This may be a little bit of a stretch, but certain aspects of TAOABB strongly remind me of Gertrude Stein. Superficially, the two do not share the same grammatical structure, culture of the author, or same relationship between the “autobiographical I” and narrator (among other things). However, the novel’s focus on the everyday highly resembles Stein. Stein bored us with the day-to-day accounts of her life; Acosta also enlightens us with the daily workings of his life, such as his driving, work, and bodily functions. Acosta, though, expands upon Stein’s approach as he shocks us with the extreme and too-much-information with the grotesque descriptions of his body. However, while it may repulse it, it also makes Acosta more real. He is a real person with faults, farts and fantasies; he does not ever try to climb onto the pedestal that Franklin created for himself. Secondly, Acosta name drops a decent amount. While it is not to the extent of Stein, the naming dropping—combined with his repulsiveness and jumping off of his fatness that Rali talks about——functions to further disassociate him from society. How, if any, does this comparison change the way we read the novel and view Acosta?
Another interesting side note is how the voice of Acosta's shrink, Dr. Serbin, in his head is a major supporting character in the story. But, can he actually be considered a character if he really functions as a way for Acosta to analyze, and discuss his situations in his own head?
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I find Katie's viewpoint on the connection between Stein and Acosta to be suprisingly valid. I too felt that Acosta's intent to distance himself from the rest of society, and to differenciate himself from the norm is relatively similar to Stein's attempt to dissassociate herself from "normal" writing. Perhaps the fact that the two authors are trying to create their own style or convey their own message in their autobiographies stems from their realization that their expereiences are rare and very unlike the average person. Or perhaps they just feel better than everyone else?
BDr. Serbin is Acosta's alter ego, a doppelganger that is complimentary to the subject. Just like, Stein and Alice, Dr. Serbin and Acostas are two different parts that constitute one identity, again like your reflection in the mirror...
(By the way, this self-dualism, doppleganger talk creeps me out)
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