Plans

"But fuck-all has worked the way I wanted. Nothin never come to my hand the right way."

Brokeback Mountain, 276

This quote is interesting because it holds true through decades; plans rarely ever go as they were originally intended to. However, sometimes the best things in life are those that were unexpected.

In Jack's case, although his original plan to work in the rodeo didn't work out, it still seems like he has a good life. For one, had he kept working in the rodeo, it is possible that he would've been dead before he even made this comment. Moreover, he would most likely still be working unstable ranch jobs had he not married Lureen.

Most of all, even though he had not planned for things to happen with Ennis, they did regardless. Whereas in the beginning of the story, Jack did not even expect to become friends with Ennis during their summer ranch job, it turned out that he later on made a plan to move away together, though that did not work out either. However, they were still able to see each other and spend time together, away from everyone else. Even though their time together was limited, it was still valuable. It did not come to Jack's hand "the right way", but I don't doubt that he would've asked for anything less.

Courage

"Don't do it to Hoa...Do it to me."

(Bloodchild, 26)

Courage is when you are afraid to do something, but you swallow that fear, and do it anyway. This is exactly what Gan did. 

Although he grew up aware of what happens, having been told since very young, Gan was still hesitant in helping T'Gatoi remove all the worms from Lomas' body. However, he repetitively overcame any fear he had throughout the whole experience, and proved to be stronger than he thought. 

At first, Gan does not want to even touch Lomas, but then proceeds to excuse his mother from the situation and do what needs to be done. He acknowledges the gruesomeness of the entire situation and even though he was afraid and repulsed the entire time, he did what we could to ensure that his siblings and mother would not have to suffer through watching any of it. 

Despite the fact that he was afraid of experiencing the same fate as he witnessed with Lomas, Gan insists to T'Gatoi to "do it to me", instead of allowing his sister or any siblings to go through such an experience. Gan consistently overcame his fears and acted in a selfless way, for the sake of his family. Even if not all of his family members would do the same for him. 

Chance, or not?

"Though Joshua saw no one- he once passed me right by..." 

(Blorts, 144)

This commentary about Joshua is important mainly because it gives the ending more meaning. Up until this point, we are lead to believe that the narrator and Joshua simply met by chance. 

When they first met, Joshua claimed that he and the narrator had seen each other at the beach- or rather that Joshua had seen the narrator, while he had stared at Joshua's "blorts". However, the commentary from above suggests that this could not be true, since "Joshua saw no one". This then brings into question whether Joshua really saw the narrator or not. 

However, this is essentially answered when Joshua admits at the end that they did not meet, but rather that Joshua purposefully "picked up" the narrator. But in that case, did Joshua really have nowhere else to go when he asked the narrator to move into his apartment, or was that also a purposeful move in order to get closer to the narrator? We might be the last to know. 

Truth be Told

"The idea that anyone could measure herself against me and find that self wanting was truly shocking."

(Zami: A New Spelling of My Name, page 219)

The idea that Audre Lorde feels this way towards the end of the book, after everything she's gone through, is what is shocking to me. 

After reading about her relationship with Muriel, it felt as if Lorde was finally getting into a comfortable place with herself and her life. She finally settled down, and although did not live in luxury, seemed to be living happily. The fact that Lorde has gone through so many hardships, has survived them, and is still able to be in a place where she could share her life with another person is amazing. It is noteworthy, and something to be proud of. 

The way Lorde had talked about her life with Muriel and her friends, about recognizing (even if only with Flee) that her race set her apart from everyone else, and choosing to carry on as if it really didn't matter, gave me the impression that Lorde is more confident as a person than in the past. As if, even if everyone else didn't want to recognize it, she was a strong enough person to face her reality- and alone at that. 

Having such an impression of Lorde up until this point of the book and then reading that line really set me aback and made me reevaluate my impressions of her.

Friends

"Gennie was the first person in my life that I was ever conscious of loving. 

She was my first true friend."

(Zami, page 87)

Just the fact that the last statement from Lorde, "She was my first true friend", is separated from her other statements, gives this quote a very significant meaning. 

It is amazing to me to think that for fifteen years, Lorde did not feel as if she had a single friend. Even her group of "friends" that she spent the majority of her time with before Gennie were apparently not truly her friends? It just doesn't make sense to me that a person can spend so much time with a person or group of people, and not consider them to be a friend, whether a distant one or not.

This idea, that for fifteen years of her life Lorde did not have a single friend, says a lot about how her bringing up and family relations affected her social skills. Not only this, but to later on, after only knowing her briefly, lose the one friend she had formed can do a lot of damage to her psyche. To lose anyone, especially someone and the only person you have a close bond with, is a hardship, and I believe truly cemented Lorde's feelings for Gennie further.

Fact or Fiction?

"Yes, I am. I am your Butterfly."- (M. Butterfly, page 40)

This confession from Song closes out the first act beautifully. It is a simple statement with monumental implications. From very early on in the act, it is evident that Song is facing an inner struggle, between acting and conforming like a Western woman- tough and nonchalant- and showing her true, scared, fragile self.

When Song is first introduced on page 17, she is portrayed to be bold, and states that "I will never do Butterfly again.."

Song, throughout the course of the act, slowly gives in a Gallimard. Her confession at the end shows the stark difference between when she was first introduced. Though she may not have wanted to say it, it is undeniable. By admitting that she is Butterfly, she is opening herself up to Gallimard, and no longer denying who she really is. Butterfly may be a fictional character in an opera, but for Song, it is not fiction; she is not acting as Butterfly, she is Butterfly.

Cry for help

“‘But I’m a man,’ I cried, ‘a man! What do you think can happen between us?’” Giovanni’s Room, page 142

This cry from David sums up everything that he believes and remained silent about. David does not believe that anything can “happen” between two men. Regardless of the fact that David has been living with Giovanni for months, sharing everything, he still refuses to believe that two men can have a life together. In fact, it is not that he refuses to believe it, so much as that he cannot fathom it as a possibility. 

In the pages surrounding this outcry and the fight between David and Giovanni, it is infinitesimally more evident that David can only see living a normal life as a man being with a woman. He makes himself believe that he truly loves Hella, and is turned off by the thought of Giovanni as anything of importance. He cringes away from the thought of Giovanni, and shuts down. He feels nothing because he is afraid to- afraid to acknowledge what is so blatantly obvious: that he loves Giovanni.