A review by homingpigeon
Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks
2.0
What is with the message of this book?
Is the story a warning of the dangers of drug use, with the island being a metaphor for some kind of opium den and the birds being addicts? Is the tropical island a metaphor for college or university life, with the birds being elitists and Al running back to unskilled labor because he catches himself becoming snooty? Is the book a message designed to keep ordinary Joes in their places, put out by elitists who want to stop working-class people from bringing about social change?
I don't know. There is nothing wrong with being a janitor. There's nothing wrong with being content with your living situation. But if the Al's wages are such that he has to live in an apartment that looks too small for him to be happy in, and which is probably unsuitable for keeping any kind of pet, then Al and Eddie's quest for a better situation is justified and ultimately remains unresolved, yellow paint or no. The ending just leaves me feeling vaguely unsettled.
Is the story a warning of the dangers of drug use, with the island being a metaphor for some kind of opium den and the birds being addicts? Is the tropical island a metaphor for college or university life, with the birds being elitists and Al running back to unskilled labor because he catches himself becoming snooty? Is the book a message designed to keep ordinary Joes in their places, put out by elitists who want to stop working-class people from bringing about social change?
I don't know. There is nothing wrong with being a janitor. There's nothing wrong with being content with your living situation. But if the Al's wages are such that he has to live in an apartment that looks too small for him to be happy in, and which is probably unsuitable for keeping any kind of pet, then Al and Eddie's quest for a better situation is justified and ultimately remains unresolved, yellow paint or no. The ending just leaves me feeling vaguely unsettled.