Undoubtedly, the United States of America has attained historic levels of social tolerance in recent ages. Segregation had been abolished, disenfranchisement was deemed contradictory to the nation’s values, and women gained rights equivalent to those of their male peers. In spite of these considerable advances toward a society in which universal acceptance is observed, those who possess ideological, behavioral, physical, or mental distinctions continue to endure tribulations as a result of such characteristics, for countless citizens fervently support and promote the notion of homogeneity. The stories Mosquitoland and “Go Carolina”, authored by David Arnold and David Sedaris, respectively, chronicle the hardships encountered by the protagonists,
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The novel Mosquitoland, authored by David Arnold, records the journeys of Mim Malone, an adolescent afflicted by various abnormalities, including photic retinopathy and psychosis. Once a rather jocular and jubilant child, she incorporated progressively darker elements into her demeanor upon comprehending her aberrancy in relation to her fellow classmates and neighbors, eventually developing a tendency to visualize events in which she torments or brutally dispatches those who prove to be a minor inconvenience in her travels. A notable instance of this occurs when Mim arrives at Independence, Kentucky, where she encounters the embittered Glenda, an employee of the absurdly named Aces Dairy Dip Mart Stop Plus. While irritated by her constant pessimism throughout the length of their sole interaction, Mim does not express a true disdain for Glenda prior to her response, which consisted of a Moby Dick-themed pun, to Mim’s inquiry of the location of Ahab, the nephew of her beloved companion Arlene. Infuriated by her irreverence, Mim conceptualizes a scenario in which she grasps the ends of her unkempt hair and proceeds to suffocate her with ice cream. While it is not uncommon to react in a fairly unfit manner to an acrimonious character, Mim’s response of murder is exceptionally bellicose and unacceptable. Apparently, this spontaneous display of aggression stems from her perceived imperfections, for prior to realizing their existence, she exhibited utmost reverence for all living things, even hesitating to bludgeon lighting-bugs as a child. Likewise, “Go Carolina”, an excerpt from David Sedaris’s autobiography Me
The novel Mosquitoland, authored by David Arnold, records the journeys of Mim Malone, an adolescent afflicted by various abnormalities, including photic retinopathy and psychosis. Once a rather jocular and jubilant child, she incorporated progressively darker elements into her demeanor upon comprehending her aberrancy in relation to her fellow classmates and neighbors, eventually developing a tendency to visualize events in which she torments or brutally dispatches those who prove to be a minor inconvenience in her travels. A notable instance of this occurs when Mim arrives at Independence, Kentucky, where she encounters the embittered Glenda, an employee of the absurdly named Aces Dairy Dip Mart Stop Plus. While irritated by her constant pessimism throughout the length of their sole interaction, Mim does not express a true disdain for Glenda prior to her response, which consisted of a Moby Dick-themed pun, to Mim’s inquiry of the location of Ahab, the nephew of her beloved companion Arlene. Infuriated by her irreverence, Mim conceptualizes a scenario in which she grasps the ends of her unkempt hair and proceeds to suffocate her with ice cream. While it is not uncommon to react in a fairly unfit manner to an acrimonious character, Mim’s response of murder is exceptionally bellicose and unacceptable. Apparently, this spontaneous display of aggression stems from her perceived imperfections, for prior to realizing their existence, she exhibited utmost reverence for all living things, even hesitating to bludgeon lighting-bugs as a child. Likewise, “Go Carolina”, an excerpt from David Sedaris’s autobiography Me