Overall, I find the book The Soloist to be a fascinating one, one unlike any other book I have ever read. Although every sentence and every page keeps me interested in the story of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, this quotation really stood out to me. Ayers, as a homeless schizophrenic, could probably be considered by some to be a lunatic. He is very much unlike us, yet something about him is similar to us. We are not all musicians, but we all have some passion that we turn to to keep us going when times are tough. Ayers's passion happens to be music, playing it for himself and those passersby who wish to listen. When playing music, the weight of the world, the weight of all things bringing him down, is lifted off of his shoulders, and he is in his own little peaceful world, doing what he was born to do: use his music to bring the joy and peace he feels to others.
*Please tell me if any points made in this post are in any way not consistant with The Soloist."
I liked this post. It was a good expression of your opinion of the book and you have interesting thoughts about the book. The points that you made were consistent with the book and showed a deeper outlook on it.
ReplyDeleteI agree col! Everyone has a passion in this world and we can really relate to his passion of music. I like the quote that you picked out as well. It really is 100% true.
ReplyDeleteSo does Lopez's story work to change accepted (and possibly stereotypical) images of the homeless? Does society at large see those who have a mental disability or illness as sub-human in some way? Does a work like The Soloist work to break down these images? What image do we get of what it means to be a member of the indigent population from the story that Ayers writes? All of this reminds of an earlier post from this year that asked, 'Can writing enact social change?'
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