Wrappin' it up

Looking back at the books we've read this semester, I must say I've enjoyed Wide Sargasso Sea and Song of Solomon the best. I've never read Jane Eyre, so I had to understand the events from class discussions. However, the main reason for enjoying both books could be contributed to Milkman's situation being strikingly similar to Antoinette's. In Wide Sargasso Sea, Antoinette didn't have a sense of belonging to neither to the English practices nor with the people of different races in Jamaica. Christopher tries to comfort her in a way, but Rochester only expresses his intimidation, and vice versa. The issue with race differences and how both sides commit to different beliefs makes it difficult for Antoinette to balance a relationship with people of different beliefs in her life.  As benign of an individual as she is, in the end she is the one who took action toward the situation that caused her to lose her sense of humanity. Her confusion as to what is the right way to behave to please everyone makes her personality similar to Milkman.

Most of his life, Milkman believes he hasn't harmed anyone, but once his sister makes it apparent that their family's life is centered around him, he realizes that his own family seems distant to him. He has lived a privileged life on Not Doctor Street compared to others in his community. He has never been in need of money and has always had a laid-back job ready for him. Milkman never had to put his effort in anything because everything was already done for him. When Magdalene emphasizes that everyone does things for him, he suddenly finds it his responsibility to develop his own self.

While he is unwelcome in his own home, Milkman also feels detached from his party life in Southside. This is his place of entertainment, where he can enjoy himself, but during an argument, Guitar makes it clear to him that he doesn't belong within that community. So, could Milkman end up like Antoinette? Milkman is in need of feeling loved and wanted, which is why in last night's reading, he thinks of Hagar just as he is being strangled to death by Guitar. I'm not sure how Song of Solomon will end, but it seems like Milkman might not have a person to turn to for true affection.

The Truth about Milkman

“This is definitely not Montgomery, Alabama. Tell me. What would you do if it was? If this turned out to be another Montgomery?” asked Guitar.

“Buy a plane ticket.” replied Milkman.

“Exactly. Now you know something about yourself you didn’t know before: who you are and what.” (104)

This scene imposes a very significant relationship between Milkman’s background and the experiences the rest of the people have to deal with. His background is one of a high-status person. Milkman grew up in the most prestigious house on Not Doctor Street. His father, Macon, is the most privileged of the colored people and seems to hold a status even with white people. He uses his job as a means of imposing his superiority due to his wealth. Also, his grandpa, Dr. Foster, was a doctor and happened to be the richest person in the community. Not Doctor Street is a haven Milkman was raised in where he experiences the vastness as opposed to others. Not Doctor Street has a different context when applied to the Southside setting. Southside hones the partying atmosphere and involves a society almost entirely of black people, just like Milkman. However, people living near Southside don't have the same issues as Milkman does on Not Doctor Street. The different locations serve people of different backgrounds, and the idea isn't brought to Milkman until now. 

Milkman and his family have never needed to depend on anyone for survival. Money has always been accessible to the family. However, most people Milkman interacts with are black people who are struck by the racial prejudices and don't find the means for increasing their position. Milkman clearly doesn't fit in the same category because both sides of his family are privileged enough to diverge from such problems.  

Guitar, his own best friend, emphasizes the differences Milkman has with the rest of the population. The very fact that Milkman says he will buy a plane ticket to escape issues in Montgomery reveals the ease of decision-making and lack of interaction with racial prejudices. His family has raised him in a privileged atmosphere which makes his behavior alien to the people around him. Racial bias seems to be an issue, but Milkman denies its importance by claiming he can buy a plane ticket away from a problematic climate. His reaction to such a prevalent concept causes Guitar to doubt his seriousness and ability to comprehend things beyond what he is accustomed to. That could be a reason why Guitar was hesitant to tell Milkman about the Seven Days because the response might be inappropriate.

Overall, Milkman's privilege causes him to diverge from the rest of the community. He has been raised in a family where money is plentiful and life doesn't demand much work. This gap, which Milkman especially creates after claiming to "buy a plane ticket," further sets him apart from everyone and everything, including his own family.

Mr. Mason

In Wide Sargasso Sea, Mr. Mason is the first man in the novel to represent English ideals. His appearance in Coulibri causes much harm as a result of openly expressing his beliefs and attitude, thanks to his big mouth. Even when warned several times, he brushes racial concerns aside, thinking people around him are harmless. When Mr. Mason was conveying his interest of importing laborers from the East Indies because the "people here don't want to work", Aunt Cora warns him about speaking in front of one of the servants, Myra. However, Mr. Mason continues to reveal his ignorance by claiming the people in Jamaica "are children--they wouldn't hurt a fly" because they are harmless and ignorant (32). As a result, Aunt Cora quickly offers the other side of the story by saying that "Unhappily children do hurt flies" (32).

The significance of this scene, in fact, reveals Mr. Mason's ignorance for underestimating the tension between white and black people in Coulibri. Not only is he proven wrong by everything he says, but so far his behavior upholds a sense of arrogance for feeling so educated about life and humanity. Mr. Mason's intelligence and superiority could also by understood by his resources in England. Pierre is known to have some illness that causes him to be very frail, and because of this, Mr. Mason promises "to take him to England later on, there he will be cured, made like other people" (33). While Mr. Mason can be seen as a thoughtful person for trying to aid with Pierre's situation, the fact that he can only do something with the resources provided from England to make people into "real" humans gives Mr. Mason a sense of pride for belonging to a country that "influences" or "creates" real people. This sort of identity that Mr. Mason represents on behalf of England truly shows the superiority of his country compared to Coulibri. This is essential to understanding how tension within the Coulibri estate, from part one, moves the people to burn the house.

The depiction of Mr. Mason in the book not only brings forth the first notion of an Englishman, but it gives a bigger perception of the identity issues Antoinette has. Antoinette is possibly trying to feel a sense of belonging when she marries an Englishman, but her attitude and culture closely resembles those she grew up with.

Meursault's snapchats

In Part One of The Stranger, Meursault’s personality is demonstrated by his nonchalance to most events and (possibly) inability to piece events together. During class one day, Mr. Mitchell was describing Meursault’s impressions as a character and how he gives a “snapchat” of events. Everything is described in the present and his as soon as it happens, it is forgotten and irrelevant to what happens next. Meursault’s behavior in the first part parallels the “Snapchat” app, where picture messages are temporarily available and then disappear.   

An incident that reveals Meursault’s characteristic of living in the moment is evident by his surprise of a four-day weekend. When he takes two days off to attend Maman’s funeral, he counts for it as two days of refraining from work. The idea that he was taking work off on Thursday and Friday to mourn his mother’s death isn’t transferred in his head as a four-day break. In fact, at the end of chapter 1 after he arrives home from his trip, he says, “I knew I was going to go to bed and sleep for twelve hours.” Then chapter 2 starts off with,

“As I was waking up, it came to me why my boss had seemed annoyed when I asked him for two days off: today is Saturday. I’d sort of forgotten, but as I was getting up, it came to me. And, naturally, my boss thought about the fact that I’d be getting four days’ vacation that way, including Sunday, and he couldn’t have been happy about that” (19).

The lack of emotion Meursault experiences due to his mother’s death is quite surprising to me. It could be his indifference to the situation or that he doesn’t want to reveal his dreaded feelings toward his mother. In fact, his realization of skipping work for four days doesn’t become apparent until Saturday after he slept in from his return.

Also, Meursault does a good job of making excuses for himself when he doesn’t want to put the blame to himself. For example, he doesn’t tell his boss that he is skipping work for two days because he is mourning his mother’s death, but he almost passes it off as if his break wasn’t his fault, but his mother’s, because she is the one who died and caused all of the commotion for him. Overall, I find Meursault’s behavior in part one to be a little questionable based on his “snapchat” reactions to events that I would find to be heartbreaking.

Jake's Inner Tranquility (or lack thereof) in Spain

In Spain, prior to the advent of the week-long festivities, Jake depicts events in a timely-controlled manner; the situation isn’t jumping from one bar to another, but involves spiritual, social, and communal influences. “It was quiet and no one was drunk,” is a description of the mental vacation for the characters, away from the stuffy atmosphere of bars in Paris (154). Jake “went to church a couple of times in Spain for confession (154). Also, in Pamplona after dinner, “all the good-looking girls, the officers from the garrison, all the fashionable people of the town” came together at a square after dinner. Since this story is narrated by Jake, his emphasis of “all” hints at the way everyone in the village comes together as a community at social gatherings. The communal connections are further emphasized in the bull-fighting tradition and how the village meets for this event.

However, Jake’s escaping of the stuffy atmosphere of bars in Paris to the tranquil countryside in Spain is, ironically, an antithesis of the attachment toward the dangerous practices of bull-fighting. Jake prides in his knowledge and “aficion”, or passion, in bull-fighting (136). His attachment to the grim realities of this sport don’t seem to coincide with his personality. The environment in Spain where he achieves his leisurely relaxation is the same place that advertises tragedy as source of entertainment. Jake knows the violence depicted, but still invests to know more about bull-fighting possibly as a scapegoat to prove his masculinity.

While analyzing Belmonte’s history as a bull-fighter, Jake says, “people went to the corrida to see Belmonte, to be given the tragic sensations, perhaps to see the death of Belmonte” (218). Is his masculinity being retaliated by interfering in such eventful activities? It would make sense that Jake isn’t violent because of his consistency to attend church, his caringness towards Brett, and lack of causing drama on the trip. In fact, Jake reacts negatively to Cohn’s incompetence to control his violence. The settings in Spain have given him the openness and freedom of expression to prove his masculinity without getting directly involved. Since the bull-fighting events take place in the daytime, Jake has a better chance to appear “hard-boiled” (42).

Cohn as an "Outsider"

“Where’s Brett?” [Cohn] asked.

“I don’t know.”

“She was with you.”

“She must have gone to bed”.”

“She’s not.”

“I don’t know where she is” (194).

This conversation between Cohn and Jake formulates how much of an “outsider” Cohn is perceived to be by the “insider” crowd. His ignorance of Brett’s nomadic relationships causes him to react sensitively to the situation. Cohn seems to be played with irony by Mike when Mike tells him “If I did [know where she was] I wouldn’t tell you” (194). Cohn realizes that Brett is breaking away from, what he thinks, is their supposedly established love. Nonchalantly, Mike portrays his future wife having an affair with another man as a casual activity, adding humor to the fact that he calls Romero “the bull-fighter chap” (similar to the way Brett addresses herself when she conveys her superiority and independence). Mike later on expresses the true characteristic of this nomenclature when he says “I’m not one of these chaps likes being knocked about” (195).

As a result of his frustration, Cohn takes a couple of swings at Jake, Mike, and eventually Romero. The irony played out by the victims of the fight expresses how much of a superior group they believe they are. Edna happens to be in this scene, and since she is an “outsider” and doesn’t have much relevance to the group, Mike reacts sensitively to the way she describes the situation. Jake claims that Cohn “hit me and I sat down on the pavement.” Similarly, when Jake asks Mike what Cohn did to him, Edna replies by saying “he knocked Mike down” while Mike corrects her and says “he didn’t knock me out, I just lay there” (195). Despite the fact that waiters and people crowded around because of the commotion, Jake and Mike suppress their humiliation by pretending as if Cohn didn’t have the slightest effect on the situation.

Cohn’s behavior to support his affection towards Brett’s disloyalty gives more reason to further exclude him from events in the novel. Mike accepts Brett’s ill-mannered actions, but doesn’t react as harshly as Cohn did. Even though Cohn is seen as innocent when he clearly expresses his attraction to Brett, his behavior results in failure to conform to morals of the group. In the book, I believe the peak in which Cohn feels alienated from Mike, Jake, and Bill is when he discovers Brett’s undevoted personality.  

The Hours: Laura's "Perfect Hostess" Role

In The Hours, Laura is a complex character that intertwines traits of several characters in Mrs. Dalloway. The main characteristics of Clarissa and Septimus have been merged to create Laura’s personality. While she tries to reassemble herself, she has a nagging wariness of her incompetence to complete her role as a housewife.

The movie opens with a scene illustrating Laura’s hope to make a cake for her husband’s birthday. From her behavior, it seems like she is taking on the role of a “perfect housewife”, analogous to Clarissa’s position as a “perfect hostess”. While she strives to make the cake look perfect on the outside, things don’t turn out the way she expected. As insignificant as this moment can be, Laura takes it seriously and becomes more frustrated when her neighbor comments on the simplicity of such a task; any woman was capable of making a cake. The inability to make something as simple as a “perfect cake” leads Laura to believe that her attribution as a legitimate housewife is destroyed.

Clarissa’s reaction as a “perfect hostess” is the way Peter perceived for her to be in the future. According to her standards as well as the society’s expectations, Clarissa accepts her contribution to throw a successful party. Laura is different in the case that while we, as viewers, might be convinced of her behavior as a “perfect housewife”, but she isn’t satisfied of her success. Based on the appearance of the cake, the outside didn’t look entirely deformed besides the icing. The obsession to have the outside appear perfect signifies the similarity in the way people saw Septimus.   

As a character, Septimus has been presented with a mental illness due to the trauma of World War I. On the outside, everything seems to be normal, so doctors infer his condition is related to his lack of relaxation. However, Septimus’s real issues involve internal emotions that he isn’t able to control. Laura is similar to Septimus in the sense that she appears to be normal on the outside, but is aware that she is struggling internally as not being able to fulfill her role as a proper housewife. This constant dissatisfaction is what drives her to leave her family and life as a failure.  

Laura, in specific, has a convoluted story that brings different aspects of characters within Mrs. Dalloway. Throughout the movie, Laura isn’t convinced with her perception as a “perfect hostess” and because of this, she struggles to understand what she succeeds in. The way Laura reacted by leaving her family, she believed, would aid her to create a new, dominating life, but wouldn’t her previous life haunt her by emphasizing her failure not just as a housewife, but as a mother? What benefit did she achieve from visiting her son after he had committed suicide besides feeling condemned? While Laura might believe of an irregularity on the inside, I believe her personality would have been further destroyed through these decades as a result of her behavior.

Independence and Individuality

Does one marry for independence? For displaying their personality? Mrs. Dalloway declares the importance of marriage as “a little license, a little independence there must be between people living together day in day out in the same house; which Richard gave her, and she him,” (7). This relationship with Richard, as expressed by Mrs. Dalloway, is a successful one due to the personal space each spouse has allotted for the other.

While Peter does seem to be a precious individual to Clarissa, it could be argued that, according to Clarissa, he would contribute to her lack of individuality had they gotten married due to his constant interference in her life. But even with her marriage to Richard, Clarissa seems to convey a conflict of individuality.

It could be evident that intervals of loneliness is what keeps Mrs. Dalloway moving. During the party, Mrs. Dalloway was required to play a perfect hostess by greeting and interacting with guests whether she admired their company or not. However, the minute she disappears from the havoc of the evening, Mrs. Dalloway submerges in the afterthoughts of a suicide to deeply think about her own self: Clarissa.

Suicide, in this event, demonstrates a person’s madness. Clarissa’s thoughts might not have veered in this direction, but it is clearly supported how death made her rethink her previous events and actions that made her who she is. In the same instance, she mentioned Bourton where she met Richard and everyone was well aware of Peter Walsh’s love towards Clarissa. Consequently, she contemplates how this moment, in the emptiness of the room, could never be achieved had she wed Peter Walsh because “everything had to be shared; everything gone into,” (7).

But even while feeling independent of her spouse, Clarissa walks down Bond Street repeatedly claiming:

She would not say of any one in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt bery young; at the same time unspeakably aged. (8)

Throughout the book, Clarissa’s conflict of interest based on what to feel contributes to her own confusion. While Clarissa believes Richard and herself conform to a public identity of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dalloway, Woolf gives presence to the insecurity Clarissa subtly communicates to us readers. Overall, Clarissa seems to cover her ambiguous personality with reasons that hint at her lack of self-identity.

Internal Struggles

Towards the beginning of the book, Virginia Woolf offers a vivid description of Clarissa’s thoughts. Her ideas indicate a women of higher living standards and, in several instances, a manner that makes her above the normal. Septimus, on the other hand, is also depicted as a self-centered character, but with a contorted history that clashes similarity with Clarissa. Based on what we have read so far, it can be reasonable to argue the dichotomy of their struggle to either expose or hide themselves from the crowd.The limo incident itself serves a critical point to analyze both Clarissa and Septimus.  

No one among the spectators actually knows who is the mysterious figure hiding behind the blinds (that is if there was anyone at all). Mrs. Dalloway’s imagination justifies an important figure approaching her direction so she consequently wears “a look of extreme dignity standing by the flower shop in the sunlight” (16). Aside from the fact that Mrs. Dalloway emphasizes the presence of flowers, she demonstrates her interest in appearing more prestigious than the common person. Lady Burton, “whose lunch parties were extraordinarily amusing”, is an ideal example to Clarissa for her prominence (30). In another situation, she imagines herself as a perfect hostess to the Prime Minister, a position to be highly ranked by nature (7). While she has succeeded to create a similar a portrait to this, Clarissa is cautious about using her outer appearance to conceal the struggles of her inner self.

The external appearance Clarissa tries to advocate is used to make the impression as a one-of-a-kind lady worth thinking and conversing about, as is apparent with the party she is hosting. However even after thirty years of marriage, she is still doubtful of her relationship between herself and Peter. On more than one occasion, she predicts how life would be if she was Mrs. Peter Walsh. The concept of questioning a decision she made decades ago about marrying Richard might hint at an unsatisfied relationship that lacks qualities exhibited by Peter. This notion is further distorted when Sally Seton enters the picture; this confusing relationship provides reason to believe that Clarissa lacks love, feels undermined to express her values thanks to society, or both. While these specific obstacles may not coincide with Septimus’, they both exhibit characteristics similar to each other.

In this exact limo event, Woolf also provides a reaction from Septimus’ point of view. Septimus’ initial impressions conform a melancholy state when muttering, “I will kill myself” (15). As we later acknowledge, it seems to be his life as a soldier in the War malignantly affected his present-day thought process. Septimus is heavily embedded with the constant self-centeredness in a burdensome manner. As the limo is driving by, he offers any ill-mannered excuse to put him at the center of attention, as if it was his fault for causing the limo to disrupt the cities’ routine. His lack of control over emotions is what makes it difficult for him to perceive events the way the “common person” would.

Septimus without a doubt, also displays a state of confusion and asceticism. As Lucrezia removes her wedding ring because of her emaciated fingers, Septimus contemplates “with agony, with relief” (66). A tiny ring not worn by his wife due to health issues shouldn't be a point of disturbance. However, since it happens to be so, this further implies his ignorance in self-control. While this may indicate a slight instance of humor, contemplating the relief of ending his marriage with a caring wife and agony for feeling deserted portrays the mass confusion within the character.   

As both characters have contrasting personalities in their “outside” life, I believe, to some extent, that they both experience somewhat similar internal struggles. They are too cognizant of their surroundings to notice their own shortcomings. Paranoia, depression, and trauma reveal both the internal and external world Septimus faces. Clarissa is very much unlike this, due to her representation as Mrs. Richard Dalloway to the public as well as her personal interest in appearing ostentatious. Clarissa’s outer appearance almost always carries a sense of pride. Overall, would it be appropriate to say Clarissa and Septimus are similar in character to some extent?

An Eye for Detail

In The Mezzanine, Baker does a fantastic job portraying Howie as a character with multiple interests in perspective, different from characters we've usually encountered. While his detailed analysis of enjoying a lunch consisting of milk and cookies striked a chaotic scene, as a reader, I have come to understand how concentration is vital to notice the smallest of things. His behavior-- both as a strange individual for discussing issues perceived to be private and a normal guy trying to go about his day--is what makes this book more enjoyable, and sometimes relatable, in my opinion.

I believe the reason why Howie was able to contemplate the simplest activities is a result of the lack of distractions. On more than one occasion in the book, he was able to meticulously examine and honor the functions of the simplest thing. I mean, who feels honored to work at a company that serves paper towels in the bathroom? Or feels the richness of sliced olives? Such an impression, though simple, can mean a lot about Howie’s personality. While Howie gives a detailed description of the noteworthy objects to his interest like ties, he doesn’t even give a glimpse of his own occupation. Even though my actions may not be exactly relatable to this character, the mindset put forth has left a lasting impression about what are the things that matter (and worth talking/writing about) to me as an individual.

I was cautious about getting a smartphone this summer. Before having an object of distraction, I was wary of the way body language and thoughts sent messages about people’s behavior. From my experience with peers, this was the redundant pattern I observed: when receiving an update, the person would abruptly avert their attention to their phones and furiously type away, with an occasional nod every once in awhile to reassure that they were still involved in the conversation.

This behavior, though subtle, made the “I’m kind of busy and don’t have time to talk to you” impression. However, when I got smartphone, I started to feel myself losing the sense of time and detail in my life as I had transfered my attention towards checking social updates, taking pictures, and even playing games (my little sister nags on me to play with her so she can brag to her friends that she “won” against me).

After finishing this book, I have been making an effort to detach myself from things not entirely worth my time in order to focus on the things that actually matter to me. Baker was clearly able to elucidate Howie’s passions by keeping an open eye to his surroundings. The little details in life is what makes everyday life more enjoyable, right? All in all, the depth of description pertaining to things that mattered to Howie is what made him a well-rounded character.