Chloe's post #5 (of April 29)

            I really enjoyed reading Ghosts by Auster. The colors as names threw me off in the beginning because for me, it dehumanizes them. It’s like having numbers as names. Of course after a while I enjoyed the use of color and name play. Perhaps it was a hint on Auster’s part that Black was White, but I’m still grappling with why Black/White hired Blue in the first place. He says something along the lines of, “He needs to see me to exist,” which I thought was thought provoking. And indeed, Blue’s life is turned upside down after he becomes engrossed in watching Black/White. The idea of the double that Murakami so loves can be clearly seen here. As the story progresses, the reader forms doubts because Black/White’s actions mirror his own! I was hoping that the story that Blue read in the newspaper about Gold and the boy would tie into Blue’s narrative, but alas, Auster leaves us wanting. I thought that maybe the boy that was murdered wasn’t actually murdered, because Auster specifically states that the boy would be Blue’s age in present day. Furthermore, he says that Blue and Black/White appear to be the same age.