The Quest for Death and Photographs.

I'm not sure where to start, so I'll just jump right in.

I don't feel there was much to say about "The Eye" except that it was a weird story.

Financial status, or lack thereof, is shown through what the character wears as seen on page 107 when "The Eye" is described as the only person the narrator saw wearing a tie. It is also addressed on page 109 when referring to the orphan services at the auction when "The highest bidder is almost always the lowest as well".

There was a rumor that "The Eye" was homosexual, and it was just a rumor until one night when he confessed to the narrator that he was indeed homosexual.

With Bolano's simple sentences, the reader finds out that "The Eye" leaves Mexico for Paris and years later so does the narrator.


And as I was typing, I realized how much these stories have in common; so now I'll just compare them by underlying themes of: emigration, search for death, photography, and saying good-bye.

Emigration:

In Bolano's "Mauricio "The Eye" Silva", there is a lot of movement. First The Eye leaves Chile to travel to Buens Aires, "but then the ill winds blowing in the neighboring republic sent him to Mexico" (106). Off to Paris he went, and so did the narrator to find him. Later, the narrator had to go to Berlin where he meets The Eye again. The Eye shares his experiences of when he was in India. When he ultimately ran off with two of the boys, "the rest [of the story] is more an itinerary than a story or plot...First they took a taxi to a town or to its outskirts. Then a bus to another town, where they caught a second bus that took them to yet another town. At some point in their flight they boarded a train and traveled all night and part of the following day" (117). Even more traveling goes on, but you get the picture. In general, people are in search of an ideal living situation. If your current location doesn't match your lifestyle, your goals, or your mindset--then change it. I have always been a dream chaser and when I'm old enough to start moving until I see progress, I will. Sitting in Clemson and your dream is to become some Hollywood megastar will get you NOWHERE. Okay, off of my soapbox.

Bolano's excerpt from The Savage Dectectives incorporates a lot of travel as well. The two main characters are both from "the Southern Cone" of South America. From Paris to Angola and all parts of Liberia, this excerpt is filled with travel.

Search for Death:

The excerpt catches this theme better than "The Eye". Urenda, the narrator, states about Belano: "I got the sense that life meant nothing to him, that he'd taken the job so he could die a picturesque death, a death that was out of the ordinary" (498). Wow. My first thought, why would someone do that? Make your family struggle to bring your body back? or just get dumped on grounds that mean nothing to you? But, what's confusing is the fact that "Belano behaved as if his health were extremely important to him". Urenda was confused to and thought "this man wants to live, there's no way he's planning to die". Page 499 offers a deeper explanation. "He insinuated that he was there to get himself killed, which I suppose isn't the same as being there to kill yourself or to commit suicide, since you aren't taking the trouble to do it yourself, although in the end it's just as disturbing". I don't even know what to think about this. So, I am thinking he wants his life to be over, but not to commit suicide so he still goes to heaven? hahaha. long shot. Later when Urenda comes back, Belano was no longer on his quest for death and could go a few days without taking any pills. A statement that stands out on page 500 is Urenda's description of Belano as healthy..."or that's how he looked to me, anyway, in the middle of so much death. What really gets me is the end of the story when Lobo and Belano are taling and Belano states that he "wanted to die, but [he] realized it was better not to" (516). But after saying this, he still went with Lobo to die with the soldiers because he didn't want Lobo to die alone. I'm not one to judge, but I can't tell if that was being brave or being stupid.

From what I can remember, the search for death is only mentioned one time in "The Eye". "then the disease came to the village and the boys died. I wanted to die too, said The Eye, but I wasn't that lucky" (119). When a person loses all they have, they feel like there is no purpose for them to live anymore. I could understand that feeling.

Photography:

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

"Everyone likes to be photographed" (107). I think of that line from The Eye, then I immediately think of the dead Italian that Urenda wanted to take pictures with in the excerpt. I don't think he wanted his picture taken--I'm just saying.

Saying Good-bye:

"The Eye": "I wasn't surprised that he hadn't said good-bye. The Eye never said good-bye to anyone. I never said good-bye to anyone either. None of my Mexican friends ever did. For my mother, however, it was a clear case of bad manners" (109). I'm not quite sure what this means, but I know nowadays if people purposely don't say good-bye, it's because they would rather say see you later or something of that sort. The optimistic bunch. This was vaguely mentioned in the excerpt, but I doubt it had any true meaning.

Other random blurbs...

"The Eye" favorite phrases:
--"I have never hated anyone" (116). I love this. I have been trying to live like this since I got baptized. Great feeling.
--"Not that I had a plan, or any idea of redress, just a blind determination" (116).
--"he wept for his dead children and all the other castrated boys, for his own lost youth, for those who were young no longer and those who died young.."

The Savage Detectives:

..."blackouts usually came at sunset" (502). Very true in Nigeria.
..."a country where life was worth nothing and talk--along with money--was ultimately the key to everything" (501). They say money makes the world go 'round. But wow, life was worth nothing?
..."able to hear something like the glare of the sun on the roof of the car" (507). love the personification!

Also,
**Paris Match is my favorite French magazine!
**who prays to a God they don't believe in? hey, I don't judge. hahaha.
**the embassy is never the safest place in a country.
**and this narrator was annoying. He thought he was better than everyone.