Ramen Noodles: The Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner of Champions

"Liberty, however, had been a useless gift to me, had I not, as I awakened to reason, at the same time awakened to revenge." pg 189

So I'm not exactly sure if Victor is a hero or antihero. As illustrated by the quote, his motivation is revenge. Additionally, his motivation for making the creature was an unhealthy obsession of succeeding. He faints and is ill constantly. Definitely not heroic; however, he does attempt to save those he loves. He embarks on a dangerous trek across wastelands to hunt down his creation and he's very strong-willed when deciding never to create another being even at the risk of a life of perpetual misery. That seems pretty heroic to me. You say "potato," I say "Why did you say potato? Weirdo." HA!

Weren't expecting that, were ya?

Congratulations! You're America's Next Top Babushka!

"I knew I was being cruel, like when i'd taunt him if he didn't know some big word. But there was something fascinating - albeit in a sick way - about teasing Hassan. Kind of like when we used to play insect torture. Except now, he was the ant and I was holding the magnifying glass." pg. 54

Oh Amir, you're such a selfish little prick, you! I don't understand why Amir would ever want to mess with Hassan. I don't think Amir knows why he does it either. It especially makes him super antiheroic when Hassan is so foily (does that mean he's shiny? =D). Hassan's total submission to Amir's will and his portrayal as someone pure and innocent is right out the antithesis of an antihero which helps to draw a starker contrast between the two characters. Yet what complexifies it is their relationship as practically brothers. They spend most of their time together, playing, talking, doing kid things. Yet social customs, like Amir's being a Pashtun and Hassan's being a Hazara, and Amir's whacked-out personality make this relationship tragic.

It's Hassan. He's a foil character. Nyuk nyuk nyuk nyuk nyuk.

Captain Ahab's Blubber Nuggets. Mmm. They're Chewy!

"I was shot twice." pg. 180

No you weren't. You're making this up.

"We sat for a while longer, then I started to get up, except I was still feeling the wobbles in my head. Jorgenson reached out and steadied me.
'We're even now?' he said.
'Pretty much.' pg. 207

Sound familiar, anybody? But of course! It's the more elaborate version of the "I Broke My Own Nose and Now We're Friends!" story. I was kind of bummed that Rat Kiley had a meltdown and had to leave, because he is way up there on my favorite characters in TTTC list...that is, if I had one. Initially, I was angry at Jorgenson, like Tim, for mistreating him. However, when Tim is told when he rejoins the regiment that Jorgenson knows he messed up, has improved, and then attempts to make an apology but Tim refuses and wants revenge is when I get annoyed at his douche-ness. I think as readers we hold the author to a higher standard, even when he becomes a character in a book, and especially after he gives sagely wisdom in his war stories. In this though, he becomes an antihero. Maybe he wanted to be the stereotypical bad guy obsessed with revenge for a while.

That's right. Tim O'Brien is Jafar.