One thing
that struck me while reading this first section of A Visit from the Goon Squad was the way in which relationships are
described between different characters. Specifically, there are three pairs of
characters in the novel that seem to have a kind of strangely dependent
relationship. In all three cases, one character seems to rely on the other for
comfort and support. The first relationship this comes up in is Sasha and
Bennie´s. After he allows Sasha to read his list of embarrassing/ shameful
memories, Bennie admits that “what he felt for Sasha was love, a safety and
closeness” (Egan 38). Bennie depends on Sasha as a constant in his life, as
someone who represents the love and stability he once had in his marriage to
Stephanie. Next we see a similar dynamic between Scotty and Jocelyn. We learn
that as a teenager, Scotty was “waiting for Jocelyn, who´s known Scotty the
longest and makes him feel safe” (Egan 42). After his mother´s death Scotty
comes to count on Jocelyn as a kind of surrogate/ safety blanket to help him
cope. Finally, we see this same quality in Lou´s relationship with his son
Rolph. During one of the several conversations they have while on a safari in
Africa, Lou reflects “that his son is the one person in the world with the
power to soothe him” (Egan 63). Lou sees his son as the only calming relief in his
otherwise dysfunctional life.
I´m not really sure what this
actually means in terms of how we should view the characters or why this really
caught my attention, but it´s interesting that the dependent character in each
of the relationships is the one who, according to typical societal stereotypes,
should be the strongest. Bennie is Sasha´s boss: society would view him as the
more powerful. Scotty is a more talented musician than Jocelyn and he has a “magnetic”
personality: he should have the upper hand. And Lou is Rolph´s father: he
should obviously be the more stable one in the relationship. But in each case
the perceived “inferior” person has the power to relax and sooth the other. It´s
also interesting to consider that even though we as the audience know that
Sasha, Jocelyn, and Rolph are all deeply troubled individuals with their own
demons, they are all still seen as a source of stability and calm by one of
their fellow characters.
This is an excellent point to bring up and I was very interested in trying to answer the question as to why these seemingly more dominant, powerful characters would reach out for help from a "lesser" character. First I think that these characters were desperate for solid relationships that they could not seem to find with anyone else "at their level." Whether that was because they really could not find anyone they could trust or it was because it was too damaging to their pride to consult someone who was a competitor for status we do not know. It is true, however, that talking with someone we view as our equal about our insecurities has the potential to make us feel inferior, so maybe the characters were too afraid and proud.
ReplyDeleteHumans are social beings and rely on human interaction in order to remain mentally healthy. All three of the reliant characters (Scotty, Lou, and Bennie) are all somewhat mentally disturbed for one reason or another (a missing parent, a sexual relationship with a girl the age of his children, and a failed marriage along with weird memories) and clearly need assistance. On one hand, people like Bennie might go to someone like Sasha, his assistant because he does not feel like he has to repay her. He is already paying her to work for him, and if she refuses to help, it could cost her her job. Lou might go to his son because even if it causes his son to think less of him, he is family and it is almost assumed that he will, therefore, love him unconditionally. Scotty might go after Jocelyn because he sees that she has experience with let-downs from important adults in life (Lou for Jocelyn and Scotty's mother). Overall though, these characters are desperate and probably depressed. They know that things have not gone as planned and they are all willing to admit that. The fact that they go to less powerful people than themselves may indicate that they no longer see themselves as more powerful.