Let me start by saying, I have never been much of a Shakespeare fan. I appreciate his work, don’t get me wrong, but I just don’t understand it. I think the wording is confusing and I don’t like the fact that there is always a violent death or two. King Lear wasn’t any different from my stereotype – but I have to admit, the story line wasn’t too bad.
Throughout the play King Lear, there is an absence of a female role model, including absence of a mother for each of the characters. I believe that Lear’s condescending ways are much the reason that he is not married (or remarried?). I also believe that this has had an effect on the daughters’ feelings toward Lear. Each of the daughters professes their love in the first scene and the one that seemed most sincere to me was Cordelia. Cordelia states: “I love your majesty / According to my bond;” which enrages Lear because he is expecting each of the daughters to compete for him. The eldest daughters tell Lear that they love him more than anything else in the world, Goneril stating:
Sir, I do love you more than words can wield the matter,
Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty,
Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare,
No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honor,
As much as child e'er loved or father found—
A love that makes breath poor and speech unable.
Beyond all manner of so much I love you.
Because of these words, Lear turns over a portion of his kingdom to her and then a portion to Regan. With this transfer, Lear gives the power to his daughters.
The Fool tells Lear that he has “madest thy daughters thy mothers. / For when thou gavest them the rod, and put'st / down thine own breeches.” With the exchange of power, the girls begin to treat Lear with the same respect, or lack thereof. Lear’s daughters take full advantage of this and begin to take away his authority by taking away his knights. Throughout the remainder of the play, the girls continue to treat Lear poorly. I, as a reader, initially felt bad for Lear’s daughters but soon came to see that it was Lear himself that I should be sympathizing for. The vindictive nature of Goneril and Regan throughout the play only infuriates Lear further. Not only do the girls not have a mother, but they are slowly losing their father because of it. I feel that Lear’s daughters do not know how to act toward him. They do not know how to respect him without feeling as if they have to obey him. It is only in the end that we see Lear’s maternal (paternal) instincts when he is mourning the death of Cordelia causing his own. Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia did not have a mother – but honestly, I did not feel that they had a father either.
6.29.2009
6.15.2009
The Moviegoer
I must admit that The Moviegoer did not intrigue me at first. Binx’s mind is always moving. It seems as if he is always in deep thought about his surroundings and relating them to past experiences. I think this is why I had such a hard time following him and his thoughts at first. I wanted to take everything in a present tense, when actually he was zipping around in his memory as well. This seemed to settle down toward the middle of the book, or maybe I figured out how to follow him better. I will admit that the beginning of the book is a bit of a blur for me so my takings on his search mainly come from the latter half of the book.
It took me a good 180 pages or so to be able to relate to Binx. I didn't quite understand what his search was until I got a good ways into the book. I then realized that he is searching for meaning within himself and life. At one point, I think he figures it out, but then it seems as if he loses it – and yet again finds it. Binx reason is Kate. It’s as simple as that. Kate needs him and he needs Kate. They are there for each other when needed, him for Kate more so.
Binx goes through multiple women to find satisfaction. Each time, he is only left disappointed. His "constant" is Kate. I think that we all have that person in our life, always the opposite sex, may or may not marry this person, but never-the-less they're there. I first realize Binx’s attraction and desire for Kate on page 116 when he begins to tell her about the service station and that she “could come sit with [him] at night” and that they can live there at Mrs. Schexnaydre’s assuring her that “everything would be all right.” It is clear she needs him for reassurance, I could always see that – but here is also where I see that he needs her to need him. Maybe I am naive by initially assuming the relationship was a platonic brother/sister type?
In this time, while trying to figure out what he wants/needs out of life, he consumes himself in work and work “relations.” At this point in his life, Binx states that he is interested in “money and love.” He himself admits that he always ends up dating the ladies that work for him. The one that is talked about in detail, Sharon, is the one that apparently takes the longest to initiate. He goes for weeks desiring her and she pays him no mind. When he does finally spend time with her, he is satisfied, but not so much to keep her around. I think this also is an example of him trying to fulfill himself with other things, as if he is in denial about Kate.
Binx doesn’t seem to mind that she needs him to tell her what to do and when to do it, in fact, I think he likes it. The last page of the book details Kate’s trip downtown, at his request. I feel this is symbolic of the relationship they have and it shows the satisfaction he gets from her needing him. Once Binx figures all this out, Kate that is, he seems to settle down. His mind seems to be clearer and he seems to be genuinely satisfied with life at this point.
It took me a good 180 pages or so to be able to relate to Binx. I didn't quite understand what his search was until I got a good ways into the book. I then realized that he is searching for meaning within himself and life. At one point, I think he figures it out, but then it seems as if he loses it – and yet again finds it. Binx reason is Kate. It’s as simple as that. Kate needs him and he needs Kate. They are there for each other when needed, him for Kate more so.
Binx goes through multiple women to find satisfaction. Each time, he is only left disappointed. His "constant" is Kate. I think that we all have that person in our life, always the opposite sex, may or may not marry this person, but never-the-less they're there. I first realize Binx’s attraction and desire for Kate on page 116 when he begins to tell her about the service station and that she “could come sit with [him] at night” and that they can live there at Mrs. Schexnaydre’s assuring her that “everything would be all right.” It is clear she needs him for reassurance, I could always see that – but here is also where I see that he needs her to need him. Maybe I am naive by initially assuming the relationship was a platonic brother/sister type?
In this time, while trying to figure out what he wants/needs out of life, he consumes himself in work and work “relations.” At this point in his life, Binx states that he is interested in “money and love.” He himself admits that he always ends up dating the ladies that work for him. The one that is talked about in detail, Sharon, is the one that apparently takes the longest to initiate. He goes for weeks desiring her and she pays him no mind. When he does finally spend time with her, he is satisfied, but not so much to keep her around. I think this also is an example of him trying to fulfill himself with other things, as if he is in denial about Kate.
Binx doesn’t seem to mind that she needs him to tell her what to do and when to do it, in fact, I think he likes it. The last page of the book details Kate’s trip downtown, at his request. I feel this is symbolic of the relationship they have and it shows the satisfaction he gets from her needing him. Once Binx figures all this out, Kate that is, he seems to settle down. His mind seems to be clearer and he seems to be genuinely satisfied with life at this point.
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