Quotes:
1. "The alarm clock] became an object of veneration, almost. Everyone came to consult the clock, as though our house on stilts were a temple" (14).
2. "One morning when we woke, the thought of the back-buckets awaiting us was so disquieting that we could bring ourselves to get up...[so Luo] slid the hands of the clock back by one hour" (15).
Explanation: Because of their experiences in the city, their insight from the outside world helps them take full advantage of the villagers lack of experience with everything involved in it. As time passed and the two boys grew more aware of the world around them, they realized that they could control those who were less educated than them by turning the hands of the clock. This gave them power over the other workers and even the headman.
Don't by they stop changing the time near the end of the book? Why do you think stop?
ReplyDelete1. Does the clock symbolize anything in particular?
ReplyDelete2. This directly shows how much power Luo and the narrator have as a result of being from the city. Learning what to do with this power is something they struggle with throughout the whole book.
How does taking advantage of the less educated workers have to do with growing more aware of the world around them? I don't see the connection, or explicit evidence of growth here.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't see a clear link to coming of age, I believe that the alarm clock represents more of the difference between city-life and life on the countryside, which the author makes out to be a huge divide. Specifically, the lack of knowledge around the alarm clock, and the awe that it creates shows the reader how different city-life and rural life is.
Could you elaborate more on their insight following the lack of experience?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if there is a big link to Coming of Age but I think it would represent the different experiences between the two different groups of people.
I really like how the connection with the alarm clock power is clear
ReplyDeleteIf the boys knew that they had an advantage over most of the people in the village because of their experiences in the city, what other useful insights do you think they could've/should've used to expand their power of the village people?
ReplyDeleteDo you think it was right that they changed the clock time to their pleasure?
What do you believe the clock symbolizes? Why do you think the headman of the village is very interested in the clock?
ReplyDelete