Ask the Dust by John Fante - 13686 Words

BookRags Literature Study Guide Ask the Dust by John Fante For the online version of BookRags Ask the Dust Literature Study Guide, including complete copyright information, please visit: http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-ask-the-dust/ Copyright Information  ©2000-2012 BookRags, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gales For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and†¦show more content†¦Their mutual love and hatred for one another, and for themselves, provides an intensely dark comedy that exposes their inner conflicts, their racial bigotry and their low self-esteem, as they struggle to survive in a contrived culture to which neither will ever really belong. John Fantes description of Los Angeles during the depression--of gaunt faces and lost humanity--is haunting and riveting, as told through the eyes of a young man who is not altogether stable. The smog, traffic, dust, grime and shallow lifestyles of southern California were already present in 1939, making this story relevant still today. The earthquake scene in the story is just as realistic as it might be today, complete with military intervention and the emergence of human kindness in the face of disaster. Camilla, Arturo, Sammy, Vera and Hellfrick are all non-entities in the bustle of L.A. culture, but all are profoundly human in their suffering, confusion, and vices. All are battling a poor sense of self-worth and struggling to survive in an indifferent world. Arturo Bandini takes us through this story in intimate first-person, exposing us to his mood swings, his astute observations and his growth as an author and a man. In the Alta Loma Hotel in the Bunker Hill district of Los Angeles, writer Arturo Bandinis hotel room window opens onto the ground level, a smog and sand-choked base of a palm tree as his view. Arturos train of thoughtShow MoreRelatedEssay about Down The Rabbit Hole1657 Words   |  7 Pagessize, stature, money, responsibilities, social status, etc. It is an internal function that although illusive, has been described through out time as compassion, self awareness, connectivity, emotional maturity, or inner strength. In John Fante’s novel Ask The Dust the main character Arturo Bandini takes us down the rabbit hole of transformation through his explorations and internal conflicts that while sometimes ignorant, self absorbed, and immature metamorphosis him from boy to man. This is an