End Notes

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.