Reading Response: Ghosts

           The book Ghost by Paul Auster is a story about Blue, a detective who was hired by a man named White to spy on a man named Black. The story is told through the third person narrative. The setting is in New York City mostly in Brooklyn. Even though the author writes in the simplest English possible, this book is not easy to read. The readers can actually feel the mysterious atmosphere throughout the story. One thing that is unique about this book is the characters' names and how the author uses the technique of foreshadowing to develop the story. The author gives hints on what will happen by foreshadowing throughout the story. In the first sentence, the narrator already demonstrates the order in which the characters will emerge in story, “First of all there is Blue. Later there is White, and then Black, and before the beginning there is Brown” (7). What is more unique about this book is that all the characters are named after colors such as blue, white, black, gray, green, red, gold, and violet. Another example of Auster foreshadowing is when he states: “Little does Blue know…that the case will go for years. But the present is no less dark than the past, and its mystery is equal to anything the future might hold…For knowledge comes slowly, and when it comes, it is often at great personal expense”(9). This statement gives the reader clues about Blue’s case and its continuation for many years to come. Also, it causes Blue lose a great expense of his life due to his loss of identity.

          At first, I thought the title 'Ghosts' was named because of Blue’s job as a detective. To continue his case, Blue has to become like a shadow, during his undercover time, to follow another person in order to keep watching that person without notices. The word shadow usually associated with the word ‘ghost’. In horror films and books, most people will assumed that it will appear as a black shadow, spirit, or ghost. Also, in all ghost stories, ghosts will follow people and watch them secretly. However, as I continued to read the story, I notice that there is a more significant meaning for the title. The text states: “Writing is a solitary business. It takes over your life. In some sense, a writer has no life of his own. Even when he’s there, he’s not really there” (66). Writing is something that the author has to do alone in order to do it right. In almost all literature and movies, characters that have writing as an occupation will isolate themselves and always be alone while writing their works. I think writers are thinkers. Most of them will always think about their works all the time as if they don’t have an outside life. Being a writer can be considered difficult because most writers have to live in another person's mind while writing, like a parasite or a shadow. They put themselves in the shoes of fictional characters for better emotions and actions. This reminded me of Gloria Anzaldua, the author of Borderlands/ La Frontera, because she also puts herself in the position of her character no matter if the character is human or animal.