Dear American Airlines 5

What’s interesting about this section of the book is how inevitably hopeless he makes life seem. Its hard to tell whether or not he thinks this is a good thing. While writing, he discusses whether or not his message will get through to anyone. He talks about how insignificant his message is, and despite all his efforts, it will probably go unread. He writes, “So many letters, so many judgments, so many names instantly forgotten if indeed they ever penetrated your brain,” (121). He is pouring his heart and soul into this letter, but in all likeliness, the airline employee who reads will only give it a short glance. This unsettling image makes the reader feel insignificant to world affaires, and causes the reader to realize just how short life really is. On the other hand, Bennie also seems to spin this in a positive light. When the doctor scolds him about smoking, saying that it is killing his lungs, he simply shakes the comment off. He replies with, “It is so easy to die long before the fact of it,” (122). If life is so short, why shouldn’t he spend it doing something he enjoys? Granted, smoking is not the most glamorous thing, and it really doesn’t help you achieve anything in life, but if it makes him happy, so be it. Death is inevitable, after all.

Another thing in this reading which is interesting is the word choice. His words always show a lot about his personality, and especially so in this section of the book. In one quote he says “It’s all a bit Hemmingwayesque, but that’s hard to avoid when you’ve got a wounded soldier drinking away the afternoons by the shore,” (127). The word “Hemmingwayesque” is probably not a word you’ve heard before, since it’s not really a word. However, by referencing Hemmingway, he shows himself for the poet he really is, as well as showing his extreme creativity for creating such an unorthodox word. He uses more colorful words in the line, “Yes, I was a lout, a ne’er-do-well lush, a narcissistic chaser of vainglory,” (134). Granted, there isn’t a lot to be interpreted from the word choice, since he makes his point pretty clearly in the sentence, but you have got to admit, those are some solid words. The words, “lout”, “lush”, and “narcissistic”, are pretty decent by themselves, but the ending word “vainglory” just totally dazzles you. Honestly, I didn’t even know that word existed. Vain and glory are ok by themselves, but combined…damn. Props to you Mr. Jonathan Miles.