WebX Post #5
• Bobby's quite a fan of the X-Men, and, though he thinks "Wolverine is so cool 'cause he can heal himself with his mutant factor," his real
favorite is Phoenix (2). How come? Within the context of the story, what is the significance of Bobby's fondness for Phoenix?
• What makes Bobby so sure that he can understand Cao's blackboard drawing? What evidence is there that Bobby and Cao have an
understanding of one another that somehow transcends spoken language? Be specific.
The fondness and admiration that Bobby holds for the X-men, primarily Wolverine and Phoenix, explains much about the underlying social issue at
the time, including the idea of communication without words. Bobby first explains why he likes Wolverine so much: "Wolverine is so cool 'cause he
can heal himself with his mutant factor and he had claws that cut through metal." Clearly, since Wolverine can cut through metal with his claws, he is a character that
embodies strength itself, which is a characteristic that Bobby wishes that had more of. After a deeper inspection of the history behind Wolverine's character, it is
shown that he also bears many similarities Bobby. Wolverine and Bobby are similar because they are both unsure of their pasts; all they have left are broken
memories which they must slowly piece together. Furthermore, it is very possible that Wolverine has served in the Vietnam War, which could be symbolic of
Bobby’s impulse to defend Cao. Bobby also states that his favorite X-man is Phoenix: “and Phoenix, she's my favorite; Phoenix's so very cool 'cause she can talk to
you psychically and she knows how everybody feels without even having to ask them, and best of all, she can lift an eighteen-wheeler truck with her psycho-kinetic
energy.” Bobby probably likes Phoenix so much because she has the ability to communicate without words; she knows what everyone thinks without having to ask
any questions. Bobby later embodies the powers of Phoenix when he successfully communicates Cao’s family history to the class.
On that same note, Bobby has a definite understanding of Cao’s blackboard story, and we can see this because of the cultural elements that Bobby and Cao share
that allow them to understand one another. For example, while Cao is illustrating his story he backtracks and adds the shoes to the feet of one of the boys riding the
water buffalo. First of all, Cao backtracks while in mid-illustration to draw the shoes on the feet of the boy, and these shoes symbolize friendship in itself, since they
were the first medium that brought Bobby and Cao to understand each other. This goes to suggest that Cao has established a meaningful friendship with Bobby, one
that has impacted Cao already. Another significant cultural element that supports the idea that Cao and Bobby understand one another, is the expletive phrase that
Bobby teaches Cao: “Hee, Foock headss, leevenme olone!” This line gave Cao’s story extra emphasis at the end of the story and also solidified the friendship
between the two boys. Although, Mr. K does not approve of the use of such language by the students in his class, I believe he said nothing about it, because it was
strangely appropriate for the conclusion of this oral presentation. This statement also reflects a cultural issue, almost as if Cao speaks out for the lives taken during the
tragedy at Vietnam. It is primarily for these reasons that Bobby shares a cultural understanding with Cao and the culture behind him.