I have completed "Revolutionary Road", by Richard Yates, and I have mixed feelings about the novel. But first I believe that it is necessary to sum up the end of the story:
April gets pregnant with a third child, and at first she tells Frank that she wants to self-abort the baby, but he talks her out of this. They then decide to hold off on moving to Paris for at least a couple of years, and Frank gets a promotion. Things go well for the Wheelers for a while; they have no fights and live in a peaceful relationship. Finally one day, Frank even ends his affair with Maureen for good. But he hasn't been the only one who is unfaithful; April has a one night stand with Shep Campbell. Later, the Wheeler's marriage begins to get rocky, and Frank tells April about his affair. She claims that she does not care, because she simply does not love Frank or feel any emotion towards him. Then one day, April decides to self-abort the baby after all. By this point in time, the procedure is way too dangerous, and April ends up dying. Frank had no idea she was going to do this, and he is dead inside for the rest of his life. The Wheeler family never moves to Paris, but they sell their house and Frank's two children live with their uncle and aunt, and Frank occasionally visits them.
I think that "Revolutionary Road" is a well-written novel that really makes the reader look at life in a new perspective. After reading this book, I realized how distorted reality may seem and how the most put-together people are also the most screwed-up people. It also made me think about the world that I live in, because I am a product of the perfect suburban marriage. I now have a more tainted view of my surroundings and neighbors, because this story has corrupted me that much. Going further, I think that this book is possibly the most depressing story I've ever read. What depresses me most isn't that April dies or that the dream of moving to Paris is ruined, but it is the fact that all of Frank's livelihood dies along with April. He was so in love with her, and she was horrible to him. Because of her, he loses all of his ability to love; he never finds love and happiness with another woman, and he can't even love his own children. I'm not entirely sure why, but I think that this is the absolute saddest situation. All in all, this book was a good-read, but it had a large effect on me. Whether that effect was for the better or worse, I do not know.
03 December 2009
Image Study
Revolutionary Road is the story of a suburban family, that seems to live a perfect and glamorous life. I think this picture is the picture that all of Revolutionary Hill had of the Wheeler house; a loving and beautiful couple, living in a loving and beautiful house. But when you look closer at this picture, you see a blender and a dishwasher full of forks and knives. I think this symbolizes tension in the seemingly perfect picture. This picture is correctly represents Frank and April Wheeler. They are a beautiful couple that always put on the act of being completely in love, but when observed more closely, there is a great degree of conflict and darkness in their marriage.http://retrorenovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/1950s-dishwasher-wall-mount.jpg1950s-dishwasher-wall-mount.jpg
This picture is of a house with a brick path, but you can't tell from looking at this picture where the path leads. Time and again, Frank works tirelessly on building a stone path in the Wheeler's front yard. Unfortunately, the path never gets finished, and it just ends in a big mudpile in the front yard. I think that this symbolizes Frank's ongoing struggle to please April, but it ends in one big mess. Throughout the whole story, Frank and April fight, but he works diligently to win her love again. At the end of the story, April kills herself, and Frank's symbolic path to please her ends in nothing, just like the literal path ends in nothing. This symbol is so important to the plot of the story, and I feel that this picture well reflects the symbol of the broken path.http://http//www.remarc.com/craig/images/june07_front2x1200.jpg07_front2x1200.jpg
Pam and Jim are the legendary couple from the sitcom, "The Office," and in many ways, their relationship is similar to that of Frank Wheeler's and Maureen Grube's. Maureen is the young secretary working in Frank's office that is so taken by Frank. She thinks everything he says is intelligent and funny, while he finds great enjoyment in amazing her. In this picture, Pam, the secretary, is staring wistfully into Jim's eyes, and she is laughing at the joke that he just told her. In Frank's office, Maureen stares wistfully into Frank's eyes, they go out to lunch together, and she laughs at all of his jokes. Although Frank is married, he and Maureen have a long affair, in which Maureen is rather taken advantage of. Frank swears that he has no real feelings for Maureen, except for the feeling of satisfaction that he is able to make this innocent girl so fascinated with him. The affair hugely impacts the plot of the story and the way that the readers view Frank Wheeler. Obviously, there are many differences between the relationship between Jim and Pam and between Frank and Maureen, but I like to make the connection to a modern tv comedy.
http://http//i.ivillage.com/E/325/TVCouples/E_PamJimTheOffice_325.jpg
http://http//i.ivillage.com/E/325/TVCouples/E_PamJimTheOffice_325.jpg
This is a picture of a classic French cafe, where two elegant women are sipping drinks and watching people go by on the street. Frank and April Wheeler are two Americans who are so tired of their dull lives, and they believe that if they move to Paris then they will be much more satisfied. The two go so far with their plans that they begin to sell their house and pack up their belongings. The image to the right is exactly what April and Frank long for. They want to be surrounded by people as fascinating as themselves, and they want to live a more glamorous life. In this picture, the two women obviously don't have to worry about money, and they don't seem to have anything tying them down. For this reason, Frank's and April's dream is so unrealistic. They forget that they have two children, Frank doesn't have a job in Paris, neither of them speak French, and more. Eventually their dream is crushed when they discover that April is pregnant with a third child. I think that this image is very important to the plot of the novel and the development of characters, because it shows how unrealistic and immature Frank and April are, and everything ends up revolving around their dream to start a new life in the "City of Lights". 
30 November 2009
Character Study
April Wheeler:
April is a emotional, confused, and dramatic character. She is an average suburban wife and mother, and she acts in a failure of a play. Not only does April work in the drama department, but she also creates the most unnecessary drama in every aspect of her life. One day April despises her husband and swears that she will leave him, the next day she is passionately in love with her husband, and then the next day she is quietly depressed and unsatisfied with her life. She even tells her husband that she does not love him; "I don't love you and I never really have, and I never really figured it out until this week, and that's why I'd just as soon not do any talking right now" (Yates 358). Part of me thinks that April is a dynamic character because her emotions are constantly changing, but it is almost like a cycle that she goes through, and that makes me think of her as a static character. Throughout the novel the reader learns that April suffered from a very difficult childhood with absent parents and a lack of attention. Now, these childhood memories seem to haunt every decision that April makes. Also, April is very pretentious and believes that she lives among people that are not worldly enough to understand her. For this reason, she wants to move to Paris with her husband and kids. April has a false sense of reality and is similar to a child in the way that she throws many tantrums and always tries to appear more mature than she actually is.
Frank Wheeler:
Frank is an average businessman who lives a dull life. Nothing seems to excite Frank, and he longs for a more interesting job in a more interesting world. Throughout the entire novel, Frank complains of his job, "Actually it's sort of a stupid job. I mean there's nothing - you know, interesting about it, or anything," (Yates 255), but he never does figure out what he wants to do. Frank is madly in love with his wife, April, but he is not the most faithful of husbands. He has an ongoing affair with a younger woman who works at his office. Despite this, Frank loves his wife, mostly because she makes everyday a new adventure. April drives him up and down, left and right, and Frank is always too angry or in love to be bored. Like April, Frank longs to move to Europe and "find himself", because he thinks that Americans just aren't good enough to be associates with. Frank remains a static character throughout most of the novel, but at the end of the novel he goes through a drastic change. April dies, and because of this, all of the life is sucked out of Frank. He was at first an enthusiastic, lively man, but he changes to a hollow, lifeless man.
Mrs. Givings:
Helen Givings, the Wheeler's real estate agent and neighbor, is the town busybody. She has to know everything about everyone, and she is constantly full of gossip. She also judges everybody, and it seems as though nobody can live up to her standards. I think that she is one of the most amusing characters because she is so fake. Shortly after April dies she says how much she didn't like the Wheelers, but before she only sucked up to them. "Oh, I was very fond of the Wheelers, but they always were a bit - a bit whimsical, for my taste. A bit neurotic. I may not have stressed it, but they were often very trying people to deal with, in many ways" (Yates 462). I think this quote exemplifies her true nature of being two-faced. But later in the storyline, you learn that Mrs. Givings lives an imperfect life; her husband is just a man that she settled for, her son is in a mental institution, and she doesn't have any real friends. After learning this, I realized that the reason she is so involved in others' lives is because she is so dissatisfied with her own life.
John Givings:
John is the son of Helen, and he is a young man who suffers from a serious mental disorder. John is rude, he has no self-control, but he has a way of always saying the truth. The novel is full of lies and secrets, and John Givings is one of the greatest secrets, because it was such a scandal to have a retarded son. Ironically enough, John is the character who sheds new light on all of the other characters and reveals facts and traits that others want hidden. At one time John says, "I get the feeling she's female. You know what the difference between female and feminine is? Huh? Well, here's a hint: a feminine woman never laughs out loud and always shaves her armpits. Old Helen in there is feminine as hell," (Yates 260). This quote fits in with all of John's other quotes; they are rude and inappropriate, but they are surprisingly true.
Milly Campbell:
Milly is April's best friend and the one constant, sweet, and pure character in this book. She truly loves her friends, family, and life, and she only has people's best wishes at heart. "Milly Campbell dropped her shoes and squirmed deep into the sofa cushions, her ankles snug beneath her buttocks and her uplifted face crinkling into a good sport's smile" (Yates 78). There is always the air of innocence and purity around Milly, because her heart is so kind. Milly is the one ray of hope for living a truly happy life.
Shep Campbell:
Shep is Milly's husband, and he is best friends with Frank. All through the book, Shep longs for April Wheeler because he thinks that she is so elegant and perfect. One time with April, "he would forget everything - his wife, his fear, everything - and go for her all the way," (Yates 347) and that is just what he did. This only happens once, but Shep swears that he is in love with April. I think that Shep represents the stupid fool who always wants what he can't have, and never really appreciates what he does have. He is a foil to his wife, because she appreciates everything surrounding her and only has pure thoughts.
April is a emotional, confused, and dramatic character. She is an average suburban wife and mother, and she acts in a failure of a play. Not only does April work in the drama department, but she also creates the most unnecessary drama in every aspect of her life. One day April despises her husband and swears that she will leave him, the next day she is passionately in love with her husband, and then the next day she is quietly depressed and unsatisfied with her life. She even tells her husband that she does not love him; "I don't love you and I never really have, and I never really figured it out until this week, and that's why I'd just as soon not do any talking right now" (Yates 358). Part of me thinks that April is a dynamic character because her emotions are constantly changing, but it is almost like a cycle that she goes through, and that makes me think of her as a static character. Throughout the novel the reader learns that April suffered from a very difficult childhood with absent parents and a lack of attention. Now, these childhood memories seem to haunt every decision that April makes. Also, April is very pretentious and believes that she lives among people that are not worldly enough to understand her. For this reason, she wants to move to Paris with her husband and kids. April has a false sense of reality and is similar to a child in the way that she throws many tantrums and always tries to appear more mature than she actually is.
Frank Wheeler:
Frank is an average businessman who lives a dull life. Nothing seems to excite Frank, and he longs for a more interesting job in a more interesting world. Throughout the entire novel, Frank complains of his job, "Actually it's sort of a stupid job. I mean there's nothing - you know, interesting about it, or anything," (Yates 255), but he never does figure out what he wants to do. Frank is madly in love with his wife, April, but he is not the most faithful of husbands. He has an ongoing affair with a younger woman who works at his office. Despite this, Frank loves his wife, mostly because she makes everyday a new adventure. April drives him up and down, left and right, and Frank is always too angry or in love to be bored. Like April, Frank longs to move to Europe and "find himself", because he thinks that Americans just aren't good enough to be associates with. Frank remains a static character throughout most of the novel, but at the end of the novel he goes through a drastic change. April dies, and because of this, all of the life is sucked out of Frank. He was at first an enthusiastic, lively man, but he changes to a hollow, lifeless man.
Mrs. Givings:
Helen Givings, the Wheeler's real estate agent and neighbor, is the town busybody. She has to know everything about everyone, and she is constantly full of gossip. She also judges everybody, and it seems as though nobody can live up to her standards. I think that she is one of the most amusing characters because she is so fake. Shortly after April dies she says how much she didn't like the Wheelers, but before she only sucked up to them. "Oh, I was very fond of the Wheelers, but they always were a bit - a bit whimsical, for my taste. A bit neurotic. I may not have stressed it, but they were often very trying people to deal with, in many ways" (Yates 462). I think this quote exemplifies her true nature of being two-faced. But later in the storyline, you learn that Mrs. Givings lives an imperfect life; her husband is just a man that she settled for, her son is in a mental institution, and she doesn't have any real friends. After learning this, I realized that the reason she is so involved in others' lives is because she is so dissatisfied with her own life.
John Givings:
John is the son of Helen, and he is a young man who suffers from a serious mental disorder. John is rude, he has no self-control, but he has a way of always saying the truth. The novel is full of lies and secrets, and John Givings is one of the greatest secrets, because it was such a scandal to have a retarded son. Ironically enough, John is the character who sheds new light on all of the other characters and reveals facts and traits that others want hidden. At one time John says, "I get the feeling she's female. You know what the difference between female and feminine is? Huh? Well, here's a hint: a feminine woman never laughs out loud and always shaves her armpits. Old Helen in there is feminine as hell," (Yates 260). This quote fits in with all of John's other quotes; they are rude and inappropriate, but they are surprisingly true.
Milly Campbell:
Milly is April's best friend and the one constant, sweet, and pure character in this book. She truly loves her friends, family, and life, and she only has people's best wishes at heart. "Milly Campbell dropped her shoes and squirmed deep into the sofa cushions, her ankles snug beneath her buttocks and her uplifted face crinkling into a good sport's smile" (Yates 78). There is always the air of innocence and purity around Milly, because her heart is so kind. Milly is the one ray of hope for living a truly happy life.
Shep Campbell:
Shep is Milly's husband, and he is best friends with Frank. All through the book, Shep longs for April Wheeler because he thinks that she is so elegant and perfect. One time with April, "he would forget everything - his wife, his fear, everything - and go for her all the way," (Yates 347) and that is just what he did. This only happens once, but Shep swears that he is in love with April. I think that Shep represents the stupid fool who always wants what he can't have, and never really appreciates what he does have. He is a foil to his wife, because she appreciates everything surrounding her and only has pure thoughts.
29 November 2009
Themes from American Literature
Revolutionary Road takes place in a 1950's American town. The setting is crucial to the many themes that can be connected to the text. One significant theme is the idea that every American wants to seem flawless, so they hide all of there problems or troubles. This theme is present throughout all of the novel, because Frank and April Wheeler epitomize the average suburban Americans who seem to live perfectly lovely lives. However in truth, they both have so many issues with each other and within themselves, that they are very destructive. Leading to another recurring theme about how American society feeds off of scandal and gossip, Frank and April cannot forever pretend like they live these exemplary lives. April ends up attempting to give herself an abortion, when she knew it was extremely dangerous, and she dies along with her unborn baby. Frank is an abusive alcoholic who just becomes a hollow man with absolutely no life after his wife dies. When the ambulance comes down Revolutionary Hill, the Wheelers are the center of the town's gossip. What happened to April? Was it an accident? Does Frank know yet? Although the whole town was mourning her death, they were also enjoying, in a rather sick way, that there was a new scandal to talk about. Even Milly Campbell, who is April's best friend, finds great pleasure in dramatizing and telling the story to anyone who will listen. The idea of society feeding off of scandal also connects to the part of the novel when John Givings attacks his parents and the state troopers are called in for help. Obviously this is another sensitive situation, but the word spreads around town like a speeding bullet. Although this story took place in the 1950's, these two universal truths have been around in American society forever and always will be. People want to seem perfect, so they hide all of their skeletons away in a closet; but these skeletons cannot stay hidden forever, and society feeds off of the latest juicy gossip.
27 November 2009
Rhetoric Study
One of the key rhetorical devices that Richard Yates uses is imagery. "But oh God, to be there with April Wheeler. To swing down those streets with April Wheeler's cool fingers locked in his own, to climb the stone stairway of some broken old gray house with her; to sway with her into some high blue room with a red-tiled floor; to have the light husky ripple of her laugh and her voice up there ("Wouldn't you like to be loved by me?"); to have the lemon-skin smell of her and the long, clean feel of her when he - when she - oh Jesus" - (Shep Campbell, 208). This passage is a perfect example of the detailed imagery that Yates uses throughout the novel. He goes into such detail to describe just one of Shep's momentary fantasies. Not only does this imagery help the reader understand the scenery and surroundings, but it also allows the reader to get to know the characters better. For instance, from this passage, I have learned that April has cool skin that smells like lemons, she has a light and rather husky laugh, and April's walk contains many swings and sways. Now these details are so little and seemingly unimportant, but they build up throughout the story to create a character so real that you can imagine April standing right in front of you.
This passage is also a great example of the repetition in sentence structure that Yates loves to include. The third sentence is one long sentence that is broken up by many semi-colons, and after every semi-colon there is an infinitive to lead off the next phrase (i.e. to swing, to sway, to have). I think that this repetition creates a very pleasant tone and makes the novel more enjoyable. In my opinion, this passage from Shep is one of the most important passages in the novel, because it sets the stage for future conflict, and it foreshadows that the Wheeler's will spread their dissatisfaction to their friends like a disease. Yates is so clever in how he writes this passage, because he uses rhetorical devices to emphasize the importance. The imagery and the repetition are used exceptionally well and they help convey the significance of the passage.
This passage is also a great example of the repetition in sentence structure that Yates loves to include. The third sentence is one long sentence that is broken up by many semi-colons, and after every semi-colon there is an infinitive to lead off the next phrase (i.e. to swing, to sway, to have). I think that this repetition creates a very pleasant tone and makes the novel more enjoyable. In my opinion, this passage from Shep is one of the most important passages in the novel, because it sets the stage for future conflict, and it foreshadows that the Wheeler's will spread their dissatisfaction to their friends like a disease. Yates is so clever in how he writes this passage, because he uses rhetorical devices to emphasize the importance. The imagery and the repetition are used exceptionally well and they help convey the significance of the passage.
08 November 2009
A Change of Opinion
In an earlier post, I expressed how much I thought Frank loved April and how April was so cold for not loving Frank back. While I still believe this to be true, Frank no longer shines in the light that he used to. I have read further into the story, and it is now very apparent that Frank has been cheating on his wife. So, who could blame April for not loving her husband?
On a personal note, I feel that April has every right to be an awful person towards her husband. Frank has not admitted that he has been having an affair, and I don't even think that April knows he is having an affair, but she still has a woman's intuition. April knows that something is not right and that she deserves more from her husband. Now one could argue that if April had been a little more compassionate towards her husband, then this whole situation would have been avoided. But where can one draw the line at compassionate enough, or not compassionate enough? This is the age-old question that probably every woman who's ever been cheated on asks herself. She might even blame herself. But April Wheeler is different; she does not blame herself for anything. While this can get annoying, I currently have a huge amount of respect towards her character for this reason.
I also think that Yates was trying to express his view of women's rights through April Wheeler's character. He makes her a strong character, who takes care of the household and makes most of the family's decisions. She even is the one to decide to move to Paris, so that she can work while Frank "finds himself". During the 1950's and 1960's, when this book was written, women were increasingly gaining more respect and power. More and more women were going to college and working before they got married. But I think that Yates is trying to express a more radical view of women's rights. In my opinion, Yates is telling his audience that it should be socially acceptable for women to be the ones to bring home the bacon, and that women are in many ways just as strong as, if not stronger than, men.
On a personal note, I feel that April has every right to be an awful person towards her husband. Frank has not admitted that he has been having an affair, and I don't even think that April knows he is having an affair, but she still has a woman's intuition. April knows that something is not right and that she deserves more from her husband. Now one could argue that if April had been a little more compassionate towards her husband, then this whole situation would have been avoided. But where can one draw the line at compassionate enough, or not compassionate enough? This is the age-old question that probably every woman who's ever been cheated on asks herself. She might even blame herself. But April Wheeler is different; she does not blame herself for anything. While this can get annoying, I currently have a huge amount of respect towards her character for this reason.
I also think that Yates was trying to express his view of women's rights through April Wheeler's character. He makes her a strong character, who takes care of the household and makes most of the family's decisions. She even is the one to decide to move to Paris, so that she can work while Frank "finds himself". During the 1950's and 1960's, when this book was written, women were increasingly gaining more respect and power. More and more women were going to college and working before they got married. But I think that Yates is trying to express a more radical view of women's rights. In my opinion, Yates is telling his audience that it should be socially acceptable for women to be the ones to bring home the bacon, and that women are in many ways just as strong as, if not stronger than, men.
Setting and Language
Revolutionary Road is set during the 1950's in a nice Connecticut suburb. Here, Frank and April live in a comfortable house and have two beautiful children. Their lives seem so perfect and this is largely because of where their lives take place. The very peaceful neighborhood that they live in is so dull and ordinary that it seems impossible to lead a scandalous or different life. I almost feel as if the neighborhood is a cult and every homeowner must conform to fit the cult's standards. But as you read further in the book, you find out that numerous scandals go on throughout the neighborhood, such as the story of Mrs. Givings and her mentally challenged son. And on a humorous note, the women discuss the drama while they pretend to be perfect housewives at book club or some other social gathering. I get this vivid picture in my head of two hypocritical women, sipping wine in their living rooms and gossiping over the latest rumors, while they are guilty of even worse sins and will soon be the latest scandal. The neighborhood's whole mirage of perfection is symbolic of the lives of Frank and April. To any outsider, they seem beautiful, happy, and lovely; but to any insider, there is an unexplainable darkness and desire for a better life.
To go along with the seemingly ordinary lives of Frank and April, Richard Yates speaks in a very ordinary tone and does not try to make his writing too frivolous. The language is straight-to-the-point and simple. Once again, I feel like Yates makes it a priority to symbolize the Wheeler's life in the language and setting. Also, when Frank and April get into fights, the novel's tone and pace abruptly changes. Sentences become shorter and more frank, while words become harsher and more cut-throat. I find it fascinating how Yates adjusts the entire novel's tone and pace to the temporary emotions of the characters.
To go along with the seemingly ordinary lives of Frank and April, Richard Yates speaks in a very ordinary tone and does not try to make his writing too frivolous. The language is straight-to-the-point and simple. Once again, I feel like Yates makes it a priority to symbolize the Wheeler's life in the language and setting. Also, when Frank and April get into fights, the novel's tone and pace abruptly changes. Sentences become shorter and more frank, while words become harsher and more cut-throat. I find it fascinating how Yates adjusts the entire novel's tone and pace to the temporary emotions of the characters.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)