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Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 1, chapters; 8-10

#104: Jan. - Feb. 2012 (Fiction)
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Damifino
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 1, chapters; 8-10

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realiz wrote:We are beginning to see more indications of the crime committed by the Kid. First, his dismissal from the army for distributing porn. As a boy growing up, the Kid was exposed to promiscuous behavior by his mother as well as unlimited access to the internet and explicit porn. He was also a loner and school and his intelligence level is not that high. It is no wonder that he had no realization about the hypocrisy of the society where explicit sex was readily available to him but somehow he was supposed to know not to be tempted. His reading of the story of Adam and Eve fits in well with this.
Yes the story of Adam and Eve does fit in well. He has had no guidance from his mom regarding acceptable sexual behavior. It appears she will bang anything that comes along and he doesn't know any different.

Oh nooooo....I am already starting to feel sorry for the Kid.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 1, chapters; 8-10

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realiz wrote:Here are some examples of how different the laws can be:

Here is California: A Person who engages in an act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under age 18 and the actor is not more than three years older or three years younger, is guilty of a misdemeanor

Anyone who engages in an act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under age 18 who is more than three years younger than the actor is guilty of either a misdemeanor or a felony

Any person 21 years of age or older who engages in an act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor who is under 16 years of age is guilty of either a misdemeanor or a felony

Here is Deleware:
Fourth-degree rape to have sexual intercourse with (1) someone under age 16 or (2) someone under age 18 and the actor is at least 30 years older.

Third-degree rape to have sexual intercourse with a (1) victim under age 16 if the actor is at least 10 years older or (2) victim under age 14 if the actor is age 19 or older.

Second-degree rape to sexually penetrate a person under age 12 if the actor is 18 or older.

First-degree rape to have sexual intercourse with a person under age 12 if the actor is age 18 or older.
Wow. Talk about rules eh?

I have a brother who is 10 years older then his wife. He started going out with my best friend when we were 14, he was 24. They got married when she was 16 he was 26. They are still together after 30 years. He didn't have ADD nor was he border line retarded.

Thanks Realiz for looking that up.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 1, chapters; 8-10

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giselle wrote:A couple people have mentioned that the Kid may not be too intelligent. I don't see him this way. I think his horrible familiy life and upbringing, if it could be called that, ruined his chances of a meaningful education, so this may handicap him, but in his conversations with people I see some intelligent insight. Also, his lack of maturity and social development generally may cause him to make bad decisions or to say things that are inappropriate but I don't take this as a reflection on his intelligence.
I agree with you. He has made bad decisions alright. Loosing his job because of his mouth. But I did think that was kinda funny. The Kid didn't know his boss's wife was from Nicaragua, otherwise he wouldn't of said that he thought everyone from Nicaragua was a soccer player or a hooker.

That boss had no sense of humour.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 1, chapters; 8-10

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smileyface123123 wrote:He parallels his temptations with Adam's temptations to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The Professor comes to him and Kid agrees to answer some of his questions.
Yes and the Kid really gets interested in the Bible story when the serpent gets involved. He can relate with Adam and Eve being tempted by the snake. He knows how they feel. He even wants to warn them to not listen to the snake. He knows how they feel because he has been there.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 1, chapters; 8-10

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Tigerlily22 wrote:It seems that Banks is definitely encouraging a sympathy of Kid whereas most people may automatically equate sex offenders with evil. It is often not thought about that there may be factors at play that influence people's unacceptable behaviors. This is something Banks confronts us with.
And he is doing a mighty fine job to.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 1, chapters; 8-10

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I am not impressed by the Professor's approach. Where does he come off knocking on the Kid's tent and asking him for a chat about "people" like the Kid? Thought that was rather rude and insensitive. But it does make for a good story. :)

I'm going to be optimistic on this venture with the Professor.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 1, chapters; 8-10

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Damifino wrote: But it does make for a good story. :)
What makes for a good story? Perhaps this is a question that Banks is posing in Lost Memory of Skin. I think Banks has written a novel about the story (a metanarrative?) and why/how the ‘story’ or narrative is central to our lives …. that is, a story about the story we tell ourselves and the story others tell about us and the process of developing and modifying those stories. The Kid and the Professor have very difficult stories, in terms of content, emotional and psychological problems and fragmentation, and I think they have a surprising amount in common … surprising because on the surface their lives are so different but when you scratch the surface and look at their inner lives, their inner narrative, they have a lot in common. Banks makes this metanarrative more explicit in Part III when the Kid and Professor tell their own stories (and with a slightly biblical ring too, “story according too …”). The Bible and religion generally is lurking in the background of this book. I also think the Kid and Professor need each other emotionally, not just in their superficial roles of benefactor and research subject. Perhaps the similarities of their inner stories, to the extent they are willing to reveal those stories to each other, is what brings them together emotionally and creates a shared/interdependant fate?
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 1, chapters; 8-10

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Damifino wrote:
Tigerlily22 wrote:It seems that Banks is definitely encouraging a sympathy of Kid whereas most people may automatically equate sex offenders with evil. It is often not thought about that there may be factors at play that influence people's unacceptable behaviors. This is something Banks confronts us with.
And he is doing a mighty fine job to.

I'm not quite sure if it's sympathy or if Banks is attempting point out the grey areas in society. Often times laws cover only the very clear black and white of issues and not the marginal areas.
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