Other questions:
- Ruby tells her dad about an incident where a group of fraternity guys pee all over one of the guys' ex-girlfriends. We're in Swenson's head and so we know that, instead of feeling sorry for the victim, he feels sorry for himself and his daughter. Why?
- Ruby hasn't been introduced until pretty late in the novel. Why do you think that is? How does her presence affect your reading of the novel?
- How did you react when Swenson decided to go to NYC the day after Ruby came home?
- In what ways does Swenson compare Ruby to Angela? How did you react as a reader in these moments?
- What other questions do you have?
1. I think he only feels sorry for his daughter cause of what she had to deal with before .... and she having to deal with now in college I'm not sure why he's so sorry for himself.
ReplyDelete2.Ruby wasn't mention much because she wasn't home and her parents and her don't really have that bond ........
3. Listen Swenson is a loser 🙂 I'm clearly in my feels because of how silly this man really is in the novel but your dear daughter you love so much you left the day after she arrived the one you was forcing to come home way befor thanks giving u left to go to NYC for a student that was doing nothing but take you for a real life clown 🤡 🙂🙂🙂🙂 for an educated man I was very disappointed ..... He really took it to a diff level when he did that
4. Well he speaks about their age , and how she's similar to angel because of he she looks, things she did and say (not so sure) but I thought it was hella weird
Interesting response, Marckida. You write, "for an educated man," exactly what the magician says to the professor in the film The Blue Angel. Why do we think that educated men won't make terrible decisions that ruin their lives?
DeleteWhile reading the scene where Swenson took Ruby to the same place he took Angela to buy a computer, I felt kind of awkward in Swenson's perspective because he's in the car with his daughter that's in the same seat that Angela was in. If I was in Swenson's shoes I would've felt so awkward because I wouldn't be able to keep my mind off of a girl I just had sex with especially with my daughter right next to me that can most likely see through me. If I was in Ruby's perspective I would've felt disrespected, not only for myself but for my mom (Ruby's mom) as well because my father, my flesh and blood, had all the time in the world to fool around with a girl that's only enough to be his daughter but couldn't make time to see or talk to his actual daughter regardless of stubborn she was being. Also, because he had her in her car which was way past the line of disrespect. Angela felt comfortable enough to ask him for a ride and Swenson was obviously okay with making her feeling comfortable by agreeing to give her the ride. Lastly, I would've been ten times as more mad because he cheated on her mother with a little girl, basically his "daughter." Also, just being a women and having that connection with your mother would make you mad. That's just something you don't do, especially not to your wife. If that was my father I would've looked at him like's he's a creep, I would've cut off all ties with him and I would've called the cops to be petty. Swenson feels sorry for himself and his daughter when she tells him about the incident with the fraternity guys, because he feels like he's let down his daughter and steered her into a wrong path. He started thinking about not being able to send her to right school where things like that don't happen so she can focus only on school work not working at a rape crisis center. I think Ruby isn't introduced until late in the novel to give readers a side to choose when the cat was finally out the bag that Swenson slept with Angela. It makes readers feel more sympathetic towards Sherrie and less sorry for Swenson. He has a whole family he knew what he was doing, and Ruby's character solidifies that judgement. I think Swenson was being selfish once again when he decided to go to NYC the day after thanksgiving because he finally got his daughter back, she finally came back home and was willing to open up again and he basically shut the door in her face and said it's been ages, it's nice to see you but I'm doing something way more important right now, chat later? He was being totally insensitive. He compares Angela to Ruby when he takes Ruby to the computer store and said that Ruby was taking too long to make up her mind and when he took Angela she knew what she wanted right away. Swenson's respect for Ruby was totally out the window in that scene because this was the first one on one father daughter moment they had in awhile and he spent most of it thinking about Angela.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting to how Ruby was introduced late into the story. I think the author decided to do this to make the reader feel disconnected with the character much like how her father Swenson is. Aside for knowing where Ruby goes to college and what she does there, we as readers don't truly know or understand her character. As you read you realize the professors disconnection with his daughter because he as almost nothing positive to say about his daughter, and can be found constantly criticizing her. He says he loves her but none of his thoughts or actions prove this to be the case. Going to New York and missing time with his daughter after not seeing her for a year and thinking she looked autistic while they were shopping for a computer are examples of how he is distant from Ruby. It feels like he drove her the long distance for a computer that cost a small fortune was only done because he felt obligated to as a parent, and not because he truly cares for his daughter.
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