Russell Banks

Jason Levin
Mr. Bonds
Seminar English Period 1
December 5th, 2012

“Russell Banks.” Contemporary Literary Criticism Select. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CH1110860000&v=2.1&u=west39475&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

This source is a brief biography on American author, Russell Banks.

-Born 1940 in Massachusetts
-His father left, and he assumed the family man role
– got into college, dropped out, went to University of North caroline, Chapel Hill
—– Paragraph 2 —-

– Worked under writer, Nelson Algren
-Tried to go to cuba to join Castro, but only got as far as St. Lautersdale, lived in a trailerpark
-focus on poverty, social/family problems
– Much of what he wrote was off of his everyday life, he wrote a collection of short stories called Trailerpark
——Paragraph 2——

Niemi, Robert. “Banks, Russell 1940—.” American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies, Supplement 5. Ed. Jay Parini. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2000. 1-19. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. http://go.galegroup.com

This is a more garrulous biography on Banks; it tells a lot about his early life and the content of his works.

-married as a teen, daughter named Lea (pg3, P3)
-pick-up truck, plumber, (pg3, P5)
– saw America as very racist, white (pg4, P4)
— page 3 (p3), page 3 (p5), page 4 (p4) —

Oakes, Elizabeth H. “Banks, Russell.” American Writers, American Biographies. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2004. (Updated 2005.) Bloom’s Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 30 Nov. 2012.http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= AW023&SingleRecord=True

This biography gives a brief despcription of his writing career and the author also discusses themes he incorporates into his works.

– hard struggles of working class people
– rise above hopelessness with “sensitivity, humor, and compassion”
– lost sight in left eye
– worked as a plumber, shoe salesman, and other working class jobs before becoming a writer
– irony and compassion for the working-class people are portrayed throughout many of his works
——Paragraphs 2,3,6,8——

Hennessy, Denis M. “Russell Banks.” American Novelists Since World War II: Seventh Series. Ed. James R. Giles and Wanda H. Giles. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 278. Literature Resource Center. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. http://go.galegroup.com

This article was a long piece about common themes thhroughout his works such as the consequences of alcohol, violence, and desertion.

– family problems intensified by alcohol, violence, and desertion (paragraph 4)
– general feel of hopelessness and the overcoming of it
– Rule of the Bone – “outrage at the racial and class problems of late-twentieth-century America ….” (paragraph 46)
– He portrays these all in his works, such as Rule of the Bone
—- paragraphs 4 and 46 —-

– led the way in writing about late twentieth-century racism, family problems, and the problems of the working-class (paragraph 67)
– He said his goal is to be in touch with all kinds of people (paragraph 67)
– Banks wants to be relatable in his works, which he does with a variety of different plots and themes
—– paragraph 67 —–

Holt, Karen. “Class rules: Russell Banks continues to explore the things that divide men.” Publishers Weekly 17 Dec. 2007: 20+.Literature Resource Center. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.

This article was a biography and an indirect interview with Banks; Banks talks about why he writes and his goals for his writing.

– it is an interview sorta
– Banks says although Rule of the Bone is outdated, kids still read it; this goes back to before when Banks said his goal was to make his books relatable. (paragraph 17)
– He says it is important to write about people who you have sympathy for and can relate to. (paragraph 7)
—- paragraphs 7 and 17 —–

Batchelor, Bob. “The Medium Is the Message (Overview).” Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. http://popculture.abc-clio.com

This article was about the 1960′; Banks was in his twenties during the time and the common ideals mentioned in the article could have influenced his writing.

the 1960’s
-John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated
– segregation and racism were still prominent (paragraph 4)
– Sexism was common against women and the Women’s Rights movement was really taking off (paragraph 10)
– Banks incorporates racism, segregation, and sexism in his works; in Rule of the Bone, the main character has an abusive stepfather
—– Paragraphs 4 and 10 ——

Pierce, Lisa. “Generation X on Film and Television (Overview).” Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. http://popculture.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1513617

This article was about the entertainment during the 1970’s; it mentioned Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which showe dteenage sex, drugs, and stupidity. Banks writes about these in Rule of the Bone and other works.

– Fast Times at Ridgemont High showed sex, drugs, and teen stupidity (paragraph 7)
– In Banks’ Rule of the Bone, all are common motifs throughout the book
—- paragraph 7 —–

—

Banks, Russell. Rule of the Bone. New York: HarperCollins, 1995. Kindle file.

This is one of Banks’ novels, Rule of the Bone; it portrays many elements thus far such as filial desertion, working class problems, and general family problems.

– already drug references and lack of money (page 1)
– Chappie lived on a mobile home just like Banks (page 2)
– His father left him (page 3)
– drank step-father’s beer (page 4)
– Even in the first four pages, there have been references to a poor life, drugs, and alcohol

“Nothing seemed to matter anymore because everything I touched turned bad so I just started firing” page 14
– Chappie is angry with his life and he thinks he screws everything up, which he basically does.
– He screwed up his relationship with his family and is addicted to weed

“The carols and blinking lights and the guys in Santa suits are supposed to make you forget your troubles but in reality it’s the opposite” (page 17)
– I really like this quote because it shows Chappie’s view on life and how much he thinks it sucks
– he follows up saying that’s why he gets high, to forget the everyday crap he goes through

“These dudes’re fam-i-ly, man, You don’t [beep] deny your family” (page 43) Bruce
– This quote is kinda ironic because Chappie and his friend, Russ, were both kicked out of their house and essentially denied as family
– this quote is followed up well with Chappie coming to the following realization
“so in a sense like Bruce said we were a family whether we wanted to be or not which is true of real families anyhow” (page 45)

Summary thus far (page 84)
– Chappie steals coins from his parents and sells them for weed
– lives with this biker gang (Adirondack Iron) and they are all crazy druggies and drinkers
– the bikers kick Russ and Chappie out and Chappie goes to a mall and finds this creepy child pornographer who wants him
– after that weird incident, Chappie goes back to the apartment

– the bikers start stealing VCRs and other electronics
– Russ steals theirs saying its not really stealing because it was already stolen (pages 65-67)
– Bikers find out
– Apartment catches on fire

– Bruce dies trying to save Chappie who was already saved by Russ
– Russ and Chappie leave town and steak a truck from some fireman at a store (page 86-87)
– they are happy that they are missing and presumed dead because they can start new identities

– the entire story is told by Chappie and is written very simply
– there are some words of wisdom, but much of the story, Chappie talks like a druggie talking about weed and getting high

page 105-106
– Chappie is getting a tattoo of crossbones which he compares to Captain Hook’s flag from Peter Pan
– He then talks about Peter Pan saying “[…] this island which is called Never-Never-Land because there’s no adults and you get to stay a kid forever. But eventually the children start to miss their parents and want to grow u like regular people so they have to leave Peter Pan behind on his island alone The ending is actually sad. Although he does have his shadow”. (page 106)
– This is just like Chappie because he is alone besides Russ and misses his parents. The shadow is referring to Chappie’s past if he goes back home
– Russ comes up with his new nickname, Bone, on account of the tattoo

“When you’ve been high for most of your life it’s hard to be nice when you’re not” Page 126
– this quote is said by Bone when he realized him and Russ were having fights and acting like jerks towards each other
– it shows how drugs can screw with you and damage relationships

– While hitchiking, the creepy child pornographer picks him up with Froggy (page 136)
– Froggy is a little girl he dopes up for his porns, at least that is what Bone thinks
– Bone and Froggy escaped back to an abandoned school bus (page 149)
– met a guy in the bus named I-Man and smokes some pot with him
– says “[…] before the night was gone I knew that I had met the man who would become my best friend” (page 151)

– talking about I-Man’s religion saying he worships Jah, which was a King of Kings in Africa
– says, “For I-Man religion was mainly a way to give thanks and praise just for being alive because nobody exactly deserved life” (page155)
– goes on to say I-Man is the only true religious man who practices his preaching

-I-Man said it was his religion to get high everyday (157)
– saying it helps him ascend and be free of control over the white people
– Banks did and maybe still does feel America is very racist so this could be his way of showing it

Goldberg, Joseph, comp. Marijuana Use and Its Effects. N.p.: n.p., 2012. Print. http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/marijuana-use-and-its-effects

This is an article on WebMD about marijuana usage and its effects on the brain. I thought it would be helpful to research because of Bone’s heavy marijuana usage.

Short-term effects of marijuana
-Distorted sense of time, Paranoia, Magical or “random” thinking, Short-term memory loss, Anxiety and depression (paragraph 9)
Effects of heavy marijuana usage
– aggression, anxiety, depression, lack of appetite (paragraph 14)

Glazier, Stephen D., and J. Gordon Melton. “Rastafarians.” World Religions: Belief, Culture, and Controversy.ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 16 Dec. 2012.

– Both their fathers walked out on them
– they both abandoned their families to go on their own, Banks to Florida and Bone all around his area
– both poor and parents had regular working-class jobs
– lived in upstate New York

– reggae, smoking ganja (marijuana), and wearing dreadlocks (paragraph 1)
– world wide religion and lifestyle (paragraph 5)
– “reasoning” is a ritualistic debate and discussion about the future and life

–

– called Froggy’s mom, find out her real name is Rose
– Gonna send her on a bus to Milawukee (page 182)
– Bone decides since I-man taught him so much, he is ready to go back home to his mother and face his step-father (page 182)
– Rose hops on the train with an old lady who will Hopefully take care of her (page 187)

– Bone hitchhikes home and gets picked up by the Ridgeways, the owners of the home he and Russ wrecked (page 189)
– Bone walks in on his stepfather wearing a blue bikini in a messy house (page 191)
– Ken says “What the f are you doing here? What the f are you doing alive, for chrissake?”
– He sees the tattoos and freaks, Ken is a perv, and only Chappie knows it

– Chappie goes to his mother where she works
– his Mom is super happy to see him and he says “I love my mom, I really do, despite everything” (page 200)
– they start talking about Ken and his Mom blames Chappie for all the bad stuff in their lives
– Chappie gives her an ultimatum saying choose me or choose Ken
– she chooses Ken, “She said in a low voice, almost a whisper, Then go Chappie. Go away” (page 208)

– When he is talking to his mom, Chappie says, “Red Rover, Red Rover, who’re you calling over, Mom? Is it me or is it Ken?” (page 206)
-He went on to talk about the game Red Rover at school saying “I’d slam against the linked hands of the kids who I only remember as being bigger than me […] and the last kid realizes that he can’t call anyone over because he’s all by himself” (page 207)
-Chappie has no one left, Rose is gone and he does not know about I-man

– Chappie wants to say bye to his Grandma, but ends up staying at her house for a little while
– they start talking about his dad
– he was an x-ray expert, but lied to get his job
– Chappie’s Grandma told Chappie’s Mom to divorce his Dad

– Bone give I-Man Buster’s $740 to go home to Jamaica
– decides to go to Jamaica with him if there is enough money (his father is in Jamaica)
– buy tickets (page 250)

– “watched the Indiana part animals so it wasn’t like we were actually anywhere then except normal America where it was mostly white people running things. But when we got off the plane in Jamaica it was real different. All the people in charge were black for starters and that can throw you off if you’re an America” (page 253)
– saying how black people in charge was foreign
– this novel was before the election of Obama and before many thought there would actually be a black president

– I-Man and his posse lived on an ant farm which was actually a huge weed dealing base
– Bone feels bad about not having money and always getting free beer and cigarettes
– I-Man said, “From each accordin’ to him ability, Bone, an’ each accordin’ to him need” (page 268)
– I think he is saying that one should get as much as he can help and help which would help him receive more

– from across the market, Bone sees I-Man dealing ganja to his father
– “I know him. I know his face, way down deep inside me, like in my chest I know him. And for the first time I understood why I’d decided to follow I-Man to Jamaica” (page 270)
– Bone realizes he came because subconsciously he wanted to see his father
– Chases his father’s car, but his father drives away unknowingly

– finds his father who is ecstatic to meet him
-“ah you little devil. Yeah. Yeah, you’re my son all right! He said and hugged me again” (page 284)
– rich girlfriend named Evening Star
– His father, who he calls Pa and others call Doc, is a coke dealing, marijuana dealing, doctor
– has a mistress

– “Your astrological sign, she said, is your entry point to the universe. It’s the place where y’all step off the atral plane, darlin’, and land on hte planetary plane, and that’s why it determines your character and fate” (page 293)
– says it is almost Bone’s birthday (3 days)
– huge party, no cake, Bone gets disappointed
– walks into I-Man and Evening Star having sex
– tells his father who wants to kill I-Man
– Bone and I-Man flee (page 300)

– high on something in a circle with the posse in a cave
– sees himself in an oxen-pulled wagon and sees a slave auction going on and says it looks like everyone is thinking it is normal
– then sees slaves working and getting whipped
– wherever there is white people, there is trouble

– they have a drug deal set up with this guy from Nighthawk
– Nighthawk didn’t have his money to pay
– “We shouldn’t do [kill] a white kid anyhow, man. No matter whose kid he is. Too much trouble, especially since he’s American. The tourist board’ll go nuts” (page 338)
– Bone was not killed because he was white, feels guilty and wished he could have saved them

– Bone goes back to Starport, Evening Star’s house and has sex with her
– his main motive was to try to undo his sin by telling Doc about I-Man and her
– he pushes Jason onto a stove and then into the pool, Jason claims he did not kill I-Man and it was Nighthawk, but he did
– Bone goes to work on a boat and sees Russ who he previously talked to on the phone at the market, who then talks to Evening

– Bone avoids him and goes on the boat to Domingo
-on the boat is a really pretentious family where the parents are doing their own thing as are the kids
– sees constellations: a dumbell (for Bruce), a rose (for Sister Rose), and a lion (for Brother I-Man)
– says he can always look up at the sky and remember them (page 385)

Mowry, Jess. “Rule of the Bone.” The Nation 12 June 1995: 826+. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 31 Dec. 2012.

– In this book review/literary analysis, Mowry mostly criticizes Banks’ work, Rule of the Bone
– she says it is basically a cheap knock-off of Catcher in the Rye and Huckleberry Finn
– criticizes the style and predictability (paragraph 5)
– does commend the realness saying Huck and Holden would not survive a day in the real world as homeless (paragraph 2)
– says the theme or journey is basically coming of age (paragraph 1)

—

Banks, Russell. Dis Bwoy, Him Gwan. New York: Harper Collins, 1981. 16 vols. Kindle File.

This is Banks’ intertwined shorty Story Collection called Trailerpark.

Banks, Russell. Black Man and White The Guinea Pig Lady. New York: Harper Collins, 1981. Vol. 1 of Trailerpark. 16 vols. Kindle File.

This is Banks’ short story, “The Guinea Pig Lady”, in his collection of works, Trailerpark.

-weird lady named Flora Pease, story was she was living off an army pension
– would sing loud musical songs in public, greet people oddly and differently (never the same thing twice in a row),
– Darleen and Marcelle (manager): “both Doreen and Marcelle looked tired in the same way, and each woman understood the nature of the fatigue and respected it in the other. They didn’t feel sorry for it in each other; they respected it.” (page 6)

– talking about Flora, Marcelle: “”We’re all a little fruity if you think about it, ” she sad. “Some are just more able to cover it up than others, that’s all.”” (page 9)
– she has a bunch of guinea pigs and does not consider them pets

Banks, Russell. Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green Rowboat. New York: Harper Collins, 1981. Vol. 4 of Trailerpark. 16 vols. Kindle File.

This is Banks’ short story, “Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green Rowboat”, in his collection of works, Trailerpark.

– it is really hot out
– “They [the residents of the trailer park] moved slowly, heavily, as if with regret, even the child” (page 95)
– girl and a black guy go out on a rowboat
– girl says she told her Mom that she loved him , then said it would be different if hr Dad was still alive
– “Hated [black people]” (page 99)
– he is fishing and she is sunbathing
– get back on the shore and go their respective ways

Banks, Russell. Dis Bwoy, Him Gwan. New York: Harper Collins, 1981. Vol. 5 of Trailerpark. 16 vols. Kindle File.

This is Banks’ short story, “Dis Bwoy, Him Gwan”, in his collection of works, Trailerpark.

– Terry is a black man living with his sister
– Jamaican guy and a white guy come and ask him if he has seen Bruce, a drug dealing kid
– says no and finds Bruce and talks to him and says he will help him dump the drugs in the woods
– they go to Bruce’s trailer and Bruce gets shot
– About Terry- “but he was lonely and everyone else in town either feared or disliked him for being black” (page 109)

—

Through his work, The Rule of the Bone, Russell Banks depicts the struggles that working-class Americans faced during the late twentieth, especially emphasizing on the inter-family struggles that they would face.
– drugs, family, racism

“R Of B”
– Chappie/Bone smokes weed and does other drugs, which creates barriers in his family and with Ken
– dropped out of school, went on the adventure to Jamaica
– everyone he knew basically smoked weed or did something
“Dis Bwoy, Him Gwan”
– Bruce is a drug dealer and gets killed for it

“R Of B”
– Bone’s family is awful: Ken is a perverted step-father, his Mom sides with Ken, his Dad is a Jamaican playboy, and he had sex with his “step-mom”
– Bruce’s quote:
– Only real family was I-Man and Rose
“Black Man & White Woman in Dark Green Rowboat”
– they are in love, but her Dad did not like black people
– her Mom likes him though

“R of B”
– people saw blacks as inferior throughout the book
– it was weird for a white kid like Bone to have dreads and be Rastafarian
– he was spared because he was a) Doc’s kid and b) he was white
“Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green Rowboat”
– they are in love, but her Dad did not like black people
– her Mom likes him though

“R of B”
– Bone really never cared that much about money
– when he had Buster’s money, he just wanted to get rid of it because he felt weird having it
– it came up with weed and the plane tickets
“Trailerpark”
– they were pretty poor living in a trailer park

“Rule of the Bone”
– Bone sees sex while living with the bikers and also Russ talks about it
– Ken is a perv and has exposed him to horrible things
– sex all around Evening Star’s house
– sees I-Man and Evening Star
– has sex with Evening Star

– Bone is a kid who was addicted to pot
– his mom was awful, his step-dad was a pervert, his father lived in Jamaica and snorted coke, and he had sex with his “step-mom”
– hated white rasta-kids but basically was one
– found I-Self which was Banks’, Bone’s, and I-Man’s way of saying finding oneself

– perverted – would “mess around” with Bone
– didn’t care at all what happened to Bone as long as he was out of his life
– controlled his wife, Bone’s mother