For these responses there is no right or wrong answer--the reason why we are doing them is for you to engage the text on a personal level. Thus, write from you heart and we can revise or rethink your words during class.
Last piece of advice, think but don't think--something you feel will find its own form.
Best,
ABK
15 comments:
I don’t like Kenneth. He is annoying, argumentative, and ruins Norma’s life. She was in love with Bobby Crow but chose Kenneth instead because he was more ambitious, but she isn’t happy with Kenneth. When he comes to visit at Christmas he criticizes and complains about everything. He compares Dwight to a druggie, calls skipper a coward, and almost hits Toby’s mom. He makes them so angry that they start being mean to him. But instead of getting him upset it just makes him more infuriating because it seems like he almost likes it. I think that maybe on of the reasons Norma does marry Kenneth is because he makes Dwight so mad. She finally has a little power over him and she uses it even though she knows she won’t be happy. I think that if Norma had decided to marry Bobby Crow she would have been a lot happier even though he wasn’t on the path to success like Kenneth.
Kenneth seems like a man who has very strong opinions. I think he is the type that always tries to prove himself right by arguing and trying to use his intellectual knowledge to show others how superior he is. What I find interesting is how much Toby and the other characters hate a man like Kenneth that has opinions of right vs. wrong. Kenneth is not afraid to stand up for what he believes. He almost makes the other characters feel guilty/ashamed because they don’t know what to think or believe, while Kenneth has so strong opinions. Kenneth also seems like a complainer. First it’s one thing then the next, he just can’t take what is thrown his way in life and deal with it, everything has to be his way, and if they aren’t, he feels he has to show why his way is right and their way is wrong. A positive aspect about Kenneth is that he doesn’t drink and he shows no violent tendencies, he also doesn’t try to spray paint a whole Christmas tree white.(Dwight had issues) Next time I think Kenneth shouldn’t lay all his cards on the table just one card at a time so people can get use to his ways of coming across as arrogant and cocky.
I do not like Kenneth. In the paragraph we are introduced to him in (on page 149), Tobias Wolff, goes right into Kenneth, complaining about little things, and his “fussy aggressive voice”. The first impression Tobias Wolff gives us of Kenneth is frankly not a great one. The fact that he argues all the time makes his character unpleasant as well. He seems to not care what other people’s opinions are, but he attacks them anyway, no matter what they are. The relationship between Kenneth and Norma reminds me of Rosemary. This is so, because it was the sort of relationship she had with Toby’s father. A question that I thought of was, is the same thing that happened to Rosemary happening to Norma? Rosemary did not have ‘experience’ with good male figures in her life. Norma, with Dwight as a father, does not either. So it seems to be a parallel with Rosemary’s old life, and Norma’s new life. I do like about the character of Kenneth interacts with Dwight’s character. It seems that Kenneth is the only character to start putting Dwight down harshly. Dwight always tries to promote himself by lying about his experiences and talents. But Kenneth just comes in and starts demoting his authority. But even so, I dislike Kenneth all the same.
Kenneth seems like a man that always has gotten his way and knows how to do so, such as the time he drove Norma in his nice car, indirectly showing a supportive future, and talked about marriage. He is not an addition to even this family flaws, only adds more. Kenneth’s words and actions made me think back to Dwight’s. The time when Kenneth arrived in Chinook and complained about the isolation of the town, the terrible directions that Norma had given, and the sucky ride sounded just like Dwight. All Dwight does is complains and makes excuses for things that are visible to others and only covers them up, doesn’t make change. Dwight is never afraid to clarify people’s flaws. The day Kenneth arrived, “he wasn’t reluctant to get personal” (150) to his new family. He and Norma’s relationship remind me of Rosemary and her past relationships and the current one with Dwight. Norma accepts the fact that he “doesn’t have a personality” and that he bosses her around and she must keep quiet. She is marrying him without uncovering the truth and thinking of her options...Bobby Crow. Covering up this mess only made Norma’s life worse when she accepted his proposal, had their baby, and moved into a duplex. Her actions involving not taking control and letting her life become more chaos is just like what Rosemary has done. Having Kenneth in situations reveals to the readers that Norma isn’t able to take control of her life and what she believes in. Maybe she acts this way because the only woman in her life was Rosemary and that’s what she has seen. Toby enjoyed the power to diss Kenneth back because it wasn’t him who was getting yelled at about his worthless existence and his little attributes.
--Rachel Hawes
Rachel Hawes
Kenneth seems like a man that always has gotten his way and knows how to do so, such as the time he drove Norma in his nice car, indirectly showing a supportive future, and talked about marriage. He is not an addition to even this family flaws, only adds more. Kenneth’s words and actions made me think back to Dwight’s. The time when Kenneth arrived in Chinook and complained about the isolation of the town, the terrible directions that Norma had given, and the sucky ride sounded just like Dwight. All Dwight does is complains and makes excuses for things that are visible to others and only covers them up, doesn’t make change. Dwight is never afraid to clarify people’s flaws. The day Kenneth arrived, “he wasn’t reluctant to get personal” (150) to his new family. He and Norma’s relationship remind me of Rosemary and her past relationships and the current one with Dwight. Norma accepts the fact that he “doesn’t have a personality” and that he bosses her around and she must keep quiet. She is marrying him without uncovering the truth and thinking of her options...Bobby Crow. Covering up this mess only made Norma’s life worse when she accepted his proposal, had their baby, and moved into a duplex. Her actions involving not taking control and letting her life become more chaos is just like what Rosemary has done. Having Kenneth in situations reveals to the readers that Norma isn’t able to take control of her life and what she believes in. Maybe she acts this way because the only woman in her life was Rosemary and that’s what she has seen. Toby enjoyed the power to diss Kenneth back because it wasn’t him who was getting yelled at about his worthless existence and his little attributes.
I think Kenneth is like Dwight in many ways. Hes a blamer and a complainer. He blamed Norma's directions, not his driving, for his trouble about getting to Chinook and he complains about pretty much everything. Dwight does this too. Also, i think that Kenneth and Norma's relationship is quite similar to Rosemary and Dwight's relationship. "We could all see that Norma didn't love Kenneth."(151). Rosemary does not love Dwight. Also, Kenneth seems to control Norma as Dwight does to Rosemary. However, although there are simularities between them, Dwight and Kenneth are different. Kenneth is an activist against pretty much everything Dwight does. Therefore they constantly argue. But what bothers me most about Kenneth is how he takes advantage of Norma. He asks for a kiss than attacks her with a french kiss. Norma doesn't resist but its obvious that shes not exactly enjoying it. Over all Kenneth is contoling, arguementive, and has an all-alround bad personality.
Kenneth seems like a man that always has gotten his way and knows how to do so, such as the time he drove Norma in his nice car, indirectly showing a supportive future, and talked about marriage. He is not an addition to even this family flaws, only adds more. Kenneth’s words and actions made me think back to Dwight’s. The time when Kenneth arrived in Chinook and complained about the isolation of the town, the terrible directions that Norma had given, and the sucky ride sounded just like Dwight. All Dwight does is complains and makes excuses for things that are visible to others and only covers them up, doesn’t make change. Dwight is never afraid to clarify people’s flaws. The day Kenneth arrived, “he wasn’t reluctant to get personal” (150) to his new family. He and Norma’s relationship remind me of Rosemary and her past relationships and the current one with Dwight. Norma accepts the fact that he “doesn’t have a personality” and that he bosses her around and she must keep quiet. She is marrying him without uncovering the truth and thinking of her options...Bobby Crow. Covering up this mess only made Norma’s life worse when she accepted his proposal, had their baby, and moved into a duplex. Her actions involving not taking control and letting her life become more chaos is just like what Rosemary has done. Having Kenneth in situations reveals to the readers that Norma isn’t able to take control of her life and what she believes in. Maybe she acts this way because the only woman in her life was Rosemary and that’s what she has seen. Toby enjoyed the power to diss Kenneth back because it wasn’t him who was getting yelled at about his worthless existence and his little attributes.
--Rachel Hawes
I believe Kenneth is a kind of man who had a child hood exactly opposite of Toby’s. I think that he had two parents that loved him and pampered him so much that he did not have to do anything on his own, and he never got in trouble. So he turned out as a whiney adult who wants everything his way or the highway. I do believe though that he was picked on by everybody extensively for some reason. Now that he is grown up, he takes it out on anybody who questions him about anything. And once he has started there is no retreat, the hole just keeps getting deeper and deeper because he wants to be a winner. I also believe that Norma married Kenneth for all the wrong possible reasons. I think the biggest one is that she likes how Kenneth can frustrate Dwight to an extent where he nearly killed himself trying to stop their marriage. But then Kenneth started to drive Norma crazy to the extent where she started to smoke, a lot. Basically, Norma liked how Kenneth could drive Dwight crazy but then he started to drive the whole family including her nuts, and with Bobby gone forever, theres nothing she can do about her mistake.
I think that Kenneth is obnoxious and has a huge ego. He is not what a should be. When he comes down with Norma you can tell that she doesn't really like him. She was in love with Bobby Crow but she didn't think he could support her. He is always looking for a fight. Sure he can support Norma but he just can't get along with anyone. None of the family likes him. He chooses to argue with Dwight. After Norma marries him she take up smoking. I think she does this because she does not like where she is or what she is doing, even though she has kids now. She doesn't want to be there. She might even rather be with Dwight again, she wasn't smoking there.
I think Kenneth is really creepy. He enjoys it when people insult him and then he insults them back so it will keep going. He basically tells Dwight that he is stupid for drinking and Dwight doesn’t do anything about it. No matter what someone says, Kenneth will find a way to insult them for it, then they will start arguing and he gets pleasure from that. He taunts them by saying “That doesn’t bother me” and this makes them even angrier and meaner. What makes him even creepier is when Rosemary tells Toby that he made a pass at her. He made a pass at his fiancés step mom. That’s just plain weird. Norma doesn’t even like him. She only marries him because he is apparently going somewhere in life, I doubt he will go anywhere being such a jerk. In some ways, Kenneth reminds me of Dwight. He has no respect for the people he talks to, and enjoys making people angry. Kenneth influences the people he interacts with just by being a jerk, he ruins peoples day by putting them down and insulting them. He is an all around bad person to be with. If I were Dwight, I would just tell Norma she couldn’t marry him, because he is ruining her life. Dwight drives down to Seattle every night; I’m surprised he hasn’t forced Norma to come home. I’m also surprised that he hasn’t hurt Kenneth (Even though he would probably like it). I think Norma would have been much better off without Kenneth, even though Bobby couldn’t support her, he actually loved her. I think she started to smok just to annoy Kenneth and to have some free will in her life.
I think that Kenneth is very obnoxious and pushy. He wants everything to go his way and it seems like he thinks that the world revolves around him. Kenneth is just another character in the book that is a bad male role model for Toby. He kind of reminds me of Dwight and Roy, because they want things to go their way too. Kenneth shines a spotlight on Norma, because you can tell that he makes her unhappy, ruins her life, and she has to do what he tells her to do. He also shines a spotlight on Dwight because even though Dwight does not like him, he is a little like Kenneth. Kenneth thinks that everyone else’s opinions are wrong and that his opinion is right. Hs seems like the kind of person that wants to show off what he knows and what he thinks to make people think that he is smart, but really, the way the book describes him, he seems pretty ignorant. He complains about everything, makes Norma kiss him, hits on Rosemary, and criticizes their home and the camp. What’s really sad is that he ruins things with Bobby Crow and Norma, and makes Bobby Crow a mean, angry person, when Bobby USED to be the only good male role model for Toby.
-The sick girl
Hello--I have figured it out...I am so smart.
Sorry for posting this.
Kenneth is a headstrong male who loves to argue and criticize people. He has thin disappointed lips and a fussy voice. He won Norma’s heart with fancy sport cars; she married him a few months later. When Kenneth visited the family they hated him by the end of dinner. I do not like Kenneth I think he acts like a smart-but. He is rude and cocky. He reminds me of an overconfident man who is rich from his family’s money. Kenneth is similar to the character that makes a pass at his mother in the beginning of the story, named Gil. Gil tried to impress Toby’s mother with a river view of his apartment and by getting Toby a bike. Gil just ends up hurting Rosemary somehow just like Kenneth will end up hurting Norma. Kenneth will bring out the father in Dwight hen he tries to save her from Kenneth. I do not like Kenneth and I think he will just bring bad news.
I didn't really like Kenneth. He seemed mean and rude.I can't understand why Norma would want to be with him, because before she was with Bobby Crow who was the complete opposite of Kenneth! Usually she was the one to stand up to Dwight, but here she is letting herself be bullied by someone just as bad. However even though Kenneth isn't that great of a guy he still has a way of making people show their true colors. He really enjoys doing this too. In the book it claimed he had a flush of excitement on his face when he argued. After reading this part I thought to myself, what could have possibly made Kenneth this way. I even began to pity him. So it isn't so much that I don't like Kenneth, its that I feel bad for him.
My first impression of Kenneth was "wow, this guy's a total loser," but after I reread the chapter, I realized that, while he is sort of a loser, he's a also a whole lot more. Kenneth is brutally honest and he “lays his cards on the table” right away. People who do this seem conceited and arrogant – that’s why everybody hates them. They appear to be preaching about how their own values are right and others’ are wrong. Being honest is vital but Kenneth takes it a little too far too soon. It’s alright for him to talk about his own practices but when he starts finding issues with everyone else’s he crosses the line. I think he’s got a really robust identity but he also takes advantage of people who don’t. He enjoys the power this gives him and that’s why he doesn’t want to stop arguing; he knows from the beginning that he’s won. He is definitely cruel to Norma though. She doesn’t understand him and he doesn’t bother to enlighten her. Kenneth doesn’t care that she feels uncomfortable with his beliefs. She is more of a trophy wife and their relationship is pretty meaningless.
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