Alejandro Herrera - Kool-Aid

Alejandro Herrera
S/F Lit Fri 3:30
October 20, 2008

Fulfillment in Kool-Aid

Brautigan uses the character of the Kool-Aid wino as a glimpse into the life of those who have been pushed out of the world, left to idle or act as they please. The Kool-Aid wino is given a double identity which are formed by products of capitalism and the joys which can be obtained outside of it. The Kool-Aid wino is the forgotten finding happiness through methods alternative to working long hours in an undesired job. He is what anyone can choose to be, if they allow themselves to see life as he does. The Kool-Aid wino is both beat down and pursuing beatitude.
At first glance, the wino embodies all the characteristics of the downtrodden. He is a non-American member of the lower class who is unable to work for money due to his handicap. Unseen by the workforce and ignored by his parents, the young Kool-Aid wino is free to do as he pleases. Consistent with a prevalent theme in the novel, the boy is able to wander and pursue his own happiness. He does not have to obey the authority of “4/17 of a haiku” (6) because the authority does not acknowledge him. His mother does not enforce his household chores. The pheasants in the field don’t even give him any notice when he walks in their field. The Kool-Aid wino relies on the charity of others and his unique, romantic philosophy to seek out his joys.
After the initial look at the poverty in the boy’s life, Brautigan exposes the pleasure one can explore outside of the capitalist world. The boy lives a simple lifestyle which derives its pleasures from simple things such as Kool-Aid. He does not need to work like the rest of his family, and he does not need to worry about materials as his friend does. The Kool-Aid wino only concentrates on being perfect at what he enjoys; the boy becomes the master of his trout stream. In this way, the boy is beautiful, and he completes the remaining 13 syllables of his haiku. Dirty dishes and the instructions on the back of the Kool-Aid packet can not ruin his Kool-Aid ceremony.
Brautigan sets the Kool-Aid wino apart from the other working class people in his novel. The Kool-Aid wino was forced out of mainstream life, but he chose to create his own “Kool-Aid reality” (10). The boy will never be limited to titles such as “Devoted Slob Father of” or “Beloved Worked-to-Death Mother of” (20) because he ignores behavioral laws and rejects regulated tasks. Brautigan’s Kool-Aid wino is a plea to the rest of the world to recognize the absurdity in many of the things that create and regulate daily routine in order to experience true happiness. Brautigan asks whether one wants to be remembered as for their unhappiness or their ability to “illuminate” (11) life.