Hairstyles of the Damned by Joe Meno - Essay Example

HAIRSTYLES OF THE DAMNED BY JOE MENO Hairstyle of the Dammed by Joe Meno is an affectionate and honest depiction of wanting to belong, but never quite belonging. Hairstyle of the Dammed is an honest description of a growing up punk on the South of Chicago: a study of Catholic school conformism, a study in the demons of racial intolerance and class repression. The author’s perfect prose enlightens the turbulent realities of American adolescence, the disintegration of the modern family, and the way a mix-tape can lead a transformation of an individual’s life. The book focuses on Brian, a catholic school malcontent, and his best friend Gretchen. Following the riotous exploits of Brain and Gretchen, Joe’s work of fiction on this book courageously pursues the truth in discovering what it means to develop each person’s own identity. Both are trying as much as they could to find their way through the numerous complex threats that characterize the high school experience for many kids. On this book, Joe Meno does make some interesting argument. He conveys his knowledge and love of punk-rock music. This is vital for any individual writing within the indie rock novel type which is widely revealed in the book. And between this and the narrator, Brian Oswald, a total freak who is a school dropout who cusses the way too much and litters every 3rd sentence with ‘I guess’ or ‘maybe’, you will discover the true nature of a misguided American adolescent. A misguided American adolescent is characterized with music, getting high, avoiding depressed parents and trying to get laid, who at age fifty find themselves just as desperately misguided about life as these adolescent? As quoted by Joe Meno. He explores Brian’s emotional ambiguity and his heartrending youthful search for meaning, both in his on-again and music, off-again situation with Gretchen; his gabby, genuine and completely realistic take on adolescence strikes a winning chord. In the book, the issue of teenage violence is dealt with- brain’s occasional bouts of anger and destruction seem very real as compared to Gretchen’s fights which are characterized by certain slapstick quality (Meno, 46). Brain’s character in the book is revealed as sympathetic narrator and a prime example of awkward adolescence, even if he does not have much of a plot built around him. This paper tries to analyze the concept of the book and try to explain how an educator can utilize the book in trying to help a needy (in terms of character) adolescent student. The book captures the meaning of adolescence and that all goes along with conceptions such as finding the identity, awkwardness, puberty, first crushes and the constant power struggle that ever exist between teens and parents. Music is a common theme throughout the novel that ties Brian’s identity all together. Brain’s choice for music is changed throughout the story. He starts by liking punk music, then proceeds to Rod’s Baker Albums and finally fall in love with Mike’s Pink Floyd tapes. Brian’s identity changes depending on the type of music he is listening to. His main worry if about fitting as opposed to having his own voice and accepting who he is. However, Brian grow and develop as the novel progress, his identity develop as well as his perception about life. By the end of the novel, he realizes that there is nothing good than being yourself. There are numerous lessons learned in high school that exceed the common knowledge about grammar, memorizing constitutional amendments, and how to standout within one’s clique. Meno reminds us of this honest brutal fact. The novel is fun, memorable, witty and at times delicately philosophical. It appeals to the younger crowd and especially high school teenagers. The book is a hodgepodge of so many different elements; it’s truly a hives and peripatetic as the mind of a teenager. Brian’s character in the book is a representation of a complacent aimlessness teenager (Meno, 89). The drastic change in Brain’s character can inspire the current ‘digital’ generation to which the novel is aimed to take some time and question their individual perceptions bout individuality and their place in the world. Joe Meno’s novel illuminates the tumultuous realities of how a girl’s or boy’s influence, the disintegration of the modern family, and the way a mix-tape can change a person’s life. The book pursues the truth in discovering what it means to develop your own identity. The book shows us that sometimes teenagers do what they are doing not because they like but because of influence they get from the surrounding environment (Simon, 56). Many adolescents undergo a lot of social and political problems, and to make matters worse they transverse through various huddles in trying to solve them. When the narrator mention of the problems he is faced with, it is evident that individuals’ problems are usually associated with members of the society with specific identities. However, the narrator was able to the female friend (Gretchen) due to the outstanding character of Gretchen. An individual may have a physical disadvantage but his/her character may make him/her be appreciated in the society. For example as quoted by the narrator: “The other problem I had was that I was falling in love with my best friend, Gretchen, who I thought the rest of the world considered fat” (Meno 3). Despite the fact that Gretchen may have been fact and other people may have disintegrate themselves from her, Brian become her friend and admired the way she presented herself and did her things. All the characters in the book are young people and even the adults in the book are depicted as immature and represent some adolescent characters. The male characters in the book are favored to some extent while on the other hand the girls have some privileges extracted from them. This is a clear revelation that there is a lot of biasness as far gender is concerned. However, a clear thematic preamble is not provided in the play. Female characters are over and over again considered a weaker set of characters and there are looked down upon by their male counterparts. However, in the book, we find Gretchen, a heavyset, punk-music fan, who is courageous in whatever she is doing and does not care what other male characters think or do about her. She does her things in the best way that suits her. Both the male and the female characters in the book have diverse vital roles. The most important factor that reveals itself from the book is that none of the genders can operate on their own in isolation (Lunch, 123). That is the basic rule of the modern society we live in. in as much as male characters are favored in the book, their female counterparts are also given adequate time in narration. Brain had the perception that men are more courageous than females. He argues an ideal man is characterized by the masculine features he poses which are directly linked to the amount of courage and strength he has. However, the novel reveals otherwise. We realize from the book that female characters take up position to perform acts that are considered men’s. This is evident when Gretchen plays a vital role in shaping Brian’s life and she does this with courage and zeal. Different activities found in the novel are often shaped by the female characters that also play a vital role in determining characters and identities (Hicks, 12). Brian thought that only female characters had the powers to shape different types of identities in the society. But the novel reveals that women too can be important players in the life of many and that women can play some roles that even men cannot play. As much as a person may struggle in life to acquire an identity, it may not be possible for that person to realize the whole change in identity. Brain concludes by saying that a person should just be him/herself and that an individual should not try to adapt to identities which are not his/hers. Every individual is unique in his/her own way and people should appreciate this interesting fact and thereby work towards achieving their full identity and not trying to change it. Works Cited Hicks, Chris . “S.L.-filmed ‘Punk!’ Becomes a Cult Classic | Deseret News.” Salt Lake City and Utah Breaking news, sports, entertainment and news headlines – Deseret News. Web. 29 June 2012. Lunch, Lydia. Paradoxia: A Predator's Diary. New York: Akashic Books, 2007. Internet resource.  Meno, Joe. Hairstyles of the Damned. Chicago: Punk Planet, 2004. Print. Simon, Scott. “‘Hairstyles of the Damned’ Puts Punk on the Page : NPR.” NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts. Web. 29 June 2012. SLC PUNK. Dir. James Merendino. Perf. Matthew Lillard, Michael A. Goorjian and Annabeth Gish. Sony Classics, 1998. Film. Read More