tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692381608294018617.post3008968818020637865..comments2023-11-05T07:27:43.837-05:00Comments on Narrative and Technology: My untitled response to graded blog number five, prompt number two.Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302919444091859459noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692381608294018617.post-44897062595250934692007-09-26T15:45:00.000-04:002007-09-26T15:45:00.000-04:00This is an interesting continuation of the Hank-as...This is an interesting continuation of the Hank-as-confidence-man theme from last week. What I like best here is your exploration of the ways in which Merlin and Hank, rather than being diametrical opposite, are really mirror images of one another. And, of course, you mined Palahniuk for another great title.<BR/><BR/>Here's what troubles me, though. "Aside from how you may or may not interpret the end of the novel, both forms of magic in the text are illusions based on deception." This is, of course, true - in the way that you nicely detail through the rest of the paper. But why are you ignoring the end of the novel, especially when that how I frame the prompt? Despite everything Hank says about Merlin, and despite all Merlin's failures (up to and including stumbling into the electrified fence) his magic seems to be real at the end. Does that make us think of Hank differently? Is he ignoring evidence of the reality of (some of) Merlin's magic? <BR/><BR/>It may be, in other words, that just like with Hank there <I>is</I> something behind the smoke & mirrors.Adam Johnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11588769281227456640noreply@blogger.com