I was reading online about the affects that alcoholism has on the brain. We know little to nothing about Nector's medical life other than that he is in his "second childhood." Could this be because of his alcoholic lifestyle?
As a result of new technology, "researchers are finding direct effects of chronic drinking on the brain and liver... Imaging studies have revealed a consistent association between heavy drinking and physical brain damage, even in the absence of other usual symptoms of severe alcoholism -- chronic liver disease or alcohol-induced dementia." (http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/brain/a/aa000425.htm)
If Nector wasn't such a heavy drinker, do you think that he would have turned out more like Eli?
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Detail of beadwork from an Ojibwe medicine pouch
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This is exactly the type of blog post that I love. It has good info, shows relevance to the novel, is provocative in theme, and will hopefully get good discussion going. Way to go!
Well I do remember Mrs. Deckard saying in class that eventually Eli does start drinking too. So probably the question of would he turn out like Eli wouldn't work, because Eli does turn out like him more. However I do wonder why they are even like that? I dont remember in the book it ever saying that Eli and Nector's parents drink, only Marie's parents. Alcoholism is genetic (as well as other things) and seeing as how both brothers have this problem it must be a family problem. Right?
Well i think that Eli has not drank quite as much as Nector has as described in Marie's chapter. That is why i think that Eli is better off elderly than Nector turned out.
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