Character Comparison: Jason from She Wasn’t Soft and Ned from Termination Dust (Analytical Response D.)

Most recently our group read She Wasn’t Soft and Termination Dust, which featured some very interesting characters, including Jason from She Wasn’t Soft and Ned from Termination Dust. It is easy to see that both of these characters committed horrendous acts, fueled by some sort of passion which they felt, as Jason, overcome by lust, raped his girlfriend Paula and drugged her when she was coming to the finish of the triathlon, ahead of her rival Zinny Bauer; while Ned kills Bud, because he believes that Bud took Jordy back to Boynton without her consent. However, there are many differences between Ned and Jason.
Probably the biggest difference between the two characters is that Jason is not a very determined person, while Ned seems to work very hard for what he has, as he seems to have spent a good deal of money just to come to this kind of date auction, and his finances are limited when it comes to the amount of money which he can bid on Jordy, while money does not seem to be an obstacle for Jason, who basically had his parents, both doctors, fund his business. It was interesting that T.C. Boyle chose characters that are different in this way as one seems to be pretty determined and responsible, while the other one seems to be very lazy, and put them in similar situations of love, which both yield the same result; each man hurts the woman whom they love. Perhaps, Boyle is trying to make a commentary through these two characters that love or the want for love is a very powerful thing which we all want to attain, but no matter who we are whether good or bad, the power of love may corrupt us as we become blind to the truth behind a certain situation as in Ned’ case when he tracks down Bud and Jordy, after he thinks Bud took Jordy to Boynton against her will. In some twisted way Jason and Ned also feel that these things which they have done will bring them closer to the people that they love. This may illustrate that we as humans want to love more than anything else and do good, but it is easy to become corrupted by something so powerful. These characters also have a commonality in the isolation which they encounter whether self-imposed or not. As Ned lives in the last place one can drive on the continent, and he has very little human interactions except with the people who are patrons at his bar, while Jason kind of is in a self imposed exile, as he goes into a bar, watches sports, while getting very drunk, this limits his interaction with people around him as well. Certain aspects of these characters are very relatable in the life of the average person, as we all want to love, and sometimes idealize it, and it is easy to become corrupted by something so powerful, as our vision gets skewed from the truth. We also exile ourselves from contact with others, and this really is not beneficial, I think that this is why Boyle made these characters deal with the similar problems, but put them in different situations. Boyle is driving home the idea that these problems are quite common and are part of the human condition whether one is trying to win a date through an auction in Alaska, or one has someone whom they love, but they just don’t realize to what extent, and how ultimately we are all susceptible to committing sins, especially against ones we love.
Mike Verity

Termination Dust

This picture depicts the first moment Jordy and Ned meet. He greets her with a handshake and notices her hand-printed name tag. Right away he could tell Jordy was different than the one hundred other woman because she put so much care into her name tag. The moment is really the beginning of the whole story and Ned's journey toward getting Jordy. This was the moment he fell in love with her.

"Termination Dust" Review

The short story "Termination Dust" follows a short life segment of a man named Ned. Ned resides in a very small Alaskan town called Boynton. Due to the small population and isolation of the town, nearly everyone in Boynton has a drinking problem. At the start of the story, we see Ned at a date auction place awaiting for the arrival of the women who will be auctioned off. When they do finally arrive, Ned immediately notices a gorgeous woman by the name of Jordy. He and Jordy enjoy a nice dinner before interrupted by, what seems, Ned's nemesis, Bud. Bud rudely decides to join Ned and Jordy before the auction begins. When the auction takes place, Ned finds it hard to win Jordy because he has very little money. He eventually loses Jordy to Bud and this completely crushes him. Determined that Bud is going to do awful things to Jordy, he sets out to Bud's cabin to try and save Jordy. When he arrives at the cabin, he sees Jordy and Bud in the bedroom seemingly enjoying themselves but Ned feels otherwise and kills Bud. Feeling confident that he saved Jordy he is ready to escape with her when a terrible snow storm traps Ned and Jordy inside the cabin. This story draws from the same mentality of Jason from the story "She Wasn't Soft". Both characters have a disillusioned idea of what is right and as a result, they only cause more harm when trying to do something "good". This story is somewhat empty as it doesn't delve into the past of Ned, Bud, or Jordy. Had the readers understood where these characters were coming from, it would have been much easier to relate and possibly like them. It just feels like the readers are dumped into the middle of every ones lives and are expected to understand how they work. The ending also leaves much to be desired as we don't know if Ned and Jordy will survive the snow storm.

The Good Guy

Scene: A nearby larger town’s bustling coffee shop three weeks after Ned’s confrontation.

“Hey Ned,” I yelled trying to get his attention, “over here.”

“Sorry”, Ned said, “I didn’t hear you. I’ve got a lot of things on my mind.”

“I bet. I heard about what happened with you and Bud, must have been a long night for you and that woman trapped up there in the big storm.” I said as I motioned towards a couple just getting up to leave.

“You could say that.”

“What exactly were you thinking when you realized that that woman had consented to going up there with Bud?” I asked sitting down opposite him at the secluded corner table.

“I guess, from the moment I saw Jordy I knew she was the right woman for me. I knew the kind of scum that Bud was and because Jordy seemed so perfect, I thought that there would be no way in her right mind that she would consent to heading up to Bud’s cabin alone if she knew the real truth about him.”

“I heard that Jordy testified at your hearing for Bud’s murder and not exactly in your favor.”

“Apparently she sees me as the ‘bad guy’ in the situation. I’m not really sure how she came to believe this but to her, Bud was the victim. You know Bud. You know how he is, with his lies and smooth talking and the way he blames all of his life problems on everyone but him. I still cannot bring myself to understand exactly how I am the ‘bad guy’. I tried explaining to her my reasoning after I had shot Bud.
He reached for the gun first and I had to protect her. God knows what he might have done to her after he realized I was about to reveal to her his real identity. The whole time after she just stood there shivering and shrinking away from me in the corner. I keep trying to contact her to get her to listen to me but she apparently has disconnected her phone lines.”

“Do you think you’re going a little overboard here? I mean you had what, about three conversations with her before you raced up to Bud’s cottage declaring your unending devotion? Do you think that the remoteness of your teensy town has left you a little too lonely and desperate?” I asked a tad frightened that I had overstepped my boundaries.

“Yes, the dark, long nights are hard to bare and I have been looking for a companion but I know that Jordy is the right person for me. You have got to believe me. I had to kill Bud. I know what he would have done if he had reached the gun first. I wouldn’t be here talking to you right now. He would have reasoned his way out punishment for my murder and convinced Jordy to stay with him secluded in his cabin. Then it would have been too late to protect her from his moral turpitude. I just couldn’t have let that happen to a girl like Jordy.”


“Bud was a rough character,” I said, rethinking my own interactions with the man, “but do you really think he was as conniving as you make him out to be?”

“Listen, maybe you don’t know about Bud the way I do but he was not a good person. He didn’t deserve Jordy. He lies. He steals. He cheats. Maybe I’m biased, but what on earth could he offer her that I couldn’t? I work hard and am truly interested in providing a good life for her. We seemed to have a real connection. It should be so simple. Jordy should be mine. I should have found a way to win her in that auction. In fact, Bud even lied about that money. He probably stole it all from some old lady. After all, he did just get out of prison.” Ned ranted, an angry flush already beginning to appear at his collar.

“Ya but if Jordy was such a good person and she saw something she liked in Bud, doesn’t that prove that he is a little better than you say he is?” I reasoned, thinking it through as I lifted my steaming coffee mug to warm my hands.

“The simple and plain fact is that I knew Bud and his true personality. Jordy didn’t. She’s got things all wrong. I still can’t get that image out of my head: her horrified face as she watched me take control of the situation and fend for her life and my own against Bud. I have to make her see that I am the ‘good guy’", he said quietly, by now lost in his own thoughts, gazing out the window at the white flakes already beginning to gather.

Madeline Hinkamp

Interpretive Questions about "She Wasn't Soft"

1. Did Jason mean to give the drugged drink to Paula?
2. Do you think Paula was obsessed with racing and defeating Zinny Bauer and in effect ruined her relationship with Jason?
3. Did Paula really love Jason? If not, why was she even going out with him then? She obviously spent much of her time training, so why deal with a boyfriend she does not love?
4. Did Jason need Paula more than Paula needed him?
5. What message do you think Boyle was conveying through this story? Why did he write it?
6. Why did Jason give the drugged drink to Paula? What was his motive?
7. Was this a story about a relationship and the separate individuals or a story about grace? If grace, then what were the moments of grace and who experienced grace?
8. Do you think Jason's intentions when confronting Zinny with Paula at the restaurant were good or bad?
9. Do you think Jason is a selfish character and is only in this relationship with Paula for selfish reasons?
10. Are you glad Paula was drugged and therefore, lost the race? Did she get what she deserved?

Letter to Jason from She Wasn't Soft (Creative Response C)

Dear Jason,

You are truly one of the most interesting people I have ever heard about. You seem to be a person, who has good intentions and a lot of love, but you misplace this love so much, and it is your errors which make you realize who you love and what you love about them. What triggers your indiscretions? Is it purely just weakness to lust that led you to rape Paula? Is it this rape which makes you see that you truly love Paula for who she is? This is what it seems it is to me as someone who has heard your story. Her drive is what really seems to attract you to her, is this why you gave her the cup of Gatorade with the Tuinal caps in it, when you realized that she was not Zinny Bauer? I think that you did this because you thought that Paula would lose her drive, the thing you loved so much about her, and that why you wanted her to fail. Is this true? You don’t seem as if you are greatly spiteful so I do not think that you really did this out of anger because you were so distraught after you raped her. However, I think that however good your intentions may be, your decisions to carry out certain actions is really troubling. You do not recognize the gravity of certain issues, so I suggest that you execute things after more forethought from now on. You seem to really care about Paula, and that is why you confront Zinny Bauer and try to drug her, however, you seem really conflicted with the way you love Paula, as if she were just an idealized woman who has the drive which you lack. She is also a real person who needs to be shown for sure that you love her, not in these twisted ways, which involve drugging people or picking fights. She is strong, but I do not know how much longer she can endure you, who has caused her so much pain. My advice to you is to really look at your life, and assess what your life amounts to without Paula, which is not much. You need her more than she needs you, sure she could be less selfish, but you must learn perseverance, and become driven. Find direction in your life, reflect and tame your instincts. You are a good guy who just does not reflect enough on situations. I wish you the best of luck in this endeavor to find out more about whom you really are, and how much you need Paula, and how you should love and respect her properly.
Sincerely,
Mike Verity

She Wasn't Soft

In T.C. Boyle’s story She Wasn’t Soft, he explains how dedicated Paula is. She takes her training for this mini triathlon to heart. Paula realizes this race in its self is not a huge race, however, Zinny Bauer was going to be competing in this race also. Zinny had beat Paul last year and this year Paula wanted to beat her more than anything. Paula’s boy friend, in the story, only serves as a distraction.
In my picture I drew Paula sitting over looking a little creek in her athletic clothes and gym shoes. I wanted to convey a sense of peace. When you’re training for an important race like Paula does, sometimes everything can become so overwhelming. Through out the whole story I found my self wanting Paula to take a break, step away from all the crazy intense training, step away from her boyfriend, and most importantly Zinny.