"... for those who for mysterious reasons have the fortune to be alive. It is, in fact, great good fortune" (Cunningham, 226).
Although the mood of the last part of the book has been negative, Cunningham uses this line to bring hope back into the readers mind. Most of the novel has expressed how stuck people feel in their lives, but Cunningham is saying that it is good to be alive, and that one should be grateful. It is also interesting that he chose to bring up this point on the last page of the book.
Monday, September 29, 2008
"The Hours"
"' But there are still the hours, aren't there? One and then another, and you get through that one and then, my god, there's another. I'm so sick'" (Cunningham, 199).
Time is the most obvious theme in The Hours. This quote shows how frustrating it is to keep going, when everyone knows it doesn't really matter. The tittle of this book is The Hours, which ties directly down to what Richard is saying. (Edit) This quote could passably be the most crucial one in the whole novel because Cunningham added it to add to the books meaning and truth.
Time is the most obvious theme in The Hours. This quote shows how frustrating it is to keep going, when everyone knows it doesn't really matter. The tittle of this book is The Hours, which ties directly down to what Richard is saying. (Edit) This quote could passably be the most crucial one in the whole novel because Cunningham added it to add to the books meaning and truth.
Uniroyal Man
"Helmeted astronauts, plump and white as the Uniroyal Man, faceless behind their dark visors, offer stiff, white-gloved salutes" (Cunningham, 196). The Uniroyal man is the mascot for the Uniroyal tire company. This is important because tires are one of the things that got civilization off on a roll, and in this novel, civilization has begun to crumb. Although the message isn't sent in the same fashion as The Heart Of Darkness, many of these characters feel as though society has failed them.
Kisses
"They rest their mouths, each on the other. They touch their lips together, but do not quite kiss" (Cunningham, 110)
In this novel, when two people kiss, it is often written like this "they kissed, on the lips". Not only is this reversed, but it is also stated that they did not quite kiss. Both Kitty and Laura know that they have feelings for each other, but they are both to scared to admit it. The other characters who kissed had accepted their feelings, which is why they were able to complete the act.
In this novel, when two people kiss, it is often written like this "they kissed, on the lips". Not only is this reversed, but it is also stated that they did not quite kiss. Both Kitty and Laura know that they have feelings for each other, but they are both to scared to admit it. The other characters who kissed had accepted their feelings, which is why they were able to complete the act.
Dan
"(the scattering of crumbs caught in the icing, the squashed appearance of the 'n' in 'Dan,' which got too close to a rose)" (Cunningham, 99-100).
Dan is Mrs. Brown's husband, whom she convinces herself that she loves. It is very symbolic that part of Dan should be ruined by a flower. This flower represents Mrs. Brown herself, not only because she is a female, but because she is not being truthful to herself or to him. (Edit) Cunningham also did this because flowers were important symbolism in Mrs. Dalloway.
Dan is Mrs. Brown's husband, whom she convinces herself that she loves. It is very symbolic that part of Dan should be ruined by a flower. This flower represents Mrs. Brown herself, not only because she is a female, but because she is not being truthful to herself or to him. (Edit) Cunningham also did this because flowers were important symbolism in Mrs. Dalloway.
"The Golden Notebook"
"They'd kissed, and walked around the pond together. In another hour they'd have dinner, and considerable quantities of wine. Clarissa's copy of The Golden Notebook..." (Cunningham, 98).
Dorris Lessing wrote The Golden Notebook in 1962. It tells of a women who writes four journals, and each one has a different genre. Frustrated by life, she then attempts to put all of the notebooks together in a golder notebook. Clarissa has had many different "notebooks' in her life, and now as she ages, she is trying to piece it all together.
Links:
"Vanity Fair"
" Oliver St. Ives, who came out spectacularly in Vanity Fair and was subsequently dropped from his leading role in an expressive thriller, has gained more notoriety as a gay activist than he could ever have hoped for had he continued posing as a heterosexual..."(Cunningham, 93).
All three women in this novel have experienced homosexual feelings. Some have embraced it(Mrs. Dalloway), while others are ashamed (Mrs. Brown). Oliver St. Ives is a character present in Clarissa's life, and he has made his sexuality public fact. His beliefs and ideas are similar to what Cunningham is trying to portray in his novel.
All three women in this novel have experienced homosexual feelings. Some have embraced it(Mrs. Dalloway), while others are ashamed (Mrs. Brown). Oliver St. Ives is a character present in Clarissa's life, and he has made his sexuality public fact. His beliefs and ideas are similar to what Cunningham is trying to portray in his novel.
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