not fade away
The music, and namely three characters, Joshua, Donna, and the ghost in Not Fade Away, are the most important elements to the book. The title alone is a song by the Grateful Dead, and throughout the entire book, music is present. George Gastin is out on the road the entire book, just like a "rolling stone," and the music is what keeps him upbeat and going. Whether George was chilling out listening to his bud Big Red Loco play the saxophone, or dancing in the car to Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, or Buddy Holly, the music was what made George feel good. George got into the music after a plane crash that claimed the lives of Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper, J.P. Richardson. He became aware of them when his true love Kacy came crying to him, distraught, after she heard about the crash. That was what opened George up to their music, and to the Big Bopper, the basis of the novel. The characters as well opened George up to new things: Donna's record player gave George the knowledge of music as well as instant happiness; Joshua's drugs and insanity allowed George to unwind and live a little more; and the ghost's passion for having a good time added for interesting events and conversations in the book. Not only did
The station KRZE brought George John Seasons, and Captain Midnight, whom George tuned into on All Hallow's Eve, KRZY allowed George to listen to his good friend, the Reverend Double-Gone Johnson, and KROM had a typical run-of-the-mill DJ, but they played the type of music George had been listening to the whole way. When the music was not playing, making George feel good, the crazy, on-air personalities gave George people with whom George could identify. Among all the music and all the characters in the book, the most interesting, not necessarily influential, was George's ghost. A complete clone of George, crazy and all, the ghost added even more humor and comic relief to the book. Just as music made George feel good, the ghost had to have music as well. "Music!" my ghost demanded, suddenly beside me in the passenger's seat. "Sounds! Give me the beat!"......... "I need the beat!" he demanded. "The sound of f***ing music!"(250-251) George and his ghost had some crazy experiences together, but that was because they are both 'insane in the membrane.' From singing together to dancing with him, the ghost was a brilliant addition to the novel. "I listened to everything I had of the Bopper, Buddy, and Ritchie, hoping the sound of their music wo
Some common words found in the essay are:
Joshua George, Donna George, George Donna's, Johnson KROM, Lace Donna, JP Richardson, Buddy Ritchie, George Gastin, Buddy Holly, George Hey, record player, music george, george feel, george music, buddy holly, allowed george, chuck berry buddy, donna's record, joshua george, chuck berry, book music, berry buddy holly, jerry lee lewis, bopper jp richardson, book music george,
Approximate Word count = 849
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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