Mao II: Chapters 6-11

Well, my assumption was completely wrong, but at least it made me curious enough to keep reading.  There was also another mention of the Moonies: Karen really is married to a Korean man.  But she's with Scott...and Bill.  Hmm.  How does that work?  Anyways...

I love the way Bill depicts a writer, or specifically himself.  Yes, he is a reclusive writer, but with a mind so impressive and interesting.  For instance, on page 97, Bill's and Charlie's conversation was interesting because of their discussion between a writer and isolation.  Charlies says, '"I've always thought I understood precisely why you went into isolation...You (referring to Bill) have a twisted sense of the writer's place in society.  You think the writer belongs at the far margin, doing dangerous things.  In Central America, writers carry guns.  They have to.  And this has always been your idea of the way it ought to be.  The state should want to kill writers.  Every government, every group that holds power or aspires to power should feel so threatened by writers that they hunt them down, everywhere"" (DeLillo).  I think, as writers, we all depict ourselves into something or someone we want to be.  Like I mentioned in the last blog, I found Bill slightly immature.  However, with this quote, I see that he tends to romanticize a lot not only about his life in general but about his life as a writer specifically.

I also was a bit surprised at the mention of a word processor.  For some reason, I assumed that was the method Bill was using.  Obviously not.  He's a typewriter kind of guy.  The way George put it, "'I find I couldn't conceivably operate without one.  Move words, paragraphs, move a hundred pages, plus instant corrections...helps me organize my thoughts, gives me a text susceptible to revision'" (DeLillo 137-138).  Bill merely shakes his head.  Why?  Does he not want to "conform?"  Because I grew up in the age of the word processor, I don't know what I would do if I transitioned to a typewriter.  I've always wanted to try a typewriter, but I feel the pressure a writer has to try to avoid making mistakes--it's harder to get rid of mistakes using a typewriter--is overwhelming to the mind.

I'm going to be perfectly honest: I don't like this book.  But it's because I don't like this book that I keep reading it.  I want to know what's going to happen to Bill.  I want to know what Karen's connection is with the Moonie tradition.