Jordan Reichenbach

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Brave New World

This book really reminds me of Brave New World with the whole Utopia idea and the baby reproduction system. For some reason in Utopia’s no one gives birth, it’s all done by machine and genetically modified. The whole government system is really throwing me off because I just don’t understand how anything gets done that way. It literally is just a bunch of meetings, way to often,  they sit down and argue about a situation until they come to a conclusion. Then they vote! I don’t think it’s a very efficient way of governing and it is especially a waste of time. They could just set up a real government and they wouldn't have to have SO MANY meetings! Also, the way the utopia world deals with death is actually very relaxing and is a good way to finish ones life. I understand where Connie is coming from when she argues about getting a doctor and possibly extending Sappho’s life but then the ideals of death in the Utopian world make much more sense. We are even experiencing this right now in the real world with the issue of “Right to Die”. “Right to die” refers to a large number of issues related to the decision of whether an individual should be allowed to die, when she or he could continue to live with the aid of life support, or in a diminished or enfeebled capacity. This is what first came to my head when I got to the part of Sappho’s death because this is actually a current issue the U.S. is going through right now. I believe the two topics are relatable because in a Utopian world the people accept death for what it is and they don't fight against it. The “Right to Die” in a way is just like that, people accept death and take their own life. On another note, I don't even think what she is doing can be considered “time traveling”. She gets woken up at the end of chapter eight by a nurse slapping her face and we already knew that her body doesn't go into the future. If her body doesn't go and it’s just her mind that is there isn't that just considered your “imagination”?Imagination is the ability to form new images and sensations in the mind that are not perceived through senses such as sight, hearing, or other senses. Isn't that what Connie is experiencing? She sees the light at first when she “travels” with Luciente but that was only the first time she traveled. The rest of the trips to the future she sort of summoned Luciente to take her so I think the whole thing is just from the drugs and she's imagining everything.

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WOTEOT

Woman On The Edge of Time is very different from Kindred in the time traveling aspect. Connie is voluntarily traveling to the future and is able to come back whenever she wants whereas Dana is forced to go back to 1815 because of Rufus. I think there is also a relation to Orlando that is formed because Connie first assumes that Luciente is a male and later we find out when Connie holds on to him that he’s actually a female. Connie is surprised and at first and Luciente was just like “duh I’m a female!!” We see this a lot in Orlando where Orlando sees someone attractive and doesn't exactly know if it’s a female or male. I wonder what made the future in WOTEOT realize that going towards technology is what was wrong with he country. Because it is almost like they are back in the stone age. There is no futuristic toys or machines that we are developing today which kind of disappoints Connie. I feel like Connie’s life is just in a downward spiral, everything she is going through in the first four chapters just SUCKS! Her husband dies and her daughter is taken away because she hit her because the kid ripped her shoes. Then Dolly comes over and ruins her life even more by bringing Geraldo to her home and he beats both of them. Connie ends up in an mental institution then into an asylum. When Luciente visits her I feel like its almost an escape of reality and a way to actually enjoy life. What I found most interesting was the family structure and how you can change your name many times. I found it very weird when Luciente wouldn’t talk about her kids and just kept avoiding conversation.

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The End

Wow the ending of Kindred was PERFECT! Rufus finally gets what he deserves and yes that sounds really mean but whatever. The death of Rufus was really predictable though especially because Dana and Kevin was talking about killing him “if” she had to. So just from that conversation before she goes back in time we can infer that something big is going to happen. To be honest though I was not expecting Rufus to go off on Dana and be sexual with her. What I was NOT expecting was the death of Alice!! I knew Rufus was a jerk and all but I never would have thought he would hang Alice. And as we learn more he didn't physically kill her but he did drive her to her death. Something that did leave me puzzled was like when Dana teleported back to the future and had her arm stuck in the wall could she have had someone come and bust the wall down to free her arm? And what would we find if they did break down the wall and free her arm? Would there be just nothing? or would Rufus or his bones be there inside the wall? Because I felt as if she went to extreme measures just pulling her arm out. She could have waited for another option that would have saved her arm.