Literature Analysis #1

O1) The story is narrated by Neill Bassett and he talks about his love life, career,  and most importantly his family issues. He works for a computer start up program in Menlo Park. His boss created a software that is incorporated with the seven deadly sins and 5,000 pages of Dr. Bassett's journal entries. Dr. Bassett is Neill's dead father who committed suicide when Neill was a 19 year old in college. His father was a psychiatrist. The software that was created is kind of like an instant message chat. The journal entries is the brain of Dr. Bassett. The person you talk to (Dr. Bassett) believes that he is still alive and has only knowledge up until his death. Neill and Henry Livorno and Laham (his bosses) are competing in a competition with other  corporations who is also trying ton create the same software. The purpose of the competition is to create the software and sell it to a man named Telor. As Neill works he finds love goes through obstacles with that situation. Not to mention he's trying to create the software as well as finding out the story behind is father's death.

2) I believe that the story is mostly about Neill finding out the reason why his father committed suicide. In the story he flies all the way back home to talk to his mother and ends up coming across more journals his father wrote. Not to mention the fact that in the end Neill's life became much more positive when he had more of an idea on why his father did what did.

3) The authors tone would be a bit depressed and cynical.

-"I definitely wouldn't say I feel good. I feel on edge. I feel like I've spent the day lying-to whom, I'm not sure." -PG 143

-"Does anyone, anywhere, perform daily tasks of value? Even doctors treat boredom and loneliness as much as any real physical complaint. What do the rest of us do? Make useless shit to see to each other so we can more useless shit. I buy a venti latte so the Starbucks employee can buy Billy Blank's Boot Camp workout so Billy Blank can buy a new Volt so a GM exec- my brother, for instance can rent a Yo Gabba Gabba bounce house for the kid's party. And so on. Where along this line is anything necessary, anything of true human benefit, accomplished? "
PG 17

-"The next morning, I wake up, blister-eyed and dry mouthed. After my phone call with Rachael I split a bottle of wine with myself. Now I've got Saturday to deal with. I could see if anyone is looking for a tennis partner, or I could go see a movie, but I know what I want."

imagery: " In the afternoon, I take a long run, through downtown and over the bike bridge into Palo Alto. It's hot and dry I'm jogging by the mall. 

foil: There is in textual evidence of when Rachel and Neill met but Rachael was created to lay emphasis on Neill and his father's relationship.

juxtaposition: "The girls are lightly dressed, as if we're hitting the clubs in Miami: short skirts with Ugg boots, tube stops skintight and grimacing. They shiver. The blonde Rachael- the more handsome but less cute of the two- reddens and speckles from the gusting cold."

- ".. Lexie says, rubbing her arms. She's round and powdered and young, but she has the deep, raspy vice of an emphysema patient.

mood: "Does anyone, anywhere, perform daily tasks of value? Even doctors treat boredom and loneliness as much as any real physical complaint. What do the rest of us do? Make useless shit to see to each other so we can more useless shit. I buy a venti latte so the Starbucks employee can buy Billy Blank's Boot Camp workout so Billy Blank can buy a new Volt so a GM exec- my brother, for instance can rent a Yo Gabba Gabba bounce house for the kid's party. And so on. Where along this line is anything necessary, anything of true human benefit, accomplished? "

setting:  San Francsisco/ Silicon Valley/Bay Area
-"I delete these notes, grab a shower, and am out the door at eight. a fifty minute commute door to door, San Francsico and south to Menlo Park."  PG 3

satire: "When it comes to breakfast, social life, to love, you must privilage the simple above the complicated. There's nothing cruel about this. The bachelors I've met- temporary friends-have been nice guys. I've never been ablt to stomach men who refer to women as bitches, teasers- though these men do exist, in San Francisco."

- Flashback is used throughout the novel when Neill refers back to his childhood or college life to explain the story that is ocurring.

-Tragedy is shown in the novel because it's mostly on Neill and his father's death.

-Symbolism- The relationship that Neill is creating with Rachael is what Neill wishes he had more of with his father. Not that he was in love with his father but the growth of their relationship symbolizes what Neill will never have with his father.

-Irony is used when Dr. Bassett figures out he his talking to his son. (because Dr. Bassett is actually dead)