For this entry I would like you to suggest a scene that could be added to Kapitoil that would add interest, intrigue, or clarification. In your post, do two things:
1) Explain what would happen in the scene. Who would be in it; what would happen; what conversations would take place; where it would be set.
2) Explain/analyze how the inclusion of your added scene would contribute to one of the conflicts, ideas, or themes that you see emerging in the novel.
In terms of what kind of scene to add, that is entirely up to you. Be creative. Think broadly. You might consider a flashback scene. There are a few in the book already, but not too many. Would an additional flashback scene clear up some confusion you have about Karim? Or Zahira? Or Karim's mom? Dad? Any of the other characters?
Or you could add a scene to the real time of the book, perhaps something that would further bring out Karim's dilemma... or perhaps something that would help us understand Rebecca ... or Dan ... or Jefferson ... or Mr. Schrub. It's up to you! Let's confine our scenes to things that would occur up to the end of the assigned reading (192), just so those who have read further don't spoil it for those who haven't.
Well i would like to add a scene before Rebecca's party where Karim smokes marijuana for his first time.(Page 141) The scene will have Karim and Rebecca. How the scene will look like is first, Karim is at his apartment and he is looking at the e-mails that he sent to Zahira. While looking and reading over these e-mails, he flashes back through some old memory that he experienced with her and her mother. He explains some events and then he focuses back to the computer and looks at the rest of the e-mails. There he sees the e-mails sent by Mr. Ray; the one that Karim said made him feel superior because of Kapitoil. (Page 67) This then makes him feel proud and with this thought he decides to try new things and LIVE. After this scene, He appears infront of Rebecca's door to enter the party.
ReplyDeleteThis scene i believe is significant because during the party he smokes marijuana for the first time and after that is invited with Mr. Schrub to his house in Greenwich for the weekend and to meet his two sons. These new actions right after he enters the party set up an understanding of Karim thinking more outside the box. My scene, i believe, sets up that statement in the correct way because according to the book, Karim loves Zahira and does lots to care for her needs. However, his pride gives him a new way of looking at his options in life. The reason i chose him checking his e-mails is because he seems to communicate with more people over e-mails than phone and he is able to look back at his memories easier than having to listen to a voicemail or his recordings.
The scene that i would add to the book is during the thanksgiving chapter. Instead of him going to the dinner with the car driver and his family i would like to see him go to Mr. Schrub's house again. The reason for this scene to occur is Karim would show up to the house earlier than expected and Mr. Schrub would be in a meeting with some other hot shot CFOs and what not. During this time Karim would walk up to the office door and eves drop on the meetings conversation. Karim would finally hear something bad about Mr. Schrub that would create many internal problems for him.
ReplyDeleteI would write this scene in the book because it would cause huge internal conflict for Karim which would add another side to the story. Karim already has some conflict but it is with his personal life, this would be in his business side of his life which he takes very seriously. I feel Karim would almost crack under the pressure depending on what the certain information is and he would not know what to do with it.
Mr. Jimenez, that would be a very beneficial scene to add to the book that really lays out Karim's internal struggle that becomes more intense as he becomes more successful in the company.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was an interesting parallel to see Mr. Schrub relishing the hawk devouring its meal and Mr. Schrub's sons murdering each other in their video game, both enjoying violence. Karim could not watch the hawk nor could he shoot the son he was playing against, despite having greater advantages. I think an interesting scene would be if Karim actually beat one of the sons at video games. Karim had certain moral reservations about killing and death in the natural world and in a virtual one, possibly from his culture and possibly as a wound from his mother's death, either way it would be a further step towards his Americanization if he let those feelings go. Similar to how Karim eventually let his anger get the better of him during the racquetball game I was thinking he would rationalize to himself that video games are an American custom and the killing is only virtual.
Tony,
DeleteAwesome.
-mrh
The scene that I would add in this book would be a flashback scene about Zahira and Karim's work. This would happen right after Karim met Wilson and Jeromy and heard that they were "getting literally raped at school." (pg 169). He would flashback to the last time he wanted to call Zahira to tell her all of the wonderful things he has been doing and how successful he has been, but didn't because he didn't want to engage in conversation with his father. Hearing Wilson and Jeromy talk about how school was hard, and hearing them get lectured by Mr. Schrub brought Karim back to the thought that the past few nights he should have worked instead of partying. He realizes that whenever he slacks on his work, Karim believes it directly affects Zahira. I think including this flashback would be good because it really would make Karim think more about his work, Zahira, and his father. In the next few scenes in the book, Karim spent some "father-son" time with Mr. Schrub, which he never would do with his own father. I also think that Karim throughout his stay at Mr. Schrub's should have a few more thoughts about his father, especially after they talked about the death of his mother and how his father treated him. I think that having more thoughts about his father and why they aren't super friendly would clear up some confusion people might have about their relationship.
ReplyDeleteVery thoughtful, Ari.
DeleteI wouldn't add a scene but i would change the scene where Karim and Mr.Schrub are at the baseball game and have Karim eat the hot dog. i think this would be significant because it would lead more to Karim becoming more americanized. Already he is shunning his past life, like not calling home and throwing out the number of the people from the masque.
ReplyDeleteOr i would maybe have like Karim get caught when hes trying to take back his tape recorder or like have mr.schrub leave a message on it or like some secret plans just to like foreshadow a possible evil scheme made up by mr.schrub. i don't really know why but it could be cool. :P
The scene I would add would be a flashback right before Karim is about to smash the ball for the last point against Mr. Schrub. This flashback would go along with some of the ideas Tony was talking about when Karim sees Mr. Schrubs sons playing video games and killing each other, and how Karim has to be a ”hawk” to survive in the business world. I would make a flashback of Karim playing racket ball with his father when he is young and have Karim loose after playing for the first time. The scene would then go to Karim playing against his father in another game but this time Karim is much older, in a game a lot like the one against Mr.Schrub. The game is close when Karim decides to throw the game to make his aged father feel young again (or something along those lines)…When Karim throws the game his father is disappointed because he knows Karim is not playing to his full potential. The scene would then go back to the present where Karim smashes the ball and wins the match. Making Mr. Schrub happy that Karim shows signs of being a hawk which he ironically learned to do through playing racket ball against his father.
ReplyDeleteNice, Bryce. That might connect Mr. Schrub and Karim's father in an odd way, too.
DeleteRemember when Mr. Schrub takes Karim down to his wine cellar so he
ReplyDeletecould help him pick out a dessert wine? While down in the cellar Mr.
Schrub shows Karim his most prized possession: a bottle of 1945
Bordeaux, which is locked up in a vault. He pulls it out and hands it
to Karim. Well.. what if in the midst of transferring the bottle from
Mr. Schrub's hands to Karim's they drop it! The drop is in slow
motion. They stand there, frozen, with their mouths open not knowing
what to do. As the bottle shatter against the cement floor wine
splashes everywhere. Karim looks at Mr. Schrub then at the bottle then
back at Mr. Schrub As he turns abnormally pale Karim is scrambling
to process some sort of solution. He immediately takes off his suit and trys to absorb what's left of the wine with his coat. By doing so it shows Mr. Schrub how Karim will do anything to preserve the remainder of what is lost. This scene symbolizes Karim's commitment and dedication to the company. The fact that he would do anything to safe what was left of the wine further separates him the connection he has with his family. Because the gap between Karim's work and family are so distant from one another, this scene emphasizes the conflict of Karim losing himself in the pleasues of Success.
Imaginative, Antonio. I think it's interesting that Schrub says he'll never open this bottle of wine. I'd like to see him have a transformation, realize that he isn't enjoying his family and life, and open the bottle and drink it in a fast food restaurant, like Miles does in "Sideways."
Delete