The Persistence of Desire, by JOHN UPDIKE.
Page 568.
“I am, I am; but” the rest was so purely inspired its utterances only grazed his lips-“happiness isn’t everything.”
He is happy, he is successful, but Janet represents his youth, and carefree life that he can no longer have. She is a love a long time forgone and yet, she represents more to him then loves. She is his childhood, his adventure, his old town; she is simply a nostalgia that he longs to bring back.
Page 569.
“The neutral ominous, ‘he’ opened wide a conspiracy Clyde instantly entered. He stayed behind a minute, to give her time to get away. Ringed by the judging eyes of the young and old, he felt like an actor snug behind the blinding protection of the footlights;”
He realizes that the love between him and Janet is a time gone by. He is no longer the man in her life, and he must let go of their love. As all the other people in the waiting room are judging him, he realizes he is a smaller player in her life. He is in the background of her past.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
The Swimmer by JOHN CLEEVER
Page 1490, or page 2 on the handout.
“He had been swimming and now he was breathing deeply, stertorously as if he could gulp into his lungs the components of that moment, the heat of the sun, the intenseness of his pleasure. It all seemed to flow into his chest.”
This quote takes place in the beginning of his journey, and Cleever describes his unfathomable happiness. He is described as young and joyful. It is a beautiful day and he decides he will do something spontaneous. The moment while he swims through his pool, is one that he wishes to appreciate completely, and to soak it all in. In the beginning of the story he begins with sublime happiness.
Page 1497, or page 9 on the handout.
“He shouted, pounded on the door, tried to force it with his shoulder, and then, looking in at the windows, saw that the place was empty.”
This quote shows both the feel of the ending, and the realization of the reader at the end. He has finished his journey, he is exhausted, sad for the rude treatment of some of his neighbors, and it is dark outside. He is much more desperate and despairing than the beginning and the beginning and end show quite a contrast. It also shows that he has indeed lost his memory. He no longer lives there, and as his neighbors hinted in the story, his children are gone from him.
Page 1490, or page 2 on the handout.
“He had been swimming and now he was breathing deeply, stertorously as if he could gulp into his lungs the components of that moment, the heat of the sun, the intenseness of his pleasure. It all seemed to flow into his chest.”
This quote takes place in the beginning of his journey, and Cleever describes his unfathomable happiness. He is described as young and joyful. It is a beautiful day and he decides he will do something spontaneous. The moment while he swims through his pool, is one that he wishes to appreciate completely, and to soak it all in. In the beginning of the story he begins with sublime happiness.
Page 1497, or page 9 on the handout.
“He shouted, pounded on the door, tried to force it with his shoulder, and then, looking in at the windows, saw that the place was empty.”
This quote shows both the feel of the ending, and the realization of the reader at the end. He has finished his journey, he is exhausted, sad for the rude treatment of some of his neighbors, and it is dark outside. He is much more desperate and despairing than the beginning and the beginning and end show quite a contrast. It also shows that he has indeed lost his memory. He no longer lives there, and as his neighbors hinted in the story, his children are gone from him.
The Death of Justina, by JOHN CLEEVER
Page 545.
“I stand, figuratively, with one wet foot on Plymouth Rock, looking with some delicacy, not into a formidable and challenging wilderness but onto a half-finished civilization embracing glass towers, oil derricks, suburban continents and abandoned movie houses and wondering why, in this most prosperous, equitable and accomplished world-where even the cleaning women practice Chopin preludes in their spare time-everyone should seem to be so disappointed.”
John Cleever writes about improving our lives through materialistic aids. From the time men arrived on Plymouth Rock the wilderness has been transformed into towering buildings, and suburban houses. Oil derricks and old movie houses are also symbols of the desperate work we do to improve our lives, when in the end, he observes that everyone still seems to sad and desperate. Disappointed that these materialistic efforts are bringing them little happiness in their lives. He pokes fun at the way Americans live in the most, “Prosperous, equitable and accomplished world-“ according to luxuries, and yet the overall happiness of people has not changed.
Page 548.
“ ‘I know, Moses, I know,’ he said. I understand that. But it’s just that it happened in the wrong zone and if I make an exception for you I’ll have to make an exception for everyone, and this kind of morbidity, when it gets out of hand, can be very depressing. People don’t like to live in a neighborhood where this sort of this goes on all the time.’ ”
Cleever is sardonically criticizing the suburban life. The seemingly flawless lifestyle, where people keep their abnormal traits secret, so that everyone thinks that everyone else is flawless. The death of Justina is to be kept secret because it might affect the neighbors. Ironically Moses’ boss speaks about the depressing part others would have to share, with very little recognition of Moses’ personal grief and situation. The neighborhood is made to look pristine, without something even as normal as death.
Page 545.
“I stand, figuratively, with one wet foot on Plymouth Rock, looking with some delicacy, not into a formidable and challenging wilderness but onto a half-finished civilization embracing glass towers, oil derricks, suburban continents and abandoned movie houses and wondering why, in this most prosperous, equitable and accomplished world-where even the cleaning women practice Chopin preludes in their spare time-everyone should seem to be so disappointed.”
John Cleever writes about improving our lives through materialistic aids. From the time men arrived on Plymouth Rock the wilderness has been transformed into towering buildings, and suburban houses. Oil derricks and old movie houses are also symbols of the desperate work we do to improve our lives, when in the end, he observes that everyone still seems to sad and desperate. Disappointed that these materialistic efforts are bringing them little happiness in their lives. He pokes fun at the way Americans live in the most, “Prosperous, equitable and accomplished world-“ according to luxuries, and yet the overall happiness of people has not changed.
Page 548.
“ ‘I know, Moses, I know,’ he said. I understand that. But it’s just that it happened in the wrong zone and if I make an exception for you I’ll have to make an exception for everyone, and this kind of morbidity, when it gets out of hand, can be very depressing. People don’t like to live in a neighborhood where this sort of this goes on all the time.’ ”
Cleever is sardonically criticizing the suburban life. The seemingly flawless lifestyle, where people keep their abnormal traits secret, so that everyone thinks that everyone else is flawless. The death of Justina is to be kept secret because it might affect the neighbors. Ironically Moses’ boss speaks about the depressing part others would have to share, with very little recognition of Moses’ personal grief and situation. The neighborhood is made to look pristine, without something even as normal as death.
Monday, March 26, 2007
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