Maps to Anywhere First Half Response

These essays, though seemingly convoluted, provide concise and articulate descriptions of events that prove to be much more than stories.  This compilation reveals the purpose of an essay, which is not only to retell an event, but also provide commentary and intertwine personal meaning.  In this compilation we get insight on aspects and various points in Bernard Cooper's life.  Though no theme ties the works together indefinitely, the various essays include different points about the beginning topic within the few pages in which the work resides.  These writings are very diverse and recounts Cooper's lessons and important stages in his youth and throughout his life.

In the beginning of the compilation, he talks about the central theme of names, be they the aesthetic of the word itself, or the identity that surrounds it.  In daily life, we attribute a collection of sounds and symbols to objects, animals, and more importantly, people.  Cooper relates the importance of one's name to one's demeanor or identity, conveying the importance, or lack thereof naming in accordance with identity.  Cooper tells us of a book that his mother used to name him, listing off personality traits of a "Bernard" "Far from the bearish obstinance and earthiness it said to imply, it held for me connotations of myopia, introversion, and bookishness that my destiny has borne out (Cooper, 4)."  The author states that one might instead choose their own combination of symbols and sounds to name their child as opposed to choosing a list from a book to name your spawn.  

In the story, "How to Draw", Cooper recounts the art of his late brother, and how Cooper views his works.  Cooper starts out by saying that he often enjoys amateur art more than that of professionals, which could occur a number of different reasons.  In his brother's case, Cooper might enjoy the art because of a nostalgic or emotional attachment to the works not only because it was done by his brother, but also because they serve to be a window into his brother's mind.  It is difficult to perceive what an artist might be going through in daily life through a work of art that means nothing, but when someone is in pain or is in a dire situation, one's art may speak more and convey more emotion.  Cooper's brother's art was not only a window to his emotions, but also serve as snapshots, as they might prove to show changing thoughts throughout his condition at various points in time.