Insurgency In John Handke's 'Special Delivery?'

“But why also SPECIAL DELIVERY?” (pg. 6). Why? That is the question that is wandering through the readers mind and not because they are wondering why the main characters mother special delivered her own will but why did the author write special delivery in all capital letters? The reader proceeds to blow off this idea, not thinking much of it, and continues reading. However, only two pages later the reader stumbles upon another word that is spelled in all capital letters, SETTLEMENTS (pg. 8). This has now caught the reader’s attention for the writer must have purposefully put these words in all caps, this must not be a coincidence. As the reader keeps reading they see more, some that are even phrases, “EDUCATION, DISTANCE, MEANWHILE HAD GONE

70). Usually one puts things in all caps in order to grab or get the readers attention. This technic is almost seen as a form of desperation in the sense that if you are not paying attention to anything written on the page at least pay attention to this one word or phrase that is highlighted for you. For it is as if you are reading instructions for how to assemble a table, you peruse over them, not truly paying much attention to the words on the page, thinking about other things possibly contemplating what you will have for dinner and then …BAM! You see a phrase, word or line in all caps, “ DO NOT USE THE SILVER SCREWS”. Suddenly everything in your mind comes to a halt. Your whole essence, that being your physical body: your eyes, breathing and your mental body, your mind comes to a stand still. This has caught your attention and not because of the actual word but merely because that word or phrase is in all caps. It causes you to ask questions that cannot be answered. Why can you not use the silver screw? Why did they make them silver and not copper? These answer do not lie in the rest of the instructions. They are open-ended and will not be

Why is this word capitalized? Is there a reason one is italicized while the other is capitalized? These questions cannot be answered, for the answer does not lie in Handke’s text. No matter how many times you look through the pages, you scrutinize the text you will find no answer. The same as it is with life. Handke uses this technic because it makes the reader think. It makes the reader to contemplate why he did this, why he chose to capitalize “EDUCATION” out of all of the words on page 8, just like he is questioning his mothers suicide. For the answer can not be found. No matter how many times he relives her life. No matter how many times he tries to write down the exact details, the exact turning points of her life he will never be able to find the answer of why. Even though at times it may seem simple and obvious, just as if someone was to think they answered the question of why can not one use the silver screws, maybe the silver will react with a certain chemical in the table, maybe…maybe….maybe. Every answer one thinks of, every step closer they think they are getting to finding the answer to the question will always result in maybe. Maybe that is right, maybe that is why Handke’s mother killed herself but one will never