“New kind of campus novel” https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/real-life-is-a-new-kind-of-campus-novel
Wallace (protagonist)
at grad school, going towards a biochem degree
originally from Alabama
attends a midwestern (Wisconsin?) university
father has died recently (a few weeks ago)
mother is still living?
Has a brother (older?)
black man
identifies as gay
likely between ages 22 and 28?
was molested by a family friend as a child
talented student in high school
his college is paid for by a grant
did not grow up with money, unclear if he lived in poverty or just with less means
grandparents farmed
Main themes of the novel emerging:
Being a black man in an overwhelmingly white setting
Being a gay man in general
Academia was historically a setting for middle/upper class white men; how do other types of people fit in the academic world?
“Campus Novel” how does this novel compare to the classic “campus novel” (think A Separate Peace)
Common issues/questions of college students:
What am I going to do with my life/career?
What will I do if my current plan fails?
Do I matter? What will make me matter?
How does my childhood/personal experiences influence my future?
Emma and Wallace
Why did she kiss him? Especially in front of her boyfriend? Very weird…
This character confuses me.
Miller and Wallace
Miller has attraction and possibly feelings for Wallace but is not “out” or does not identify as gay
“Confused”
Miller’s mother died of breast cancer 2 years ago; they did not have a good relationship when she was healthy
Dana and Wallace
Dana is a redhead, clearly nervous anxious (nail biting)
Possibly ruined Wallace’s slides, killing his nematodes
“Women are the new n*****s and f*****s”
Weird to compare the experiences of these three typically marginalized groups in such a way when the basis for their exclusion is so different for each…
when considering groups who have been marginalized/mistreated it is unhelpful to compare their struggles in this way “one is treated worse than the other”
women’s issues are different than racial issues are different than sexuality issues… they can overlap/intertwine but it is a waste of time to categorize them. All are legitimate issues
Calling Wallace a misogynist…
obviously any man can be a misogynist (gay or straight) but in this case it didn’t seem like Wallace did anything to deserve being called a misogynist
I disagree that just because a woman says you’re a misogynist that you are
Interesting to compare to Wallace’s later sentiments regarding addressing racial issues with white people… he feels like white people act like they know better than him what racism is and isn’t
Wallace approaches these feelings less hatefully than Dana, more from a place of his own feelings/experience
Simone
Another weird character, lab adviser or something? Has some authority
Treats Wallace very oddly, favors Dana (calls her “gifted”)
Important Passages:
pp 22-24 Doing something “real”
Wallace admitting he hates it at school and thinks about leaving
pp 49-57 Sleeping with Miller
Wallace has only been kissed twice
Miller’s confusion with his sexuality
They discuss their parents (Miller’s mother is dead) (pp 54-55)
pp 90-91 Wallace childhood
best student in state of Alabama
molested by a family friend
“His father is dead–his father who did nothing for him”
