Blog 11: Dialogue/Intertextuality

In the Lake of the Woods and Ragtime share many intertextual elements, one being the theme of love and acceptance. In each of the novels, there are characters that need to be loved. Mothers Younger Brother and John Wade both go to certain extremes to feel loved. They both stalk their lovers and try to place themselves in a world they want, not a world that happens around them. They both have a need to control situations and every aspect of their lives. John used magic and charm as a way of controlling situations in both the war and his personal life with Kathy. Mothers Younger Brother uses his authority in the family business and his self independence to go on his own and live a certain lifestyle. He was a simple man who left the family for long periods of time to stay with Evelyn. Both of these men have secrets, John Wade being a man compulsive for love. He has a everlasting need to be shown actions and gestures of love. Mothers Younger Brother is secretive throughout his whole life and there isn’t very much insight into his personal feelings. Brother has an increasing interest with explosives and ends up helping Coalhouse in making explosives for his attacks. Both men use violence or forms of inflicting pain to gain some sense of satisfaction. John Wade, although not proven guilty of Kathy’s disappearance, enjoyed killing the plants and saying “Kill Jesus.” Mother’s Younger Brother enjoyed showing loyalty to Coalhouse and helping him in his quest to give Will Conklin what he “deserved.” Overall, both characters have a need for love and acceptance and when they feel betrayed or unloved, they do “out of character” things in order to gain satisfaction.

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~ by horvatkz on March 19, 2009.