Monday, February 26, 2007

"Muse"


Post your comments about the story "Muse" here. You might discuss what you think the story has to say about the idea of xenophobia, and you could compare it to the story "Puppet Show." Another topic to consider: what does Icky represent in the story?

1 comment:

read said...

This story confused me a little bit because I wasn’t sure exactly what it was trying to say. The obvious xenophobia involves the slug Icky and how humans who live in symbiosis with them are looked down upon. The extremes of this “racism” are demonstrated by the Christians and the main character’s dad, who destroy Icky in a brutal way and so that seems to be a message. However, the main character wasn’t exactly likeable; he seemed sort of arrogant and lacked a concern for the feelings of others, and he also seemed to be dependent on the slug. Is this the author’s way of commenting on creativity and how in the future it might be connected to something you buy rather than on your own talents? If so, then why is it a bad thing that Icky is destroyed? I mean, I think that creativity should come from the individual, not some “thing” on your back. This seeming conflict of messages is what has me confused. Is the author being moral and preaching against xenophobia or is he writing about the importance of creativity?