SOAPS--A Method of Analysis?

Keeping with the previous theme of poetic analysis, I decided on apply the use of the SOAPS method in order to further my understand of "From Blossoms."  According to SOAPS, one must discover the subject, occasion, audience, purpose, and speaker of the poem, in order to form a substantial foundation of knowledge for analysis.  This being said, I am ready to analyze!

SUBJECT:  In the case of "From Blossoms," the subject takes the form of a peach blossom.  The blossom is understood as the source of the peach, and in the moment is seen as the creator of this delicious beautiful piece of nature. 

OCCASION:  The narrator reflects on a time in which he drove to a stand and bought a bag of peaches.  The particular occasion in which the speaker does reflect, is not necessarily important to the collective understanding of the poem.  Perhaps Lee intentionally left out any indication of the occasion, as to show that one needs no reason to reflect on the beauty of life and the source in which life and beauty is born. 

AUDIENCE:  Lee attempts to target every person who is willing to listen to his account of beauty.  He wants to share his knowledge and understanding of the world with everyone, so that he may provoke a deeper sense of understanding or inquiry in the minds of those who are willing to listen. 

PURPOSE:  Through "From Blossoms,"  Lee attempts to emphasize the importance of miniscule things in life.  He has attempted to illustrate the wonderful moments in life, regardless of their simplicity.  We all in our life where we wish that we could just freeze time, causing that moment to last for an eternity.  This desire was illustrated as the purpose in the third and fourth stanzas in the work, in the hopes that this message would leave a lasting impact on the reader. 

SPEAKER:  It is safe to assume that the speaker of "From Blossoms" is in fact Li-Young Lee.  Either way, the identity of the speaker is about as important as one's knowledge of the occasion--it's not. 

Mythological Criticism--The Shadow People?

*This post may or may not contain spoilers.

You spot something from the corner of your eye.  It seems to be dark and shadowy, yet nothing is there. What was it?  Your imagination? Shia Labeouf?  Or perhaps, a shadow person--those creatures that are seen briefly out of the corner of one's eye. 

According to legend, these entities appear in a variety of forms.  They may simply pass through our bedroom as we sleep at night, or lurk in our doorways--watching, waiting.  These figures have become so widely recognized as paranormal entities, that people have taken up the study of these beings.  Several theories have been offered as an explanation of the origins of the Shadow Person.  They may be demonic entities, ghosts, inter-dimensional travelers, astral bodies, or just a figment of the imagination.  My research led me to the multiple classifications of the Shadow People: the benign shadow, negative shadows, red-eyed shadows, and hooded shadows.  The benign walk through one's room, never straying from their path and never paying the living any attention.  Their only purpose is to walk the Earth for the rest of eternity.  The negative shadows lurk, causing an unnatural feeling of terror.  The red-eyed shadows are a form of the negative, which stare at their victims with glowing, red eyes.  Supposedly the negative and red-eyed shadows feed off of their victims' fear.  The hooded shadows appear to be dressed in ancient garb, similar to that of a monk.  They appear to those who are experiencing an immense amount of rage.  Whatever these entities actually are, they each prove to be equally shocking for a human to come into contact with.

 David Wong made use of the "negative shadows" in his book, John Dies at the End.  People can rarely make out the features of these dark figures that lurk in the corners of your room.  After a shot of soy sauce however, John and David the ability to sense these "people" at all corners of the universe.  According to Mr. Wong, the Shadow People are dark messengers from a universe parallel to Earth.  His adaptation of the paranormal phenomena, described them as malicious, soul hungry beings that sought to take over the universe.  The Shadow People in John Dies at the End were the inter-dimensional beings described by the theorists that I came across during my research.  It is discovered toward the end of the novel, that an alternate dimension exists almost identical to that of the Earth.  The Shadow People from the alternate dimension, had found a way to intrude Earth in attempt to take over it's inhabitants.  The only difference between Mr. Wong's Shadow People and those of paranormal myth, is that they can cause physical harm to their victims.  They prove to be rather dangerous enemies, as John and David attempt to save the world. 

Rather than using the sun or the moon to foretell the end of the world, David Wong used the elusive Shadow People, a figure which many readers can recognize, in order to evoke a universal feeling of fear and terror.  John Dies at the End is recognized as one of the scariest books of the modern era.  Why is this so?  Well, it is primarily due to Mr. Wong's expert usage of myth and archetypes, both of which induce a realistic interpretation of the novel as a whole.  

After I finished the novel, I found myself thinking about the possibilities of an actual alternate universe, full of actual Shadow People.  Shaken by this thought, I set the book down and started a more lighthearted read.  The point of my saying this was to emphasize the effect that the Shadow People in John Dies at the End had on me.  I was terrified.  I found myself checking my back when I took my dog out late at night.  The shadows in the corner of my room seemed to take on a life of their own.  After experiencing that kind of fear, I would say that David Wong's use of a mythological archetype proved to be rather successful. 

Uncle Press as a Modern Gandalf?

*There may or may not be spoilers throughout this post.

I was reading through a list of "Open Ended AP Literature" questions, and came across the topic of the mentor- an acquaintance whose influence on a specific character, dramatically changes that character's view of not only him or herself, but their view of the world as well.  Rather than answering the question directly, I began to make a list of all of the mentors that I have come across through works of fiction; Obi Wan Kanobi, Yoda, Dumbledore, Gandalf (the Grey and White), Charles Xavier, Merlin, and the beloved Uncle Press.  After creating this list, I realized that the character of Uncle Press is very similar to Gandalf.  This being said, it is fitting that I write about the connection between the two mentors, and their impact on their apprentices.  Hobey ho, let's go!

"He wore a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, and a silver scarf.  He had a long white beard and bushy eyebrows that stuck out beyond the brim of his hat."  Gandalf the Grey is one of the most renown mentors in all of literature.  First appearing in The Hobbit as a fussy, old mage, Gandalf revealed himself to Bilbo as a wise and powerful being.  Orchestrating Bilbo's journey to the Lonely Mountain, Gandalf thrust Bilbo toward his destiny.  Gandalf also served as a mentor in The Hobbit's sequel, in which he introduced Frodo to the ring, and explained that he must destroy it.  He established the Fellowship of the Ring, which was charged with the duty of returning the ring to the fires of Mordor.  Gandalf died in the process of saving the Fellowship, primarily Frodo, only to return at a later point.  The death of Gandalf had an extreme emotional impact on the Fellowship, in which they were forced to overcome due to their ultimate goal: to destroy the ring. Gandalf the White, the revived form of Gandalf the Grey, continued his purpose as guardian of the Fellowship, and mentor to Frodo. 

The Pendragon series (which has occupied a special place in my heart since I first read the series) exhibits a mentor-like figure of its own--the one and only, Uncle Press.  Press Tilton made his appearance on the night of Bobby's birthday, introducing him to his destiny as a "Traveler."  Bobby secured his place at the rear of Uncle Press' motorcycle, and rode off toward an uncertain fate.  Uncle Press had trained Bobby from his childhood, so that he would be ready to take his place as the leader of the Travelers.  Uncle Press died in the second book of the series, so that Bobby would be able to continue to the Lost City of Faar.  Bobby had a difficult time recovering from the death of his beloved Uncle, but learned to fight on toward his ultimate destiny.  In his death, Uncle Press had promised Bobby that they would be reunited in the future.  This promise came true in Raven Rise--the ninth book of the series--in which all of the Travellers were reunited in a parallel universe, so that they could band together one last time in order to defeat the evil Saint Dane. 

Both Gandalf and Uncle Press introduced their apprentices to their destiny, thus affecting the course of their futures.  As a faithful opponent against the rising evils in Middle Earth, Gandalf "died" while preventing the Balrog from harming the rest of the Fellowship.  Uncle Press died while protecting a fellow Traveler, stating that his time in Halla was already coming to an end.  Both mentors reappeared later in the series, so that they could help their "students" toward their ultimate destinies.  For this reason, I believe that Uncle Press was created to represent a modern mentor.  Just like Gandalf, Uncle Press influenced a specific character, in this case Bobby Pendragon, in order to lead them toward his destiny, and change his view of himself and the world. 

Beta Males, Goth Girls, Outcasts--and Moore?

Christopher Moore has given life to a plethora of quirky characters.  Charlie Asher, star of A Dirty Job, is a beta male with a dirty secret.  The Gothic "Abby Normal," serves as a minion to the equally eccentric Countess Jody and Dark Lord Tommy Flood in the vampire love series.  The band of squirrel people, the "Emperor" of San Francisco, and Drool--the natural, and apprentice in Fool--are classified as the outcasts.  There are, of course, many other characters who represent many other archetypes, but Moore uses the above to create a very special relationship between his characters and his audience.

The beta male- an erratic, sarcastic man who is a major cause of road rage and uncomfortable situations. Charlie Asher makes everyone aware of his position as a beta male.  He is painfully self-conscious, finds it hard to concentrate in the presence of an attractive woman, and is vaguely reminiscent of a serial killer.  Mr. Asher never overcomes his life as a beta male, but does learn to become comfortable with himself--that is, until he is turned into a squirrel person.  Tommy Flood is another prime example of the beta male. Flood works at a supermarket in San Francisco, is friends with a bunch of guys who call themselves "The Animals," and is living as an unsuccessful writer who is doubted by both his parents and himself.  His life takes a more eccentric turn, when an extremely attractive redhead takes a suspicious liking to him.  Seeing as he is a beta male, and has an inkling for getting himself into sticky situations, Tommy turns into a vampire.  This new life however, does not prevent him from living out his life as a true beta male.  He continues his relationship with Jody, the attractive, redheaded vamp, and continues to be as self-conscious as ever.  Why does Christopher Moore take such a liking to the race of the beta male?  Perhaps Moore himself is a beta male.  Or perhaps, it is due to the fact that the majority of the male population consists of beta males.

Being the journal of Abby Normal, mistress of the night, Christopher Moore takes advantage of modern slang and stereotypical, Gothic language.  Kayso, Abby Normal is just your average, non-perky teenager, who has an inkling for stripped stockings.  Abby's best friend, and ironically her biggest rival, Lily, is another equally Gothic teenager, who makes her appearance in an entirely separate book.  Christopher Moore often uses characters, such as Abby Normal and Lily, to connect two separate, yet equal works.   Abby many come off as slightly annoying, but her placement in another one of the "insecure" archetypes enables the readers to identify themselves with her.  Everyone has gone through an identity crises at one point or another.  They dress outrageously, vie for the attention of their friends, and unsuccessfully attempt to estrange themselves from their parents.  Abby, though initially seen as another rebellious teenager, proves to be a rather dynamic character.  In fact, Abby Normal is much more than just a "whole Saturday night drunk tank of obnoxious."  She is Abby Normal, mistress of the night and minion to the Dark Lord Flood and Countess Jody, who also happens to pack a whole Saturday night drunk tank of obnoxious into one, little body.

The outcasts serve a very static role in Mr. Moore's novels.  The little squirrel people look like strange creations that have crawled out of Sid Phillips' very bedroom.  Drool, and rightfully named so, is a "natural" who has apprenticed Pocket, Lear's true fool.  The Emperor of San Francisco, alongside his trusty companions Lazarus and Bummer, roams the streets of San Francisco, on the lookout for anything that might pose a threat to his beloved city.  Every character that Moore has created, serves a very specific purpose: to function as a vital addition to the novel, and draw the reader that much closer to the story.  Every beta male, goth girl, and outcast has a purpose--a purpose to shed a whole new meaning on the role of archetypes.