The Rules of Attraction

Recently, I have read a book by Bret Easton Ellis called, The Rules of Attraction.  It is a satirical novel that also has comedic elements in it.  It is based on a fictional college in the New England area named Camden College.  The story follows a few students that become involved with each other mainly through their own personal attraction and relationships with each other.  It is a complicated environment and they continue to fight and yearn for each others attention in one way or another.  The setting is based on a typical 80's campus so love in that time is different from today in the sense that sex is more promiscuously accepted and drugs are a bit more reckless among the student body.

The struggle of being a college student alone is enough for a person to handle.  Trying to find love in the sense that you are either lonely or in the need of affection is an asset that can help you succeed or become such a distraction that you can sabotage yourself.  Love is something that is nostalgic in anyone's recollection so the culture of the time defiantly as an instant effect at times.

My focus in our group is to bring into light the main point but somehow set in a sort of underlining plot of novel which is the fight and complex nature of love.  Being directly involved with pop culture, love is a major part of everyone's lives.  Be it a song, movie, book or historical moment, you can usually point to it connecting you to someone special at the time giving you a feeling maybe missed or felt for the first time.  A first kiss with a song in the background, love at first sight upon someone wearing the hippest outfit and immaculate hairstyle, and having that first dance to "our" song while having your heart race and embrace someone who's side you never want to leave.  These are memories that transform people into being able to connect with society on a intimate level.

The novel also puts into play the difficult hurdles that people face in this environment.  Being from different classes, stressing the torture of a long distance relationship, being of a multiple sexual preference, even having the trouble of trying to express yourself without knowing the words to say.  During our class discussion, I plan to involve the class by first trying to relate to them with and express there own ideas of pop culture and love.  Things that bring certain memories or even basic cultural references such as going on a first date (dinner and a movie) or bringing roses and candy.  Next, relating those things to how they differ today or if it is a staple in our society and therefore graduating into a tradition.  Our group as a whole is going to have the class help analyze the story by bringing in their own point of views into the story and bring it in a full circle by comparing it to today.  Overall, The Rules of Attraction did give me a aspect of personal struggle and agony that I did not realize and although exaggerated  seemed fairly believable.