So, 150 pages in and two days before we start a new book, and i'd like to talk about the names of the characters. a lot of it has to do with the bible, so you'd have to be familiar with it in order to get what i'm referring to. if you are interested at all, i highly recommend Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling which provides a profound analysis of the Abraham story in the Bible. I also recommend simply reading the Bible because it's dense with great mythology and lore.
The first name is Dylan. There are really two cultural figures that come to mind: Bob Dylan and Dylan Thomas. Dylan seems to be an amalgamation of both, and this is most likely intentional. Like Bob Dylan, Dylan is growing up in a bohemian lifestyle and in between cultures. I have a feeling the Dylan Thomas ("Do not go gentle into that good night!")influence might start coming clearer later in the story especially in regards to the relationship between Dylan and his father Abraham.
Mingus Rude is a pretty clear reference to Charles Mingus, who was also half black and something of a prodigy. I don't have much to say about it, except that both have extremely edgy attitudes (Charles Mingus being known for his extremely bad attitude).
I think the literary allusion behind the name Abraham is pretty clear. Actually, not that clear. It became clear around page 130 when Abraham is going "OH GOD! What happened to us?" The name is a pretty big biblical reference and I think it's suitable for Abraham's plight. Abraham of the bible leads a life of sacrifice and is at the mercy of higher power, much like the Abraham in Fortress of Solitude. It gets interesting when you think about what Abraham of Fortress is sacrificing. Is Abraham sacrificing his actual son Dylan to the harsh, animal world that surrounds them? Or is he sacrificing his art in order to get paid and in the name of fatherhood?
If the Biblical naming conventions of Abraham apply to Rachel as well, then the allusion is further deepened. Rachel was the second wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph (yes, the techni-color dreamcoat joseph). Their marriage was enormously difficult to achieve for Jacob because Rachel remained elusive at the hands of her father. So if the Rachel allusion is correct, then I expect Dylan to become something of a Joseph figure and turn into an unexpected leader of the streets, or a leader of the tribes in in exile. This is extremely fitting as Joseph was pretty much a nerd who got beaten up by his 7 (i think) brothers and who received the amulet of the dreamcoat (much like Dylan's ring).
that's all i have to say about that. more as i slog my way through the rest of the book.
The first name is Dylan. There are really two cultural figures that come to mind: Bob Dylan and Dylan Thomas. Dylan seems to be an amalgamation of both, and this is most likely intentional. Like Bob Dylan, Dylan is growing up in a bohemian lifestyle and in between cultures. I have a feeling the Dylan Thomas ("Do not go gentle into that good night!")influence might start coming clearer later in the story especially in regards to the relationship between Dylan and his father Abraham.
Mingus Rude is a pretty clear reference to Charles Mingus, who was also half black and something of a prodigy. I don't have much to say about it, except that both have extremely edgy attitudes (Charles Mingus being known for his extremely bad attitude).
I think the literary allusion behind the name Abraham is pretty clear. Actually, not that clear. It became clear around page 130 when Abraham is going "OH GOD! What happened to us?" The name is a pretty big biblical reference and I think it's suitable for Abraham's plight. Abraham of the bible leads a life of sacrifice and is at the mercy of higher power, much like the Abraham in Fortress of Solitude. It gets interesting when you think about what Abraham of Fortress is sacrificing. Is Abraham sacrificing his actual son Dylan to the harsh, animal world that surrounds them? Or is he sacrificing his art in order to get paid and in the name of fatherhood?
If the Biblical naming conventions of Abraham apply to Rachel as well, then the allusion is further deepened. Rachel was the second wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph (yes, the techni-color dreamcoat joseph). Their marriage was enormously difficult to achieve for Jacob because Rachel remained elusive at the hands of her father. So if the Rachel allusion is correct, then I expect Dylan to become something of a Joseph figure and turn into an unexpected leader of the streets, or a leader of the tribes in in exile. This is extremely fitting as Joseph was pretty much a nerd who got beaten up by his 7 (i think) brothers and who received the amulet of the dreamcoat (much like Dylan's ring).
that's all i have to say about that. more as i slog my way through the rest of the book.
dale