Robeck wino essay

The Kool-Aid Wino
An Essay by Timothy J. Robeck

While Richard Braudigan's story of a boy who creates his own reality surrounding a ritual preparation of Kool-Aid does not provide highly enriching entertainment, I did view the title character as positive. There are elements of Mr. Braudigan's storytelling technique to which I objected. The most notable of these is his overuse of simile. It is diverting and often distracting for an author to constantly refer to things, which exist or are done as being "like" something else. His story seems to be weighed down with these types of references. These include such descriptions as, in reference to the grocer's birthmark, "wobbled back and forth on the road as if the driver were having an epileptic seizure." Soon thereafter, he describes a pheasant as, running "across the field in front of us like a feathered pig." Shortly following this, Braudigan continues his surfeit of similes by stating, at the beginning of the Kool-Aid ritual that the boy had performed the first part of the ceremony, "...Like the inspired priest of an exotic cult,..." My exception to this style of writing I withheld from my group discussion.

Instead, I focused on my reasoning for thinking that the "Kool-Aid Wino" was a character who was truly positive. For example, I cited his remark regarding his refusal to remove his clothing when retiring for the evening. Noting his remark, "You're only going to get up, anyway. Be prepared for it." as a rational, inventive and pro-active response to a cultural norm which he had taken the step of analyzing and had found wanting of logic and purpose.

This productive and positive attitude continued throughout the story, and I offered my group other examples. His expression that, "The dishes can wait," suggested to me that he had created his own priorities. The text does not refer directly to him neglecting his duties, although it does suggest that he was capable of doing more to benefit his family group than he actually did. Thus I again used this as a supporting argument for his creative, and overall positive approach to life. This appeared to me to be another facet of his actualizing himself through the creation of an alternate reality.

Since the nature of his struggle is to find organization in the family, he realizes he must rise above to engender a world in which his true self can live, while exerting his own power to create organization from chaos. This, to me, indicated the positive qualities of invention, introspection and imagination. This seems to create an attitude of ambivalence, if not outright antipathy toward family activities and duties. This is again exemplified by actions described as, "stepping around ... wet diapers ... in various stages of anarchy."

So my group listened to my arguments in support of "The Kool-Aid Wino" with patience, while preparing their arguments in rebuttal of my position. Most members of my group found themselves in objection to certain qualities described as pertaining to the title character, which they viewed as negative.

Notably, his selfishness, owing to taking money from his friend which he would certainly have never been able to repay, and displaying no deep gratitude in the process. One group member pointed out that the five cents used to purchase the Kool-Aid represented two pounds of beans that had been picked. The multiplication is simple and appears an onerous burden considering the family situation and the relationship between the first-person author and his title character.

However, I did place the argument before my group the returns from relationships with individuals need not always be of a tangible nature to be valuable. An example of this could be made of several episodes in the life of Jesus Christ. Rarely were the miracles he performed of any intrinsic value. Yet, from turning water to wine to his resurrection, the acts of healing he performed as a living man are of indisputably enormous psychological and spiritual value. Neither of these latter contributions can be measured or bought, nor were they ever intended to yield a monetary profit. The same can be said of those who do volunteer work. While their labors are usually apparently productive, the real benefits of an improved general outlook and social bonding cannot be measured.

My group did extend convincing arguments for the negative qualities of the main character of the story. These included his apparent laziness, self-absorption and obsessive behavior. The latter seems, while true of the character, well-open to discussion as to whether it is a negative attribute.

It has been my own experience that obsession is not usually a conscious choice. Instead some psychologists and psychiatrists have defined obsession as a usual outcome of a focused consciousness. In my own experience, obsession with a certain idea or topic may be a useful tool. Provided the space and time, this single-minded capacity of the mind can generate remarkably productive insights regarding a particular subject. Obsession, as many states of consciousness and reason, may be used productively, when viewed as a natural part of human experience.

Overall then, while negative arguments provided by my group were worthwhile, my interpretation was that they provided beneficial and valid antithetical positive evidence for the "Kool-Aid Wino" main character. My original arguments still fulfilled my beliefs that creativity when properly applied to create a self-defined and organized reality, enables any individual to overcome even the most difficult of circumstances.

Also, I remain convinced that obsession is a natural outcome of the human personality and therefore is to be utilized when it manifests itself rather than being an anomaly to be dismissed summarily. As a writer, reader and author I find myself creating realities for myself constantly in the process creative writing requires. Frequently, these involve manipulation of reality rather than the creation of a reality which is entirely new.

This ability involves not only myself and readers who employ their own views of alternate realities, but those for whom concrete (empirical) reasoning is an endemic personal necessity. Yet, these latter individuals find fulfillment in the discovery of the resources and results of my own, and other authors' imaginations. Perhaps my next argument would do well to supply supporting discussions of why I believe this is so.