Throughout
the novel, the narrator indirectly describes the dynamic relationships between
him and his son, his wife, his coworkers, and his friends, both old and new.
Though he spends a great deal of time with his two friends, the couple John and
Sylvia, and brief encounters with old friends like the Woodruff’s, it can be
argued that the most important and insightful relationship presented in the
story is with his son, Chris. The narrator spends all of his time with Chris,
from the beginning to the end of the novel, and although a great deal of change
is evident by the narrator’s own actions and reactions, an even greater
perspective and insight of the narrator’s past is drawn from the changes in
Chris.
From
the beginning of the novel, Chris is an unbearable brat who complains a great
deal and seems to make everything more difficult for the travelers. It is
revealed later on that he suffers from some form of mental disorder, but it
does not seem to impact him as much as his father’s disposition towards him. He
and his father have an abrasive relationship, but after the narrator becomes
Phaedrus, Chris’s attitude towards him changes completely. He mentions how much
he had missed him and life when he was around. This is astonishing because
despite being mentally unstable, Phaedrus appeared to be a much better father
than the narrator was.
The
narrator’s other friends offer more understanding of his past and present self.
When the motorcycling group goes to visit the Woodruffs, the narrator becomes
anxious with the fact that he would not know how to act or react to them
considering they had not seen him since before the incident. Although he coasts
through the encounter without much slippage, the gap between his former self
and his present self becomes awkwardly obvious; at times, Mr. Woodruff would
mention certain event that had occurred long ago, and the narrator would have
to weasel around it the best he could. Aside from the discomfort, it is also
important to take notice of the Woodruff’s emotions towards the narrator; they
are certainly happy to see him, but are a bit hesitant at first. The majority
of their emotions are made obvious through their conversation.
When
the narrator goes to visit his old college, where he had taught a little before
his episode, he holds a brief encounter with an old colleague of his, who does
not react to him as warmly as his old friends did, and this is especially
important to analyze. The narrator had clearly frightened his peers at the
college before, as Phaedrus, because she did not welcome him with open arms,
rather, stared at him as if he were a ghost from the past who had returned for
unfinished business- which, in a way, he is. She is astonished to even see him
there, and though he realizes that he had a huge opportunity to converse with
her and discover more about Phaedrus, her reaction makes it clear that she was
in no position to do so.
No comments:
Post a Comment