A Sense of Normalcy and Perfecting Our Image

What if we didn't have such big egos, could we stop killing, end world hunger or find social acceptance? Maybe not yet but we certainly can start to relax a little bit.

In Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz we are lead into the long novel by our main character, Jasper, and for about the next 600 or so pages we are submerged in his incredibly serious and skeptical yet hilariously witty and satiric voice. He recounts his distorted childhood raised by his cynical and hopelessly rambling father. The book is so raw and captivating that you have look up from the page and take some deep breaths and remind yourself to laugh and that there is light in the world still, even though Jasper's father's twisted philosophies and life lessons reveal a pitiful and melancholy soul who has just plainly given up.

Especially as teenagers we take ourselves so seriously. We are all looking for something and if it's not "fun times" drugs and rock 'n roll. Then it's to perfect our ever changing image of masculinity, beauty, tough-ness, depth, brains or just being cool. As humans we are always seeking someone else's approval, where as the muddled philosophy lessons instilled by Jasper's father strongly advise against agreeing with anyone or following anything at all, we are all so desperately and pitifully concerned with ourselves, it makes me sick but as much as I or anyone else tries to deny it, we feel the painful sting of inadequacy sometimes whether it's an extra ten pounds of a failed job interview.

Only fifteen pages into my novel of the week and already I am presented with an interesting idea unfolding in the book. People take their actions, personas and percive the world so seriously that if they stop to laugh at the world or "smell the roses" as it were we might just find a bit of peace. We can stop killing over ipods and shoes, people will have the courage to accept themselves and other people's problems and identities. We will be unstoppable there will still be mistakes and stupid choices with stupid consequences but there will be a whole lot less of them.

So even though Jasper's lessons and father have torched his social skills and sense of normalcy (but hey who ever feels normal anyway) the premise [to not follow anyone else, make your own choices and don't stoop to other people levels or their ideas]  may not be such bad ideas after all