View this page "Day #2 Discussion - the Host by Stephenie Meyer"

[Maria]

Click on http://groups.google.com/group/the-cafe-corner-book-club/web/day-2-discussion---the-host-by-stephenie-meyer?hl=en
- or copy & paste it into your browser's address bar if that doesn't
work.

[Maria]

Please click on the link above in the first posting to view the
questions for Day #2 Discussions on the Host.

On May 16, 9:02 pm, Maria <CardInspi...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Click onhttp://groups.google.com/group/the-cafe-corner-book-club/web/day-2-di...

[tabergen]

Were the struggles between the humans and the souls symbolic of racial
prejudice, ethnic cleansing, or genocide? Explain. (Credit to Heather
for inspiring this question)

Hmmm. Interesting question. One of the genres that I was immersed in
for a while there was genocide survivior accounts. My grandparents
came to this country in the 1920s, fleeing the genocide that was later
thought to serve as the model for Hitler's pograms. In researching
family history, I started to pick up books for that era, then from the
Nazi era, then from the stuff that happened in Rwanda in the 90s.
From having read all of that, it seems to me that the genocidal
mindset was more present in some of the humans in The Host than in the
Souls. Sure the Souls are the ones that have actually perpetrated the
genocide, but their motivations are different than the Ottomans/Nazis/
Hutus. It is more like a biological imperative with them than a
malevolent desire to exterminate another species.

Do you feel the relationship between Jared and Melanie (with Wanderer
already inserted into Melanie's body) should have been developed more
into the story line? Why do you feel that the relationship between
Ian and Wanderer was more prominant in the book as opposed to Jared
and Melanie? Were you disappointed?
I was really glad that Ian and Wanda wound up together...Ian really
was the right love interest for her and their relationship further
delineated the fact that Wanda/Melanie were separate beings. Everytime
there was a love scene between Jared and the combined Wanda/Melanie
body, I just cringed at the wrongness of it.

[Tracy]

Were the struggles between the humans and the souls symbolic of racial
prejudice, ethnic cleansing, or genocide? Explain. (Credit to Heather
for inspiring this question)

Interesting question. I guess to some degree. But as far as the humans
were concerned...their lives, their world was being taken over by
these alien beings. Without knowing Wanderer...I would have reacted in
a very similar way. As for the Souls? Take a step back...take a good
look at Earth. As an Alien...I would want to try and save it from the
Humans too!! ;0)

Do you feel the relationship between Jared and Melanie (with Wanderer
already inserted into Melanie's body) should have been developed more
into the story line? Why do you feel that the relationship between
Ian and Wanderer was more prominant in the book as opposed to Jared
and Melanie? Were you disappointed?

I felt the relationship between Jared and Melanie/Wanderer was exactly
as it should have been. There were two entities inside of Melanies
body. Jared and Melanie were the couple. Wanderer and Ian were just
meant to be together. I would have been disappointed if Jared had been
with Wanderer...I just would not have worked for me. Ian was a much
better character. He was her 'Edward'. ;0)

Tracy :0)

[Maria]

Were the struggles between the humans and the souls symbolic of racial
prejudice, ethnic cleansing, or genocide? Explain. (Credit to Heather
for inspiring this question)

Up until Heather raised the question of racial prejudice, it didn't
enter my mind but now that I look at it, I do see a prejudice and
worse ethnic cleansing and ultimately, genocide.

My feeling is there's a species prejudice that the aliens had for the
human race and ultimately, the humans retaliated. The aliens decided
to wipe out the human race because they felt they were inferior to
them similar to what happened with Hitler and the Holocaust and other
atrocities such as in Darfur, Bosnia, etc. I feel "ethnic cleansing"
is more at play than just prejudice. Ethnic cleansing usually leads to
genocide. Invading the host was just a means to an end considering
the the souls actually needed the human body to survive. It's the
beliefs, the actions, the behavior of humans that they felt inferior,
not the human body itself so in the physical sense genocide did not
actually occur. They didn't wipe out humans. . .they wanted to rid
the "embodiment" of humans, what they stood for, who they
were. . . .the aliens wanted a "homogenous view" of what is right and
not realizing that they were the ones that were the embodiment of
evil, quite the opposite of their own beliefs of themselves.

Do you feel the relationship between Jared and Melanie (with Wanderer
already inserted into Melanie's body) should have been developed more
into the story line? Why do you feel that the relationship between
Ian and Wanderer was more prominant in the book as opposed to Jared
and Melanie? Were you disappointed?

I actually didn't understand why Jared reacted so negatively towards
Melanie despite knowing Melanie's "mind" was still conscious and
present. I would have thought that he would have been happy and
wanted to continue the relationship considering Melanie worked so hard
to get Wanderer to look for him. I actually wanted them to reunite.
Although Wanderer was inside Melanie's body, he could have ignored
that aspect of it. Honestly, if I was in the same position, my love
for someone wouldn't die . . .knowing parts of the person I love still
existed. It's like someone who is mentally ill. . .if there's still
parts of the person existing despite their mental illness, my love
would still continue for the person. I liken Melanie and Wanderer's
condition to a mental illness . . .like a split personality! LOL! I
actually was disappointed that their relationship didn't continue
after they reunited.

I'll answer the second part of question 2 tomorrow. I have to think
about it more.

On May 16, 9:02 pm, Maria <CardInspi...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Click onhttp://groups.google.com/group/the-cafe-corner-book-club/web/day-2-di...

[litl...@shaw.ca]

Were the struggles between the humans and the souls symbolic of racial
prejudice, ethnic cleansing, or genocide? Explain.

I agree with Maria, I didn't even think about that aspect until now.
But it does raise quite a few questions on that topic. Especially
when Wanda first comes to the colony and she is trying to make them
understand that Melanie is also there. With the reaction with Sharon
and Maggie who made it very evident that they were going to have
nothing to do with Wanda and wouldn't accept the fact that Melanie was
present. And the attempts on Wanda's life because of what she was -
not who she was - very racial prejudice-like behavior. And looking at
it from the other aspect of the Souls taking over the humans could
also be considered genocide - but I agree with the other comments
about it being for different reasons - even though the aliens were
doing it to save the planet - it still would be hard to accept as 'the
right thing to do'. Wanda also see that once she has been around the
humans and has her own dilemma about her own species and what they do
to humans.

Do you feel the relationship between Jared and Melanie (with Wanderer

already inserted into Melanie's body) should have been developed into

the story line? Why do you feel that the relationship between Ian and
Wanderer was more prominant in the book as opposed to Jared and
Melanie? Were you disappointed?

I think Stephanie Meyer wrote this exactly the way it should have
been. The relationship between Ian and Wanderer was more prominent as
Wanderer was the main character and if she focused on the relationship
between Jared and Melanie - I think it would have taken away from the
story. And I also agree that I'm glad Wanda and Ian ended up
together. It definitely would have been too weird if it ended up any
other way. However - I feel a bit weird about the new Host Wanda gets
- being younger. Does anyone else feel that way?

On May 16, 10:02 pm, Maria <CardInspi...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Click onhttp://groups.google.com/group/the-cafe-corner-book-club/web/day-2-di...

[amanda...@gmail.com]

* Were the struggles between the humans and the souls symbolic of

racial prejudice, ethnic cleansing, or genocide? Explain. (Credit to
Heather for inspiring this question)

Hey girls, just finished this book this morning! WOW! I got delayed
and had to pick up the pace.

Racial prejudice is manifest through fear, intolerance, separation,
segregation, discrimination, and hatred. I think that these were
clearly seen from both groups in the story toward one another. This
also occurred between some of the humans and Wanderer even after she
had been accepted by the others.
.
Ethnic cleansing sort of appears to be occurring in this story. The
aliens were trying to rid the planet of the "non compliant" humans.
They wanted a non-violent society and since some of the humans were
rebelling and stealing and doing all sorts of things they did not deem
"acceptable" - the aliens were trying to get rid of them.

But then I think of that scene where the parents were with their small
human child (children), and they had not chosen to allow a host to
inhabit their children and that seemed to be okay. What about
that???? I think that in all honesty the aliens were just exploring
different hosts. They were not necessarily making efforts to
exterminate humans completely, but when the humans rebelled/reacted
against their efforts to coexist on the planet peacefully, they
reacted. Which goes back to the fear, the racism --

* Do you feel the relationship between Jared and Melanie (with

Wanderer already inserted into Melanie's body) should have been

developed more into the story line? Why do you feel that the

relationship between Ian and Wanderer was more prominant in the book
as opposed to Jared and Melanie? Were you disappointed?

Totally not disappointed. This was not a romance novel per se right.
I mean, there was enough romance in it to explain the situation
clearly. We did not need more to understand their relationship. It
was in the past and clearly strong. Plus, really, I think Jared and
Melanie were more sub characters.

Ian and Wanderer had something new, something unexplored, something
very strange and unique and it needed to be more focused on for us to
understand why/how it could happen. They were the lead characters,
the present and I think it was written very well.

*All that said, I hope this is even remotely coherent thought as I am
dealing/battling three kids to be able to write this brief response --
lol*

Amanda

[mimi...@comcast.net]

Were the struggles between the humans and the souls symbolic of racial
prejudice, ethnic cleansing, or genocide? Explain. (Credit to Heather

for inspiring this question)'

'Yes, I think that the struggles between the humans abd the Souls was
a symbolic predjudice. amandalsew gave us rth e abswer in her post.
After all Melanie was afraid, she was kept seperated from the humans
and certainly was not tolerated by most of the humans. At least not in
the first part of the book. I confess that I have not finished the
book and will have to wait. I have to start the new book "No Time For
Goodbye.

Mary