Beautiful Children Post # 6

Recently in Beautiful Children, Bock has started talking about the "girl with the shaved head". She, like all the other characters in this book, is extremely messed up. This girl only appears to be completely free. She doesn't go to school. I don't think she has a job. She doesn't have to follow any rules so she seems to have completely let go; getting high and drunk probably the majority of her time. When we are first introduced to her Bock writes, "On the spur of the moment, the girl slapped the side mirror of a stretch limousine. From behind tinted windows, its horn bleated. SHe howled back "MOTHERFUCKERS."" (199). I believe that most kids had a moment in there life when they consider running away... wanting to be free and released of the normal pressures in everyday life. But by looking at her anger I can see she truly isn't free. She's trapped in a bock of guilt and it makes me feel very bad for her.

In relation to the quote above Bock illustrates how screwed up this girl must be by writing, "A game of My Past Sucked the Worst was erupting, with tempers flaring over the hierarchy of incest abuses, whether you got more points for parents or grandparents, activity or grotesqueness" (200). Its so devistating to see how corrupted these young kids can get due to there parents. I believe almost every one of my past blogs has been centered about parenting. Bad parenting is the cause of future bad parenting. There are sick people out there not meant to have children and it is so sad to see their children suffering along side of them.

As a final goodbye to the posting of this book I'd like to recommend Beautiful Children to everyone. Its very depressing but I think its a good example of how parenting can ruin a child. Every runaway is this book has had a difficult past; struggling with self esteem and denial...most of it caused by there childhood experiences. I plan on finishing the book this weekend and if anyone wants to talk about it outside of this blog site come see me anytime!

Beautiful Children Post # 5

Recently in Charles Bock's novel, Beautiful Children, the parents of Newell Ewing, are focused on more directly. Bock gives readers the inside scoop of how hard it is for the families of a runaway and I think he demonstrates how Lincoln and Lorraine deal with Newell's dissapearance perfectly...not missing any detail of the misery they go through. As Lincoln recalls Newell's child hood and his own past of being a father Bock writes, "In a high-pitched voice, Lincoln would blurt out ridiculous insults and nonsensical sentences, driving along and tickling and poking and jabbing Newell, bringing light to his kid's eyes, filling the pickup with titters, the boy laughing so hard he cramped up" (194). The innocent Newell shows a father son connection so strongly here it is hard to believe he ran away because of his family.

Unfortunately, the relationships between children and their parents change drastacilly when they start getting older and opinions clash. I would know! It's very hard to be stuck with parents in the same house for so long if the fighting doesn't stop. Sometimes the little things like making a child laugh isn't enough to sustain a relationship. As a child gets older you can't just tickle them to brighten their eyes... I wonder if Lincoln just didn't know how to show affection as Newell got older and the relationship became empty. Lincoln was so affected by his sons disappearence. He now acts empty, just like Lorraine and spends most of his time thinking to himself. There isnt much dialogue in his part. As he recalls the time he hears of Lorraine on the phone with Bock writes, "He could hear the voices coming from the phone, the violent shouting. For the rest of his days, he would remember Lorraine's expression. The moment when life as he knew it ended" (198). The parents have so drastically changed as people. Since part of them (Newell) is gone its impossible for them to feel fulfilled again. In order for the couple to survive they need to save Newell.

Beautiful Children Post # 4

As I continue reading this week I sink further into the depression that the story generates. Through the runaways sad stories reality surfaces, showing a truly tainted society we live in, along with the countless people, too afraid to do something about it. First Bock speaks of Bing writing, "He'd seen naked girls, kneeling inside half-filled plastic kiddy pools, doubled over, holding their ribs, looking helplessly at the disc jockey" (142). This line is such a clear indication of how some women in today's society are longing for love or affection so much that they are willing to disrespect themselves in such vulgar ways. These are all major contributions to the issues of today...women thinking they need to be racy to catch a man's eye reflects on how disgusting and cruel society can be. Following the quote abovce, Bock writes, "Bing had watched more than his share of these sad spetables and he had wanted to step in and he'd had no idea how to begin, and so he had sat, a bystander, falling in love, in his own minor fashion, with each and every tragic young woman" (142). This confuses me. Here is proof of Bing realizing how wrong it is for women to feel the need to exploit their bodies that should be kept sacred. But at the same time Bing's profession is to draw nude women. I don't know quite enough about his character to tell if he draws these bodies because he thinks they are beautiful.