Bourne The
Nic Herringer
Featuring an exsclusive interview with Jason Bourne
The Dead Man is Alive A Message Has Been Sent Kill Jason Bourne The Bourne
1
Contents
QUOTE p. 3 -This quote will capture you and give you an idea of some of the themes in the story.
POEM p. 10 - The poem will describe the story in a very fluent way, enhancing the way you percieve the story.
PROLOGUE p. 4 & 5 - This little taste of the story will give you a glimpse into the life of Jason Bourne and the struggles he undergoes throughout the book.
BOOK REVIEW p. 11 & 12 - A summary as to why we feel that our book should or should not be included in the curriculum
INTERVIEW p. 6 & 7 - An interview with the man of the hour, Jason Bourne. This exclusive interview will give you an all access pass into the life of Bourne and his journey in France.
p. 13
SOUNDTRACK and ANYLYSIS p. 8 & 9 - A soundtrack that flows with the theme or conflicts in your story and an indepth explaination as to why this song was chosen and how it portrays the issues within the book.
2
The Bourne
ADVERTISEMENT
“
Whenever your in a stress situation yourself - and there’s time, of course - do exactly as you would do when you protect yourself into one you’re observing. Let your mind fall free, let whatever thoughts and images that surface come cleanly. Try not to exercise any mental discipline. Be a sponge; concentrate on evertything and nothing. Specifics may come to you, certain repressed conduits electrically prodded into function.” ~ Dr. Geoffrey P. Washburn
The Bourne
3
THE BOURNE ID
J
4
ason Bourne. Who is he? Where did he come from? His body was found afloat off the coast of France in life threatening condition. The black waves lapped over his body daring to douse the last glowing embers of life within him. With his body enveloped in darkness, threatening to plunge into the angry swells
The Bourne
of the sea, he was as good as a dead man. He has no memory, no past and no knowledge of who he is. Dr. Washburn fathoms the young man through a series of mental exams. Still, he is unable to uncover any truth about him. The only clue is a bank name and address that was surgically implanted under the skin above his right hip. Zurich is where he must embark to now. Dr. Washburn hands him all of the money he possesses to Jason to as-
hunting Bourne for a very long time. In an attempt to escape their ever-determined clutches, he takes the woman hostage and uses her to find his way out of the wretched mess he found himself in. He treats the woman with utter disdain and brutality but he has no reasoning for it. He takes his mounting frustration out on the woman. In all of this cacophony he continues to discover new elesist him in finding the bank account. Bourne makes ments that drive him one step closer to finding out the long journey to Zurich and finds his name, sev- who he really is. The name of one person of one eral passports and 5 million American dollars. After person strikes him. Carlos. He is the most danleaving the bank he sends a fair amount to doctor gerous and skilled assassin in the world. The mesWashburn as what you could call “reimbursement.� sage has been sent. Kill Jason Bourne. But why? He keeps finding clues and keeps investigating to find out about himself. In his hotel he meets this woman flanked by two men in black jackets, one with gold-rimmed glasses. These men have been
DENTITY
The Bourne
5
Interview
6
The Bourne
Jason Bourne. Is that even his real name? With no memory and no leads as to where he came from, he embarks on a journey to recover what was lost . Astonishing skill with weaponry, cat-like reflexes, and a once very intellectually paramount mind, make his an eligible candidate for a very dangerous occupation. Since we have no record of his life, we cannot interpret what feats he has accomplished in his past life. His thrilling enterprise is no short of compelling. He tells some of his story in this interview. Through your six months of mental training, what did you learn about yourself and how did you take that all in? Well first of all, I learned that I had been physically altered and there were attributes that changed in certain lights and places such as my contact lenses. My hair had been dyed a light, auburn brown. The doctor and I interpreted my life and my past for weeks upon weeks trying to penetrate deeper into who I really was. My skills with weaponry exceed far beyond those of a normal person. So occupations that came to the mind of Washburn were fishermen and laborers but the power and capacity of my intellect strongly suggested otherwise. The only pat of me that we couldn’t perceive was these vivid flashes of images that infected my mind. What was the most difficult circumstance for you, knowing that you had no memory and only having flashes of your life or trying to find clues that could assist you in regaining your mental and physical power? I think the answer is in the question really. It was trying to piece together a life from these images. I was trying to fill an empty 30 years or so with these images and it was onerous. Not knowing who I really was ripping away at my conscious.
from there I could find out why they were trying to kill me a try to counter it. I treated the idea about me being the heir to Carlos like a rumor. The last thing I wanted was to be exposed and go running after a trained, stone cold killer when I had little to no memory. Was leaving that note for Marie for her own good or for yours? It was for both of us because I didn’t want to lead her into a circumstance where she could be harmed in any way. I was trying to protect her. It was for my own good as well because I required space to focus on finding out why I, a man with no memory, was being hunted. All of this anger, pent up frustration was really driving into my head because my mind was screaming for help. “Who am I? - why me?!” Through all of this I lost sight of the fact that Marie could really help me. She is very bright and she doesn’t take facts and make conclusions right away and questions them and makes assumptions. She really has quite a mind. Who are you really? That question has yet to be answered. I’m not entirely sure yet and I don know if I want to find out. I might not like what I find.
In finding out that you were in fact Cain, the man who was to kill Carlos and take his place, had your intentions changed from running or actually fulfilling that deed of being Carlos’s successor? That certainly was in the back of my mind but I think my real focus was still uncovering the truth of who I was. I wanted to know all the facts and
The Bourne
7
Who Can Tell me where am I supposed to go? Who am I supposed to believe? If only you knew what I knew Then you could see just what I see
So I grab my bags and go As far away as I can go Cause everything ain’t what I used to know And I try to hide But I just can’t hide no more There’s nothing worse than feelin’ like a ghost You say I look fine If only you knew what was on my mind You see a whole different side I couldn’t show you even if I tried I must have got lost in time When I found out I was only free to be Wherever I wanna be Some say I’m out of sight How ironic that you’re all so blind If you could open up your eyes You could see what I couldn’t describe And then you’d see the signs And then your soul would be set free And then you’d be released So I grab my bags and go As far away as I can go Cause everything ain’t what I used to know And I try to hide But I just can’t hide no more There’s nothing worse than feelin’ like a ghost Tell me where am I supposed to go?
8
The Bourne
Who am I supposed to believe? If only you knew what I knew Then you could see Hey yeah
So I grab my bags and go As far away as I can go Cause everything ain’t what I used to know And I try to hide But I just can’t hide no more There’s nothing worse than feelin’ like a ghost And I’m terrified Like I seen a UFO Cause everything ain’t what I used to know And I try to hide But I just can’t hide no more There’s nothing worse than feelin’ like a ghost Like a ghost A UFO And I’m so tired Tired of hiding I’ve been runnin’ I’ve been tryin’ To get away Get away... So I grab my bags and go As far away as I can go Cause everything ain’t what I used to know And I try to hide But I just can’t hide no more There’s nothing worse than feelin’ like a ghost
n I Trust? In the world we live in today, corrupt governments poison our minds with false accusations and facts. People perpetuate stereotypes that separate people from each other. Some choose to resist by forging their own opinions and thoughts. Others ensue and base their life on lies and conspiracies. By basing their lives on lies, piece by piece, their spirit and identity gradually begin to fade, making them into ghosts.
The song Ghosts In the Machine really portrays this false sense of security. The man in the song doesn’t know who to believe in anymore, himself or the common public. He is deprived of his sense of security. I interpreted the machine as the society that we live in today and how people are blind and just go through the motions. The songwriter remarks in the song “How ironic that we’re all so blind.” From this we can understand that people are delusional to believe everything they hear. In society, truths and lies linger alongside misleading conspiracies and rumors but people don’t realize that they are present. This man wants to find the real meaning of his existence and his purpose in the world. He knows things that others don’t and he needs them to discover what he knows as well so that he doesn’t feel lost and isolated. Another way that the author shows the state of this man’s solitude is “If only knew what I knew, you could see just what I see.” Cleary this shows that he has the knowledge and skills to create a prominent world but common men and women in our society can’t believe other than what they’re told.
tion and trial of peoples’ normal problems could not nearly be compare to or reach the extremity of Jason Bourne’s issues. This song is the quintessential match to The Bourne Identity because Bourne feels the same way that the man in the song is. “Some say I’m out of sight” is one of many lyrics that lit a spark in my mind about Bourne because he is the man that no one knows what he looks like. He has been out of sight and under cover for years. Jason Bourne knows things that others around him don’t’, he has visions that others don’t have and that’s the struggle that Marie goes through, namely trying to penetrate his mind and capture his waning number of memories that he has remaining. Just like Bobby Ray in the song, he exhausts his mind to uncover the meaning of his life. All of the rumors about Carlos are true to everyone else but not him. One quote that relates to the swirling rumors of Carlos is “You’d see a whole different side, I couldn’t show you even if I tried.” This statement shows that Bobby Ray and Bourne both have different sides of their lives that other people have never laid eyes upon. As I remarked earlier, they have skills and ideas but they are unable to display them because people wouldn’t listen. To conclude, Bourne and Bobby Ray are the same; powerful, but lost and alone.
Have you ever felt lost, alone and isolated? Did you lose trust in the people you love, your friends and your country? Did this feeling of solitude and doubt cause you to be frustrated and belligerent? This emo-
The Bourne
9
Bourne to Die
The once concrete and vivid image of my identity evaporates into thin air Shattered fragments of an incomplete past litter the skies of my mind Jagged puzzle pieces disintegrate in my weathered hands before I can put them together Scattered etches of my life graffiti the walls of my memory My mind an endless chasm The frustration I feel knows no bounds My identity based on flashes of a life I never knew Grasping at vaporous memories like catching ribbons of smoke with bare hands I am from evading the paralyzing fear of capture The harsh wind of deceit blows strong upon me A switch flicked in my mind I no longer cower in the shadows The animal within has an insatiable thirst for revenge, Powerful muscles tense and visions narrow Instincts unbridled As death draws nigh, I fear not for the end A memory lost, a love found Another day, another name I am David, I am David Webb
10
The Bourne
H
ave you ever felt forgetful?Have you ever felt isolated? Have you ever had your memory vanish from plain sight? You can empathize with Jason Bourne. His bullet-ridden body was found afloat off the coast of France. His first step out of the water was his first step in regaining his memory. The suspense and exhilaration in the journey of Bourne is breathtaking but all too much to handle for a Grade 8 reader. Although you can’t put The Bourne Identity down because of the sheer excitement, there are other elements to the story such as the plot line and the character development that would make a thrilling ride for an adult or later teen, but a frustrating read for a person on the verge of adolescence. I strongly feel that because of the adult material in the novel, the inability to relate to the characters, and the complex plot line, this novel should be withdrawn from the Grade 8 curriculum. One reason that I recommend this novel not being in the curriculum is because of the adult material within. All throughout the novel violence is graphically and intensely delivered such as this caption from the novel The Bourne
11
that states, “…Jason angled the man’s face down, ripping the ear half out of its roots, smashing the man’s head into the wall.” From this quote we can see that the author plants a very vivid, graphic image in our mind. I find that reading these words of violence is more gruesome than actually watching the event take place. Although there are portions of the novel that possess regular action violence such as gunshots and fist fighting, they do not out number the twisted, grotesque violence. Another issue that I felt was not appropriate to Grade 8 was the way male characters were demeaning to female characters. For example, during their first meetings in the novel, Bourne uses Marie to escape his killers. He does so with disdain. “He had no choice; he gripped her elbow, his thumb on the inner flesh, and pressed as hard as he could. She gasped, the pain sudden and excruciating...” From this we are able to see that he is violating her respect and dignity and at the same time resorting to crude torture tactics.
challenging for a teenager to relate to. Everyone in the novel is an adult and they suffer through situations that teenagers don’t have to. Jason Bourne is almost impossible to connect with because most kids my age haven’t lost their life or felt alone to that extreme. As the novel progresses and the pieces begin to fit together, another component of Jason’s life comes into play. “Cain is for Charlie, Delta is for Cain,” is one phrase that occurs regularly that confuses everyone around Jason and even himself. As his alias’s mount, you discover his name is not really Jason Bourne at all. When you have complicated characters like this you are bound to have a very deep story where your mind has to work for the answers. Grade 8 students are most likely to read stories with characters approximately their age because they can connect with them easily and it seems real. The characters in The Bourne Identity are hard to relate to and understand which makes the story more complex.
“
Readers connect with characters their age.
Not only does the novel possess adult material and complicated, deep charThe characters in this novel are not acters, it also has a plot that provokes only violent and reckless, they are also your mind in a number of ways. It is
12
The Bourne
confusing and difficult to follow. In our world today, kids are usually focused on activities other than reading; sports, video games and socializing. I’m sure that reading is one of the last things on their minds. When kids do pick up a novel, they want a relaxing time and want to read leisurely. This book requires more work than that. Dates, names and places have to be remembered and placed in the right order for someone to even begin to comprehend the meaning and problem that this story contains. The conflict within Jason’s mind adds another component of confusion. Lost faces and situations boil inside him and these moments are italicized in the story and then interspersed throughout the regular text. On top of all this, a whole series of these books has been published and distributed each more than an inch thick. After completing the exasperating task of reading the first book, there are still secrets to be uncovered in the remaining books of the trilogy. Advanced Grade 8 readers would enjoy reading a thoughtful and challenging novel but the average Grade 8 reader would most likely have difficultly understanding this book.
confusing plot, this book shows that it is meant for older teen and adult readers. For these reasons, I do not believe that The Bourne Identity should be included in the Grade 8 Curriculum.
The Bourne Identity is not adequate for students in Grade 8 to read. With its adult themes, complex characters, and The Bourne
13
Daytona 14
The Bourne