Charlie Brown is a cornerstone of my childhood. That’s probably not a surprising statement. I mean who hasn’t waited for the Great Pumpkin? “The Pathos of Charles Schultz” was my favorite reading assignment because of the memories that flooded my mind the second I read, “a small child and beagle on public transit”(4, Bondurant). One of the loveliest things about Charlie Brown cartoons is the honesty with which real life situations are handled. It makes you consistently root for the characters. You know Charlie’s not going to kick the football. There is absolutely no way he’s going to kick that football. But, inevitably, with every attempt comes high hopes.
The 28 lines Matt Bondurant’s poem illuminated a story that was familiar to me despite never having seen the spelling bee cartoon. It was a combination of my own experiences with self-deprecation and descriptions like, “his orange on a stick head”(19), that instantly materialized Charlie’s character. While referring to the scene’s end Bondurant writes, “There is no gift of resolve or insight”(25). Unlike most cartoons or family-oriented programs this scene doesn’t finish with characters spelling out a lesson backed by sentimental music. Here, the lesson is open for interpretation, and it is Charlie’s imperfections that earn the audience’s compassion. My interpretation is after his bowl of soggy cereal he will rest his orange-on-a-stick-head on his pillow and try not to dwell on his failure. The next day will be a new day, and he will attempt to kick the football for the 400th time.
Julie, interesting! What did you think of the voice Bondurant used? How would you describe it?
ReplyDeleteBondurant seemed to be narrating the scene. The title is The Pathos of Charles Schultz and the first sentence is, "The clearest example the spelling-bee episode." He's basically spelling out his poem to the audience. He's telling us that the spelling-bee episode was a powerful life experience of Charlie's in which Bondurant relates to and sympathizes with Charlie. The tone of his voice feels like he's just having a conversation with the audience about someone we all know. Referring to Charlie as Chuck reinforces that sense of familiarity.
ReplyDelete