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Transcript: Douglas Coupland BOOK SUMMARY CRITICAL COMMENT Do you ever feel torn between two or more priorities? Why or why not? -Canadian novelist, sculptur, and editor -born Baden-Baden, Germany, on December 30th 1961 -moved to Vancouver, Canada -first book in 1991, Generation X---Douglas Coupland's -novels mainly consist about postmodern religion, human sexuality and pop culture. CREATIVE COMPONENT -The protagonist, Tyler, tell his mom to change -"You wait for fate to bring about the changes in life which you should be bringing about by yourself." -She wanted to become modernized like other parents but she sat around and waited for someone to feel sympathy on her -If she did not obtain the will to change by herself and made an impact on her life to become a new person. Question Shampoo Planet Shampoo Planet Shampoo Planet Shampoo Planet Hey Nostradamus Canadian author, Douglas Coupland displays that an individual is in control of their own destiny, which is exposed in the books, Girlfriend in a coma, Shampoo planet, and Hey Nostradamus. These books portray that in order to be able to control ones destiny, the will to change, sacrifices committed and decisions made, are factors that play a huge role. Karl. "GedankenTravelExperiment: Review of Douglas Coupland's Girlfriend in a Coma." GedankenTravelExperiment. GedankenTravelExperiment , 11 July 2002. Web. 21 Dec. 2011. <http://philosophicalkarl.blogspot.com/2002/08/review-of-douglas-couplands-girlfriend.html>. -Physical isolation -Tyler's mom is physically isolated from everyone because she does not fit in -Kate from Crow Lake is isolated because since she got a university degree and became a teacher, she cannot relate from any of her siblings. Loss of innocence -Tyler's mom because when she married again, she thought Dan would not leave her except when he did, he took her innocence with her. -This is also true for Kate and her siblings in Crow Lake because they were all innocent and did not expect that something bad would happen to them. Girlfriend in a coma “Well, the phrase I would use now is that I'm quite open about the future. I'm curious.” -Richard uses Karen as an excuse to to change, hence his life is a complete mess. -“Did you use Karen and me as an excuse for you not to continue your life? Did you bail out of life?” - page 273 -He does not understand what's wrong with that When an individual is willing to change, they are capable in controlling their own destiny. "The words of a broken man in his little apartment somewhere on the edge of the New World. Let me change tactics. Maybe I can see myself better." Jason's father Reg is a very religious and narrow-minded person. When Jason goes missing Reg finally realizes after everything that has happened that he was the kind of the main reason as to why Jason went missing. Jason's stressed over everything, and his father didn't help him in his situation. When Reg opened his eyes and understood that he was the problem he changed for the better. He started to care about his son and family. He did everything in his power to find his son Jason. Isolation -The painted door and Hey Nostradamus isolation is shown in both of these stories -Ann is very isolated she lives with her husband very far from the city or town -Jason was lost in his own world and isolates himself from everyone. Discovering yourself -Wedding Gift and Hey Nostradamus -When time came for Kezia to make her own decision, she took charge immediately and knew what was right for her, she became more religious along with it. -Jason looses himself after the death of his girlfriend Cheryl -When he finds Heather his new girlfriend he finds himself back into that same happy feeling. "He has to make sacrifices so he sacrificed his family one by one." Reg who strongly believes in his religion and thinks he's immensely powerful in the household. Slowly in the novel Reg's personality comes with a little twist. He seems like the guy who would be there for you no matter what happens, but in the end he'll always sell you out to his religion. Reg claims that one of his twin granddaughters has no soul and should be gone, on top of all that he says this at his first son's funeral. SUBTOPIC 1 Shampoo Planet AUDIO-VISUAL QUESTION Question The sacrifices made in order to achieve something has an impact on ones destiny Girlfriend in a coma Hey Nostradamus “Coupland tries to convince us that we can break out of the vicious cycle that is our meaninglessness if only we probed deeply and a hard enough. Then will we get out of our miserable lives.” - GedankenTravelExperiment Physical isolation -Crow Lake and Girlfriend in a coma -Karen is physically isolated when she goes into coma -Kate also physically isolates herself when she moves out Physical loss of innocence- Crow Lake and Girlfriend in a coma -Karen and Richard both lose their virginity -Matt and Mary also both lose their virginity Girlfriend in a coma Hey Nostradamus BIBLIOGRAPHY -Jared who dies of leukemia -Karen and