In Morrison's Song of Solomon, Reba is not given the attention she deserves. In the grand scheme of the novel, Reba is portrayed as Pilate's daughter and Hagar's mother; nothing more. She does not interact with the narrator, Milkman, in any meaningful way. From Milkman's perspective, Reba is the least interesting of the three, so he does not bother with her. Nonetheless, even with the lack of information we are given about Reba, it is still possible to infer a lot about her character.
We are first introduced to Reba when Milkman and Guitar visit Pilate's house for the first time in the novel. While in the midst of mashing berries for wine-making, Milkman describes Reba as " [having] the simple eyes of an infant...her light pimply skin and deferential manner, looked as though her simplicity might also be vacuousness" (46). Straight from the beginning, Reba's character is introduced as being 'simple' and 'unintelligent'. She is portrayed as being reliant on her luck as a means to keep herself content. The valuables she gives away at a whim to any man that comes near her shows how naive and innocent she is. Her simplicity as a character is solidified when she becomes upset at Hagar's complaints and responds, "'You been hungry, baby? Why didn't you say so?' Reba looked hurt. 'We get you anything you want, baby. Anything. You been knowing that'" (48). Reba will do anything to please her daughter; it is her only goal in life. In the entirety of the novel, every action she takes is for the benefit of someone else. Reba's selflessness is at a level that is detrimental to her development, forcing her to remain in the simple and childish state Milkman describes her with.
Reba's intense desire to fulfill every one of her daughter's wishes reaches a climax near the end of the novel after Milkman deserts Hagar and leaves town in search for the gold. Hagar is left devastated at the fact that 'she isn't good enough' for Milkman and Reba does everything in her power to cheer her up. From intentionally trying to win things (and failing) to cooking special things for her, nothing works and Reba is left in panic. When Hagar sees herself in the mirror and has an anxiety attack over her appearance; instead of restraining her, she goes to the mall to buy Hagar whatever she wants: "'I need everything,' she [Hagar] said, and everything is what she got. She shopped for everything a woman could wear from the skin out, with the money from Reba's diamond...the two-thousand-dollar two-carat diamond went to the pawnshop, where Reba traded it in for thirty dollars..." (310). Reba's dedication to Hagar blinds her. Hagar was happy when she got everything she wanted, and now that she is not, Reba attempts to recreate this feeling for Hagar. She is unable to get Milkman back into Hagar's life, so she does her best to fill that void. When she is not able to do so, Reba spirals into a panic and any little spark Hagar has excites her to the point she even sells her most prized possession at a mere fraction (1.5% to be exact) of its value to achieve this goal.
Reba's simplistic character can not comprehend being helpless. For Reba, there is always something that can fix what is broken. This is what makes Reba an interesting character to follow, but unfortunately the last we glimpse of her is at Hagar's funeral. And it is truly a glimpse as even at her daughter's funeral, Pilate takes the spotlight; a real Reba thing to do.
What do you think Reba will do now that her beliefs about the world as she knows it are shattered? Will she find something else to occupy herself with? Or will she undergo a major transformation?
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Friday, November 16, 2018
Deciphering Rochester & Antoinette's Relationship
Rochester, one of the core narrators of Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea, plays an important role in the progression of the plot. Portrayed as an Englishmen grown with imperialist ideals, Rochester visits Jamaica in search of a potential beloved and falls victim to tropical disease, leaving him bedridden for over three weeks. In that time his marriage with the protagonist, Antoinette, is arranged and Rochester awakes to the information that he is to wed her within the week. Without any prior knowledge or understanding of each other, we get see how two complete strangers grown in two different environments and with conflicting beliefs come to interact with one another as husband and wife.
Premature signs of a possible conflict arise just as Rochester and Antoinette travel to her estate in Granbois, as the former comments, "Everything is too much, I felt as I rode wearily after her. Too much blue, too much purple, too much green. The flowers too red, the mountains too high, the hills too near. And the woman is a stranger. Her pleading expression annoys me." (41). Having lived in England for all of is life, Rochester is not accustomed to the exquisite scenery of the Caribbean islands. Disoriented, Rochester takes his first critical look at Antoinette, his newly-wed wife. The first aspect he finds interesting enough to mention is her appearance, which offends him. His public expression of discontent acts as foreshadowing of more disagreements further in the plot, which ends up being the case.
One such instance of this can be found when Antoinette learns of Rochester's misdeeds with Amelie and in a fit of rage, she rants, "'...I loved this place and you have made it into a place I hate. I used to think that if everything else went out of my life I would still have this, and now you have spoilt it... I hate it now like I hate you and before I die I will show you how much I hate you'" (89). As previously mentioned, Rochester is unable to adapt to the sudden change in setting, so in order to compensate for the 'unenglishness' of his life, he acts as if he is still in Britain. Rochester repeatedly refers to Antoinette as 'Bertha' in an attempt to get her to conform to his ideal model for an English wife. Unfavorably for him, Antoinette is not the type of women who is willing to change for others, so when she refuses to do so he sleeps with Amelie, who is willing to obey his demands. Rochester's actions infuriate Antoinette and she expresses her anger in the most extreme of manners. Antoinette can not stand the fact that she was betrayed in her own estate, a place where she thought was one of refuge, where she could live her life peacefully and out of sight of those who would judge her. In doing so, Antoinette changes from a delicate, observant character to a untrusting, mentally-scarred one, permanently altering the outcome of their relationship.
At this point of the novel, Rochester and Antoinette's relationship is in ruins with both unwilling to trust each other, minimizing any chances to piece together what ever was left. Antoinette promises to demonstrate her hatred towards Rochester before she dies, and she does so when she burns down Rochester's estate, sacrificing herself and permanently blinding Rochester. Given that both of these characters were forced into a relationship, how do you think it would have fared if it were one of choice? Do you think that Antoinette and Rochester could have overcame their differences and lived in a healthy relationship or would it have crashed and burned just as it did in the novel?
Premature signs of a possible conflict arise just as Rochester and Antoinette travel to her estate in Granbois, as the former comments, "Everything is too much, I felt as I rode wearily after her. Too much blue, too much purple, too much green. The flowers too red, the mountains too high, the hills too near. And the woman is a stranger. Her pleading expression annoys me." (41). Having lived in England for all of is life, Rochester is not accustomed to the exquisite scenery of the Caribbean islands. Disoriented, Rochester takes his first critical look at Antoinette, his newly-wed wife. The first aspect he finds interesting enough to mention is her appearance, which offends him. His public expression of discontent acts as foreshadowing of more disagreements further in the plot, which ends up being the case.
One such instance of this can be found when Antoinette learns of Rochester's misdeeds with Amelie and in a fit of rage, she rants, "'...I loved this place and you have made it into a place I hate. I used to think that if everything else went out of my life I would still have this, and now you have spoilt it... I hate it now like I hate you and before I die I will show you how much I hate you'" (89). As previously mentioned, Rochester is unable to adapt to the sudden change in setting, so in order to compensate for the 'unenglishness' of his life, he acts as if he is still in Britain. Rochester repeatedly refers to Antoinette as 'Bertha' in an attempt to get her to conform to his ideal model for an English wife. Unfavorably for him, Antoinette is not the type of women who is willing to change for others, so when she refuses to do so he sleeps with Amelie, who is willing to obey his demands. Rochester's actions infuriate Antoinette and she expresses her anger in the most extreme of manners. Antoinette can not stand the fact that she was betrayed in her own estate, a place where she thought was one of refuge, where she could live her life peacefully and out of sight of those who would judge her. In doing so, Antoinette changes from a delicate, observant character to a untrusting, mentally-scarred one, permanently altering the outcome of their relationship.
At this point of the novel, Rochester and Antoinette's relationship is in ruins with both unwilling to trust each other, minimizing any chances to piece together what ever was left. Antoinette promises to demonstrate her hatred towards Rochester before she dies, and she does so when she burns down Rochester's estate, sacrificing herself and permanently blinding Rochester. Given that both of these characters were forced into a relationship, how do you think it would have fared if it were one of choice? Do you think that Antoinette and Rochester could have overcame their differences and lived in a healthy relationship or would it have crashed and burned just as it did in the novel?
Friday, November 2, 2018
Deciphering Meursault
The protagonist of The Stranger, commonly referred to as Meursault, makes some very questionable decisions over the course of the novel. Meursault is portrayed to everyone around him as a friendly man that is grieving from the death of his mother, but to the reader he is shown to be an anti-social being that lacks empathy for others and struggles to follow a moral code. Fortunately for us, the narrative is from Meursault's point of view, allowing us to understand the thought process behind his decisions.
Right after getting back home from his mother's funeral, Meursault is greeted by one of his neighbors, Raymond Sintรจ, who he describes as "living off woman" and "not very popular" (28). When invited to dinner with him, Meursault responds, "I figured it would save me the trouble of having to cook for myself, so I accepted" (28). The decision to have dine with a man not popular in the neighborhood only days after his mother's funeral just because it saves him from having to cook for himself is not a decision many would make in that position. Despite Raymond's well-documented immoral history and low standing within the neighborhood, Meursault is not deterred at the idea of an evening dinner with him. He simply accepts the invitation because does not have any reason not to. This reaction shows how indifferent his mother's death is to him as he does not attempt to hide his lack of emotion. Through this display, Meursault challenges society's accepted views on moral standards of death and grief. It becomes known that Meursault is no ordinary character and that his indistinction between good and bad/right and wrong pave way to his pragmatic outlook on daily life and effects the decisions he makes throughout the rest of the novel.
One such decision Meursault makes is the decision to shoot the Arabian man on the beach. Set right after his pal, Raymond, is slashed with a knife, Meursault goes out for a leisurely stroll on the beach. Unknowingly, he walks back to the same location and finds the Arabian man who slashed Raymond still there. Describing the encounter, Meursault thinks, "It seemed to me as if the sky split open from one end to the other to rain down fire. My whole being tensed and I squeezed my hand around the revolver...I fired four more times at the motionless body...And it was like knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness" (59). In the passage, Meursault blames the Sun for his lack of awareness about the situation, but this claim can not be taken seriously with how ambiguous it is in the first place. Even if the first shot was an 'accident', his claim does not explain why, after regaining consciousness, Meursault shoots the Arabian four more times. One leading theory that is explained in the novel is that Meursault shot the Arabian in revenge for his pal, Raymond. Meursault does not know how to physically express his emotions, so when he sees the man who hurt his friend, Meursault experiences a surge of rage, which causes him to lose control over himself and leads to the following sequence of events. Meursault narrates the event passively as if he is watching the trigger being squeezed and not if he is the one shooting the gun. The Meursault at that moment is not the same one that has been narrating since the beginning of the novel; the cold, calm, calculated Meursault disappears, his emotional barrier shattered, and is replaced by this rage-induced being that has only one objective: to get revenge.
Do you think the Meursault on the beach is the same one that has been with us throughout the novel? If so, what do you think happened to him for this to occur?
Right after getting back home from his mother's funeral, Meursault is greeted by one of his neighbors, Raymond Sintรจ, who he describes as "living off woman" and "not very popular" (28). When invited to dinner with him, Meursault responds, "I figured it would save me the trouble of having to cook for myself, so I accepted" (28). The decision to have dine with a man not popular in the neighborhood only days after his mother's funeral just because it saves him from having to cook for himself is not a decision many would make in that position. Despite Raymond's well-documented immoral history and low standing within the neighborhood, Meursault is not deterred at the idea of an evening dinner with him. He simply accepts the invitation because does not have any reason not to. This reaction shows how indifferent his mother's death is to him as he does not attempt to hide his lack of emotion. Through this display, Meursault challenges society's accepted views on moral standards of death and grief. It becomes known that Meursault is no ordinary character and that his indistinction between good and bad/right and wrong pave way to his pragmatic outlook on daily life and effects the decisions he makes throughout the rest of the novel.
One such decision Meursault makes is the decision to shoot the Arabian man on the beach. Set right after his pal, Raymond, is slashed with a knife, Meursault goes out for a leisurely stroll on the beach. Unknowingly, he walks back to the same location and finds the Arabian man who slashed Raymond still there. Describing the encounter, Meursault thinks, "It seemed to me as if the sky split open from one end to the other to rain down fire. My whole being tensed and I squeezed my hand around the revolver...I fired four more times at the motionless body...And it was like knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness" (59). In the passage, Meursault blames the Sun for his lack of awareness about the situation, but this claim can not be taken seriously with how ambiguous it is in the first place. Even if the first shot was an 'accident', his claim does not explain why, after regaining consciousness, Meursault shoots the Arabian four more times. One leading theory that is explained in the novel is that Meursault shot the Arabian in revenge for his pal, Raymond. Meursault does not know how to physically express his emotions, so when he sees the man who hurt his friend, Meursault experiences a surge of rage, which causes him to lose control over himself and leads to the following sequence of events. Meursault narrates the event passively as if he is watching the trigger being squeezed and not if he is the one shooting the gun. The Meursault at that moment is not the same one that has been narrating since the beginning of the novel; the cold, calm, calculated Meursault disappears, his emotional barrier shattered, and is replaced by this rage-induced being that has only one objective: to get revenge.
Do you think the Meursault on the beach is the same one that has been with us throughout the novel? If so, what do you think happened to him for this to occur?
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Deciphering Grete
Grete Samsa, known as Gregor's sister, plays an important, underlying role in Kafka's The Metamorphosis. Just like her brother, Grete goes through a "metamorphosis" of her own, but instead of a sudden one (like Gregor experienced), it is a transformation that takes place over the six month period Gregor is an insect. From the novel, we can find numerous examples of Gregor noticing such changes in Grete.
One such example can be found in the way Grete treats Gregor throughout the novel. We first meet her at the beginning of the novel, when she affectionately pesters Gregor about why he has not left for work, asking, "'Gregor? Aren't you well? Is there anything you want?'" (66). Although Grete does not say much in this quote, the state of their relationship can easily be inferred. Grete goes out of her way to offer her assistance to her brother. Even after Gregor dismisses her, Grete does not let go of the matter, further whispering, "'Do open up, Gregor, please do'" (67). Grete knows something is wrong with Gregor, so she tries to help him in any way she possibly can. When their mother asks Grete to fetch a doctor to help Gregor, she is out of the door so quickly that it leads to Gregor being perplexed at the sheer haste she must have dressed up in (73). Grete does not even know what is wrong with Gregor, yet she leaves blind just to help him, revealing the strong brother-sister bond they both share.
When Grete discovers that Gregor has been transformed into an insect, she is repulsed at first, but eventually begins to pity him for his misfortune. Although the other members of her family refuse to set foot in Gregor's room, she steps forward, tending to his nutrition, hygiene, and comfort, effectively becoming his caretaker. But her opinion of Gregor changes as the novel progresses as can be seen in her reaction to Gregor when he tries to get Grete to play the violin in his room instead of in the presence of the lodgers, who he concludes are not worthy of her music. As soon as the situation with lodgers has calmed down, she cries,"'things can't go on like this. Perhaps you don't realize that but I do. I refuse to utter my brother's name in the presence of this monster, and so all I say is: we must try and get rid of it" (104). Grete no longer refers to Gregor by his name, not believing in the "idea that it's Gregor" (105) anymore. But what causes this stark change from the beginning of the novel? It lies in the fact that she has matured from when we first met her whispering through the door scene. Grete's responsibilities within the household have increased as her parents realized what an asset she is to the family. Most notably, she gets a job to help provide for her family financially. This lessens her commitment to Gregor and she begins to see caring for him as a chore, ultimately deciding it is time they get rid of Gregor.
This complete overhaul in opinion is very confusing to comprehend.What do you think about Grete turning her back to Gregor? Do you think she is justified in this decision?
One such example can be found in the way Grete treats Gregor throughout the novel. We first meet her at the beginning of the novel, when she affectionately pesters Gregor about why he has not left for work, asking, "'Gregor? Aren't you well? Is there anything you want?'" (66). Although Grete does not say much in this quote, the state of their relationship can easily be inferred. Grete goes out of her way to offer her assistance to her brother. Even after Gregor dismisses her, Grete does not let go of the matter, further whispering, "'Do open up, Gregor, please do'" (67). Grete knows something is wrong with Gregor, so she tries to help him in any way she possibly can. When their mother asks Grete to fetch a doctor to help Gregor, she is out of the door so quickly that it leads to Gregor being perplexed at the sheer haste she must have dressed up in (73). Grete does not even know what is wrong with Gregor, yet she leaves blind just to help him, revealing the strong brother-sister bond they both share.
When Grete discovers that Gregor has been transformed into an insect, she is repulsed at first, but eventually begins to pity him for his misfortune. Although the other members of her family refuse to set foot in Gregor's room, she steps forward, tending to his nutrition, hygiene, and comfort, effectively becoming his caretaker. But her opinion of Gregor changes as the novel progresses as can be seen in her reaction to Gregor when he tries to get Grete to play the violin in his room instead of in the presence of the lodgers, who he concludes are not worthy of her music. As soon as the situation with lodgers has calmed down, she cries,"'things can't go on like this. Perhaps you don't realize that but I do. I refuse to utter my brother's name in the presence of this monster, and so all I say is: we must try and get rid of it" (104). Grete no longer refers to Gregor by his name, not believing in the "idea that it's Gregor" (105) anymore. But what causes this stark change from the beginning of the novel? It lies in the fact that she has matured from when we first met her whispering through the door scene. Grete's responsibilities within the household have increased as her parents realized what an asset she is to the family. Most notably, she gets a job to help provide for her family financially. This lessens her commitment to Gregor and she begins to see caring for him as a chore, ultimately deciding it is time they get rid of Gregor.
This complete overhaul in opinion is very confusing to comprehend.What do you think about Grete turning her back to Gregor? Do you think she is justified in this decision?
Friday, September 28, 2018
Deciphering Jake
Jacob Barnes, also known as Jake, has a very ambiguous role in Hemingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises. He portrays himself as a calm, gentle man who likes to observe the drama unfolding around him rather than contributing to it himself, but on the inside, we get to know the emotionally unstable side of Jake, a person with many insecurities about his purpose in life. This combination of characteristics affects how Jake interacts and responds to the people around him throughout the novel, providing insight into his character.
In Paris, we see Jake aimlessly wandering from bar to bar, drinking as much as he can before moving on to the next. At one bar, Jake observes Brett enter with a group of gay men. Infuriated, he responds, "I was very angry. Somehow they always made me angry" (28). These men have done nothing to provoke such a reaction from Jake, instead, this reaction is caused due to Jake's insecurities over his sense of masculinity. He admits it himself, saying, "I know they are supposed to be amusing, and you should be tolerant, but I wanted to swing on one, any one, anything to shatter that superior, simpering composure" (28). Due to the nature of the wound he suffered in the war, Jake lashes out at those who do not take advantage of their masculinity. He continually attempts to prove to himself that he can be just as macho as those without his deficiency. The gay men in the quote highlight Jake's shortcomings, causing Jake to express his fury in the way he did.
Brett's relationship with Jake also provides an interesting insight into his character. Brett, having an intimate conversation with Jake, says, "'Isn't it rotten? There isn't any use my telling you I love you.' [Jake responds] 'You know I love you'" (62). Jake and Brett want to be in love with each other, but the complexity of their relationship, both publicly and privately, are not conducive towards a relationship that can be sustained. Brett wants a man that can fulfill her emotional and physical needs, and Jake is only able to satisfy the emotional aspect. Jake knows he does not have a chance at Brett, so he shares his innermost thoughts with her. Jake loves Brett and Brett returns that in the unique way she does, but in the end, they seem to be more in love with the idea of being in love than they actually are with each other.
Hemingway masterfully narrates the novel from Jake's perspective. From his thoughts and feelings to his everyday struggles, Jake can not be seen as a one-dimensional character. Hemingway leaves too much to be inferred, and not everything can be noticed in one reading. What do you think of Jake and his role in the novel? Does his character supplement or lead the plot?
In Paris, we see Jake aimlessly wandering from bar to bar, drinking as much as he can before moving on to the next. At one bar, Jake observes Brett enter with a group of gay men. Infuriated, he responds, "I was very angry. Somehow they always made me angry" (28). These men have done nothing to provoke such a reaction from Jake, instead, this reaction is caused due to Jake's insecurities over his sense of masculinity. He admits it himself, saying, "I know they are supposed to be amusing, and you should be tolerant, but I wanted to swing on one, any one, anything to shatter that superior, simpering composure" (28). Due to the nature of the wound he suffered in the war, Jake lashes out at those who do not take advantage of their masculinity. He continually attempts to prove to himself that he can be just as macho as those without his deficiency. The gay men in the quote highlight Jake's shortcomings, causing Jake to express his fury in the way he did.
Brett's relationship with Jake also provides an interesting insight into his character. Brett, having an intimate conversation with Jake, says, "'Isn't it rotten? There isn't any use my telling you I love you.' [Jake responds] 'You know I love you'" (62). Jake and Brett want to be in love with each other, but the complexity of their relationship, both publicly and privately, are not conducive towards a relationship that can be sustained. Brett wants a man that can fulfill her emotional and physical needs, and Jake is only able to satisfy the emotional aspect. Jake knows he does not have a chance at Brett, so he shares his innermost thoughts with her. Jake loves Brett and Brett returns that in the unique way she does, but in the end, they seem to be more in love with the idea of being in love than they actually are with each other.
Hemingway masterfully narrates the novel from Jake's perspective. From his thoughts and feelings to his everyday struggles, Jake can not be seen as a one-dimensional character. Hemingway leaves too much to be inferred, and not everything can be noticed in one reading. What do you think of Jake and his role in the novel? Does his character supplement or lead the plot?
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Deciphering Rezia
Lucrezia Smith, also known as Rezia, is not given the exposure her character deserves in Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway." In the grand scheme of the novel, she is portrayed as Septimus's wife; nothing more. From the outside, she looks and acts like a normal British housewife, but only from her mind do we learn about the immense emotions she feels about her life in the novel. In the end, we never actually discover her true internal feelings about her life as we do with Clarissa and Septimus. Nonetheless, even with the lack of information we are given about Rezia, it is possible to infer a lot about her as an individual character.
We are first introduced to Septimus and Rezia in the motorcade montage, where Septimus is transfixed on the motor vehicle and Rezia thought to herself, "People must notice; people must see...Septimus had said, 'I will kill myself'; an awful thing to say. Suppose they had heard him?...But failure one conceals. She must take him away into some park" (15). Rezia, who is both embarrassed by Septimus's behavior and frightened by his threats of suicide, highlights her unhappiness with her marriage with Septimus; a man she is in love with, but unable to deal with due to the horrors he experienced in the war.
Rezia continues to express her unhappiness with her life when she finally is able to take Septimus with her to Regent's Park, stating, "No; I can't stand it any longer, she was saying, having left Septimus, who wasn't Septimus any longer...for herself she had done nothing wrong; she had loved Septimus..." (64). Here, we learn of Rezia's frustrations with Septimus. She can no longer tolerate his behavior. Septimus had changed; he was not the same person she had married, and she felt as if she were his caretaker instead of his wife. He continually makes references to killing himself, prompting Rezia to recall her previous life with her sisters where, "...she had been happy; she had had a beautiful home, and there her sisters lived still, making hats. Why should she suffer?" (64). She does not feel any positive emotions anymore, continually questioning her decision to stay with Septimus, who would not have cared at all if she had left him. Alone and isolated, Rezia felt only sadness. On one hand, Septimus is the only person who could keep her happy; on the other, he was incapable of doing so.
Near the end of the story, for a few moments, Septimus was exhibiting behavior that was characterized as being qualities of the old Septimus, and for once in the novel, we saw Rezia sharing an intimate moment with him; a true husband and wife interaction. Rezia looked truly happy, even sharing a few laughs with Septimus before he went to sleep. This event is very important to Rezia's character as it demonstrated that she was still in love with Septimus. In spite of all the suffering she had been through, Rezia was still willing to mend her relationship with Septimus. But unfortunately, we are unable to see their relationship progress as Rezia's story ends with Septimus's inevitable suicide.
What do you think Rezia will do now that Septimus has killed himself? Will she go back to Italy, or stay and suffer more?
We are first introduced to Septimus and Rezia in the motorcade montage, where Septimus is transfixed on the motor vehicle and Rezia thought to herself, "People must notice; people must see...Septimus had said, 'I will kill myself'; an awful thing to say. Suppose they had heard him?...But failure one conceals. She must take him away into some park" (15). Rezia, who is both embarrassed by Septimus's behavior and frightened by his threats of suicide, highlights her unhappiness with her marriage with Septimus; a man she is in love with, but unable to deal with due to the horrors he experienced in the war.
Rezia continues to express her unhappiness with her life when she finally is able to take Septimus with her to Regent's Park, stating, "No; I can't stand it any longer, she was saying, having left Septimus, who wasn't Septimus any longer...for herself she had done nothing wrong; she had loved Septimus..." (64). Here, we learn of Rezia's frustrations with Septimus. She can no longer tolerate his behavior. Septimus had changed; he was not the same person she had married, and she felt as if she were his caretaker instead of his wife. He continually makes references to killing himself, prompting Rezia to recall her previous life with her sisters where, "...she had been happy; she had had a beautiful home, and there her sisters lived still, making hats. Why should she suffer?" (64). She does not feel any positive emotions anymore, continually questioning her decision to stay with Septimus, who would not have cared at all if she had left him. Alone and isolated, Rezia felt only sadness. On one hand, Septimus is the only person who could keep her happy; on the other, he was incapable of doing so.
Near the end of the story, for a few moments, Septimus was exhibiting behavior that was characterized as being qualities of the old Septimus, and for once in the novel, we saw Rezia sharing an intimate moment with him; a true husband and wife interaction. Rezia looked truly happy, even sharing a few laughs with Septimus before he went to sleep. This event is very important to Rezia's character as it demonstrated that she was still in love with Septimus. In spite of all the suffering she had been through, Rezia was still willing to mend her relationship with Septimus. But unfortunately, we are unable to see their relationship progress as Rezia's story ends with Septimus's inevitable suicide.
What do you think Rezia will do now that Septimus has killed himself? Will she go back to Italy, or stay and suffer more?
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Deciphering Howie
In The Mezzanine, Nicholson Baker portrays the main character, Howie, as an enthusiastic person. In spite of working in a corporate setting (introduced to the reader as one of the most monotonous jobs at the time), Howie always seems to find a way to keep his inquisitive mind busy. From pondering about his shoelaces' rate of decay to the history of straws, Howie obsesses himself with mundane subjects as a way of escaping from the repetitiveness of his life.
In order to keep himself from getting bored, Howie is always observing his surroundings. There are so many things going through his mind at any given moment, that it would be impossible for the reader to understand the insane train of thought he experiences in such a short period of time. To help the reader decipher his mind, Baker condenses all of Howie's observations into written text, simplifying his escalator ride into a 135 page rambling of disorganized thoughts.
The novel, written in first person, provides Howie's unique perspective on everyday objects. For example, when Howie is commenting about his laundry services, he says, "... the shirts weren't merely folded: strips of light blue paper held them tightly and individually to their stored state, their arms impossibly bent behind them as if each were concealing a present" (50). To the reader, when they imagine a normal shirt, they see it as it is: a folded shirt. But Howie, observing every little detail, from each crevice to each fold, realizes the arms of the shirt are bent at such an angle that they could be hiding something, such as a present. This quote demonstrates one of Howie's best abilities in the novel: to expose the reader to a different perspective of everyday life by defamiliarizing what may seem like straightforward objects. By doing so, Howie keeps the reader engaged, thus allowing him to further digress in his thoughts until he finally reaches the end of the escalator, concluding the novel.
In the end, Howie seems to act as a vessel to carry Baker's overarching theme. He hides bits and portions of it within Howie's digressions, and if the reader has been paying even half the attention Howie does throughout the novel, they will be able to find a theme or at least get a general idea.
From what I have uncovered, I believe the theme is: For every negative aspect in society, there will be as many positive aspects, of which 99% are hidden for you to discover.
What do you think is Howie's role in The Mezzanine? What themes do you believe are present in the novel?
In order to keep himself from getting bored, Howie is always observing his surroundings. There are so many things going through his mind at any given moment, that it would be impossible for the reader to understand the insane train of thought he experiences in such a short period of time. To help the reader decipher his mind, Baker condenses all of Howie's observations into written text, simplifying his escalator ride into a 135 page rambling of disorganized thoughts.
The novel, written in first person, provides Howie's unique perspective on everyday objects. For example, when Howie is commenting about his laundry services, he says, "... the shirts weren't merely folded: strips of light blue paper held them tightly and individually to their stored state, their arms impossibly bent behind them as if each were concealing a present" (50). To the reader, when they imagine a normal shirt, they see it as it is: a folded shirt. But Howie, observing every little detail, from each crevice to each fold, realizes the arms of the shirt are bent at such an angle that they could be hiding something, such as a present. This quote demonstrates one of Howie's best abilities in the novel: to expose the reader to a different perspective of everyday life by defamiliarizing what may seem like straightforward objects. By doing so, Howie keeps the reader engaged, thus allowing him to further digress in his thoughts until he finally reaches the end of the escalator, concluding the novel.
In the end, Howie seems to act as a vessel to carry Baker's overarching theme. He hides bits and portions of it within Howie's digressions, and if the reader has been paying even half the attention Howie does throughout the novel, they will be able to find a theme or at least get a general idea.
From what I have uncovered, I believe the theme is: For every negative aspect in society, there will be as many positive aspects, of which 99% are hidden for you to discover.
What do you think is Howie's role in The Mezzanine? What themes do you believe are present in the novel?
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