proceedings. When he gets to Michigan, though, Cliff and Vivian visit the old farm one last time. Cliff says, "We drove over to our old farm and I wept like a baby stung by a bee. My attached shed was gone and the barn was painted bright red. The orchard had been bulldozed and seeded and surrounded by white board fences a la Kentucky" (242). Cliff is clearly torn up about seeing his home of many years be torn down. The simile relating him to a small child who has been hurt also enhances the sad and vulnerable image of him. As sad as it is, though, this is a necessary and significant event in his life because it represents his ended relationship with wife, and is symbolic of putting the past behind himself. I also found this quote interesting because it shows a more conventional side of Cliff. Throughout the trip he's presented himself as a high-minded and fairly un-materialistic person. But now through his attachment to the farm one can see that Cliff is as sentimental as any other person and that even though he left home for quite a while, he still has memories and emotions invested in his old house.

I was quite relieved to find out that Cliff didn't get back together with his ex-wife. It had been hinted at a few times, but in the end they settled at a strong friendship. If they had remarried the plotline would've been unbearably cliche - divorce, roadtrip to sort out feelings, realize you're still in love. Luckily this did not happen. The ending was quite satisfactory, actually, which was nice since I was pretty bored by the end of this book. The last few lines are alright. They read, "This won't be a bad life I thought happily. What there is left of it is undetermined but I'll do fine" (254). While it's not an incredibly profound way to end things, it wraps things up nicely by creating contrast with the rest of the book. Through most of the story, Cliff does not have peace of mind and instead contemplates and debates things all the time in his head. He worries about the past and the present and the future. To see him finally accept things the way they are gives the story closure. It's also a little ironic because the reason he went on his trip was to find this peace of mind, and yet he didn't achieve it until returning home.

Harrison, Jim. The English Major. New York: Grove Press, 2008.

Quarter 3 Post 5

In the last few chapters, Cliff has stayed in Montana. I couldn't really tell you why, because this book is getting harder and harder to follow. It may have been a poor choice for a quarter-long project, because it seems to be the type of book you have to read in a day or two. Cliff spends so much time in his head, contemplating things, that if you put the book down and come back a few days later, you may have forgotten what is actually going on, action-wise. But this is not to say that I don't like the book. I do. Mostly. Anyhow, on to analysis. One thing I noticed is that Cliff is becoming increasingly self-aware. Not only does he mull over things in the past, but he's started to make observations about himself in the present, which is actually quite difficult to do. One time when you can see this is when Cliff is in a small diner after having gone fishing. He thinks to himself, "I wasn't in first-rate mental shape when I had left Michigan, and perhaps for some time afterward. The fishing had opened a window in my mind's room and the new fresh air and light had made my state of mind on my departure grim indeed" (195). Although it is perhaps not a happy observation, Cliff still developed as a person by participating in some self-reflection.

While I was reading, I began to wonder why the book is titled The English Major. At first, my reaction was that it was a little random, as being an English major was only a small part of Cliff's personality and character make-up. After a while, though, it occurred to me just how much having majored in English has impacted Cliff's life. For one thing, it may have caused distance between him and his wife, because she doesn't understand his passion for literature. Also, thoughts about famous writers such as Lord Byron or Thoreau are quite common in his daily musings. It has also given him a bit of wisdom, as shown when he is thinking about his project of renaming state birds. Cliff has become frustrated that he isn't getting very far on this project, and starts to blame all the distractions in his life. He says, "As an English major I was familiar with the stories of dozens of writers trying to get their work done amid the multifarious diversions of the world and the hurdles of their own vices" (189). Obviously, the title is very appropriate because having majored in English has completely shaped Cliff's personality and way of life.


Harrison, Jim. The English Major. New York: Grove Press, 2008.

Quarter 3 Post 4

Seeing as the section I just read was kind of dull, I've decided instead to write about an interesting character I haven't yet mentioned. His name is AD. Well, kind of. For the first few chapters, Cliff referred to him as his 'alcoholic doctor friend' and thus he eventually turned into AD for short. I guess we never really learn his name (or maybe it's at the beginning and I just forgot, but I don't think so). This is a puzzling character because so far he hasn't actually appeared in the book, not counting a few short phone calls to him from Cliff. Instead, we learn about him by all the times Cliff talks about him and his strange wisdom. AD has a sort of pessimistic view on things, but doesn't seem to be an unhappy person. Also, the stories about him often include women and alcohol. AD's wisdom showed up once in the last section I read, when Cliff was discussing how his grandfather died penniless and with liver cancer. Cliff said, "My friend AD told me that it was not infrequent to see the aged devour their net worth in a forlorn attempt to stay alive" (176). As AD is a doctor, this opinion must be based on experience. At the same time, though, it's quite depressing and one has to wonder how this man who decided to help others for a living ended up being a pessimistic alcoholic.

Arizona, New Mexico and Utah were the only 3 states Cliff traveled through in the last 40 or so pages. In all honesty, it wasn't that memorable and I frequently got bored trying to read it. I do like this book quite a bit, but it's also hard to relate to seeing as I'm not a 60 year old man. Also, it seems like the plot is just dragging on. Cliff is still trying to avoid contact with Marybelle, his son Robert, and ex wife Vivian, continues to sleep in mediocre motels, and contemplate the same problems over and over while slowly making his way through the south-west. I guess this book is just different than what I'm used to because the rising action and climax aren't very visible. They aren't big action scenes or huge and obvious turning points. Although I doubt I've reached it, the plot climax is probably just going to be some revelation by Cliff or a reunion with his wife. In this way, this book is both a little bit dull but also just a new genre for me.

Harrison, Jim. The English Major. New York: Grove Press, 2008.

Quarter 3 Post 3

In the last 50 pages, Cliff has only made it through Oregon and is now taking a break in California. Continuing the character development I mentioned in my last post, the philosophical side of Cliff is becoming more and more apparent. Personally, I think it's because he's spent so much time alone. After he dropped Marybelle off a while ago, he's been on his own and even declines to answer his cell phone. (About not answering his cell phone Cliff said, "Let them drift in the electronic void with their unspoken thoughts" (108-109). I'm not going to analyze this quote, I just really like the sentence and thought I'd share it.) Anyways, it's interesting when you're isolated like that because although you don't have anyone to bounce ideas and random thoughts off of, your thoughts become louder and clearer to take the place of company. At one point, Cliff is driving through Oregon and comes to a realization about himself. He says, "Here I was in very empty north-central Oregon where my own unforced errors played big from my brain's movie projector against the immense screen of landscape. I had been to damned wishy washy. I had let my disgust with teaching ruin my love of literature" (108). Mixed in with tales from his college years and his previous passion for good writing, it is easy to see that Cliff has just achieved something great. It's a great achievement when you realize something not so great about yourself, because although it might really suck to notice, it means you can see yourself from outside your little box. All his alone time has inspired great self-contemplation.

I've noticed that the motif I talked about in the first post has continued. For one thing, the Oregon puzzle piece was purple, which reminded Cliff of a friend's funeral (because the cloth in the casket had been the same color). Thinking about this friend inspired thoughts about death and control one has over their life. I do think this is significant because Oregon was quite the melancholy state, and the puzzle piece really set the tone for the chapter. Cliff forgets to toss away the puzzle piece at the end of the Oregon chapter, and finally remembers once he's spent a day or two in California. This passage reads, "Once more I had forgotten to throw away a puzzle piece and stopped near Little Cow Creek northwest of Redding, dropping Oregon in the water without emotion" (119). This makes quite a contrast with his emotional discovery of the purple piece. I think that all the reflection that occured in Oregon has sort of worn him out, emotionally, and so the careless way he gets rid of the piece shows how Cliff has become a little numb. In other news, Cliff has now stopped at his son Robert's condo in California for a little while. This is interesting because it's a break from the complete isolation he had been experiencing for the past week or so, and I'm interested to see what happens.

Harrison, Jim. The English Major. New York: Grove Press, 2008.

Quarter 3 Post 2

Since I last posted, Cliff has made his way through Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Washington (state). He has also rid himself of Marybelle, dropping her off with her family. As he travels through these states, Cliff has shown different sides of his personality. My first impression was that he was pretty straightforward - used to be a teacher, then a farmer, is now retired, doesn't think too much about things. But as the road trip progresses, the more contemplative side of Cliff has come out. For example, while sitting on the balcony of his hotel room in Washington, Cliff reflects for a while about how much good this trip is actually doing him. He says, "I felt like a missile or rocket without ground control... Reality seemed to be crumbling and I was wise enough to understand that reality stayed the same so it was my mind that was crumbling" (101). Harrison uses a simile to show that although Cliff has simply been cruising through states one at a time, he hadn't really thought about what he was doing until this moment. I think this could be a major turning point for both the trip and Cliff himself, but I can't be sure because then the chapter ended and I stopped reading. I predict that he will make some changes to his plan, or we'll begin to see changes in his character.

I'm starting to like Harrison's writing style more and more. At first, I couldn't figure out why he's such a highly praised author. The thing is, you really have to pay attention to details or you'll completely miss essential points that could tell you something about a theme or a character. One example of this is how Harrison often disperses Cliff's memories from childhood or marriage throughout random moments. I used to read these but not acknowledge them or what they told me about Cliff, dismissing them as useless anecdotes. But more and more I've noticed their importance. During the trip through Montana, Cliff becomes slightly sick, and recalls how his mother used to care for him during illness as a kid. He reminisces, "the only time my mother was soft and kind and gentle to me was when I was sick. When I got measles she was a Sister of Eternal Mercy and Love. When I was well she saved it all for my little brother with Down's" (81). While at first this story is cute at best, it really tells you more than you think. For one, it reminds you that Cliff grew up with a disabled brother. Also, you can infer that most of the time his mother wasn't overly affectionate and didn't give Cliff mounds of attention. This explains why Cliff doesn't require extensive company - he's happiest when Marybelle is gone, and often reminisces about how he enjoyed his dog's comany more than his wife's. One theme I can kind of see developing so far is that attempting to escape from problems in your life won't get rid of them, and may just make them all the more apparent. This is strong in the story because Cliff has run away from his old life and his ex-wife, but continues to come to conclusions about his problems that he wouldn't have seen had he stayed home.


Harrison, Jim. The English Major. New York: Grove Press, 2008.

Quarter 3 Post 1

My book for this quarter is titled The English Major by Jim Harrison. It is the story of a man who, after being left by his wife, takes off across the country on a state-by-state road trip. As he leaves each state, Cliff (the main character) tosses a puzzle piece of that state out the window, or leaves it behind in one way or another. Even though it's early on, I'm getting the feeling that these puzzle pieces, which are from a puzzle from Cliff's childhood, are a type of motif. As if the description of each one being tossed away is representative of Cliff's experiences in that state, or of what is yet to come. For example, when Cliff enters North Dakota he throws the Minnesota piece into a river (by the way, the Minnesota chapter was really not all that interesting and I was quite disappointed). This passage reads, "We stood on the bridge and waved good-bye to the Minnesota piece bobbing south on the roiling current" (25). The description of the agitated water signifies troubles that will soon come, presumably between the 'we,' which is Cliff and Marybelle. Marybelle is an old student of Cliff's (who used to be a teacher) that he has kept in touch with, and is now in a semi-relationship with. All troubles aside, the image of Cliff and Marybelle waving away the puzzle piece could show that they are letting go of their pasts in favor of a fresh future.

As I've only read about one fifth of the book, I can't quite pick out themes yet. However, some apparent topics are human loyalty, escapism and satisfaction with one's life. Human loyalty comes in through most of the characters. Cliff was left by his wife (Vivian) for another man, who she had already been seeing for a while. In a sort of rebound, Cliff sets off on his journey only to pick up Marybelle along they way. Marybelle has a husband, but enters a relationship with Cliff anyhow. Cliff, meanwhile, likes Marybelle's company most of the time, but still thinks about his ex-wife pretty often. It's like a slow-paced adult soap opera. Another thing I've noticed about this book is the writing style. Jim Harrison has a dry sense of humor, if you can even call it humor. It's more like the kind of thing where you acknowledge it's funniness (if that's a word...) but you don't really laugh at it. Also, he's very blunt and doesn't tiptoe around topics like sex and attraction or drinking. Instead, he'll discuss them easily, even in a train of thought that includes farming and his car. A quote that embodies basically everything in this paragraph can be found in the South Dakota chapter, when Cliff is reflecting on his relationship with Marybelle. He says, "I had been hardly paying attention to the varying landscape that I had counted on lifting my spirits after losing Vivian. Instead I had become "pussy blind" as young men call it" (36). Cliff acknowledges that he still thinks of Vivian although he is using Marybelle to distract himself, mostly through sex. In his straightforward and sometimes vulgar way, Harrison kind of reminds me of Charles Bukowski, although there isn't nearly as much swearing and harsh language as there is in Bukowski's work.

Harrison, Jim. The English Major. New York: Grove Press, 2008.

Quarter 2 Last post! (6)

I could not have picked a more perfect time to read The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. As I sat in the darkened band room on Tuesday and watched President Obama (!!!!) take his oath of office, I couldn't help but think of this book. The struggle, the violence, the opposition and the hatred that King and everyone involved in the Civil Rights Movement faced was devastating. It led to despair and discouragement. King had a hard enough time being a leader of a movement, facing constant threats and opposition from government officials, that the idea of an African American actually becoming a government official must have seemed like a dream. I really can't even imagine. I also can't imagine what Tuesday must have meant to people who were alive during that time and saw King speak. I just spent a good ten minutes writing, trying to pinpoint this feeling, but it didn't work and think it's better to keep it simple. So let it suffice to say that Tuesday was historical not only in a political sense, but as a great landmark of achievement as well.

The last chapter of this book (minus citations, comments by the editor, etc.) was a collection of speeches (or just one continuous speech, it's not very clear) by King. I almost got chills when I read the first few opening paragraphs, in which King talks about historical figures who didn't live to see their dream fulfilled. It's almost as if he knew he was going to die soon, and wanted to acknowledge that he may not be able to see true success of the movement. King spoke, "And the thing that makes me happy is that I can hear a voice crying through the vista of time, saying: 'It may not come today or it may not come tomorrow, but it is well that it is within thine heart. It's well that you are trying.' You may not see it. The dream may be unfulfilled, but it's just good that you have a desire to bring it into reality" (357). Although he wouldn't be able to witness his dream come alive, King was entirely at peace because he knew that he had done all he could to help it along. Later on, King returns to this idea with a conviction that the dream would without doubt one day come true. He stated, "And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land" (365). Whether or not Tuesday could be seen as a sign of the promised land, this statement gives me happiness because one can believe that King didn't see an event such as President Obama's inauguration as impossible. He knew it could and would happen, whether or not he was alive. He had full faith in the idea that equality would one day prevail. I'm not saying the evils of inequality and racism have been eradicated, but this week we have witnessed a tremendous step that would have made King passionately proud.

King, Martin Luther. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ed. Clayborne Carson. New York: Warner, 1998.

Quarter 2 Post 5

This week in The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., I read, among other things, about the end of the Birmingham campaign, the famous March on Washington where King gave his "I Have A Dream" speech, and the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. King and the progress he spurred continue to amaze me, but I think I've written enough about that, so I'll pick something I almost disagreed with him about. Near the end of the desegregation work in Birmingham, six black children were killed - four girls in a church, and two more children in the streets. I'm not even going to expand on how horrific that is. The point is that at the service for the four girls, King gave a speech (of course). In his speech, he emphasized that the girls died as kinds of martyrs; for the cause. King spoke, "History has proven over and over again that unmerited suffering is redemptive. The innocent blood of these little girls may well serve as the redemptive force that will bring new light to this dark city" (231). I understand that King was a devout Christian, hence the belief in martyrdom, and that he also felt that these deaths were inhumane and horrifying. But at the same time, it bothers me that he used the funeral as a means of furthering the movement. It should have been about the girls lives, about I don't even know what, but anything but what it was. Maybe King simply should have specified that not the actual deaths of children, but the anger that people felt because of them would be channeled into nonviolent protest. I think this is only the second time I've ever disagreed with King throughout this entire book, and he probably could've come up with an eloquent, logical reasoning for his speech, too.

As we discuss poetic devices such as connotation, metaphors and similes, and diction/word choice in class, they've started popping out at me from the text in this book. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great writer, and an even better speech-writer. He used these devices continually to make his words more powerful, and he was very successful. One of the most frequently used devices is metaphor. I think King used them because if he hadn't, he might've run out of ways to say the same things about freedom and segregation over and over again. One interesting example of this can be found in the "I Have a Dream" speech. King said, "...America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt" (224). By comparing justice to a bank, King made the speech more interesting to listen to. But more than that, it sends out the message that like money in a bank, justice is extremely valuable to each and every one of us. It is what keeps society going. And if a portion of the population is deprived of it, society will not function properly. King's clear and expressive writing was and always will be a huge source of inspiration.

King, Martin Luther. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ed. Clayborne Carson. New York: Warner, 1998.

Quarter 2 Post 4

In this fourth section of my outside reading, one thing I noticed is how staunch Martin Luther King, Jr. was in his morals. Two main events that I read about were the Albany Movement and the Birmingham Campaign. During the Albany Movement, King was arrested for leading a demonstration. In his journal from jail, King wrote, "Jail is depressing because it shuts off the world. It leaves one caught in the dull monotony of sameness. It is almost like being dead while one still lives" (157). The people who King was fighting against did their best to squash his hope and vigor by jailing him. This journal entry shows what a huge effect their actions had on King. The sorts of feelings he wrote about are not the sort of emotions you would want someone who leads the masses to experience, because it could affect his leadership. That was exactly what the opposition was trying to make happen. But when he was released from jail, King continued to do what he did best - leading his people towards freedom. As much of a downer as jail might have been, he didn't let it get to him, or affect his ethics. King kept his beliefs intact even in times of struggle.

During the Birmingham Campaign, King was once again jailed, this time in solitary confinement. King describes to the reader how "Those were the longest, most frustrating and bewildering hours I have lived. Having no contact of any kind, I was besieged with worry" (184). But despite this torture, King didn't lose faith. He even proceeded to write the inspiring Letter From Birmingham Jail. King points out that he wrote this lengthy letter on scarce bits of paper and had it snuck out of jail. Not only did he not let the conditions of jail harm his morals, King even created one of his most famous works while confined. His ethics were always unwavering.

King, Martin Luther. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ed. Clayborne Carson. New York: Warner, 1998.