Friday, April 19, 2013

The (not so) Grand March


The Grand March was an epic fail.  About 500 people had traveled from Europe to Cambodia to give aid to those in need and they had to just turn around.  The effort was futile.  The doctors im sure really wanted to help out, but the rivaling nations involved (france and American in particular) were more concerned with their own appearance. Franz’s perception of the blood (from the reporter that stepped on a mine) consecrated the flag. I just thought that was odd. Then it seemed that he had a desire to fall, or basically had a death wish when he considers running onto the bridge. Perhaps he wants to be a martyr, perhaps he wants to make Sabina proud. Then it turns out that he's too cowardly to do anything valiant. he attacks a man that the reader doesnt know much about and then he gets mortally injured. 

2 comments:

Unknown said...

What bothered me about the grand march was less the pandering and superficiality of the reporters and the actress and more the lack of resolution when they finally get to the border. All they do is shout challenges to the trees and receive no response. For all we know, the path was undefended, but the entire caravan, even the doctors who had earlier so passionately spoken for the march, let their superstition and fear get the best of them and then turn around. They were in a position where they actually had the potential to make a difference and they chose inaction.

Michell D said...

I feel like the lack of a substantial conclusion is the icing on the cake of the match that did not have any substance to it besides the celebrities. No one really cared for the doctors marching, even Kundera seemed to focus more on the celebrities. Also when a man dies by accidentally tripping a mine, the flag is consecrated because it finally has a meaning, but does it? If someone accidentally died in the march to due actual resistance than maybe, but this idiot was trying to get a good shot and ended up getting himself killed instead. It's as if the only thing people cared about during the march was the kitch of the celebrities and the 'cool, important looking' blood that really don't represent anything. So when it finally came to a serious point where a tough decision needed to be made, no one did it, the march was too flimsy (being supported by kitch) to support anything profound so it crumbled under the pressure.