One of the most successful aspects of the book so far,
in my opinion, is Robert Pirsig's ability to write in a way that allows the
reader to feel present in each scene. I feel as though I am watching each scene
as it is occurring. The imagery that Pirsig uses contributes to this sensation.
For instance, he mentions that "the prairie here is huge but above it the
hugeness of this ominous grey mass ready to descend is frightening" (25).
His specific diction clearly evokes the sense of a storm coming, allowing the
reader to relate to the characters. Also, the situations and reactions that
occur seem relatable for readers, specifically when John and Sylvia are upset
about having to drive in the freezing cold. Their anger is understandable for
readers. Pirsig also uses specific diction here in order to evoke the senses.
He talks about how the narrator's worn-out gloves are stiff from the cold,
which gives the reader a better sense of how cold it truly is. In addition, I
can relate to Sylvia’s fascination with the narrator’s constant flow of ideas
when talking about ghosts and their relation to science. This occurrence
reminds me of several instances when I have been amazed by one’s ideas that
have sometimes gone slightly over my head.
Another thing that Pirsig is successful with is
defining and characterizing the people in the book. One character that stands
out to me is the narrator’s son, Chris. The author is able to capture his youth
and curiosity with his constant stream of questions and his desire to hear
ghost stories. Chris adds an innocent and youthful sense to the story. Chris’s
floods of questions and his father’s attempts to suppress them provide a good aspect
of reality for the story.
The topics that Priya chose to react to this week were also very prevalent in my mind. It is obvious through the readings that Pirsig is an excellent writer that has been able to capture the essence of these situations with ease. I agree with the thoughts that Priya has on diction and how it is utterly important to the value of the novel. The analysis of the Sylvia and Chris that Priya makes is in line with my thinking. It seems that Sylvia, at least in the situation with the ghost discussion, is a very relatable character for the reader. I would almost describe it to the point where I feel like I am another Sylvia listening to the conversations. At this point she has been almost like an observer, only asking a few questions and making a few comments. Also to touch upon the subject of Chris, I believe he is at this point relatively untapped as a source for professing his beliefs. Like Priya said, we see his youth and curiosity through the book reading and the ghost story, but I believe the position that has been set up for him at this point will serve as a vital foil to the speaker. This reading has only furthered my interest for what Pirsig is discussing. I believe that Priya has hit upon some good points from this section of the reading.
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