Response to the Reading

Response to the book

The book is very descriptive, so much so that it talks about everything from basketball to tailgaiting to frat parties and even talks about the superfluous facade of working out. It covered so many topics reflecting the campus experience, giving one a sense of being part of the action. The use of sensory details: auditory, visual imagery, as well as dialogue provides a realistic feel. The writing style is formal, yet contains its own authentic style.  It also has great comic relief and good analysis throughout each observation. So, every observation is backed up by either an opinion, analysis or argument and serves as a good reference point for the observation essay.

The most interesting event depicted was when Charlotte talks about her family. Their quaint, southern dispositions set a stark contrast to Charlotte's lofty, intellectual behavior. There is a sense of comedy given the introverted dad who wears a mermaid tattoo that blushes during arduous labor. There's also a hint of criticism when her uncle or family member states that Charlotte's intelligence does not come from her dad's side of the family. These interactions are quite discordant and produce a sense of mockery that is impregnated in the authors observations.

The main point or theme seems to be the insecurities teenagers share and how ridiculous they can be. Every event, from the frat parties to the "cliques" ,entail how superficial and stereotypical students' behavior is. They put of facades and fake fronts to delineate a "tough" attitude in order to dissipate the fear of not belonging. Hence, the observations become cohesive in the theme of inferiority complexes, proving the universal theme of insecurities.