20th Century Novel

We had a discussion recently in class about Antoinette ending up just like her mother and going mad. However, I would argue that her madness is not a result of any genetic or biological factors, but rather a product of the similar experiences that both she and her mother go through. Like Antoinette, Annette is essentially rejected by everyone from society and constantly ridiculed everywhere she goes. She eventually marries Mason, and everyone around her says that she seems to be happier and more like herself after marrying him. However, their relationship does not stay like that forever, and the fire at Coulibri, which arguably was the fault of Mason due to his overconfidence and dismissive attitude towards his servants, puts an unfixable divide in Annette and Mason's relationship. Especially considering that Pierre, Annette's beloved child, ends up dying due to the fire, I cannot blame her for being devastated and furious with Mason. This is the point where Annette is formal...

At the end of The Stranger, we see Meursault explode at the chaplain in his cell. I was somewhat relieved to see this type of behavior from him; it was reassuring to see proof that he does have emotion. Through all the events that we see Meursault go through, he remains indifferent and unemotional through it all. Even the jury at his own trial is bothered by this. Arguably, the reason he is being executed by guillotine is not because of his crime, but because of his character. So then, why does this moment with the chaplain cause Meursault to have such a sudden uncharacteristic outburst? Meursault knows that he is about to die, and feels that suddenly believing in God will not change that fact and would be a waste of his last moments. He has gone his entire life not believing in God, so why would he start now? Throughout The Stranger, we see many examples of Meursault's "go with the flow" personality, where he normally takes the path of least resistance, and lives by si...

As we've been discussing The Metamorphosis, one thing that I find really interesting is Gregor's relationship with his family. The way they treat him in his insect form and the way that Gregor talks about them shows a lot about what their relationship was like even before Gregor's transformation, and how it has changed since. It is Gregor's sister, Grete, who primarily takes care of Gregor after his transformation. She brings him food regularly, and even reports back to his parents on the status of his well-being. Although she is clearly repulsed by Gregor's grotesque insect form (as we can see from the way she rushes to open the window every time she enters his room), she makes sure to keep checking up on him. This is a clear role-reversal from the dynamic of Gregor and Grete's relationship before Gregor's transformation. Gregor has reflected on their relationship and commented on how he considers them to be good friends. Before his transformation, he wa...

Throughout The Sun Also Rises, we see Jake's struggle as he deals with the fact that he can never be with the woman he loves and instead has to see her spend time with other men. We know that Jake is undeniably in love with Brett, but does Brett really feel the same way about Jake?  Although Brett tells Jake she loves him, she is engaged to Mike and spends time with multiple other men. She even tells Jake that if they lived together, she would undoubtedly cheat on him. However, they still have a deep and intimate emotional relationship and enjoy spending time with each other. Although Brett does go around with other men, she is open with Jake about it and they have an understanding that this is the dynamic of their relationship. I think one of Brett's favorite qualities in Jake is that he doesn't say anything about the number of men she spends time with. However, to the reader it is clear that it does hurt Jake internally to see the woman he loves be with other men. But...

The scene of Septimus' suicide was a difficult one to read. Personally, it was difficult to cope with knowing that his last thoughts were about how he did not want to die, and how he felt like he was being chased out the window by Dr. Holmes. Especially because he was feeling a sense of "normalcy" earlier with Rezia, Woolf lures the reader into a sense of false hope before he dies, making his suicide all the more difficult to grapple with. However, I think in this scene Woolf is trying to convey her own feelings on mental health, how gender norms affected it, and how society viewed it. As we are introduced to Septimus, Woolf begins by describing his physical appearance rather than diving straight into his psyche, as she does with most of the other characters. She notes that his eyes have "that look of apprehension in them which makes complete strangers apprehensive too" (Woolf 13).  By choosing to describe Septimus' outer appearances in this way as we ar...

Although we just started reading Mrs. Dalloway, I can already notice some major differences between the writing styles of Baker and Woolf. They both write stories revolving primarily around a main character, but who they choose to narrate their respective stories brings out the personalities of the main character and helps further develop their stories in different ways. In The Mezzanine, Baker chooses to write in first person, meaning that the narrator is Howie himself who gives the reader an insight into his inner thoughts. Not only that, but Howie chooses to acknowledge the reader in the way that he makes declarations and asks questions throughout the book. As he writes about his thoughts and experiences years later, I think Baker keeps his audience in mind and writes The Mezzanine with the purpose of conversing with his reader and persuading them to view the world as he does. As the reader feels that Howie is addressing them directly, they feel obligated to think about his pe...