Blog Post 9, Part 2: Creative Project on Vernon God Little

Creative Project and Explanation:

Rules for the game:

Players: 2-6

Game pieces included:

• 10 character strength cards
• 6 bicycle player pieces
• 20 cause & effect cards
• 1 die
• 10 life decision cards

Objective: To have the most character strength points by the time all players have reached Mexico.

Setup: Place all bikes on start line, place character strength cards.

Play: Start by rolling a die to decide playing order. Whoever gets the lowest number goes first. The first player then rolls the die again and moves the number of spaces rolled. All players must stop on the red “life decision” spaces. They will pick up a “life decision” card. If a  player lands on an green “character strength” space, they may pick up a “character strength” card which will add or subtract character strength points to their total. “cause and effect” spacews and their corresponding cards are  the same except the point you earn depend on your answer to a question. Players will keep track of their points on  a score sheet. The game ends when everyone has reached Mexico. Whoever has the most character strength points at that time will be the winner. If, at any time during the game, a player lands on the same space as another, they may place the opponent’s piece anywhere on the board if they so choose.

Explanation:

This board game was loosely based off the game of LIFE. Just as LIFE centers around pivotal moments in the average person’s life, “Causers and Effecters” is based on Vernon “God” Little’s epic trek from his small town of Martirio to Mexico. The concepts used in the game, however, with the cards and overall goal, reflect Vernon’s inward journey to finding his own strengths and learning to stand up for himself. As the local deputy of Martirio, Vain Gurie, tells Vernon, the “two forces underlying all life in this world,” are “cause and effect” (5-6). The “cause and effect cards present a situation for which the player must decide the cause. The outcome of their choices is what either propels the player forward or deters them from the goal.

    The “Life Decision” cards exhibit a choice to be made. Saying yes or no to the choice presented will send you in one direction or the other. Once you make certain decisions and reach certain points in life, there is no turning back. After Vernon sets off on his journey, he realizes that “you’re cursed when you realize true things, because then you can’t act with the full confidence of dumbness anymore” (154). He recognizes the importance of innocence when faced with experience here.

The last type of card in the game, the “Character Strength” cards, are received by chance. They represent the many chance encounters that Vernon has on his journey and how his interactions add to his knowledge and build on his character. When he finally makes it to Mexico, he meets a  man named Pelayo who shows him that life can’t always be about yourself. He tells Vernon of “how important it is for him to get ahead in life, so he can bring wealth into the village” (187). This shows Vernon that he has to help others first before he can help himself. His relationship with Jesus taught him to be careful and guard himself against dangerous people in the world. He remarks that, “you should take care nobody discovers where [your psychological knife] is stuck. Jesus is proof you should take damn good care” (230). Jesus taught him by example that it is important to keep what gets to you away from other people, to not let them know how to push your buttons or harm you. “Character Strength” cards represent these chance interactions and the experience you can gain from them.

Finally, if a  player lands on the same space a s another, they are allowed to move the opponent. This represents how Vernon learned to take care of himself. While in jail for crimes he didn’t commit , he meets Lasalle, a fellow convict who tells him that he shouldn’t be, “lookin up at no sky for help” (260). Vernon must instead learn to fight for himself. Lasalle tells Vernon, “You’re the God. Take responsibility. Exercise your power”(260). Having the ability to change (or not change) another’s position on the board is a way a  player can “take responsibility” and “Exercise power” by taking charge and putting themselves at a better position to win the game. 

The outcome of the game, like the outcome of Vernon’s journey and eventual trial, depends upon personal choices as well as a  bit of chance. You are responsible for how your life goes. So live. Win the game of life.