Sunday, November 05, 2006

As Simple as Snow by Gregory Galloway

The story of Anna Cayne, as told by our unnamed narrator, so thoroughly touches on all of our Othello themes. Is it simply Anna's gender that gives her so much power over everyone in the town? Or as an outsider is she so in tune with people's illusions and realities it makes it easy for her to manipulate everyone around her? Did Anna use jealousy and suspicion to manipulate the narrator? Who is more flawed--Anna or the narrator?

Once you get into the book, you may want to check out the As Simple as Snow website to more fully understand Anna by learning more about the authors and musicians that intrigued her.

54 comments:

Anonymous said...

" I'ts almost more fun not knowing. if you knew what it alll meant, then it might not be as interisting or commpelling. thats probably half the fun, not knowing. sometimes there's more fun in teh mystery of things than anything else." -as simple as snow(75)

Anonymous said...

i like the fact that how they met was kind of a "opposits attract" kind of thing, but then again they are both the same because they're both outsider in a way

Anonymous said...

It's possible (In regards to the question posed by ms. lopez) that the author wanted to employ what I refer to as the "vortex effect" in which the reader is drawn deeper and deeper into the plot, without being able to let go of the book. Other novels like Prey accomplished this rather well. Such an effect is most easily duplicated if the author writes in the first person perspective, but furthermore, giving your character a name takes away your subconscious empathy with the character. It's implies that he is someone your not, something we understand intellectually, but can be fooled by intuitively. Hence, we are more immersed in the plot. I for one, became somewhat emotional after reading the story, an effect that few novels have accomplished.
Furthermore, it lets you think up creative names for your main character. I for one refer to the narrator as "Mordecai Goth."

Anonymous said...

I like how Anna messes with the narrator's mind. She has a personality that is uncommon and the narrator seems confused at times with her.

Anonymous said...

supporting the gost theory could anna have been mr. devons girlfriend that dies in the fire and then just reappeared somehow and she completely hates him for not saving her.

Anonymous said...

I like the way Anna always messes with his head and she is always making a puzzle for him to solve. I like the way that she makes him have to think about all of the stuff that she sends to him are all pieces to the puzzle and he has to put them all together to figure out what she is tring to tell him.

Anonymous said...

i hate that anna sends him meaning less stuff if i were the narrator i wouldnt even bother with her.. instead of just telling it like it is she has to go through all the trouble into getting aroung to what shes trying to say.. but thats just my opinion. it irates me though..

Anonymous said...

thats mine on top

Anonymous said...

i think anna is trying to fake her death

Anonymous said...

Anna must be alive if she is sending him text messages and sending him maps and obituaries in the mail. I also think that the fact that Anna is in to Houdini that she will play his games to mess with the narrators mind.

Anonymous said...

The picture that has Anna's face in it i think is fake. She is still alive and giving the narrator clues of where she is.

Anonymous said...

to dougs6cerra ...
in the book, when Anna'S boyfriend tries to find where the message he gets about anna and the code, he finds out that the messages are send by a girl who anna orders her to do it before she "death"
so i dont think the message can support anna is alive

Anonymous said...

what if anna is alive? then what?..

Anonymous said...

"it would look a black snow angel, with the neck stopping just at the edge of the jagged hole in the ice, exposing the churning water below."(170)
what does the imagery mean??

Anonymous said...

what's the code "as simple as snow" mean, what does anna wants to show

Anonymous said...

I think as simple as snow means that it looks simple but if you really look at it, everything is complicted.

Anonymous said...

How would you feel if you were the narrator and you were with your girlfriend one day and than she was gone the next?..what kinds of thoughts would be going on in your head?

Anonymous said...

i will think she is not love me, if she love me, she won't leave without any words. but in the book, i beleive anna loves the narrator.

Anonymous said...

it would be a aweful feeling if someone u loved just left you, out of no where. but i think the narrator and anna's love for each other is strong, so there is nothing to worry about.

Anonymous said...

I think "as simple as snow" means it's plain and simple on the outside, but if you really look at it, it's cold and there's more to it than what appears inside.

Anonymous said...

why does the narrator hate his parents?

Anonymous said...

simple as snow. its a statement that isnt simple at all. theres nothing simple about snow which in turn makes this ironic but the look of snow is pure and white and white is considered to be simple. the thing about snow is that its so different in structure from flake to flake that white is only the way to see it as simple. knowlege makes things complicated.

Anonymous said...

Why do you think Anna truly wrote obituaries for?

Anonymous said...

i think she writes obituaries because, that coule be how she expresses her feelings.

Anonymous said...

I think that it is interesting that right after she finished her last obituary that she had written all of a sudden she had disappeared and i thought that this was strange.

Anonymous said...

i agree, and i remember that she never liked mr.devon and when her drees was found and thought as a arrow it was pointing to alaska, where mr.devon was heading.

Anonymous said...

i think that she wants to make her death as simple as snow.

Anonymous said...

how do u think anna would feel if the narrator left her all of a sudden?

Anonymous said...

I think Anna would be hurt if the narrator left becuase they have bond between each other.

Anonymous said...

How do you think the criticism from the people around him is affecting the narrator with his search in finding Anna?

Anonymous said...

i tink it makes the narrator wants to give up.

Anonymous said...

does the narrator think that he has done as well as he can to find annd? do u think he has tried his best to fins anna??

Anonymous said...

I think the narrator has a struggle with hearing criticism from the people around him, but he probably tries even harder to find his Anna.

Anonymous said...

What types of themes are seen continuously in As Simple As Snow?

Anonymous said...

If Anna ended up not being alive. Could the narrator move on in his love life?

Anonymous said...

i think that the narrator doens't give up to find anna is seen continuously in As Simple As Snow

Anonymous said...

i think the narrator can together with others, however, the only lover of him still anna

Anonymous said...

i agree with catherine. the narrator could move on but anna will still be in his heart forever.

Anonymous said...

In your opinion what do u think happened to Anna??

Anonymous said...

i think she died, but she make a plan for her died

Anonymous said...

I think Anna wrote an obituary for her self and made it come true.

Anonymous said...

How difficult is it gunna be for the narrator to forget about anna and move on?

Anonymous said...

i agree with marlene. i think she did write a obituary about herself, and she died.

Anonymous said...

do u think that the narrator can find out why anna leave him?

Anonymous said...

I think the Narrator will find out what happened to Anna eventually. He just has to have faith and try to search and look for clues.

Anonymous said...

i think the narrator could be able to find anna, because he loves her like heck. i guess nothing is gonna stop him from finding his love.

Anonymous said...

how does the narrator will face anna after he find her??
will he be angery to her for her leaving?

CapEnglish3-4 said...

Go back and reread the narrator's obituary. Didn't it say that he moves to live with his brother? After ten years there, doesn't it say he then meets Anna again and they marry and have children?

Anonymous said...

i like that it doesnt tell us what happened to anna, i think it makes the book seem more realistic. i mean thats what happens in real life, sometimes people disappear & you never know what happened to them.

Anonymous said...

How would you feel if someone wrote and obituary about you before you were dead?

Anonymous said...

i think it is ok... everyone will die in the future or sooner or later....

Anonymous said...

I think that the narrarator in the end is trying to make it look like he doesnt want to think about her anymore but then he wants to in his own head and doesnt want to show it. He wants to make it look like he doesnt want to think about her any more.

Anonymous said...

i really don't like the ending. i really wanted to know want happen to anna. i also was wondering if that guy from the channel was really phycic?

Anonymous said...

i think the code simple as snow means that nothing is as simple as snow that everything is complicated so snow isnt as easy as people may think it is.