Finishing Hoffmann

More than one of you has mentioned the "randomness" of Moods and I think it would be fair to say that Hoffmann is interested in the random moment. For instance, from 163:

"Once we knew a Russian man who, every morning (before the sun came up), would walk a white dog. We said good morning to him and he always answered (with a Russian accent) 'wolking.'"

This feels random. It doesn't refer to anything that came before or after. And yet, I feel that I could make arguments for why it's important as a scene in this book, which then suggests that it's not random but necessary and premeditated. Can you make either an argument for or against the necessity of this scene?

Also:

Remember, the theme of the class is "Voice." To me, voice, in writing, is what makes a writer's style unique, what sets it apart from other writers. How would you characterize Hoffmann's voice? How would you contrast (or compare) it to Malcolm X's?

I want to talk about the following in class, but if we don't get to it, then you might want to address it here:

Look at the conclusion of Hoffmann's book. How is this a conclusion? Now, reread the opening. How does the conclusion work w/ the opening?

What final thoughts do you have about Moods? What questions do you have?