English 1102 Course Blog

DeLillo and Lee

Here is a link to the Don De Lillo essay I'd like you to read before Monday. As with all English 1102 reading assignments, you may write one of your required blog entries on DeLillo. You may also write a blog entry on Spike Lee's 25th Hour. To understand what I was thinking when I put these two texts together, take a look at my personal blog entry on the topic from a few months ago. You might also look at my original July 1, entry on 25th Hour. As you read, I'd suggest that you focus on some of the following questions (which may guide your response):

1. De Lillo frequently invokes the concept of narrative in the essay. What does he mean by "narrative" and how does that inform his analysis?
2. De Lillo also emphasizes sight as an important metaphor, asking at one point if the terrorists see a "woman pushing a stroller." Discuss the use of this metaphor.
3. De Lillo writes that "There are 100,000 stories crisscrossing New York, Washington, and the world." He then summarizes or discusses several of these narratives. Discuss how De Lillo uses these "stories."
4. The essay also describes the "ruins" and the ash created by the collapse of the towers. What role does this description of "ruins" serve in the essay?
5. One of the essay's major strains is the discussion of the end of the Cold War. Why does De Lillo invoke this aspect of world history so frequently throughout the essay?

You don't have to address these questions. Just find a topic related to the essay and write about it. I'll add some questions about the film later.