Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Spin: Going Pink

"On occasions the war was like a Ping-Pong ball. You could put a fancy spin on it, you could make it dance." - p. 31

I have two things to say about that. First is that it's a simile. Second is that I think it's a run-on sentence, and that makes me so confused. It sounds fine in my head, but we've been taught not to do that. Haven't we? Maybe it's one of those elliptical conjunction sorts of deals. Anyway, I don't get it.

Also, "There were rules," (p. 31) makes me think of a saying I've heard. "This isn't 'Nam; there are rules!" I've never understood that, but the book implies that it's true. The characters valued Checkers for its clear-cut rules. The implication is that this is a stark contrast to their way of life as it was in Vietnam during the war. What kinds of rules did Vietnam lack, exactly? Will I find out in this book?

On a final note, I don't know what "going pink" means. I suspect it means either being home free or being in some sort of danger hot zone. Also, I think the narrator's name might be Tim.

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