Little duck intrudes

I wasn't planning on letting it be known that I had a little duck in my messenger bag, but the little thing had other plans. It stayed silent for a while, enough to get me thinking the class would be over before it starting making a fuss. I should have known better. But it's periodic chirps eventually got noticed with John exclaiming "Is there a dog in here?!" Not exactly. I had to reveal the extra class member when it wouldn't shut up. The class got a kick out of him though. How could they not?, such a cute little helpless creature. Hopefully all turns out well for the little guy thanks to Julia who is taking care of the feisty fellow. I would have crushed him on my bike ride home. I have plans for tomorrow, potentially a gosling but it might cost me some scrapes with their mother. Once I get my mind on something there's little that can stop me. I'm very impulsive. Oh dear.




Immediately on seeing my photos of the little duck my mother brought up the 'Are You My Mother?' book, like members of the class. I suppose the children's book created a strong association between it and the helpless position we imagine that little duckie, or another cute animal, to be in. A little analysis here, like in class. The book is in the first person central perspective, and it has a close narrative distance, taking place in the present. But there's no internal dialog, we don't know what the duck is thinking besides what is indicated by his repeated 'Are you my mother?' This has a particular effect though of indicating it's single mindedness and simplicity of thought. Okay, I won't go on. Over analysis can be quite funny; I love this scholarly psychiatric article I recently came across diagnosing Winnie the Pooh and his friends with all sorts of pathologies. Fantastic.


Children's books are nothing to be scoffed at though. John Galligan highly recommended the 'youth' novel 'Bridge to Terabithia' which he mentioned has a main character, a young girl, drown. Wow. That says a lot right there. I look forward to reading it. There's such a long list though of so-called kids books that are just plain great books, better than whole swaths of 'adult' material. I'm currently enjoying the 'Harry Potter' books (strictly first person central throughout, close narrative distance, internal monologue...)by borrowing each in turn from a different friend; it seems everyone but me has read them already. I've got to catch up in time for the latest release of the final, the seventh, novel in July. I also have a kind of rediscovery project in mind to do something with the hundreds of children's books in the closet at home.

I am so enjoying this class, thanks to everybody. There's so much great stuff happening, too much perhaps to catalog, all of which I love.