Smooth Talk and Pied Piper of Tucson

Charles Schmid Jr.


After watching Smooth Talk and reading the Pied Piper of Tucson I was amazed at how closely these two stories were related eventhough one story is strictly fiction, based off of a fiction story. Arnold Friend and Charles Schmid are two very similar characters! They even look alike! I wonder if Joyce Chopra based the look of Arnold Friend not only off of the story description but also off of Charles Schmid's look to maybe give it a more realistic and chilling feel? Also, the newspaper article stated that many girls went on dates with Charles but three never returned. How many girls do you think Charles sexually violated the same way that Arnold Friend violated Connie? How many girls do you think did not return home from their dates with Arnold Friend? It seems obvious to me that Joyce Carol Oates got her idea for Where Are You Going Where Have You Been story from the life and story of Charles Schmid Jr. Charles Schmid commited these crimes in 1966 and the story was written in 1970. It makes sense, Connie's mother in the story disapproves of her "trashy daydreams" and both her parents and sister in the movie are warning her to be careful when she is out and about with her friends. It is just the same as what parents had to do in Tucson when Charles Schmid was on his rampage.

My "Purusing" and Blogging Experience

Wow! For how computer illiterate I am, I sure figured out this blog thing pretty easily. I give myself a round of applause!! As for the Purusing assignment. When I said "I don't know" in class that is not what I meant. I just get nervous when I am put on the spot. I found many intriguing aspects and pieces in this book.

Robert Frost

Just to start off, the poem by Robert Frost on page 61, Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening, gave me a sense of calmness and comfort. The place where he stopped in the woods reminds me of my home in the winter time. His last stanza, The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep, makes it sound like it is a beautiful place and he is yearning to stay there because of it's beauty and tranquility. That is what I think about my home. I love that it is quiet there and no one is around. You can hear nothing at night but the sounds of nature outside. It talks about how Frost uses sound to portray sense in the poem. It really does work!! Toward the end of the poem you can tell that the man does not want to move on just like I don't want to leave home when I am there. So it made me feel sorry for the man that he had to leave.

Another part of the book that caught my eye was page 184. The title Jabberwocky initially caught my attention but it was page 185 that really grabbed my attention. The second paragraph on that page talks about our own inner monstors that we as humans have. It further states that we may act out these inner monstors by following along with the latest serial killer. This concept really freaked me out because I LOVE learning about serial killers! I love reading about them and watching movies about them. Does this mean that my inner monstor could be a serial killer just waiting to get out? That thought really freaks me out!! The more I started thinking about it the more freaked out I got. One of my favorite authors is Edgar Allen Poe and my favorite artist is Vincent Van Gogh. If anyone knows anything about these two people it is no secret that both of them were seriously disturbed individuals. So does this mean that I like them because I can secretly relate to their craziness?

My two favorite stories by Poe are "The Tell-Tale Heart" about a man planning and killing an old man and "The Pit and the Pendulum" about a man trying to survive in a torture chamber. Because I love reading these kinds of stories does that make me a sick person?

I think that it the mystery behind these two people's lives that has me so intriuged with their work. As far as my infatuation with serial killers I think that what drives them to be this way is what makes them so interesting. And maybe it is something deep inside of me that is related to these people in some way. Who knows?

Edgar Allen Poe