What is so fascinating about circus life?
- Cristina Chifane
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What is so fascinating about circus life?
Duke's plunge into circus life reminded me of the Russian literary critic Mikhail Bakhtin who saw the carnival and carnivalesque as a celebration of freedom, a means of escaping social norms and conventions. At the circus, we are all ready to embrace the carnival atmosphere and forget restrictions.
1. What do you think of the mirage of circus life in general?
2. Are you still going to the circus? What do you love/hate most about the circus?
3. How is circus life described in the book?
4. Is Duke satisfied with his new life as a sword swallower?
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Once I have finished the book I will be able to answer your other questions.
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I believe I'm fascinated by the circus, not to mention street performers, just because I'm so fascinated with the performers' talents. It's not everyday that you can just walk into a place and see someone "taming" a lion or swallowing swords or walking on a high-wire. Not even here in Chicago, *lmao!*
And even though I haven't gone to a circus in quite some time, I'd go in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity. You can already tell that I'm still a child at heart, so I love all things that allow me to revel in my inner youth.
- AmySmiles
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I do not currently visit any circus that comes through my state. I love how mystical the circus can seem and I hate how the workers treat the circus animals.
Duke's circus life is full of drugs and behavior that somewhat mirrors thrill seeking. A lot of people that join in on the dangerous acts are adrenaline junkies or in it for the fame because of a trade/talent they have mastered.
I felt like in some ways, that life was satisfying to him but it also helped fuel other issues he was having. Being around a lot of users and alcoholics makes that type of thing a very regular part of anyone's routine even if they don't initially partake.
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1. The mirage of circus life makes it seem far beyond what I could ever do and it sounds like a lot of hard work.cristinaro wrote: ↑01 May 2018, 03:04 One of the protagonists in Gary Robison's book is Duke Reynolds, a man who runs away from a dysfunctional family environment to join the traveling circus. He soon becomes the Sword Swallower and entertains people not only inside the circus tent, but also on every city street corner.
Duke's plunge into circus life reminded me of the Russian literary critic Mikhail Bakhtin who saw the carnival and carnivalesque as a celebration of freedom, a means of escaping social norms and conventions. At the circus, we are all ready to embrace the carnival atmosphere and forget restrictions.
1. What do you think of the mirage of circus life in general?
2. Are you still going to the circus? What do you love/hate most about the circus?
3. How is circus life described in the book?
4. Is Duke satisfied with his new life as a sword swallower?
2. I have never been to a circus. What I love most is the comradery and trust, but I hate the implications that people would abuse the animals that they work with
3. Circus life is described as a big family that works hard and does a lot of travel.
4. It appears that Duke is satisfied with being a sword swallower, especially since he's a big adrenaline junkie that was always finding ways to entice his audience.
“We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”
—J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Sketches_by_Shell
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Just like watching a horror movie is intriguing to me; it is like "delving into a counterculture." I like that description. I enjoy reading books that speak of other cultures, but I don't think I would enjoy this one. The circus is a culture in which I would prefer not to spend my time reading.CatInTheHat wrote: ↑01 May 2018, 19:36 The mirage of circus life is like delving into a counterculture that is so different than the norm that it fascinates me. Watching the way the different groups (clowns, sideshow acts, etc) interacted with each other intrigues me. I've read other books about circus life but none that went into depth about the drug culture.
- Ginnamassa19
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There's also the whole concept of circus performers having gone to places and seen things and having done stuff that most of us couldn't even begin to dream of which makes it exciting—and the idea that it's a bunch of otherwise-misfits coming together to form this whole new entity society can't get enough of. (And who doesn't like an underdog story?)
It's interesting that you should call it a "mirage", though. Made me think of the fact that the circus probably has a lot of unflattering behind-the-scenes moments, like cleaning up elephant poop or washing their dirty costumes. XD
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