Reading Response# 18

"Willi" by E.L Doctorow is probably my favorite reading we have taken up this semester( in case you couldn't tell by my incessant babble in class Wednesday). I really enjoy stories in which the protagonist has some sort of psychological abnormality. It gives me the opportunity to try and analyze what the condition is and what its cause is through close critical reading. Being so caught up with my character analysis, the whole masturbation bit at the beginning flew right over my head. Because of this, I believe my initial analysis in my first read may have been slightly off. The lesson I take from this is to not get so caught up in one aspect of the story to the detriment of the rest. I find this lesson applicable in my writing as well. So far with my writing, I have attempted to create intricate, disturbed, characters while making little advancement in plot and scenery. I will need to find a balance if I am going to develop anything worth reading.