14. The last Post

After quite an awful day, I write NOW my last post for ENG 102.

At first, I thought that English lessons brought me no benefit. However, in this winter, I changed my mind.

I won so much!

I see someone who is always there to help me, who shows me goodwill. In my first year of the university, she is among the few ones who really has goodwill. After I got to know her, I didn't understand why some rumors about her go around at school by students. However, who cares..

I sometimes thought that I do not deserve what I exactly got.. Her effort and willigness for me are far higher than mine.

The person mentioned here is Sonja. I thank her a lot. I hope I will always be the Can she trusts, although I make mistakes sometimes.. But I know she would accept them. She would discard them.. At least, I would, if I could know what thoughts are present in my head.

I am no spoiled child. I realize a lot of things.. And therefore, I thank her again.

Sometimes I deserve less and I feel a shame in myself if I wanna have more..

Besides, there is one more point worth mentioning: I got really good friends, about whom I am sure that they will be still my friends for the future, for many years. I will always remember my Freshman year with so many good memories..

Everything begins, "everything flows" (as Heraklit says).

Nothing is an end as long as we breath.

And now, we have lots of things in front of us.. Go for it!

13. About identity

retrieved from http://wackywebwritings.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/identity-fraud1.jpg

Recently there has been something argued between my twin (for those who don't know I have a twin, I let you know now) and one of our friends.

The reason was a simple. My twin wants to wear earring, so for that he must have his ear pierced. He declared his intention and our friend reacted in a weird way. According to him, such actions are imitations of other people.

My sister and I agreed with each other at one point:
Apart from being an imitation of others, how can someone find their identity? How can they find who they are?

Everybody tries something in life. Some trials are good, some are bad:D Some choices are really huge mistakes (I remember some :D:D) and some lead to really different, great occasions.

So, why should someone try to limit themselves? Why this limit in everywhere in lives?

If I want something, then that just means that I want it. It is so simple, please, people should often think simply. No deeper meanings are found sometimes. The reason or the answer can be just on the surface, not at the bottom..

And this imitation issue? I do not get angry with my friend here. He just reacts in an expected way. I am sure that most of us would react in the similar way. However, I am furious about the fact such a concept "imitation" exists in this shape.
Imiation would be really seen, if someone imitated something or somebody without their own mind, without their own thinking. Nevertheless, apart from that, trying something is not an imitation.

And why this limit, this striving for categorizing, why elephant in the room?

As if nobody wants something, as if everyone are right to judge something in a classical and typical way.

You know, I have once found a very great sentence in a dictionary (Elif knows it surely:D). Here it is:

Everyone sins at some time, in thought if not in deed.

12. A Rose for Emily

retrieved from http://articles.annamariaislandlife.com/assets/images/onpage/Rose_Memorial_Community_Church.jpg *


The pub quiz is soon. And we should recall the texts we read. I took a brief look at them, there are some which I haven't blogged on. I have chosen the story "a Rose for Emily" for now.

A Rose for Emily - what a dark story, isn't it? Thoroughly dark..

OK, I have read that the place where Emily lives, Jefferson, is made up by William Faulkner. That is, Jefferson is his phantasy town. However, we can understand from the story that it might be in the south of the US.

Emily seems to be the main character in the story, nevertheless, the community also plays a big role! It is also a main character, so to say. We learn about Emily's life and attitude much, simultaneously about the community as well throughout the story. And besides, the community that gossips and delivers various rumors within itself exists everywhere on Earth, it doesn't matter the country or the state, I guess. :D

I am not sure whether Emily is black or not. I think she is not black. I derive it from the fact that her family is kind of rich in this country and as we know black families especially at that time couldn't own much property.
And if she isn't black, then I would expect from the commuunity to be more brutal on their attitude towards Emily. Because the fact a white woman has some close relationship with a black guy would be really more unacceptable yet than today. However, maybe Emily alienates herself from the community so the community in turn decides automatically on not interfering with her life so much, who knows?

There is also one point that should be noticed immediately and absolutely by us:D
The situation of blacks in the society. The men who were supposed to pave the sidewalks and Emily's servant are black.

And..

Faulkner uses the word "the Negro" when referring to the black servant. I hesitate whether he shows racism here but I think that a writer like he wouldn't be racist. Then why to use "the Negro"?

*About the picture: While reading the story, I imagine a typical American town on my mind and it reminds me of a typical church which is common in the USA that exists beyond Holywood movies.

11. Summer

retrieved from http://khwaja.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/summer_sunflowers.jpg


This part is the shortest part. It is of thoroughly sadness.

There is one point which I wanted to point out in my presentation, however, it was also among the parts I had cut.

It was about the change in people. You know, if we ask why adolesence is "blue", we can answer it by saying: "Because much of problems seem to exist and the adolescent couldn't handle with all of them, so they fall into blueness." It is also new and first, which we realise in adolesence, that we can or should change something in our lives, in the word.

We can find what I mean here:

The part where Frieda and Claudia decide to bury the money they collected. They come to know that Pecola is pregnant and realise that they should do something for her.

The words of Toni Morrison exactly support my thesis:

"Our limitations were not known to us - not then. ... So it was with confidence, strengthened by pity and pride, that we decided to change the course of events and alter a human life" (p.191).

And their sacrifice carries a big value. That action reminded me of what a friendship should be like.

Another point I'd like to mention in the Sommer section is the inner-conversation of Pecola.

" How come you don't talk to anybody?
I talk to you.
Besides me.
I don't like anybody besides you. "

Yes. As Pecola talks to herself, what she and the opposite speaker say are thoughts of Pecola. We know it already that Pecola is expeled from human relationship by lots of people. In this conversation, we can see that she is also aware of this fact.

More precisely, she is aware of the fact that she doesn't talk to anybody, she is discriminated. She also fools herself by saying that she doesn't like anybody besides her inner voice.

This is very brutal. Someone wants something, but they can't do anything. They cannot get rid of what stops them. They cannot reach what they need. They cannot do anything against what causes melancholie to them. They cannot because they have no power. It is out of their might, there is no solution. And finally, they come to accept the situation. The situation which gives them the greatest sadness.

This would be less touching, I think:
I am discriminated. I know it. But it is just because I am discriminated. I don't know, it is so. It has been so, and it is still so.

But,
I am discriminated. I know it. But it is because I am black and ugly. It is because of my inherit characteristics. I accept it. I have nothing to stop it. Although I am aware of everything, I must accept that. No good think is given to me, I suffer. I know it, I cannot do anything. I fool myself. I know everything, I am oppressed, I give up.

I hope I could express what I mean.

10. Spring

retrieved from http://decideforyourself.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/spring2.jpg


Good afternoon the followers of my blog:P As you can see as well, there has been an interruption in my blog. I postponed publishing a post, then the exams began and I had almost no time to write a proper blog. However, it is my fault. I should have managed my time:(

Anyway, blogging continues..

In this post I'd like to talk about the spring section of The Bluest Eye. It is the longest part of the novel. It includes lots of parts.

After I read the whole book, I realised something in the Spring section. Remember the part of the Spring section where Frieda and Claudia search Pecola to get some whiskey. When they find her, Pecola gets to know that they asked Miss Marie where Pecola was. They ask her again whether Pecola is scared of Miss Marie. Pecola says no. Then, she tells them that she is given some present by the whores; and adds that she got "jewelry and candy and money" and "pretty dresses, and shoes". The sisters react that that couldn't be true and that she doesn't have any pretty dresses (p.107). Pecola says that she does.

After reading the novel and take a brief look at its pages, I realised something: Pecola is obsessive about having what she doesn't have, which leads her to insanity. In the end, she goes mad. She thinks that she does have blue eyes.
In this part of the book (Spring section), I can also state that she think she has something, i.e. some pretty and pretentious stuff, given by three whores. Maybe her madness doesn't turn up in the end of the book and immediately, but has been present, in an intensive way or not, within her daily life. Yearning for anything so desperately and strongly affects her life entirely and, which is seen here obviously.

Its effects appear somewhere and somehow throughout her life.

9. Winter

retrieved from http://www.desktopexchange.com/gallery/albums/Nature-Wallpapers/winter_pictures3.jpg


Yes, it was winter in the novel and wehave discussed this section.

The key characters in this section are Maureen Peal and Geraldine&her psyco son Junior.

Maureen Peal is really annoying. At the beginnig, because Claudia and Frieda stay away from her and avoid any contact with her, I didn't like her either. However, after the conversation with Claudia, I feel sympathy to her. She would be nice and neat, I thought. After the dispute among the girls I turned back to continue to dislike her again. So, my like/time plot seems to be like a sinus curve..

And yesterday, I googled what a "Meringue Pie" is, and I realised that it was really a dessert! (as if I wouldn't have guessed. But I really didn't guess that it could be A special dessert) Here goes a picture. Remember, C&P resembles Maureen to this dessert.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meringue

And the sexual awakening part was interesting. I didn't notice it. My presentation includes the theme "adolesence and coming of age" though..

The Geraldine and her nerd son Junior part is annoying. I just can call Junior stupid! Almost everyone of us thought at first that he was going to show her a cute little pussy, but he did everything except showing it. He is absolutely a psyco. He wants to hurt other people.

Geraldine is a stubborn and posh person. Through her, we face another ugly side of discrimination. And this time, it comes from a black person. I always thought that discrimination against black people were by white's; nevertheless, now, it is also in my mind that such lighter blacks commit it, too.

The last thing to say: I really begin to think that blacks kill English language :)
"Them people be home soon." p.78
"You was gonna tel?" p.79

But this is probably because of their accent..

8. Autumn

retrieved from http://vie-peopleplusplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/autumn_tree.jpg

We have began reading The Bluest Eye and already read the first chapter, namely, Autumn. To start with a book is hard. The beginnings of the books are always difficult to read because there has to pass some time to adapt to the book properly. So, we have read the first chapter. We have had a general image of the book.

I like mostly the ironies in a book and Morrison also uses ironies in her book. En example for example: Frieda and Pecola start having a conversation about Shirley Temple, who was a child actress at that time. Claudia doesn't like her so she doesn't say something to join. Later, however, she feels like she has to say something to others and she says "I like Jane Withers." , who was also a child actress.
You know, they suffer having these beauty subject in their lives and from this part of the story we can conclude that media at that time (and also today and also for the future) affects their beauty understanding and image of beauty in their minds. Consequently, they feel inferior. That is unfair. Do they have to be the way society wants?

Except from these, I also want to express my first impression to the book. I think it is a little melancholic. It began with sadness. Frictions and alienation within the families, lonely kids, troubled people. In some parts, we can feel the being-blue of the characters.

Well, we'll see what comes next:)

By the way, we also learned how to use wiki. I find this WIKI a great idea! If this web site was used properly and effectively, it woud absolutely be very beneficial. However, everything depends on our work here again..

7. How Hollywood Vilifies a People

Retrieved from http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/jc50.2008/reelBadArabs/JCArabPix/17-Ali_BabaMad_Dog.jpg

For my research paper, I do some research on Muslim stereotyping in the US media. There is a documentary, which is called "Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People". This documentary is very impressive and it helped me much with my research paper.

As we all know, Hollywood has a great effect on the media all around the world. Only its produced movies are watched by a vast of people on Earth. Its effect on the media is undeniable.

There is much information about this kind of stereotyping in the documentary.

First of all, our Muslim stereotypes are familiar to us. Arabs(or let's say: Muslims, the east peoples)=a desert, a primitive people, brutal-extreme,violent actions. Nevertheless, as we all discussed it, every stereotype denies the truth, the real side.

I want to mention one point: Hollywood. Almost in every Hollywood production, we can see stereotypes and prejudices against Muslims.

In the documentary, a shocking statement is given to the viewers: "Washington and Hollywood spring from the same DNA". Who has said it? Jack Valenti, former President and CEO of the Motion Picture Assn. of America (an important person for the Hollywood world) So, here we clearly see that Hollywood works with some political intentions and aims.

I have once met a Turkish director. He also said to me that the movies awarded with Oscar prizes are awarded due to their political context (not always but often). I resisted: What about the movie "Slumdog Millionaire? It got a prize and it indeed shows the Indian people in a positive way."
He answered: "No, the main idea of the film was that: 'India, you don't need to make much effort for your lives. You all could have lives like Jamal's, you all could win something in life suddenly. It is not necessary to think about the bad conditions/circumstances under which you live. Luck might absolutely turn up for you'. It wants people to think that they shouldn't think over what to do to have better standards of living in their country. They might have a sudden luck which could change their lives entirely."

Ah, Hollywood.. You have a great effect.. You have the power to show something the way you want to show it.

By the way, what does Sonja think about Hollywood? All in all, she is more familiar with American culture and Hollywood than we are.

A Piece of Trivia

bctrivia by Raea, retrieved from Flickr


We have read the story "Hanife" by Sevgi Soysal. In the first sentence of this story includes "the poplar tree".

For the TLL, we should read Yenişehir'de Bir Öğle Vakti by Sevgi Soysal. Guess what? What is the first sentence of this novel?

"Sanki büyük bir gürültüyle devrilecekmişçesine sallandı kavak."

That is, "the poplar tree swung ... ".

Again the poplar tree, it catched my eye :)

6. Hanife

noreasterly wind blows, retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/16921893@N00/101511464/*

*these are poplar trees.

This honour killing issue is widespread in Turkey. Especially in the east. But is is part of tradition, you know.. We cannot change it.

Punish someone.. OK! But kill someone because of their one fault?! That is a problem.
On the one hand we say that our parents love us so much, they would sacrifice very much for us, on the other hand some parents commit such honour-killings.

And the men of the house are responsible for the killing/execution. I do not blame them for that. As I said, it is their tradition. They exist with their traditions, like everyone else.

I find something very unfair: the situation of the mother. I am absolutely sure that Hanife's mother got upset(I don't know what kind of word I should write here), got really destroyed due to her daughter's death. You know, even she wants to shout, cry, scream at the people who commit this action, they don't listen to her. This is a really awful situation for the mother unfortunately.

To be a good person is really important. Not the material/shallow side like whether someone has black skin or their fingers are extraordinary tall (such silly things, I mean).

And I agree with the group at one point from today's presentation:
If Hanife would have been alive and had a child, she would be more liberal about her child's decisions and life style..

5.About our Presentation and Oedipus Complex

Retrieved from http://anyworld.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/oedipus.jpg

Hmm.. I think our presentation went well. We have made a good job, haven't we?:D

My group is super! I thank everyone of them: Ayşe, Berk and Elif.

Thanks to the audience that paid attention and then enriched our presentation with their comments&answers.

I recall something from our preparation for this presentation and Ayşe, I have to reveal it, don't get agry with me:D

We were searching some photos for the slide show, then one night Ayşe sent us an image under which she says "Here, I've found a picture of Oedipus"

That sounds as if Oedipus had lived once and had his picture taken somewhere! :) However, it is just a work of a Renaissance artist.

We all know that Ayşe didn't mean that :D. But it was funny..

And we failed in timing:( However, we will manage it in our next presentation.

About Oedipus Complex: I really like Freud's theories and approaches. However, I don't like his Oedipus Complex theory. I cannot accept it:)

But the story was great though:D

4. Mum's the Word

https://msc-technology.wikispaces.com/file/view/please-stereotype-me.jpg/54723694/please-stereotype-me.jpg

Stereotypes, stereotypes, stereotypes.. This word is really common especially last a few decades. You know, like everyone else I have some stereotypes too. But I cannot blame somebody for having some. Because humans have HUMAN MIND you know and human mind can fly anywhere, it is free, and there is no possible way to keep it in one way.

Let me explain this way: This summer, we went to one of our acquaintance's house. They live in the ground house and we were sitting at the table in front of the entrance of the building. Their building is next to another building which is used as a restaurant. And restaurant's entrance door and our buildings door is very close to each other. Because of the position of our door, restaurant's door wasn't seen as well and clear as ours. Consequently, people who wanted to get into the restaurant picked the 'obvious' door to enter.. Later on, we hung a sign on which it says the direction of the restaurant's door. But that didn't work either! People kept attempting to get in through our door. So, what does that show?

People act mostly with respect to their thoughts in their mind! No matter what we hung, they just kept trying to enter the restaurant through the wrong door. Once they have something in their mind, they become blind, they don't see anything else. And it is also like this on stereotypes. Everybody has them. Nobody could deny it.. I have an image in my mind and even if I whisper to myself that I can/should get this image out of my mind and observe the world objectively/without prejudice, I fail. Everybody fails. We try to take stereotyping under control but mostly we cannot do it. Because we have stereotyping within our heads!

The newspaper ZAMAN has had a motto recently: "Önyargılarımız, görünmeyen duvarlarımız", which can be translated as "Our prejudices, they are our invisible walls".
Although I never support this newspaper (because of their ideological background), I liked their motto.

To conclude, I state that stereotyping is natural for us. Nevertheless, I do not glorify it. Even we try to get rid of stereotypes, we will have them for ever. We will have them when a person talking with an eastern accent asks us an address on an empty street.. There is no way out.

However, I always trust in personal interaction. If we try to get to know somebody, if we talk to them face to face, then there is no more wall to crash on. The most important thing is to accept people individually and as they are, which should be an attempt to make for us like to try to throw our stereotypes away. If we attempt this, stereotypes will be able to disappear on their own, I guess.

3. The Research Paper Rationale

2008-01-26 (Editing a paper) - 31, 2008. Note: Copyright Nic's events

After a brief decision period, I made mine. I am going to write a research paper on STEREOTYPING. I have chosen that because I find this subject contemporary. Stereotyping is everywhere on Earth. It occurs in society, in our relationships etc. If affects our way of thinking quite a lot. Often we act and make decisions referring to our stereotypes.

For example when we meet somebody, thanks to our tendency to stereotyping, we get immediately some pre-images from them. That is not so good, I think.

What about other options that I haven't chosen?

About adolesecence: Nowadays, I don't want to be in a bad mood. I couldn't put up with some melancholic adolescent's daydreams. When I think of adolescence, I imagine dready, sad thoughts, wandering around on Earth with dark skin and sleepy eyes and being hurt when collide with each other because of their vulnerability. I imagine a head bowed down and wet eyes. (Maybe this what I have said is also a stereotype) So, I prefer to keep this subject away from me.

About the violence subject: It is contemporary, too. However, I wanted to research something global. So, the stereotyping subject is GLOBALER than honour-killings in Turkey etc.

I hope this research paper will bring me some benefit and enjoy.

2. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

http://www.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/07_07/car_on_sidewalk_2.jpeg

This short story has placed among my favorites, I hardly read any good short story; but I liked this one. Especially, the register of it and the style of the author, Joyce Carol Oates, were honestly perfect. While reading the story, I felt the situation in myself (in my mind); I felt pitty for Connie at the end and a little disgust to Arnold for threatening her. However, his trials of persuading Connie to go out with him did not make me grimace. I think Oates admired me in this way because she used the technique of psychological realism.

In the story, the notable point was the music. Throughout the paragraphes, music was always in the foreground. I know that music is indispensable for everyone on Earth, nobody could lead a life without music. And this story also refreshed me that especially in the teenage period music is also very important to the adolescent. I found Connie's little secret actions with boys around the mall sympathetic. Most of adolescents (think of our adolescence) tend to do such things. Connie's caring about her appearance made me smile, too. Again, from that age on, people start to pay more attention to their physical apperance.

One critic about Connie's sister, June: I did not like June-part of the story. I mean, Oates could also lave out the sister. Nevertheless, she wrote little description of her. That was not so necessary in the story, I think, like Connie's comparison to her sister, either. None of them made me understand the story more in details, to be honest. (I am only talking about the June part, not including the family-part)

And eventually, I can say that the guys in the car are just an imagination of Connie. You know, when you are in a bad mood and stay at home, it could be dangereous enough to cause hallucinations :D, like in the case of Connie. So, my advice is just not to stay at home, get your ass up, go out and call your friends for a walk or coffee when you feel frustrated and depressed. :)

1.The Graduate

I liked the film the Graduate. The main reason for that is that it was shot in 60's. Nowadays I just interest in those years. Anyways..

I actually do not like Holywood movies (especially today ones) ; because they are homogeneous. However, this film differs from them. I think its reason is that it's an old one, in the past more serious/aesthetical movies were produced.

The soundtrack of the movie is great; although one song (Mrs. Robinson) was covered more than one time :D

About generation gap I can say: In life there is always a lack of understanding&empathy among people, so between the youth and the old ones the same thing exists as well. However, I find it alright that a generation gap exists. It is part of being a young and an old one. If you are a parent, than you of course want your kid to have the best; you want them to study, to seek a job etc. On the other hand, the young one'd like to do something else. As a result, such a gap is likely to emerge. However, as I said, I blame nobody for having that gap, more precisely, I do not get angry about Benjamin's dad or about Benjamin himself. I find this situation natural.

I did not see any devaluation of youth in the movie, did I? We should discuss this in the lesson.. I only remember the scene where Benjamin decided to attend the wedding as a guest. There, the receptionists treat Benjamin as if he is only a naiv, young person. Their gestures show their thoughts about the boy clearly. Young people are always seen as naiv and inept(I am not sure whether this adjective goes here..)

I really angry about Benjamin revealing his relationship with Mrs. Robinson to Eileen. That is a bad mistake to make. If you have a secret, you must keep it. It doesn't matter how much you get angry or disappointed. Maybe Benjamin will learn later how to react in such situations, he is unexperienced and knowing-nothnig at this age anyway(!)

The last scene where Benjamin escapes Eileen reminded me of our old Turkish movies. In them, the man also escapes the bride in the last minute and from the wedding-hall :D Besides, if I were Eileen, I wouldn't go with Benjamin. He did not do anything for making Eileen come back to him. However, at the end, she just seems happy to be with him. That is not realistic, I think.

And consequently, Eileen's screams fascinated me a lot :D

*http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/images/2007/08/13/the_graduate_386x470.jpg

Another Start

This is the day.. Blogging continues. Welcome to my blog for ENG 102.

Dolce Vita!

Boys Don't Cry and About our Presentation

What effected me mostly in this film was that it is based on a real story. That completely changed my attitude toward this film.

In the movie, I liked the setting as well. The film plays in rural area and the producers managed to reflect such area very well; the cowboy hats, the scene where our characers participate in a speed race etc, I liked them.

The worst scene was the last scene but not because it was a crime scene but the crime was not like real. John triggers and Brandon dies but we cannot see any bullet and Brandon bleeds as soon as being shot, although no part of him is wan ounded by the bullet. That was a mistake of the director, I think.

And for my presentation, I researched much (about hate crimes etc) and saw how common such crimes occur. That made me sad.

About our presentation: At first, it began well, Erman started strongly and loudly. We also had the song “Boys don't cry” in the background. Then... We realised that we had been projecting the draft of our slide show! We apologized for our tecnhiqual issues. But that moment, in my opinion, was both shocking and hilarios :)

The Full Monty

http://www.digital-tv.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/fullmonty.jpg

I watched this film when I was a kid.

Recently I have watched it again and liked it one more time.

I felt sorry for the guys who do the full monty. They want to have a better life and offer something better in life to their family/children etc. However, they suffer being unemployed, having not enough money to get or do what they want. This situation leads them to doing a striptease.

I do not blame them for doing that. When a person feels miserable, they could do anything to avoid it. The men in our film have chosen to be strippers, through which they could earn some money for theirl ives. We can discuss whether what they do is indecent or not. I think that it is not indecent. They do their job without hurting something or someone and they have an aim and for this aim they act. If women are removing all their clothing in front of other people and if we do not get angry about it, we also are not allowed to get furious at these 5 men for doing that either.

And what makes their situations acceptable is their love to the people around themselves. They do striptease for them. I think this quotation fits here quite well:

Who can give law to lovers? Love is a greater law to itself. Boethius

The Truman Show

http://tapenoisediary.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/truman2.jpg

I have hardly watched films which reflect our mental state well. The Truman Show is one of these films. TV has been stuck into our lives so deeply. We forget sometimes boundaries of our social conscience or of being decent.

Truman Show - What an awful program but at the same time high-ratings-collecting!

When a program that shows us parts from real life airs, we like it. Even people do it who insist in watcing over whether something is good or not.

Audience and especially the producers of the show kill Truman's life. That is unacceptable. Everybody around himself pretends to be something in his life. No real feelings, no sympathetic gestures&mimics - What a life!

Laurenne tries to show the truth to him but she can't make it. What she did shows us how love can effect somebody to do something.

I'm furious at the produceders. They even don't have right to air such a program.

ps. The scene where Truman realizes in his car that things happen in a row repeadately (e.g. the courrier boy etc) is really great, in my opinion.