The word that I am tracking throughout the novel is "power". Besides time, the differing levels of power seem to be one of the most important elements showcased through page 235. During the duration of the book, there are different levels of power and differing ways that the levels of power affects the characters. It seems to be that the more power one upholds, the more destructive they become towards themselves and the people they care about.
One of the characters that holds a majority of the power throughout the story is Lou. He is controls Jocelyn and Rhea, Bennie, Mindy, and his two children, Charlie and Rolph. He is a very wealthy record executive who lacks empathy towards others. He takes Rhea and Jocelyn down a rough path for his own pleasure. Bennie is Lou's protege, so Lou has the power to teach Bennie whatever he seems fit. Lou marries Mindy simply because he feels that he must always win, and winning would constitute marrying Mindy and containing this power over her. He holds power over his children because he never chooses to be the parent they deserve. Because of this abuse of power, lives are destroyed. Jocelyn goes down a hard path of drugs. Rolph kills himself, and Charlie joins a cult. The power that Lou possesses allows for him to be less empathetic towards others, and he lives out his life in his selfish way. On page 63, the narration says "If he (Lou) were an introspective man, he would have understood years ago that his son is the one person in the world with the power to soothe him." This is important; Lou ends up destroying the person who gives him the most power over his life.
However, Scotty, a friend of Bennie's when they were teenagers, possesses little to no power. He is poor, lives in a small apartment, and works a small job as a high school janitor. Although he seems to be at the bottom of the totem poll, he seems to be the most content with his life. On page 103, Scotty visits Bennie. He has realized that he doesn't have what Bennie has and understands that he will never be in the same league as him. Here, he smiles, showing his "big black gaps" in his teeth. He talks about the power he possesses over Bennie here. He doesn't have everything that Bennie has, but he still seems to feel power over being content with how he lives his life.
Power is a big word; what does it mean exactly? Does it mean power in the workplace, or power over other people? There's also a bigger question to ask ourselves: how would things change in our lives if we were given the amount of power Lou had? What about Scotty?
I agree with you that power relations are incredibly important in this text, especially in reference to the character of Lou. I specifically liked the irony you discussed between Lou and his son, where Rolph’s death implicitly drew on power structures in the novel. Ironically, Lou’s abuse of power in the novel drove away the only person who held power over him.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think understanding Scottie in relation to power is really helpful in understanding the role power and influence have in the text. As you note, Scottie is void of any meaningful power, which is drawn out through the meeting in Bennie’s office. Sitting across from Bennie’s desk, Scottie comments, “We looked at each other across the black desk, the seat of Bennie’s power. There was a long, strange pause, and in that pause I felt myself pulling Bennie back … to San Francisco.” (101). I felt this passage was especially important because it draws on power structures in relation to time, and how Bennie and Scottie’s past actually grants Scottie some power in the relationship.
This complex relationship between power and time is further explored in the portrayal of Kitty Jackson. Though Kitty is thoroughly washed up and out of the business, her past still holds some value that grants her power over others. Briefly summarizing Kitty’s career, Dolly notes, “No one would hire Kitty anymore, but the public would remember her” (144). Though stripping Kitty of her power in the present, Egan again references a character’s past which holds a type of power that can be drawn upon in the present.