ben aley blog 2

A facet of the novel that I find intriguing is the slang that is used. Slang is a lasting, definitive feature of a culture. People still associate "groovy" with the 1960's, "far out" with the 70's, and "radical" with the 80's. There is a lot of slang that was prevalent in recent generations that is in the modern zeitgeist, either by the term lasting through time or a renaissance of the word's use. I imagine that Gary Shteyngart had a fun time projecting 15-20 years into the future and determining what slang the characters would use. I enjoy how he strikes a balance between new terms and terms that are present in today's vernacular. Most of the new slang has to do with the technological advances that occur between now and the setting of his dystopian novel. Someone is "Media" if they are current and important in the technological community. In the super-superficial society, people are judged on their credit score as a main indicator of their life's worth, so there are High-Net Worth Individuals (HNWI's) and Low-Net Worth Individuals (LNWI's). However, there is still a lot of slang that is common in present times. Just as "dip" (to leave a place) and "aight" (alright) are 90's terms that are still used now, Shteyngart integrates modern slang into his character's speech. This ranges from spanish monikers like "amigo" and "cabrón" to more general terms like "cool" or "ace".

ben aley Blog 1

I find the relationship dynamic between Lenny and Eunice infinitely fascinating. Both of them are, to some extent, "damaged goods", albeit for different reasons. Lenny is a man who finds himself too old for the society that he lives in, as he is incapable with technology and prefers reading books to the incessant media streams of the apparats. He also has a recurring attraction to girls who have a past of violence and hurt, and feels that is it his job to be their caretaker. This is what draws him to Eunice. Eunice grew up in a traditional first-generation immigrant Korean household with a father who often got drunk and abused her. This expresses itself in her attitude of indifference and anger towards those who show her affection. However, underneath this cold exterior is a girl who wants to be loved unconditionally, and secretly wants to be able to return love without worrying about being hurt. This is why her and Lenny's unlikely relationship continues. The act of Eunice lashing out only makes Lenny feel more responsible for making her feel loved, instead of driving him away like it might do to a self-confident and self-loving person. An example of this is when Eunice tells Lenny that she is leaving and goes on a tirade of cold fury because Lennys expresses interest in meeting her parents. Lenny literally gets down on his knees and begs her to stay. She calls him pathetic, but she stays, allowing her hope for love win out over her anger. I am interested to see if this toxic, yet symbiotic, relationship works out or if it crashes and burns.

Lea Reed Blog Post #1:

     I'm beginning to get more interested in this book than when I first began it. I was expecting much more of a dystopian type novel but it actually seems more realistic than our other more exaggerated books we've read in class. Actually, it seems as though this takes place maybe only 10-20 years in the future, which provides a stronger sense of worry and fear to me than reading even the most horrific dystopian novels such as The Road. The issues they cover in this novel include: money, power, immigration and technology... all things that are presently an issue in America. It is reassuring that love and relationships can still exist, as well as the recognition of intimacy and respect. Lenny and Eunice's relationship, though at the beginning seemed desperate and unrealistic, now serve as a beacon of hope and light in a world that only seems to be plummeting downwards. The fact they are so different yet provide each other with exactly what they need makes their love so interesting and distracting from what is going on outside of them. The more time I spend reading this book the more I feel I am able to connect to it; the issues of privacy, health, and technology are essentially the same as they are today, but I think the author wants us to realize that despite this there is always the natural human emotion of love that can conquer all... or at least distract.


Lea Reed Blog Post #2
      Well the title is true, this was a Super Sad True Love Story for sure. When it finally seemed that all was going well and would work out in the end, it all went down hill. Suddenly, the economy was failing, power in the States was diminishing and violence and terror was reigning through the streets all the while Lenny and Eunice's love was failing too. It's sad that Eunice choose Joshie over Lenny in the long run, though it made her happy, one can't help but feel pity for little Lenny who is so fragile and in love with her. Overall though this book gave me a lot of insight into how our world is changing now and what it could potentially turn into. It showed me just how important money, power, and appearance are to us and how, when taken to far, it can ultimately destroy us. i'm still not quite sure how I feel about the book, but ultimately I think it was a good read, though not necessarily as dystopian as imagined.