Everything in this chapter revolves around the differences between Macon and Sarah, evident from the dialogue to the descriptions. A common adage to use in this instance would be “Opposites attract.” For Macon and Sarah's relationship, this saying remained true until their son, Ethan, died. They stayed together, got married, and had a son, despite these differences. Although it seems Ethan's death is what gave Sarah the final push for divorce, that's obviously not the only reason. The couple can't even go on vacation together and have a decent time because Macon hates both travel and the sun. This physical barrier plagues Sarah's connection to her husband. But she also can't even hold a conversation with him because he doesn't listen, shown by his shallow reassurances that they would be fine driving in the heavy rain and also Macon's forgetting of what he said regarding his son's death. Similar to Hamlet, Macon never saw a point to life, unlike Sarah who only stopped clinging to life after Ethan's death, but she still holds a little hope, based on her statement “I SOMETIMES wonder if there's any point to life.” But now Macon's trying to kill what little hope she still possesses because he says prior to Sarah's wish for divorce, “If you don't see ANY point to life, I can't figure why a rainstorm would make you nervous.” Maybe it makes her nervous because that's how Ethan died? If that's the case, Macon is showing no concern for it. Maybe Ethan died riding a motorcycle like the boy beneath the underpass, being cautious of his surroundings and was merely a victim of an accident. And now, Macon is denouncing the boy's choice to ride a motorcycle while also challenging death himself, therefore mocking his own late son. This is what puts Sarah over the top. She can handle all the differences, but when Macon starts mocking her own child that she obviously feels more pain for, she loses it. If this chapter had a title, it would be 'The Accidental Tourist', alluding to Ethan, a victim of a touring accident and the reason for this decaying marriage. But it also represents Macon because, although he rejects his son now, Ethan will have an increasing amount of influence on his father throughout the book.
Page 1, “Macon wore...of every day.” In this passage it sets the whole story up by looking deeply into what the main character does. It’s an extremely important passage to put in the beginning of the novel. It first of all shows the difference between Macon and Sarah, which plays a huge part not much later in the story. Macon is wearing a suit and he was pale and had a nice hair cut. Sarah is in a flowy, strapless beach dress and is tan. This sets up their differences right off the bat, which makes the readers think that something later will happen to them. This also shows how the writer wants the readers to notice how Macon is so uptight. This plays a lot in the rest of the book. The beginning here is exactly what the reader needs to show that throughout the book, Macon is going to be hypersensitive. It describes him as tall, pale, gray-eyed, fair hair cutted and kin that would easily burn. These descriptions, even though people say not to judge a book by its cover, these descriptions make the reader think about a businessman that is analytical, and organized. Already, when he talks about the sun, you can tell he takes care of himself, and maybe even sees the world differently. A normal person wouldn’t stay out of the sun during the middle of the day every day. The author uses the descriptions and ideas of this paragraph to really get the readers to start to understand the mind of Macon.
Page 13, “He didn’t...of malnutrition?” This is a big paragraph. Not just for plotline, but also because it shows Macon’s weakness. Sarah left him, and he went into a spiral downward. The descriptions in this paragraph are extremely well written. When I read them, I thought of a homeless person. That, our a grown man still living in the basement of his mother’s house. As bad as it sounds, it’s true that that’s what he looks like. Macon is depicted on being a depressed man in this paragraph. What’s so ironic and so great of why the author put this in, is that the characters in this story, all at least once, mentioned that Edward (Macon’s dog) is bad with change. That sounds super familiar. Wasn’t Macon breaking down because of the change in his life? Though the reason is perfectly understandable. Throughout the story there are similarities between Macon and his precious K-9. They both don’t do well to change. That’s why this paragraph is super unique to me. It shows the similarity between Edward and his owner.
Page 18-19 ”She would...in the morning.” Sarah has already broken up with Macon. She wants to go pick up a rug from Macon’s house. What this shows is that Macon is still in a boyish fantasy. He seems to create idea’s in his head of what will happen. He believes that everything will be ok in the end. He believes that they will get back together and that everything will go back to normal. In reality this is not the case. The readers know this, but Macon doesn’t. This can be shown as a teenagers thought that life will be fantastic in the end. The reality hits him when she says, “I thought i’d drop over on Saturday morning, if that’s convenient.” This also shows, again, that he’s not accustomed and doesn’t like change. He creates a situation in his head that would be preferable than the one that will actually happen because he want’s everything to stay the way it was. This points again to how the author put a hypersensitive impression on Macon.
Page 21, “For his trip...somber for everyday.” This is the first time we really get to see what Macon actually writes in these Accidental Tourist guides. He gives great advice. It’s short and to the point. You can tell that what style he’s using to write, is exactly how he is in real life. It’s organized and concise. That is exactly what he is. The author is connecting everything to him. His writing is exactly like his personality and character, even his dog is like him. This also proves that he is very well versed in his field. Though he may not like traveling himself, he can pick up on things like how the color of the suit matters, and the number of suits. Because his mind is so simple and one tracked, he looks at the world differently. He looks at it and can pick out the smallest details that make life so much easier. That’s what makes him great at what he does.
Page 85, “Besides, Edward...Been Ethan’s” In this paragraph, it’s describing the dog, Edward. Other times we’ve seen him, Edward has been crazy and out of control. He’s shown to be a dog with no feelings. Even just the past paragraphs, he had bit Macon’s hand. In this paragraph, however, Edward is described as loving and protective. If he was protective of Macon, why didn’t he bit Macon’s hand? We see the contrasting evidence, so at this point in the story we don’t exactly know what to think. The last line is what makes this so important. “And he’d been Ethan’s.” we learn at a fairly early time in the book, that Macon and Sarah’s only child, Ethan, had died, but before he did, they got him this pup. Ethan loved the dog. This is the first time we see true, genuine sadness from Macon, concerning Ethan’s death. Even when he first died, Macon is portrayed as hurting but doesn’t really show it and goes on with his life like nothing ever happened. Up to this point, the reader can assume that Macon doesn’t care too much. Those four words change their perspective in an instant. Even though this dog is biting and going crazy, he can’t let himself let him go because it was his son’s. This shows some emotion that the reader hasn’t seen yet.
As expected, Macon is reminiscing Sarah. He's imagining her as he enacts his new system. His vision is a young, beautiful, happy woman, who teases her husband's illogical systems that are so against her own. She wears a light blue dress that Macon remembers she sported frequently in the early years of their marriage. This is what gives the idea that their relationship is like the course of a day or a color palette – going from light to dark. When they first met, it doesn't describe what she was wearing, but she was holding a cup with ice cubes in it, a color even lighter than white. On their wedding day, she wore white, then she began wearing the blue dress. As their marriage progressed, she began wearing darker and darker colors until she wore nothing but brown, evident by the brown sash she left in the closet to remind Macon of what their marriage became. Even though he later repeats to himself to carry on, it will be a long and difficult journey for Macon to let go of the past and Sarah. As of now, everything in his life reminds him of his wife, even though he's trying to change the systems of the house. Change is never easy; you fight to let go or you fight to hold on. And right now, Macon is torn between the two and his journey will be finding the kind of change he wants.
Chapter 3 – page 34 “The stewardess...American-looking.”
Macon Leary is a man who hates travel, but likes and is very knowledgeable about planes. This begs to question other ironic and opposite preferences in Macon's life. For example, Macon seems to hate marriage, having to risk his systems and to compromise aspects of his life. He knows a lot about marriage, having 20 years experience, but still despising its limitations. But he does love one thing about his marriage – Sarah. He misses her, he admitted it already. He's constantly thinking about her. He loves her but knows they're in different time zones, literally and figuratively. He's in London right now and Sarah's back in America. But figuratively, their mornings will never match, and therefore their hopes and journeys will never be the same. They were never at the same stage, evident by Sarah seeing the doom in their marriage long before Macon. This is also the reason Macon changes the time of his digital clock but keeps the one on his analog watch, the 'real time', constant. Because back home is where Sarah is, his real life. He loves her so much that even an old lady with Xs and Os in her hair reminded him of her, simply because she looked American. He wanted to live a life where he grew old with Sarah, one filled with hugs and kisses, one with grand children. But Macon doesn't even have a child anymore and he hates talking to stranger while on travel, yet he can smile when the old lady mentions shes going to see her grandchild. He can smile because he sees Sarah, which overrules all the miseries of his life. He sees her happy and that's all he ever wanted.
Macon is now talking to his boss, Julian. The line, “He [Julian] seemed to enjoy pretending Macon was some kind of character,” seems like something Macon himself would say, that he's not a character. Aside from him actually being a character in a book, he's starting to act like one too. Shortly after the conversation with Julian, Macon starts creating new, silly methods of organizing and making his around-the-house life easier. Even he admits the dog shoot, laundry skateboard, and sweat suit all-day every-day ideas are silly, because no normal person would enact such ideas, making him a character. The funny part is that if Sarah was still there, he wouldn't be able to do such things. But to make it even funnier, Macon is all about organization, and yet he's doing all these unorganized actions, while Sarah is rather messy and she would disapprove of these new systems. Macon needs Sarah to stay sane. These new ideas and behaviors are because he misses Sarah's messiness, but doesn't want to be reminded of her exact behaviors, evident by him discarding her old bottles and splatters. He acknowledges this too, because he tells Julian that he can't finish the manuscript by the end of the month because he's unorganized. When Julian proposes a simple solution, Macon tells him it's more than that, because now it's not just the manuscript. Right after the phone call, the descriptions talk about Macon's life with his new methods. The prior comment emphasizes how unorganized he is. And he keeps reminiscing both Sarah and Ethan. Macon Leary is going insane.
It's now later in the same chapter, and Macon has gone even crazier. Now he's calling in his whole week's worth of groceries, telling them which item goes where. This is where he snaps. Still on the phone, he repetitively states how he's alone, that everyone left him. He's wondering what he did to make them leave. And he hangs up, because he doesn't want to think like that. He knows he is obviously falling apart, and he's blaming it all on his attire. There was a chance that he could have turned his life around, but now he's taken another step back by not acknowledging his own mistakes and correcting them. Just because of the sweat suit, he thought he had 'come within an inch...unwashed, unshaven, shapeless, talking to themselves, padding along in their institutional garb'. Perhaps the sweat suit had some part in it, because now in his khakis, he is rational enough to use the dryer instead of crying over soggy sweat suits. However, the problem lies much deeper than the clothes, but Macon can't see that yet. At least he's taken his first steps back to sanity.
Chapter 5 – page 74 “Don't take...turned to leave.”
Macon is now living with his siblings because he broke his leg. His neighbor, Garner, has found his whereabouts and is casually talking to Macon. The conversation turns to Macon's status and relationship with Sarah. Garner tries to give Macon advice, but Macon keeps pushing him away, like he's been doing with almost everyone else in his life. This is also the first time the reader gets details on Macon's life, especially after Ethan's death, from a character in the book. Garner tells the reader how inhumane Macon acted regarding his son's death. This is what sets Macon off. He doesn't want to be reminded of what he did because he is so fixed on Sarah and Ethan as it is. He's also notorious for blaming others for the miseries of his life. When Garner is about to leave, he tells Macon to not worry about his out burst, to not 'think anything about it'. Macon thinks too much, and he doesn't think anything bad about it, the opposite of Hamlet. In response to Garner's 'don't think about it' comment, what else would Macon do but to think about it? He wants to tell Garner a flood of things, like a redundant comment of how it's not his fault. But like several prior instances, he keeps his emotions and thoughts in his head so his opinion is the only one he hears. This is what causes him to be so narrow-minded and insane.
Macon has invited Muriel over to train Edward. Throughout the past chapter, Macon was reluctant to give Edward away or to call Muriel. This is because Edward is Ethan to Macon now. He was Ethan's dog and now he feels the responsibility to care for him because his son no longer can. The only reason he lets his siblings care for Edward too is because they're family, Ethan's (Edward's) aunt and uncles. But Macon's siblings don't see this because they never felt connected to Ethan, for Macon was so protective of Ethan up until the time he decided to let him go to camp. Rose, Porter, and Charles never really felt like Ethan's aunts and uncles, so they don't feel bad for letting Edward go now. Macon's also reluctant to send Edward to obedience school because something bad happened to Ethan when he was sent away. Now Muriel is training Edward and Macon feels uncomfortable, not because Muriel is obviously into him, but because another female other than Rose or Sarah is influencing Edward. Edward is going through he rebellious teen years, just like Ethan would be, and he and Macon both know that Macon can't handle it without Sarah. It kills the already broken-hearted Macon to call in someone to train his son because he doesn’t have enough authority. And to make matters worse, the one he called in is now acting as a motherly character to Edward, and he's obeying. This only makes Macon question his and Sarah's parental roles on their son. It also begs to question if Ethan knew of his parents' faltering marriage, that Edward would so easily respond to a new mother. Just like page 101 says, “Things couldn't be that easy. Edward had improved too quickly...” And also, Edward's (Ethan's) unnaturally fast response to Muriel and Macon's still rather hasty response to Muriel so soon after Sarah implore the idea of Macon's dedication to Sarah. Macon is well aware of how personal Muriel is with him, and now he's inviting her into his home to train his son. When did he lose any hope of being reunited with Sarah?
Chapter 7 – pages 122-123 “With a bellow...walk away.”
Muriel is still training Edward. Prior to this, Macon asked himself what is the point of a trainer if he's doing all the training. That's exactly how he felt about marriage and life in general. What's the point? Now the same thing is happening to his relationship with Muriel. It is short and it ended with them fighting over Edward (Ethan). But what's interesting about Edward now is that he attacked Muriel, his supposed new mother, and he did it to protect Macon. He doesn't respect Macon but Edward still loves him. Edward chose his father over his mother. Would Ethan have chosen Macon over Sarah if he had lived through their divorce? Or would he have agreed with Macon and tried to keep his parents' relationship stable? It seems that way, based on how much influence he has on Macon now. Edward is acting just like a teenage boy would – seemingly careless until his family is being hurt. Macon then reacts in the same way. Once Muriel starts hurting Edward, he jumps to his defense. Macon and Edward (Ethan) are like father and son, protecting each other and not letting anything separate them, even through their social (and physical) differences.
Macon is reminiscing his grandfather as his mind was going crazy. He talked of a made-up, illiterate island and crazy new inventions. It is an insight of the future for Macon Leary, except with Macon, his mind is going insane prematurely. He's only in his 40s and he's already going crazy. He used to hate travel but now he only expresses the difficulty of it because of his broken leg, not his direct hatred of it. He is losing sight of the fundamentals of his life. Macon is also a freak for grammar, even correcting his grieving wife while they're having dinner. He's constantly commenting on the literacy of the world. But here is where he draws a distinct parallel to his insane grandfather – their inventions. Listening to his grandfather's ideas, young Macon has to suppress laughter. He can't fathom how someone could think of a car that acted like a dog, or a mobile radio. But now he's behaving the same exact way – through his systems. The laundry system, the dog food system, etc. But after, a young Rose comments how happy their grandfather is with his crazy mind, and Macon is envious of that. Of course Grandpa Leary is happy! Because he can't remember all these things he does. Macon remembers everything – his mistakes, his embarrassments, everything. Both him and his grandfather have lost the cores of their lives, but Macon has lost his much sooner. And now he has to live with it for the rest of his life. Grandpa Leary knows what the core is because losing his made him go insane, and now he's trying to help Macon. The core is his wife, Sarah. Grandpa Leary makes an excellent parallel for Macon, but there is one crucial difference between them – Macon will never be a grandfather.
Chapter 9 – page 164-166 “He called her...his seat.”
Macon is having a break down on top of a sky-view restaurant, while Charles is just a door away from death-by-Edward. To try and solve both problems, Macon calls Sarah, hoping her voice can be the human touch he says he needs, and she can also physically go solve Charles' problem. But Sarah doesn't pick-up. Both issues are getting worse, so Macon has no choice but to call Muriel. She picks-up and assures him she'll take care of Edward. And she also completely solves Macon's problem too. Aside from picking-up, she sounded as if nothing had happened the last time they talked. It's like she completely started over without him even asking, unlike when Macon asked Sarah if they could start over and she just rejected him. Muriel gives Macon hope, for Edward and his own life. All Sarah has done to him throughout the book is denounce his habits and way of life. But Muriel is praising and honoring him for being able to stand on a roof. The reason he keeps telling her to wait, knowing his brother's and dog's lives are in jeopardy, is because he needs her. He needs a human touch to bring him back to Earth, and just her voice has brought him back. Of course he doesn't realize this until he confidently sits back down in his roof-top seat. Macon's finally starting to turn his life around, ceasing his focus on his dead son, his old life, and his ex-wife who has now failed him too may times.
Sarah and Macon are coming back early from their trip at the beach and are riding through some heavy rain. Sarah doesn't feel comfortable riding through the rain and is questioning if Macon cares. Sarah reminds of him of when she spoke of their son's death and how he offhandedly responded to her. He didn't give her any comfort and instead told her how he doesn't see any point in life. This shows that Macon has a pessimistic view of life and isn't really able to supply emotional support. This also shows that he is a depressing character and there is a possible strain on his marriage to Sarah. He is a character that is determined to a goal and won't let other issues come in the way of his plan. For example, him riding through the rain though it is blinding and his wife feels unsteady in it. He disregards her feelings and in a way scolds her for wanting to wait the rain out. This is shows how he isn't able to give comfort and how his mind is one track.
#1 “Now was…might say.” – Chapter 2 Sarah has just divorced Macon and has moved out of their house. Macon is reorganizing everything in his house to fit with a certain system that he has in mind. Sarah mentions in chapter one that Macon always had “little routines and rituals, depressing habits, day after day” and that he “never did like moving.” Macon is the kind to want a settled, peaceful life, not one of constant change. Ethan’s death and Sarah’s divorce disrupts his original life and throws it into disorder. Now, by organizing his house into the way he wants it, he is trying to find comfort in the order he is establishing in his own house. This passage also contrasts Sarah with Macon. “She was the sort of woman who stored her flatware intermingled. She thought nothing of running a dishwasher with only a handful of forks stacked inside,” while “Macon found that distressing.” They are never meant to be. Even Macon admits that “When she had looked up at him that first night…they were already moving toward their last edgy, miserable year together, toward those months when anything either of them said was wrong, toward that sense of narrowly missed connections.” Ethan is the last connection they had with each other and when he died, there is no longer anything binding them together, justifying the divorce. The author Anne Tyler decides to divorce these two because she is trying to give these two a new chance. Sarah and Macon have been married for twenty years, but Macon is still the deadly, old self. Sarah cannot change anything about Macon. It should be time for each of them to look for a new life.
#2 “Macon said…fountain pen.” – Chapter 3 Macon is leaving for England and he leaves Edward, his dog, at the Meow-Bow Animal Hospital, which is also where Muriel works at. Muriel appears for the first time in the story, helping out Macon at a crucial time. Macon has previously visited a separate vet clinic, but the clinic wouldn’t take Edward because Edward bit someone working there the last time Macon left Edward at that clinic. After the loss of Ethan, not only has Macon become more alienated from the world, but also the world has started to deject him. First is Sarah and now the vet clinic. Everything is just not going the way Macon planned. Muriel is the first person in a while who is willing to help Macon. She shines a new light onto Macon. From this passage, the reader also gets an insight as to Muriel’s character. Muriel appears to be a warm and enthusiastic girl. She doesn’t start to fear Edward after hearing that he bit someone from the Murray Avenue Veterinary Hospital. She continues to interact with Edward and asks him questions like, “Edward? Do you bite?” and “How could you do such as thing?” Her tone of voice and her choice of words make her sound like a mother who is condemning her children. She’s also willing to help others in need. For example, after hearing that Macon is in a hurry to catch a plane, she is willing to take Edward in even without reservation. Also, the readers learn that Muriel has also been divorced before, yet she holds a completely different outlook on life. This vitality will prove to encourage Macon to come out of his little safety house later in the story.
pg160-162 "It was...left me." In this section of the chapter, we learn the past of Murial. She hasn't spoken of it until this section. It shows she's really opening up to Macon. This whole section talks about their marriage and the beginning of Alexander's rough life. First of all, it shows how dedicated Muriel is to her son. It shows she's a dedicated person in general. She's dedicated to her jobs. She's dedicated to Macon's dog, Edward and trying to teach him, no matter how disobedient the dog is. Finally, she's very dedicated to her son. Her husband and his mother both gave up and didn't care about him, but Muriel stuck by his side. Secondly, this situation can compare to both of Muriel's and Macon's divorces. Muriel's divorce was because Alexander wasn't a normal, healthy child. A big deciding factor in Macon's divorce, was Ethan passed away. Both these divorces were do to a son. It shows one thing that the two character's have in common, in a bunch of differences. The idea of Muriel's son also comes up multiple times throughout the book. Knowing the story behind this child allows the readers to understand why he is so important to the story and Muriel.
#3 “If you…about it.” – Chapter 4 Once again, Macon is thinking of Sarah and the time he spent with her. He notices that even though Sarah used to like social events and overcrowded places, she has start to separate herself from society in the past year. At this point, the readers know that the ultimate reason Sarah wants the divorce is because Macon is becoming more and more secluded from society. It has been to a point where he doesn’t even talk to Sarah anymore. However, this passage revealed new information about the cause of the divorce. Macon observed that Sarah had “always been a social person…Sarah thought crowds were exciting. She liked to meet new people;” however “that had changed during this past year. Sarah didn’t like crowds anymore. She never went near a mall, hadn’t made him go to any parties.” Sarah was becoming similar to Macon and that scared her. She has once told him, “I don't have enough time left to waste it holing up in my shell.” From this, she is acknowledging that she too is retreating from the world. This acknowledgement prompts her to leave before he completely changes her. This instance can be compared to the family theme is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet influence shapes their daughters’ personality. For example, like Mr. Bennet, Elizabeth turns out to be an intelligent and witty girl. Also, like her father, Elizabeth doesn’t value money and social status as much as love when looking for a suitor. Similarly, Sarah and Macon has been married for many years and by living together, each person’s habits and personality has influence the other, such as Sarah’s increasing isolation from the world.
Chapter 14 pg 224-227 "We have...we can leave." This passage is important because it shows the differences between the brothers. It gives the readers an inside view of the family and how it works. First they argue about the car. It shows how each of the brothers think differently. They are all the same in the way that they have systems and try to think simply, but when it comes to the thoughts of each, they are completely different. They have systems and are simple, but they each think differently. Here it is very evident that Macon and Charles think differently. They argue about the car, they look at the situation at hand and have different ways of solving it. This proves to not be effective, because they argue for a while. Then, in Macon's house, Macon just wants to leave his house the way it is, but Charles disagrees, and believes it to be a horrible idea. This passage really shows the difference between the two brothers, and definitely the complex family they belong to. The two agree that it is terrible how the living room is completely destroyed, but each has they're own thought. What this passage really shows is how people can be super similar. They can be practical and precise, and yet be completely different. This is shown multiple times in the rest of the book. Even though the family is so similar, they all have their differences.
Chapter 15, pg, 236-237 "Just as...of course In the beginning of this passage, we see Alexander being bullied by children. Now, up until now, Macon has wanted Edward to become calm and gentle. Here the readers see him aggressive and harsh. This is because Macon let him go to protect Alexander. This is a part of the story the reader really gets to understand that Macon isn't as harsh and uptight as the book keeps describing him as. He has a soft spot and that spot is shown in this passage. In the past chapter's the reader can easily compare Alexander and Ethan. This passage shows that Macon is willing to risk Edwards behavior to protect Alexander. Also it shows how attached Edward is to Alexander. It said, "His ears had perked at the sound of Alexander's voice, and now he hurtled after him." this sentence shows that this dog, Edward, adores Alexander. This can compare to the relationship that is mentioned multiple times in the book. The relationship between Ethan and Edward is a big part of why Macon kept the dog. Readers can easily compare the two relationships because this passage shows that Edward cares deeply for Alexander. In the last section readers see what Macon thought after Ethan was born, "From this time on I can never be completely happy." This thought has always been a guilty one for Macon. In the end, Ethan was a fantastic event that happened to him, and he loved him deeply. This passage just emphasizes that Macon was never really completely happy.
Chapter 19 pg 292-294 "When Ethan...had said." Finally, the death and reaction to Ethan has been told. The author was bound to do this sometime in the book, it was just about when and how he smoothly fit it in. The thought came out of nowhere because he was just sitting there. At the end it flows perfectly into a thought that shows he is questioning love. During the whole scene, the reader can see that Macon is just lying down the hard truth. He may feel hurt or destroyed inside, but he doesn't show it. He says as he sees it. This shows how he thinks simply. When he looks at Ethan, he doesn't look at his son, he looks at a body that passed. Someone who is no longer living. He even says something similar in the book. When Sarah asked about Ethan and what Macon saw, this was Macon's response, "Not really much of anything sweetheart." This comment shows that he was looking at a dead person, and that's all he would say to his wife. This past really shows his simple way of thinking and how he sees things as they are. Other humans over complicate everything, whereas, Macon, doesn't. He tries to think of the world as simply as he can.
Chapter Five Page 62-63 “Lately, Macon…weep at his funeral.”
Macon and Sarah have been apart for a while now, leaving Macon to stew in his own thoughts. Sarah constantly thought, and said, how Macon was so apathetic about everything. He didn’t appear to care about social outings, his relationship with Sarah, and especially the death of his son Ethan. Yet this passage contradicts Sarah’s idea of Macon being apathetic. When she left, Macon started going down a self-destructive path, and acknowledged it too in Chapter Two. The passage in Chapter Five illustrates how Sarah had emotionally wounded Macon when she left, and so to comfort himself he imagines how she should be wracked with grief over what she did. The same was with his mother; she was never around and didn’t seem to care much about the children since her main focus always was on getting a new boyfriend. So, as a little boy who missed his mother’s attention, Macon felt comfort in imagining how regretful his mother would be once he was dead. Sarah thought that she didn’t mean a whole lot to Macon, but Macon’s need to play out her remorsefulness and her apologies to him displays how much he truly cared. This passage shows a bit of Macon’s true self; how it isn’t that he doesn’t care, rather he cares a whole lot.
Chapter Four Page 764- “Macon gave up…not quite as feeling.”
When Sarah and Macon were in high school, Sarah was sought after by many guys so Macon didn’t even bother to go after her. Due to his lack of interest, Sarah went to Macon; so in order to keep Sarah interested in him, Macon kept up his apathetic façade. So he did, for more than twenty years Macon was always pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Even when he wasn’t with Sarah, Macon continued to be very Vulcan-like because he was so used to doing it that he didn’t know how to stop. Due to Macon’s constant apathy, especially after Ethan’s death, Sarah believed Macon wasn’t as caring as normal people are. That was why she wanted to divorce Macon, because he didn’t seem to be caring. However, Sarah showed interest in Macon when he didn’t show interest in Sarah, so Macon believed Sarah wanted an apathetic man. Macon ended up being trapped in that persona and wasn’t able to give Sarah that proper comfort she needed following Ethan’s death. Macon created that wall of apathy in order to draw Sarah in and win her heart. Ironically, that same apathy spoiled their marriage and caused Sarah to eventually leave Macon.
Chapter Seventeen Page 4254 “He couldn’t explain…and went on inside”
As Macon and Muriel grow closer, their relationship seems to greatly reflect his relationship with Sarah. While married to Sarah, Macon was constantly on her about how sloppy she was. He would make comments about how she needed to be more rational and to be orderly, but this only sparked animosity between the two of them. Sarah would ignore Macon and retort that he was too stiff. When Macon gets together with Muriel, he does the same thing; as read in the passage, Macon tells Muriel she’s sloppy and imprecise after she tells him that she quit her job. However, Muriel doesn’t get upset and coaxes Macon inside the store by childishly using a sock puppet. With a grudging laugh, Macon drops his anger and joins Muriel in the store. Both women, according to Macon, are generally untidy and social and Macon treats them both the same way in his relationships with them. Despite this, his relationship with Sarah stagnates while his relationship with Muriel grows stronger. The two relationships seem to be like two endings to a game. The one, Sarah, is the bad ending where you lose, and the other, Muriel, is where you continue on living. The events that led up to these “endings” are the same, and yet the actual results are different.
Chapter Seventeen Page 4178 “Muriel said…some small animal”
The beginning of Chapter Seventeen was similar to the night before Jesus was taken away to be crucified. Muriel tells Macon of the how the man she dated before had been broken by his ex-wife’s betrayal. So as Muriel helped heal him they fell in love, only for the man to leave her at a moment’s notice for another woman. She asks Macon if he’d do the same, and when he says no she, “considered him. Her eyes were alert and bright and knowing,” implying that she knew Macon would leave her too. When Jesus had told His disciples how they would all doubt him, Peter fiercely denied it. So Jesus, knowing what was to come, replied, “You will deny me three times before the rooster crows.” Later, Peter was questioned about his relation to the man being executed for crimes against the Jews, so Peter denied any knowledge of Him; just as Jesus said he’d do. When Sarah came back to Macon, he didn’t even hesitate to go back to their house and leave Muriel alone again. Muriel, like Jesus, seemed all knowing in this passage, and knew that Macon would eventually abandon her.
Chapter Fourteen Page 3793-3829 “Once they were…Charles closed his mouth.”
After Macon had officially moved in with Muriel, Macon and his brother Charles examine Macon’s old house after a pipe burst. As Charles drives Macon back to Muriel’s, he decided to talk to Macon. He expresses how he, and the other siblings, disapproved of Muriel. The Leary children had grown up with an eccentric mother who was hardly at home. Their mother was always jumping from one thing to another, never really having anything steady or constant in her, and consequently her children’s lives. It was a relief for the children to escape their mother, but Muriel almost seems like another Alicia. She’s eccentric, spontaneous, and is sort of a free spirit (quitting her job on a whim), a lot like the mother was. Macon doesn’t seem to make the connection, and yet it’s almost like the Leary siblings notice the similarities. As Macon becomes more involved with Muriel and seems to become carefree, the siblings really worry. Charles attempts to warn Macon away from Muriel, as she’d be a burden (like their mother was), but Macon ignores it and tries to defend Muriel.
When Macon’s relationship comes under fire from Charles, he keeps his cool until Charles insults Alexander. When Ethan died, Macon told the reader that he agonized over it. Throughout the book Macon seems to be unable to move past Ethan’s death. As Macon’s relationship with Muriel got stronger, Macon became attached to her sickly son Alexander. At first, Macon dislikes the idea of Alexander, as if he was a mockery of Ethan. Overtime, Macon’s opinion changes and Alexander becomes just as dear to him as Ethan was. Macon becomes very involved with Alexander, he protects him from schoolyard bullies and considers enrolling him in a private school. He even takes Alex to the same cowboy clothes store he took Ethan to, unable to feel the grief of Ethan’s absence. In a way, Macon seems to have, not replaced Ethan, accepted Alexander as a son figure to fill the void Ethan left. It’s very clear just how protective Macon is of Alexander when he snappishly shuts his own brother up the moment Charles said something negative about the boy.
Macon’s relationships with Sarah and with Muriel are almost opposites. While with Sarah, Macon was almost stuck in time. Macon stayed the same as he was when he first met her in high school, “It was like that warning of his Grandmother’s: don’t cross your eyes, they’ll get stuck that way.” For twenty years, the two lived in the same house with the same neighbors; and even after Ethan died Macon went back to how life was like before he was born. However, as Muriel kept pushing her way into Macon’s life, she seemed to restart the clock in Macon’s life. When Macon was with Sarah, he hated to leave his home, and yet Muriel somehow got him to move in with her. The thought of travelling used to put Macon off as the change, in pretty much everything, made him ill at ease. However, his relationship with Muriel made traveling more exciting as he began to notice all of the wonderful unique differences each place had. Finally though, Macon was able to move on from Ethan’s death and didn’t dwell on it so much as he did when with Sarah. Sarah was a thing from Macon’s past, a fond memory you can never re-experience, but Muriel was a fresh new change that made time move forward again.
Chapter 20, pg 326-327 "In the morning...to travel" This is one of the most important passages in the book. Throughout the whole story Macon is back and forth with Sarah and Muriel. Finally he chooses which side he's on. He decides to go back to Muriel. At this point in his life, he finally realizes what he wants to do, and what his life is about. Through the whole story, Macon is confused, lost and not knowing which direction to head to. That's what the whole story is about. It's about Macon finding his way in life after a horrible accident. This passage is so important because it is the end of his searching. He can finally be at peace with his life. The whole book led up to this section, when he makes the big decision. He has Sarah back, the person he wants, but then he questions it. In this moment he realizes that it's not Sarah who he wants, it's Muriel and Alexander. This can make the leader to believe that he's replacing Sarah and his passed son with two new people that love him. With his time with Muriel, the reader can take away that he felt happier then he did with Sarah. In this passage, he is at peace with his decision and won't go back to Sarah.
This passage is mentions one of the ongoing themes in the Accidental Tourist: Perfect couples; or rather, a perfect family. This book was written in the 1980s, a time where a normal American household had a mom, a dad, 2.5 children, and maybe a pet. A “perfect” American family had sweet children who always did as they were told, parents who loved each other as much as they loved their children, and a sort of “put together” feel to their lives. Macon’s family was anything but that as his dad had been absent and his mother left him and the siblings with their grandparents. Even when Macon married and had his own family it wasn’t idealistic. His wife and him were distant, his only son Ethan disobeyed and ended up dead, and then his wife divorced him. Muriel and Alexander were a bit abnormal too, as Muriel was not very lady-like. She had a venomous tongue and retaliated against a mugger, and Alexander was so weak and sickly unlike a normal child. Even Macon’s dog, Edward, wasn’t the idealistic friendly pup and bit various people. As the author writes, “Who’s a perfect couple?” The idealistic perfect American family of the 80s is very different to the actual American families depicted in this novel.
During another confrontation with Macon, Sarah states something significant. She tells Macon that his Accidental Tourist logo and him are the same. The Accidental Tourist logo was created by Julian because “While armchair travelers dream of going places traveling armchairs dream of staying put.” Macon wrote travel guides for people like him; people who hate change. He wanted to stay in his cozy little house in Baltimore forever, so when Macon traveled he tried to make himself feel as mush as home as possible. Macon didn’t want to try anything exciting or risk changing into something new because it was new. Most people like the old because it’s familiar and safe, we know how to work it and react to it. However, the new is unknown territory; you could lose everything or end up being miserable. Macon, being stuck in the past as he is, hasn’t changed since Sarah had first known him, which was why she compared him to his logo. Macon was afraid of change and what it might mean for himself.
This last passage has three significant symbols that, in a way, summarize Macon’s transformation. Macon leaves his hotel carrying his bag, however, this doesn’t last long. The bag pained Macon’s back, so after some consideration Macon decided that the bag had nothing he would need and left it. The bag was like Sarah; while with Macon she always seemed to bring him down, which was why Macon felt fits of anger and even animosity towards his wife. He couldn’t continue on with his life until he got rid of his extra baggage. Next, a boy who reminds Macon of Ethan hails down a cab for him and then gives him a formal farewell. In a way, it was almost like Ethan himself was saying goodbye to Macon, as Macon had finally moved on past the death of his son. Lastly, when Macon sees Muriel and tells the taxi driver to stop, Macon thought that the reflections of light on the windshield appeared like confetti. The bright festive appearance of this ‘confetti’ marks a new happier chapter in Macon’s life with Muriel. The confetti is almost like a celebratory symbol of how Macon finally got together with the woman he loves and that makes him happy.
I'd just like to say that I was reading both books on my kindle, so it tells me the location rather than the actual page number. Since it's a small screened e-book, there were a LOT of pages, hence the whole over "Page 5434-5565" thing. I'm sorry if this confuses people.
#4 – Chapter 4 So they…as feeling. Here, Macon is reminiscing about his past with Sarah when they just married. He mentions that after they got married, Sarah is beginning to find fault in Macon. When Ethan’s death coincided with Macon and Sarah’s divorce, the readers would normally conclude that Ethan’s death is the main reason for the two’s divorce, but this passage reveals new information. Macon mentions, “It was seven years before Ethan was born. By that time, Sarah was no longer calling Macon “mysterious.” When he was quiet now it seemed to annoy her.” in high school, Sarah was attracted to Macon because of his mysterious aura, but by the time they’re married, that mysterious aura no longer attracted Sarah. If anything, it should be applauded that Macon and Sarah divorced only after Ethan died and not sooner. Ethan’s death gave Sarah a reason to finally divorce Macon. Also, it should be noted that Macon “was locked inside the standoffish self he’d assumed when he and she first met.” Macon was shy in high school, but from there he never changed because he wanted to impress Sarah. After going out of Sarah, he can no longer escape that persona. After marrying her, Macon has tried to change because he notice Sarah’s change in attitude, but “no matter how he tried to change his manner, Sarah continued to deal with him as if he were someone unnaturally cool-headed.” In time, he stopped trying to change and rebounded to his original cool-headed nature and he stayed that way until now. Lastly, this passage reveals the prospect on marriage at the time of the setting. Sarah married Macon “the spring they graduated from college,” which is quite fast compared to now, when people tend to marry in their mid-to-late twenties. Notice that all of the female characters in the story are either married or divorced, showing the importance of marriage to women. This is often compared to the marriage theme in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. In both stories, marriage is essential for women. The difference is that in The Accidental Tourist the story is focused on post-marriage, while in Pride and Prejudice the story is focused on pre-marriage.
In the early line of "The Accidental Tourist," the reader already understands Macon and his personality and the reader understands most of what they need to just by reading the first page of the book. In this passage, the author describes Macon's personality and what he wore to the beach that day. The author describes him as a very dull person and one who likes to stay in his own little bubble for the most part. He doesn't seem to venture out very much and he seems happier that way. Clearly that's why the title is what it is. The point is and the significance of this section is that Macon's personality and the vibe he gives off is the reason why he doesn't enjoy the travelling and it is the reason why he is so unwilling to venture out and try new things and see what the world has to offer. He is stuck at a certain comfort level that he will never break out of unless he changes a few things about himself first. The reason he is the way he is, is because his personality forces him to be that way. He has a dull personality so he will live a dull life, it's as simple as that.
In this passage, Sarah and Macon had just passed under an overpass and Sarah pointed out a boy on a motorcycle and how he was waiting out the rain, hoping it would stop even briefly so he could get to where he needed to go. She pointed out too how crazy it was of the boy to be riding a motorcycle in this weather. Macon followed her statement up by saying it's crazy to ride one any day. Considering how dangerous it is and how exposed you are to everything around you. That's just it though. That's what Macon has yet to understand. Life is about living on the edge a little bit and that sometimes a little danger isn't such an awful thing. In a way, it's good for you. When you get out into dangerous situations, often times when those situations are over, you don't take things for granted as much. The danger makes you realize what you truly have is a blessing. Life itself is a blessing but Macon cannot see that until he frees himself and rids himself of the fear inside of him. Macon needs to realize that there is much more to life than what he experiences day in and day out. Life moves pretty fast, and if you don't stop to look around once and while, you could miss it.
In this passage, we continue to see the way Macon values life. Ethan, someone who must be close in relation to Sarah and Macon, has recently passed away. Sarah feels as though now that he is gone, there isn't much point to living anymore. Macon comes back by saying he never thought there was much point from the start. That alone is enough catch someone's attention and worry them. Life is a precious gift and a blessing and Macon has been taking it for granted for far too long. He sees that there is no point because he hasn't had anything to live for. The more he lets this drag on the worse it will get. He needs to change his attitude around and the perspective he has on his life or this will be the way he continues to live for a long time. Maybe he's happy this way or maybe he isn't. That is not the point. The point is that everyone deserves to experience the true beauty of life and this world and all that they both have to offer. It all goes back to his personality and perspective. It starts there and it will end there too unless he steps up himself and makes a change. He owes it to himself and to anyone around him to just be happy.
Key Passage #1 Page 20 “Look at what… an on forever.” Sarah is still very upset about the death of her and Macon’s son Ethan. After their separation, Sarah calls Macon and tells him how she feels about the boy who killed her son. She said that she would like to confront him and tell him of all of the problems that he has caused, and how he has not only killed the people he shot, but other people too. Sarah believes that when Ethan was killed, a part of her was also killed. This passage shows that death is more than just one person dying. Instead, it affects everyone that was every acquainted with the person. Losing one person can change the lives of so many others. While one may not think that they have a very large influence on anybody, it would turn out that there are people that need them. Sarah didn’t know what to do with her life once she lost her son. She felt there was no need to live on because the thing that was most important to her was taken away by a careless teenager. This goes to show that the simple acts of one person can change so many more things that they intended. No matter what, the boy that killed Ethan also killed Macon and Sarah, changing their lives forever.
Key Passage #2 Page 81 “It was a steel… antique bibles.” Macon was recalling the first day he met Julian, which was when Macon was still working at the bottle factory and writing short news articles. Julian loved the way that Macon wrote, and when Julian handed him his business card, the logo was what stood out. The logo was an overstuffed chair with wings attached to the back. The significance of the armchair is that the traveling armchairs dream of staying put. Macon wrote a guide for travelers that didn’t want to travel, and he made their trip seem like they had never left home. The armchair acts as a piece of home, and it makes a trip away from home as painless as possible. This describes Macon perfectly because he does not like traveling, and he would rather stay in the armchair from home. The books are made for people who travel out of necessity rather than pleasure. The traveler does not want to take the trips, but they must because it is a requirement of their job. Rather than making it seem like they are going on a trip, Macon’s job is to help the business man feel as at home as possible.
Key Passage #3 Page 134 “’You’ve… Macon.’” In a dream, Macon is talking to his grandfather about his life. He tells Macon that he has lost the center of his life, referring to Sarah. This shows that Macon has reached a new low where he realizes that his life is no longer in order. When Macon had Ethan and Sarah, his life was completely planned out and everything had a system. Once Ethan died, Sarah was what was holding him together. After she left him was the moment when things started to go bad for Macon. He could no longer comprehend his purpose in life. After his conversation with his grandfather in his dream, Macon realized that his life was not going the way he wanted it to. That was the turning point in the story where Macon decided he had to make a change in his life. Sarah was a big part of his life and while she may have been the center, Macon knew that he had to fill that center with something different. He changed his ways and moved on with his life, a life without Sarah.
Key Passage #4 Page 137 “Even those… belonging to someone.” On his extensive trips, Macon begins to feel very alone. In this scene, he is at the train station for his trip to New York. He looks around at the different types of people that are occupying the train. He sees families, old couples, adventurous teenagers and the common businessman. The one detail that he did notice was that nobody seemed to look completely alone. While one may have been alone at the time, he realized that they did not give the impression of being alone in life. Macon used the term that they “belonged to someone.” Macon started to consider himself completely alone, as if he did not belong to anyone. He did not have his wife or his son anymore, and besides his family, he did not have anybody else. Macon sat at the train station watching the content people and thinking of the wonderful lives they might have compared to his. At that moment in the story, Macon felt completely lonely. Even when one is surrounded by people, they can still feel like they are alone.
Key Passage #5 Page 145 He would never…sherry glass.” At the top of a very tall building in New York, Macon realized the turn his life was taking. He realized that he had isolated himself from everybody that he had ever loved. He acted in a distant way from his friends and family, and that caused him to grow apart from everyone. Rather than bringing his loved ones closer in a time of need, Macon pushed everyone away and tried to handle his feelings by himself. Little did he realize that being alone was the worse way to live. Even when his son died, Macon pushed his neighbors away and he didn’t let himself cope with the fact that he had just lost a major person in his life. He had trouble opening up to others, and after a long time he realized the negative impact it had. When he saw the city below him from the restaurant at the top of the building, Macon realized that there were so many people in the world, and so many of them were willing to help someone in need. Macon knew that people were willing to lend a helping hand, but it wasn’t until that moment that he realized that it isn’t bad to accept it.
Key Passage #6 Page 168 “’We wonder… left him behind.’” After Ethan was killed, people figured that they should not mention his name around Macon or Sarah. One of the times that he was mentioned to Macon was by his niece Susan. She was accompanying him on one of his day trips when she started to talk about Ethan and how he was missed. It shows that he was an important part in the lives of his cousins too, and when he died it affected them too. Susan and her siblings thought of Ethan as the funniest one, and they wonder what Ethan would think of if he could see them. Susan is afraid that Ethan would be upset because they continued their lives without him, but she would want him to know that he is thought of often. While he is not mentioned, he is still on somebody’s mind. It might have been strange for Ethan to be talked about around Macon, but that may have been the best thing for him. Macon needed to know that he wasn’t alone and that many other people missed his son too. He always wondered why he was not mentioned, and through Susan he found out that it was to spare his feelings. Nobody knew how to act around Macon since his loss, and it must have been nice to have someone to talk to about a subject that everybody avoided.
Key Passage #7 Page 184 “Just…only one.” During Muriel’s pregnancy, something went terribly wrong, so she needed to get a caesarean removal of the premature baby. This left her with a scar on her abdomen. The first night that Macon spent with Muriel, he felt the scar and he took this as a sign. He could hear Muriel saying that everyone is scarred and that he isn’t the only one. By scarred, it is meant that everyone is fighting their own battle. It isn’t just Macon that has a hard life and problems that need to be taken care of. That gave Macon a sense of security because now he knows that he is not the only one that is alone. Before, Macon thought that nobody understood what he was going through, but Muriel’s scar showed him that there are so many other people that feel the same way. Others feel that nobody understands them or that they have nobody that is on their side. The scar signifies so much more than an operation; it signifies the struggles and the hard times that everyone has to go through in their life.
Key Passage #8 Page 237 “From this… happy.” When Ethan was born, Macon thought that he can never be completely happy again. He realized that with a child comes great responsibility. There is constant worrying about the health and safety of the child. When one thing went right, there would be a moment of happiness before the parent had to worry about the next thing that could go wrong. After Ethan’s death, it seemed as if Macon’s feeling went away. It wasn’t until he developed protective feelings for Alexander did the thought come back. Macon felt affection towards Alexander and he knew that he had to protect the boy as best as he could. Alexander took on the role as his son, and Macon knew that he could not be completely happy because he needed to make sure that the child was happy. Macon thought of it as sacrificing his happiness for the happiness of another person. Without Ethan and Sarah to take care of, Macon was lonely and had nobody to worry about but himself, but with Alexander, the feeling of being needed came back.
Key Passage #9 Page 274 “He put… Never mind.’” Towards the end of the book, a change in Macon was evident. Normally, on his plane trips he would do anything he could to avoid talking to the people sitting next to him. He would take out Miss Macintosh, which was a very thick book and Macon knew that one would not disturb another who was immersed in a book. Macon avoided anybody he did not know until his plane ride to Edmonton. Next to him was an old woman who was afraid of planes. Instead of looking away from the woman and avoiding her, Macon turned to her and tried to talk her through the flight. Macon realized that he can’t live his life by himself and that branching out to others is not always a bad thing. He changed from being a cold man with a broken heart, to an accepting man who was considerate of others. Macon changed for the good, and this was a part in the book that the change was evident. Sometimes it is better to talk to someone new, and learn that everyone has their own unique story.
Key Passage #10 Page 294 “He began to… whether you love her.” Macon things that the way you act with somebody matters more than whether if you love that somebody or not. He knows that once one starts to love another, they could change completely. The thing that matters most is how they act around them. They could love this person, but what is most important is how they act around each other. If somebody is madly in love with another person, but treats them poorly, then the feelings do not matter. This passage is significant because love is explained. Love is not only having feelings for someone, but showing the same feelings in a positive light. Macon knows that he loved Sarah, but he didn’t show his affection as much as he should have. Macon realized that the person he was with Sarah mattered more than any amount of love he could have had for her. Affection and loved should not be concealed, they should be shown.
In this passage, Sarah is still hung up on how Macon doesn't seem to have many emotions. She really focuses on how he continues day in and day out to live in his own little shell. He sticks to the same routine and the same plan each day and doesn't venture out whatsoever. He continues to let life pass him by and clearly Sarah is bothered by it now. She wants him to get onto living a normal life, well at least somewhat normal. She is tired of her husband keeping to himself all the time and never just breaking out of his habits. That is the significant part of this section. Sarah is voicing her opinion about this and she has every right to. However, as much as it bothers her that Macon is like this, if she truly loves and cares about him, it should not matter. She should be on his side, supporting him all the way. That is what you vow to do when you get married. You promise to never give up on one another and to always stand by each other. That's what marriage is about. The ups and downs and standing by each other because you know when you get passed it all you will be stronger because of it. Unless Sarah doesn't truly love Macon, then she will just fall apart from here.
Sarah has had it with Macon and how he lives his life. She simply cannot stand it anymore. They are at the point of arguing and fighting now because Sarah doesn't feel that Macon cares about anything, much less their marriage. When it gets to that point, the point where you just feel like you are on your own in what is supposed to be a two person effort, you give up. Which is why Sarah wants a divorce. Macon thinks all of this is happening because of the death of their child, but she has been feeling like this for quite some time now. They are two completely different people that want completely different things from this life. She wants to find a place of her own as soon as they get back home. The significance however, comes at the very end of this chapter. When they are sitting under the overhang at the gas station and Sarah won't even look at Macon, we see him show some feeling. As he sits there and rubs his knees with the palms of his hands, he feels pain. The pain of losing something he thought he would have forever. This is good for him though. Maybe this will help him realize that you cannot live like this. It isn't healthy for yourself and it tends to drive the ones you love away. This is going to be a really tough part of his life that he has to fight through. But then again, maybe Macon needs to go through the worst to appreciate the best when it comes along.
This section takes place right after Sarah moved out of the house and left Macon on his own. She was going onto bigger and better things and was going out to see what else this world has to offer her. Meanwhile, Macon hasn't found that yet. He sits at home and focuses on everything negative. He absolutely has a right to do so and to feel that way, but if he plans on getting passed this anytime soon, he has to change up his attitude. However, there are positives to this section and there is significance here as well. As Macon looks around his house and sees what is missing and the memories that used to be there but all that are left in their places are some empty spaces. Those empty spaces made him feel though. He is feeling what it is like to hurt and to lose, to love and to have lost. That is the first step for him. He needs to understand and by feeling anything in general will help him to do so. He recalled everything about Sarah and everything that she did that he enjoyed. Looking back on it now, he probably wishes he enjoyed it a little more while he had the chance. He let something good go to waste and now he is paying the price. He seems to be taking a step in the right direction. Which is good because before he can do anything, he must be willing to take that first step.
In the pages prior to this passage, we learn about some of the systems that Macon has developed over the years and even some of the ideas that he had come up with. Ideas that he wanted to portray to other people in hopes that they begin to live as he does. He feels that the way he does things is easier and it saves energy, which is something that he seems to do for fun. The reason it seems as though he is trying to come up with ideas to portray to others to make their lives "easier" is because in one of the spare rooms that you could say was his office, he typed away at an old typewrite that he used all throughout college. On that typewriter he was trying to come up with guidebooks. They would be designated for people who had to travel for business. Almost like what seemed to be a survival book for those people. Since Macon did all his work from home, we understand how he feels about travelling. Clearly he prefers to stay in the comfort of his own home. That is the first instance that begins to unfold the rest of the story. Once we as readers learn this about Macon, we learn more about what the rest of the book could have to offer. This foreshadowing by Tyler allows us to think about what is to come in the later stages of the story.
This selection is very interesting. It is interesting simply in the way it is written and the way it may be perceived by the readers. The author is describing Macon's guidebooks and what they look like and some of the different ones he has written. The things that Macon writes about too, it just seems a little odd. It doesn't seem like what he puts in these books are things that would really happen. He makes it seem like he is writing about a dream. Like everything in the book is something he thought up in his head. That is the significant part though. Tyler is making it seem like this is all some fantasy that may or may not have occurred. Maybe she is leaving that up to the reader to determine. Then there is the chair this is on the cover of the books. The fact that there are wings on the chair makes it seem like you would float off into whatever city Macon decided to write about, But you would not actually go there, you would just picture and imagine it all. You see, wings remind people of flying and floating. When you dream or imagine something you float off into your own little world for a little while and you forget anything else exists. So the cover of this book makes it seem like whatever takes place in the book, doesn't actually happen.
In these lines, if you see what Macon is talking about it is easy to understand why it seems like none of this is real. He talks about things that would never matter to someone who was actually doing business in one of these cities. Like is there a McDonald's in Amsterdam or is there a Taco Bell in Mexico City, or does a place in Rome serve Chef Boyardee ravioli. These are all things that would never seriously be thought about by someone on a business trip. That right there could lead the reader to believe that it is all a fantasy. What really sells this idea is the next few lines. How Macon loves to write, and how there is a virtuous delight in organizing a disorganized country. Taking away anything that was not necessary and just writing about what remained. There is irony and significance there as well. Up to this point, all the reader reads is how Macon has a system for everything he does and it is all orderly. Well he likes to organize something that is not organized. It doesn't make much sense. Then he talks about taking away all that was not necessary and just discussing what was left. If he was taking away all the unnecessary things in these cities that he would write about, then it doesn't make too much sense for him to be concerned about Amsterdam having a McDonald's or not. So everything seems a little sketchy here and it seems like Tyler is leaving it up to the reader to figure out themselves.
Chapter 2 Page 12-13 "Macon wondered... of malnutrition?"
In this passage, Macon is contemplating a few things. He wonders if Sarah is feeling the same way he is. He also wonders if he will get passed this. Then he tells himself that he is fine and he can handle it. It is pretty obvious though that it is tearing him apart. The reader realizes it but he has yet to do so. It seems almost impossible for him to not realize how much it is killing him considering how dramatically his appearance and appetite has changed because of all of this. He looks like he has aged a lot, he has lost weight, he hasn't been eating properly. It is becoming a serious issue. Macon could be in denial. He says he is okay but then he goes right back to doing the things that are breaking him apart. That is the significance and almost irony in the situation. The reader sees how much he has changed since Sarah left, yet he will not admit it. Half the battle is admitting something is wrong. Macon needs to realize something is wrong before this really goes down hill. His health is being jeopardized and that is a road he cannot afford to go down.
I Chapter 1 “They were . . . every day.” At the opening of the novel the reader can easily, and almost immediately, sense that something is awry. It is mentioned that Macon and his wife, Sarah, have been vacationing at the beach. However, they both loose interest and decide to leave. This shows that an underlying issue is yet to be revealed, yet its presence is foreshadowed. Also, the description of these two characters positions each at opposite sides of the spectrum. It is included, “They might have been returning from two entirely different trips.” This tells the reader all they need to know on their relationship and the current state of their marriage. It is actually surprising that they are married when they are first introduced. They are completely different and seem (and yes, Jane Austen’s favorite word) most disagreeable with each other. This opening leads perfectly into the upcoming divorce between them, making it not much of a surprise.
Key Passage #1 "Now that...in life."- Sarah, Chapter 1 The author brings up death as a main theme and a powerful force right away. This passage is Sarah remembering her words from a couple of days ago. Both Sarah and Macon are greatly affected by Ethan's death to the point where Sarah wonders if there is any point in life without Ethan. It's made obvious that Ethan's death had a traumatizing effect on Sarah and it's taking a toll on their marriage. Death is making Sarah question her marriage with Macon due to the fact that Macon shows no care towards Ethan's death. Ethan's death devastated the lives of this couple. When Sarah stated those words, Macon responded with, "to tell...begin with," a philosophical yet pessimistic response to the situation. Death has eliminated Macon's hope in life. One thing that caught my attention in this scene was the rather symbolic weather. The day is described as gloomy, rainy and sad. This really sets the scene for reminiscing the death of their son. Moreover, Macon is now faced with the possibility of losing his wife. Macon is made out to be someone who will have to overcome a lot of heartache. Right off the bat, death imposes its impact on the lives of this marriage couple. Death seems to be the main theme of the novel so far.
Key Passage #1 Chapter 2: p. 6-8, “After his wife…her mouth.”
In this chapter, the protagonist of the story, Macon Leary, is introduced and developed. Although Macon seems to be indifferent to life and everyone in it, his thoughts are preoccupied with his wife, Sarah, which indicates that he does in fact miss her after she left him. Macon feels crowded in his own house, even though he is the only one in it, and observes that “there was something insistent about the furniture, as if it were pressing in on him.” He may feel this way because he is left to his own thoughts which could be, in a sense, suffocating him. He no longer has his wife to talk to, or rather to not talk to. It is ironic that he should miss Sarah when he was not that attentive to her when she was with him. Macon never enjoyed her lack of organization and messiness, but now that she is gone, he finds himself missing the things about her that he had previously disliked. It is revealed that his son was killed and his old room in the house was “neatly made up, as sleek as a room in a Holiday Inn.” Hotel rooms are impersonal and lack character. It seems a bit peculiar that their son’s room would be like this. After a child’s death, a parent may want to preserve as many belongings of their child as possible in order to remember him by, but it seems that Macon and Sarah have instead decided to keep his room like any other room would be kept. Perhaps they would rather not be reminded of their son as it brings them too much grief. Also revealed is Macon’s obsession with order and systems. He needs everything to be organized and accomplished in a methodical way. This could be a coping mechanism for his son’s death, but it seems like this unusual behavior is ingrained in him and occurred even before his child’s death. Macon dislikes change and feels that by altering his shower schedule, switching them from morning to night, he is making a drastic adjustment in his life. Sarah disapproved of his daily procedures that helped him to get through the day and often found them ridiculous, which may have contributed to her motivation for leaving him.
In this passage Macon and Sarah are returning from their recent, albeit suddenly-ended, vacation at the beach. The use of their descriptions shows an immediate rift between a couple that had been married for several years. Macon's formal travel suit shows that he is clean cut, and though he is on vacation he sees it as no excuse to be dressed up. Sarah, on the other hand, is in a sundress, this shows she had enjoyed her vacation and saw it as a full break from the real world, she saw no need to dress up like her husband had to simply travel home on account of the fact that she is on vacation. Macon's lack of tan shows he did not spend his time outdoors, rather staying inside, away from the sun. Sarah on the other hand is very tan and it's obvious she was outgoing and enjoyed her stay at the beach. These differences in appearance show immediate differences in these characters, making it obvious they see the world from two different perspectives. Macon is reserved and clean cut, Sarah is outgoing and eccentric. The fact they were ever married at all can be questioned right from the start because of these difference and how they bicker and such. The point of this passage is to immediately show difference in these characters, and essentially force to their ultimate splitting and divorce. It can also be important because it shows the stubbornness of Macon. He spent no time outdoors, and refused to dress down and relax which shows his stubbornness. It sets Macon up as a very stubborn man, who likes things the way they are and doesn't like to stray from the way he wants it
Macon recollects on the story of his sons murder. The way he goes about remembering the scene, is odd. It appears as though an omniscient narrator recalls the night, yet it's the thoughts of Macon that are reflected in it. It's an interesting tool used by Anne Tyler. Rather than the typical omniscient narrator which knows the characters thoughts, in this case it seems to switch back and forth. The narrator sets the scene and Macon interjects with his thoughts of the event play by play. This passage shows Macon's instability as well. He is unable to set the blame to one place, but he wants someone to be blamed, yet it can never be himself for not stopping Ethan from attending camp. It's always someone else, or something else that led to the death of his beloved son. Macon is unstable, he's worrisome, he suppresses his thoughts and forces himself not think about it because he'll get worked up about it. These actions are unhealthy, by suppressing these thoughts he's driving himself more mad. This suppression also gives more light to the reason as to why Macon lives his life so planned out and pattern-like. By doing so, he knows how everything must happen and if anything doesn't happen that way he knows he can never be to blame. I believe this is because he knows that the death of his son was because he let him go to camp, but he can't admit it to himself. He knows he's partially the reason for the death of his son, but because he's so unstable he can't admit this to himself and just move on with life and remember his son for the short time that he had him. By telling the reader of the night of Ethan's murder and Macon's way of reacting to this memory, it further moves Macon's character arc and simply gives more light as to why he lives his life the way that he does.
As Macon returns from his recent travels, his boss calls to check in on him and ask about the next installment of Macon's “Accidental Tourist” series. There is a sense of irony in this conversation between Macon and his boss, Julian Edge. Edge is implying that this kind of book is a cake-walk and that Macon should have it done in no time whatsoever. Macon responds by saying he isn't organized, which is quiet ironic considering the way he lives his life. He has everything planned out and lives the same day over and over again with the same routines. While it's ironic, when one thinks about it, it is true. It's almost as though Macon is aware that his mind is running a muck at the moment, though he tries to fool himself otherwise. He must be aware of his current state and knows he is in no shape to write another book about something he hates as much as travel. He must know that he can't organize a coherent thought with out it boiling down to some memory of Sarah or Ethan, which will get him no where in writing a book. His life is organized, but it isn't at the same time. It's interesting that Anne Tyler takes this approach, it's as though she using word play to kind of give multiple meaning to certain exchanges or inner monologues, something that is quite different from anything else. It's quite amazing, most of the time when one finds multiple possible meanings in text, they take the one that they feel is has the best chance at being correct. In this case, I'm comfortable sticking with these two possibilities, because I feel as though they both could be correct. It is ironic that Macon says he's not organized when his life is so well planned out on a day to day basis. And at the same time it's not ironic in the slightest because inside his head, there is no form of organization, he has a million thoughts flying at once and can't seem to organize them into making any sense without torturing himself into painful memories of his past that is all but obliterated.
Macon is recalling how he came to meet his boss Julian Edge. What is interesting about this passage is, it tells the story how Macon began writing for Julian. He took the job because it was there and just began writing, even though it seems as though he doesn't truly enjoy it. This opens up another question about Macon. Why does he write if he doesn't enjoy it? It seems as though Macon does many things he doesn't like, not because he has to, but because he doesn't strive for anything different. He may hate his job, and hate traveling, but he is comfortable for some reason. He is comfortable with his routine, he is comfortable with his job and he is comfortable settling for what he has. The fact that he does that seems odd, and all of these flashbacks show more of who Macon is as well give more possibilities as to why Sarah chose to leave him. Speaking of the flashbacks, Tyler's use of flashbacks to move character arcs is different and it works well, because it creates questions that the reader can ask that will eventually get answered, and she seems to use this tool often, because it's a way to move the plot, but also have the reader come to their own conclusions. With these flashbacks, she never forces any one answer on the reader, but rather has them play out in such a way that it can be seen in a few different lights and have many possible answers as to what the true conclusion is, it's up to what the reader can get from the passage.
Macon and Sarah have met for dinner at a local restaurant. They are conversing about Macon's accident involving his dog Edward, and Macon explains to Sarah how Edward has not been himself recently. One can presume that in this conversation, Macon uses Edward to symbolize himself. His life has changed drastically in the last few months since the separation, and he truly isn't himself, he is out of his normal, safe-zone if you will. He's moved back home, he's doing more in a less planned way, he's kind of found a new lifestyle, yet he's not sure what to make of it, which is why he isn't himself as of recently. Like many other key passages, Anne Tyler's clever use of word play is yet again the reason this passage is important. This passage is important because Macon seems to be self-aware of the change in his life, but rather than be straight with his ex-wife, he explains where he is through what his dog has been through, but truthfully it's quite apparent that this is simply a reflection of himself. Edward has gone through these changes and isn't himself because he's had an accident, he's had to adjust and go through training, he's gone through abuse, and he doesn't really seem to have control of himself. It's no coincidence that Macon has gone through many similar things, he's been injured, he's adjusted to being alone, and his emotions and mind a kind of at a point where it's difficult for him to gather thoughts and be himself. This passage is yet another example of Tyler's clever use of words and how everything is structured to have multiple meanings to it.
Macon realizes that no matter how much he fights it, how much he tries to forget all he had with Sarah, all he had ever felt for her, she will always be there, she will always be important. He comes to realization she is in fact his best friend. This passage is important because it creates inner conflict with Macon. He wants to move on, he wants to end this part of his life and live out the rest of the days not having to worry about Sarah, not thinking about her, but he can't. He can't because deep down inside he knows she will always be a part of him, she will always be his best friend, and she'll always have a connection with him no one else ever will. It's an important passage because Macon is fighting with himself to move on, but he really isn't ready to, nor does he want. He has an important internal struggle that will move the story forward and draw the question of whether or not Macon should erase Sarah from memory and just move on with his life. This passage moves his character arc forward and opens another struggle, this time internal.
Susan and Macon speak of what Susan thinks Ethan would have been like had he still been around, what he would have thought about who everyone turned into. She thinks about how they always made fun of adults, yet now she was grown and how she worries of Ethan. This passage is meant to be another direct correlation to Macon. For years Macon had been away from his family, though in contact he would seldom see them, that meant he didn't see them grow, he didn't see who everyone was turning into. Yet, every time Macon saw his family they'd get older, right in front of his eyes, they'd change. Susan worries about what Ethan would think, but no one worries what Macon thinks, this is really the first time he's spending prolonged amounts of time with his family since he left them. Susan's worry's of Ethan can also be worries for Macon. Throughout the book it seems as though many of the situations involving Ethan, can involve Macon, it's as though they are one in the same. It's like Macon is living on with Ethan as a part of him, as he should be because he was his father, but it seems like many memories of Ethan, or thoughts of who he became can relate to Macon and who he is since Sarah left him.
Macon recalls a time when Ethan had ran into traffic to retrieve a ball. His worry for the safety of Ethan immediately turned into a situation without Ethan, Macon readied himself in that instant for a world without him. This shows why Macon reacted the way he did when Ethan was killed. Why he simply cleaned the home of Ethan, why he dealt with it much better than his ex-wife had. He was prepared, he had felt that feeling once before and immediately imagined what life would be like and he had done it again when the time to do so actually came. This passage reveals Macon's tendency to prepare for the worst. In that story he recalls, rather than pray for the best, hope his son is smart enough to jump out of harm's way and be unscathed, Macon just prepares for Ethan's death, in and instant he gets into a mindset where he has to live without Ethan, because he prepares for the worst. He is pessimistic in nature and knows it, so rather than try to change that he continues to hope for the worst and just go on living like this. Though Sarah claims that the breaking point of their marriage was Ethan's death, I believe otherwise. I believe this tendency Macon has was stressful to Sarah, someone who is compassionate and caring and would never imagine something as terrible as her own son's death. She was the complete opposite of her husband, and this caused a rift, that when the worst did happen, she just couldn't handle, she couldn't handle because she had never prepared herself. This passage not only reveals Macon's pessimistic nature, but implies that Sarah couldn't handle the fact that her ex-husband was prepared for a situation where their son had passed, she didn't want to imagine it and the fact that Macon could scared her.
Macon is seated next to a man named Lucas Loomis. This man seems to be self conscious of his size and is quite uncomfortable traveling, much like Macon. As it turns out Loomis is a fan of Macon's book “The Accidental Tourist” and just so happens to follow it quite religiously. This passage is ironic though, one who follows the guidelines of Macon's book tends not to be very outgoing and doesn't really interact with others while on business, rather they go on their trip with the intent of feeling like they never left home. The irony is the conversation that Macon and Loomis have, they speak of destinations they've been to and how “nice” they are. Specifically San Francisco, they both chat about how nice it is there and how “beautiful” it is. Neither of them should know this because while they are on business in a place like this, the goal is to just do their work and not site-see, yet their light conversation continues. Something else to note is how Macon is unsure of how he likes San Francisco. One could conclude that this may because he doesn't dislike it as much as he should being that he hates travel. It's possible that the drastic change in Macon's life recently has made him enjoy time away from Baltimore a little more than before, his lack of opinion on San Francisco can be seen as a change in who he is. Months ago he would have just said he dislike it and would never leave Baltimore, and that would be that, but he won't say that now, he won't say anything about it. Instead he just recalls the beauty of the views there, and how they were truly breathtaking. This opinion contradicts his normal opinions on places he travels. One can assume Tyler put this conversation at the beginning of the chapter to begin to show a change in Macon's personality, that he isn't the man he used to be.
Sarah expresses her grievances about how Macon simply erased Ethan from their life. She explains how Ethan's death made her realize she needed to leave. This passage is meant to symbolize the rift between Sarah and Macon, Ethan is that rift. How these two each dealt with his death reflects their personality. Macon wanted to move on as quickly as possible and not have things lying around to remind him of what he lost, so he got rid of everything. This was something that Sarah didn't want, she wanted to grieve, she wanted to have these things lying around to remind her of her son, and how great he was. Macon seems to suppress his emotions, he just goes through the motions and does whatever he has to do to get through the day, or the flight or the business trip. Sarah, on the other hand, is eccentric and emotional and has no problem expressing how she feels. This rift in personality caused problems and Ethan's death was a catalyst for it. One could say that their relationship was a “stay together for the kid” situation and the way they argue here, the way Sarah explains everything she felt about how Macon handled his son's death only further helps prove the possibility of this. It shows that there was no love, if there was they would have gotten through it together, but rather they each took their own approach and when they tried to handle it together, these different paths of grief had already gotten too much in the way and ultimately led to their separation. This passage further separates Sarah from Macon.
Chapter 1, Page 4-5, “You just go…far above them.”
Here we are introduced to Macon and Sarah who were supposed to stay at the beach for a week but decided to end their vacation early and come back home. From the beginning of the book the reader is introduced to the differences between this wife and husband. Sarah is introduced as a tan curly haired woman who wears dresses and looks nice for the beach while Macon described as tall and pale with straight hair who stays away from the sun. As they head home it starts raining eventually coming down hard enough that it becomes harder to see out the windshield which provokes an argument between the two and focuses the reader’s attention at the differences between the two. This heavy rain worries Sarah causing her to want to pull over, but Macon wants to keep going despite the risk which causes Sarah to bring up the issue of comfort. Sarah wants to feel comforted by Macon and she wants to feel safe with him but she feels he is not putting in any effort. Sarah wants this comfort because of the rough year they have had after the death of their son Ethan. After the death of their child they both questioned whether there was a point in life and their relationship grew further apart to the point where this rainstorm was the final component to ending their marriage. Macon still refused to pullover and Sarah announced she wanted a divorce. These differences in personality where heightened and proved fatal in their relationship after the death of Ethan. In order for the marriage to work Macon would have to change, but this was very unlikely as pointed out by Sarah who lets him keep the house since he hated change so much.
Ethan’s birth caused Macon and Sara’s differences to stand out more and his upbringing further proved their differences. Sarah wanted to bring up Ethan in a relaxed manner with not much stress while Macon tried to make Ethan the best he could be by trying to train him in sports at the age of six and making sure he was caught up on daily life so he would be ahead of other children. Macon did not want Ethan to be one of those kids who gets picked last. Macon wanted Ethan to be brought up strong and disciplined. Ethan was sent to summer camp at an age older than most boys who go because Macon did not want to send Ethan by his own because he felt there was no point in having a child and then shipping him of to camp. When Ethan was murdered after sneaking out of the camp, Sarah and Macon’s marriage suffered. Macon even questions and theorizes who is to blame for Ethan’s death. He could blame Sarah for letting Ethan go, he could blame himself for not fighting the decision, and he could even blame Ethan for sneaking out. Macon was against sending Ethan to camp and the fact that he died while away at camp really hurt the marriage. The differences in personality between Macon and Sarah were able to be handled at first, but when Ethan came along the differences came against each other in raising him and when his death occurred, they began to realize they were two completely different people who weren’t suitable for each other.
Macon has been living by himself for some time now. He is divorced and living with his cat Helen and dog Edward trying to get by alone dealing with the stress of the divorce and the death of his son Ethan. Macon believes he is fine and that he can easily get through the hard times. With his system of organization and energy conservation he feels life alone will actually be sort of nice. This thought is seen to start to crumble as Macon becomes sadder and when he snaps at the grocery delivery woman on the phone. When the woman asks him a simple question, Macon snaps at her and even curses at her and then begins to tell her that he is all alone. He expresses how everyone has left him and even asks if we was actually that bad that everyone decided to leave him. We can see that Macon is losing it and realizing that life alone is not as easy as he thought. This new life by himself is actually hurting Macon. Macon believed at first that he would be fine alone but he has finally come to terms with the fact that he does not want this type of life. The life of loneliness saddens him and makes him realize the type of introverted and strict type of person he is and that he could have in fact been the reason Sarah left and why he is alone. From this point it could cause Macon to realize that he must change his attitude in order to overcome this loneliness and have companions that are not animals.
Chapter 6, Page 91, “Can you explain…was, Oh Edward...”
Edward’s behavior over the past weeks has been getting worse. He has barked at people, he tore the screen door trying to get an elderly man, and he even caused Rose to fall and scrape her knee. All of Macon’s siblings are trying to get Macon to do something about Edward’s behavior, but Macon just puts it off and lets the behavior slide. This lack of punishment on Edward by Macon is a result of Ethan’s death. Edward was Ethan’s dog and those two were best friends always playing together and being alongside one another. This strong connection between the two is why Macon is not quick to correct the behavior. Macon feels he needs to protect Edward from everyone and their criticisms. Edward’s behavior reminds Macon of Ethan and brings him back to the times when he was happier and when his son was still alive. He puts off calling the Meow-Bow because he does not want to change Edward. By changing Edward, Macon feels he is losing a piece of the past where his son and dog were best friends. By now the reader knows Macon is not fond of change, especially if that change means altering the personality of his deceased sons best friend.
Chapter 8, Page 137, “He looked down…to help him.”
In this scene we see Macon in a defeated manner. He and Sarah met for dinner and she told him news that crushed his hopes and completely changed him and hurt his spirit. Although Macon and Sarah were separated, Macon had high expectations that they would get passed this rough patch and eventually move back in together and start over stronger than ever. This dinner was supposed to be about their future together, but instead in turned into a debate. Macon still does not see the faults in his personality. He continues to be more of a lone man who wants things done his way. He even corrects Sarah’s grammar as she tries to explain why she wants to start a life without him. Macon wants Sarah to be happy with him but he still does not understand himself and why it is that he causes Sarah to distance herself. Hearing Sarah say she wants a divorce and his hopes being crushed immediately changes something within Macon. When he is given the elderly woman’s crutches instead of his own, he does not even notice. The regular Macon would have seen the difference and would have been complaining to the manager. This realization that because of his character his wife is divorcing him might actually cause him to change his outlook on life and act better. This changing moment could even open him up in order to start a potential relationship with Muriel who he is reluctant to open up to.
Chapter 10, Pages 180-181, “I’ve never been…the door intently.”
This scene shows two important events happening in Macon’s life. Macon is someone who likes to be organized and proper and he usually corrects people on their grammar and the correct use of words. This is one of the aspects of Macon’s characters that led Sarah to file for a divorce. The need for Macon to correct people on their speech would annoy most and attract dirty looks, but when he corrects Muriel, she just keeps on talking and agrees with him. Muriel does not care that he corrected her. She just cares that she has someone to talk to who could potentially be a male role-model to her son Alexander. Macon has found someone who does not mind his sometimes arrogant character which is huge since that very thing is what played a major role in his divorce. Macon has also put his trust in Muriel by accepting her help in training Edward. This indicates a major change in Macon’s attitude from before where he did not want Edward to change and lose that connection to Ethan and it shows that he now accepts Muriel’s help. Before he thought her methods of training were cruel and he did not feel Edward deserve it, but he is now learning to accept the change in order to help himself and Edward. Macon is starting to open up and let people in his life again even to the point where he accepts, reluctantly, to have dinner with Muriel and Alexander.
Chapter 11, Pages 189-190, “I lost my…related to me.”
As soon as Macon begins to open up, he once again begins to close himself off from others. Macon decides to drop off the letter he wrote, telling Muriel he could not make it to dinner, over at her house when he is seen by her. Here, Macon finally admits to Muriel why he cannot have dinner with her and why he is so shut out from society. Macon finally admits that Ethan’s death has caused him so much pain. It has caused him so much pain, especially in the second year after Ethan’s death and it has caused him to lose friends and look at everyone as foolish and trivial. This is the first time Macon has opened up and expressed that Ethan’s death has had this effect on him. He never opened up with Sarah, instead he just suppressed his feelings and tried giving Ethan’s things away and acting as if he was alright. Making is starting to move on with his life by opening up and the fact that he opens up to Muriel shows that she is becoming special to him. The fact that he did not even open up to Sarah, even though he wanted to get back together with her, shows how special Muriel is. Later when Muriel takes Macon to her bed and lays with him it shows that Macon is comfortable with her. Around Muriel Macon learns to express his pain and worries which is something few have seen from him.
Chapter 14, Pages 235-239, “What are you…down to it.”
We can see now that Macon has a new view on life and has moved on from the past. Macon and Charles go over to Macon’s house to investigate the water in the living room and find that a pipe has broken causing the ceiling to break and sending water and plaster all over the place damaging everything. Charles is very worried and asks Macon what he is going to do and Macon nonchalantly responds he will turn off the water valve and they will leave, causing Charles to react in a puzzled matter. Here it is seen that Macon does not really care what happens to his old house. That house holds some painful memories and now he is ready to let go of that hard past and move on. He basically lives with Muriel at her place and his very happy there, even taking Eduard with him to live there. Charles then begins to explain to Macon that he and his siblings are wary of Muriel and that she might be using him to support herself and Alexander. Macon becomes clearly upset and defensive at this. Macon defends her after every insult Charles says about her and then says that he has felt more himself with her than he has been in a long time. After years of putting on acts and feeling down Macon finally admits to himself and to his brother that he is happy and that being in that shabby little apartment makes him feel good. He even goes as far as saying that somebody should protect Muriel from himself when Charles asks Macon to list one unique quality about her. He feels that she is very unique and true and that if anybody needs protection from the other in the relationship it is her. Macon has found someone he truly cares for and someone that can make him feel calm about the past.
Chapter 15, Page 246, “Just as he…before, of course.”
In this scene we once again see another major change and character development in Macon. As Macon walks Edward down the street he notices Alexander up ahead and sees that he is crying as other children tease him. Macon then runs up to him, comforts him and grabs his hand. At that moment Macon made the type of connection he had to Ethan with Alexander. A new fatherly bond was formed and Macon now had a new responsibility to care for Alexander. This new outlook Macon has goes completely against what Macon felt about Alexander before. In chapter fourteen Macon felt he had a link to Alexander, but it was not a father-son link. It was explained that at that point he could easily still give up on Alexander without feeling bad for him. He felt no responsibility for him and he was glad that he could easily make Alexander’s problems someone else’s. When Alexander tightened his grip on Macon’s hand, Macon got that happy but sorrowful feeling that responsibility can bring. He even gets that feeling that he can never be completely happy, which is the same feeling he got when Ethan was born. Macon has grown to the point where Ethan’s death is not holding him back and he even begins to have a sort of love for this new fragile child that needs a father figure to love him and help him grow up.
Chapter 18, Pages 284-288, “His seatmate on…Mrs. Bunn after all.”
Macon is not a big fan of travel even though his job is to travel and review places for businessmen. One of the parts he dislikes most is getting to the destination and dealing with the people travelling with him and sitting next to him whether it’s on a flight or train. Macon keeps to himself during the travel part of his job and to do this he always carries around a copy of Miss MacIntosh to pull out to look at to make it seem like he is deep into the story so no one will bother or talk to him. In the beginning we see this type of attitude in Macon where he keeps to himself and is annoyed when passengers talk to him. As time progresses though and Macon starts to get closer to Muriel we can see his change. When he is in New York and the taxi driver begins talking to him he seems a bit annoyed but he eventually talks to the driver and even offers some advice on how to deal with his daughter and her ear piercing wishes. When Macon is on the plane from San Francisco to Baltimore he and his seatmate Lucas Loomis have a conversation that gets personal and Macon seems to sort of enjoy it. Finally it comes to this point where Macon is on the plane with seatmate Mrs. Daniel Bunn who is terrified of flying. Here, Macon initiates the conversation by checking on her a trying to comfort her. He even offers her his late night sherry and then buys her some and even holds her through the turbulence to comfort her. During the whole ordeal Macon feels as if he is lying to Mrs. Bunn. He feels like he is putting on an act as a tolerable and helpful person in order to comfort her. However once they land, Macon notices the grin on his face and realizes he was not lying to Mrs. Bunn. He was happy to converse with her and help her through her fear of flying. He had a good time helping her and he has turned into a tolerable, helpful, and nice person. This new Macon Leary is a completely different person from the Macon Leary that was introduced in the beginning who was grumpy, introverted, and even a little bit intolerable at times. This event shows that there is a new Macon with a new view on life.
"I don't know if you... your loss alone." Macon and Sarah are driving home from the beach, and Sarah is trying to discuss with him their feelings about the death of their son, Ethan. It seems as though Macon has no emotion about the situation, which is bothering Sarah immensely. This passage is important because it shows how Macon lets himself be separated from the rest of the world. He tries not to let his emotions overcome him, even when his son is dead. It is almost like he is protecting himself from something. This is shown when Sarah tells Macon, "You're not a comfort. You just go on your same old way like before. Your little routines and rituals, depressing habits, day after day. No comfort at all." Sarah believes that he does not care at all about their family's situation. He does not show his feelings the way a typical person might do so. It is slightly evident that he might care in his own way when he tells Sarah, "Shouldn't I need comfort too? You're not the only one."
II Chapter 3 “‘Macon, do you . . . room rug.” Sometime after Macon and Sarah spilt, he stayed at their house they once shared while she moved to an apartment elsewhere. This scene transpires when they are speaking with one another over the phone. It is here that Sarah goes on a rant, revealing all the information of Ethan’s death from her perspective as a mother. The reader feels as heartbroken as her while she spills her guts to the man she once shared her life with. Her statements dig deep into the core of her post-Ethan’s death psychosis. What was once bottled up inside reached its point of containment. Macon takes care to disagree with Sarah, making their vast differences even more vast. The way they dealt with Ethan’s murder, for example, is completely opposite. Sarah imagines taking revenge while Macon shuts the entire incident out. She mocks him for it, accusing him of not caring, while in actuality it is just his method to suppressing his grief.
"Everybody knows... oven and hung up." Macon is on the phone with his sister, Rose, who has just heard that he and Sarah had separated. This passage is important because it shows that the Leary siblings are exactly like Macon; living life through systems, and alphabetizing everything in the kitchen. Porter, their brother, even alphabetized the grocery lists which his ex wife could not understand. All of the Learys' marriages had failed, because of how strange they were. Another example of how they are strange is that Rose had invited the ex-wife of their older brother, Charles for Christmas dinner. It is almost as though they cannot move on from the past, and they do not want to interact with anyone else. Like macon, the Learys are isolated from the rest of the world. their odd behavior hints that their may be something that had happened in their past. Something had to cause them to be so particular about the smallest things in life.
"Oh I've Erred... people he started out with." Macon has just broken his leg and is currently living with with his sister and brothers. This passage is important because it shows Rose's role in the family. She is the caretaker of her brothers, it seems. She makes sure the house is clean, cooks the meals, and she is the one who helps Macon with his leg. This is also rather sad, because after reading, we know that Macon really did not have anyone else to call that he preferred. This emphasizes just how secluded from the world he is. He does not really know many people, aside from his family and his boss. In the end, it said that maybe he had subconsciously planned his injury so he could go back to his family. In other words, he is back in his comfort zone, since his wife has left him.
"She was always taking up... Approved of them at once." Macon is thinking back to his childhood, especially the time when he and his siblings lived with their eccentric mother, Alicia. This passage is significant because it explains why they live their lives overly organized. Their mother was always ready for change. She always had a new boyfriend, was working for a different cause and taking it too far. She even had pulled them out of regular school and ennroled them in a school where no one wore clothes. She was an embarrassment to her children, which was why they automatically approved of their stern grandparents. Later, put everything in a system, and make routines for the smallest things in life to seek some sanity. Particularly, they were seeking the sanity they never seemed to have in their childhood.
"When I was a little girl... unruly as ever." This passage has a better introduction of the personality of Muriel Pritchett, the woman who had been at the animal hospital where Macon had boarded his dog. Her personality is very unpredictable. One minute she is no-nonsense with the dog, and very businesslike. TTTThen, she is telling Macon about her life. She is doing a job that does not require fassionible looks, and always talks about how she changed from a film-quality child to a woman with frizzy hair and dirt-brown eyes. Then she fusses over breaking another nail. This is just the start to the unpredictable personality that Macon will eventually experience with Muriel. It goes completely against the way Macon lives his own life, with everything set in a routine, and no change what so ever.
"Early Wednesday morning... stay fixed here?" Macon is dreaming about his long-dead grandfather, making a point that he had lost the center of his life. He also asks Macon how long he would be "fixed" in this house. It is possible that Macon might be thinking about both his future and his past. Sarah is the most significant representation of Macon's past. He still cannot get over the fact that Sarah left him, no matter what he does to try forgetting about his emotion. When he sees Ethan to the left of his grandfather, We see that he understandably still is suffering from grief deep down for the loss of his son. When Grandfather Leary tells Macon, "Sarah was the best of all of us," it is just a way of Macon wondering whatever happened between him and her. When he asks Macon, "You want to sit in this old house and rot, boy? It's time we start digging out," it is a sort of message, telling Macon that he needs to eventually just move on. He has to leave the comfort zone, and start over.
"I don't understand you... Rose lowered her eyes." It is evident that Macon has been spending a lot of his time with Muriel Pritchett, and Rose is commenting about his sudden unpredictable behavior. This passage is important because it is possible that Muriel may be having a large influence on Macon. Ever since he started visiting her home, he seemed to develop an "anything goes" attitude. This is clear when he tells Rose, "Time creeps up on me. You know how it is. I mean I don't intend to go out at all, to begin with, but then I think, 'Oh, maybe for a little while,' and next thing I know it's so late, much too late to be driving, and I think to myself, 'Well ...' "
." That is something that he would never say before. He would create a system based on eat time he would be visiting Muriel's house, when he will call Rose to tell her whether he will be there for dinner, and when he will return home. Even his siblings know this, since they seem to "Come out of the woodwork" when Muriel is training Macon's dog. He is slowly changing into a different person.
"Her face lunged towards him... after all." Macon is making one of his trips and he is surprisingly engaging in conversation with the woman sitting next to him. This passage is important because it shows that Macon is really changing. He used to be very anti-social, trying to avoid any sort of conversation with a fellow passenger. Now, he is talking to this older woman, trying to help her cope with her fright while the plane is moving. He even offers her some sherry that he {{?}}^have in a travel flask. He in also very tolerant with her, and patient. When the plane landed, Macon was bombarded by small children banging into him. He did not seem to care about this either. In the past, he would be dismissive towards the woman sitting next to him and take out "Miss MacEntosh," the book he also: brings with him. Also, he would not have been wearing that grin he saw on his face when looking in the mirror.
"They were not the usual... Muriel had said." Macon has just moved back with Sarah after the spat he had with Muriel. It seems as though he still does not know what to do with his life, and what he really wants. He is still caught between Sarah, the woman of his past, her familiar ways, and unpredictable Muriel, who he seems to miss from time to time. He even misses how she mispronounces the phrase, "et cetera," for instance. It also seems as though Sarah does not understand Macon as much as Muriel does. The way they interact is different. Sarah does most of the talking, while Macon is just passive. I is also odd how Sarah suddenly wants to get back together with Macon after she finds out that he is with Muriel. It also seems like the both of them want to just return!o the past and go back to how it used to be.
"Finally he opened... they asked...” Macon is dreaming about being at a witness stand in a court, as a suspect to the killing of someone. This dream can be connected to the death of Ethan and the death of Dominic Sadler, the boy Muriel knew who had died while using her car. They had both been so sudden and unexpected. With Ethan’s death, Macon had tried his best to take all thoughts of him and his out of his mind, hense him saying in the dream, “I put it all out of my mind. I worked to put it out.” Not knowing anything about the crime can also connect to Dominic’s death. He had not known anything about what was going on in Muriel’s neighborhood, until he made the phone call to her, and she had given him the news. It had taken Macon by surprise when he heard it, and he seemed to regret being indifferent to everything that was going on. He was so far into his past life, that he did not put much thought into the life that he recently left behind. It is possible that the dream may represent him wishing he could have done something to prevent all this from happening, along with guilt that he had not been there.
Key Passage #2 Chapter 5: p. 58-61, “Charles and Porter…guarded and suspicious.”
An individual who is so against change and disorder in their life most likely possesses a reason as to why they are the way they are. This is true for Macon and his siblings: Charles, Porter, and Rose. It turns out that it is not just Macon who is obsessed with his own daily systems, but is actually the entire Leary family. Macon and his siblings are so stuck in their ways that they seem to always be in their own little world, alienated from everybody else. The three brothers are all separated from their wives, which is a testament to how incompatible their habits are with others. Their upbringing by their mother, Alicia Leary, was what caused them to be so abhorrent to change, especially Macon. After their father died in the war, their mother was constantly meeting new men with whom she could have flings with. By doing so, she would disrupt her children’s lives with the continuous comings and goings of men and prevent them from living in the stable environment that is often necessary for a child to learn and grow. It is a rather selfish thing for Alicia to do, putting her own desires and wants ahead of her children’s. It seems like she would only pay attention to them when she wanted to and when that happened, they dreaded it. Instead of the mother taking care of the children, it was the opposite in the Leary household as the children were always “willing her to follow their example of steadiness and dependability.” They were forced to grow up far too fast as they were required to take care of not only themselves, but their erratic mother as well.
One cannot help but feel sorry for Macon and his siblings who were forced to move so often in one year that Macon had to think about how to walk home each day from school because he could not remember. In light of this upbringing, a certain sympathy can be directed towards Macon. He can hardly be blamed for his seemingly cold and introverted nature; it is just a result of such an unstable childhood. His need for organization may serve as a mechanism for him to deal with the disorder of his life. His mother “believed in change as if it were a religion,” and after witnessing the kind of unreliable and volatile lifestyle that such a mentality could bring, naturally Macon would grow up to become opposed to it. When Alicia decided to send off her children to live with their conservative grandparents, not one of them uttered a single protest which conveys the type of mother she was. The portrait of the Leary siblings that their grandfather commissioned shows 7just how different they are from their mother. It seems that their unhappiness as children had a physical affect on them and instead of having their mother’s vibrant blue and blonde coloring, they were ashy and gray. Perhaps the author included such an extensive portrayal of Alicia Leary in order to allow readers to understand why Macon is the way he is and possibly empathize with him and not judge him too harshly for his aloofness.
Key Passage #3 Chapter 6: p. 86-87, “On Sunday…a person.”
One of the only environments that Macon is ever truly comfortable in is at his grandparent’s old home with his siblings. This may be because they are able to understand him and his habits in a way that no one else can. They seem to suffer from a similar affliction, especially Rose who possesses her own systems and desire for perfection. As previously stated in chapter five, she “painstakingly planned the menus, how often she reorganized the utensil drawer…” and so on and so forth. Rose methodically runs the household just as Macon carefully performs his daily activities. Despite their frequent arguing of seemingly trivial things, like what to have for Thanksgiving dinner, the Leary siblings are close. Though, it is a bit strange that four adult siblings are living together. It shows that the Leary’s are relatively unsuccessful functioning outside their own little family unit. Macon, Charles, and Porter all failed at their marriages and Rose never married, is unemployed, and is supported financially by her brothers. It is probably no coincidence that all of the Leary children should be so unsuccessful at life. This is likely a result of their upbringing by an unstable mother. Macon is able to find comfort in the little daily rituals and traditions with his siblings, such as playing their self-made card game that only they know how to play. Although, as comfortable as he is with this family, he still does not like them feeling pity for him. For example, when Edward the dog is acting out uncontrollably and Macon refuses to have him trained or sent away, the Leary siblings are at first frustrated but then develop more of a resigned attitude. Rose “looked at him [Macon] the way she would look at, say, some hopeless wreck of a man wandering drugged on a downtown street.” Macon does not seem to want to evoke any type of pity in people and is disturbed about how Rose feels that he is beyond saving. Maybe the reason why he ends up calling Muriel for the training that he had so persistently objected to was to prove that he is capable of changing his mind.
Key Passage #4 Chapter 7: p. 96-98, “When I was…to the house.”
Macon focuses a great deal of his energy trying to avoid any human interaction. Although he is lonely, he is always claiming that he likes to be by himself, cut off from the rest of the world. It seems that Muriel Pritchett is just the opposite. She is lively, loquacious, and seems to crave communication with others. It is important to note that the conversations between Macon and Muriel are rather one-sided, with Muriel doing all of the talking and Macon only volunteering short, clipped responses. In one of their conversations, she spends a lengthy amount of time talking about her frizzy, unruly hair. This portrays her as a person who lacks depth, or someone who seems to be superficial in nature. Talking extensively about one’s hair is not a testament to their intelligence. The way she dresses in flashy and provocative clothing shows the world that she seeks attention, the very opposite of Macon attempting to stumble through life unnoticed. Although, Muriel’s seemingly vacant mind is deceptive and behind her loud personality, she possesses a sparkling intelligence and tenacity. Muriel admits to Macon that in high school she was a straight A student, much to his surprise. As if reading his mind, Muriel states that “You think I’m kind of like, not an intellect.” Based on the way she portrays herself, it is not unexpected that people would believe her to be lacking intelligence and Muriel understands this. She is used to always being thought of as nothing more than a pretty face, incapable of true intelligence. Even her own mother thought of her like this and always thought her sister was better and Muriel was “the bad one.” Macon may not realize it but he and Muriel are similar in this way. People automatically write Macon off as cold, insensitive and odd, when in reality, he is capable of intense emotions that he keeps carefully hidden away. Readers are able to realize this because the story is told from Macon’s point of view, but it is more difficult to ascertain that Muriel also possesses a complex character that is concealed.
Key Passage #5 Chapter 9: p. 137-139, “But immediately…either side.”
Similar to Elizabeth Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice,” Macon has a tendency to observe those around him. When he is on his way to New York City to update one of his guide books, he sits in the train and scrutinizes the fellow passengers. He notes details such as what they are wearing, how they are moving, and how they are interacting with others. He even invents explanations as to why certain people are traveling and tries to picture what their lives are like. Although, this studying of others has a detrimental effect on him and he develops a sense of melancholy that dampers his mood. He observes that even the people who are sitting alone, like himself, “gave the impression of belonging to someone.” Macon must recognize that he so unlike them, and this realization depresses him further. It is almost like Macon is peering through a window and observing the life all around him but choosing not to partake in it. He is like an alien observing another species, noting their ways and habits but never being able to perform them as they do. He just observes, never interacting and therefore never living. He is so opposed to communicating with strangers that he always brings a large book, “Miss Macintosh,” with him because he has noticed that people tend to leave you alone if you are reading something. Despite all his studying, he still cannot understand others. For example, he does not comprehend why everyone always seems to be in such a hurry, and he stands out as he “refused to be rushed and made his way methodically through the crowd.” Though it can also be argued that Macon consciously decides to be isolated and that he could probably be like everybody else if he simply tried to.
III Chapter 3 “By eight . . . was midnight.” This excerpt has to do with perspective. American time, as is Macon’s wristwatch, says eight o’clock while in England it is considered to be midnight. Macon, being already adjusted to American time, follows that instead of readjusting himself to this foreign way of life. This is a basic theme in regards to change. Macon avoids any instance he must change his ways. However, he is willing to do so to better his way of living on the home front. But when abroad it is the guidelines of the accidental tourist series in full throttle (just no Cameron Diaz). Every action he takes is designed to avoid the seemingly inevitable change when traveling. As for perspective, it is all how a person sees and reacts to something. When Ethan died, Macon rearranged and ordered things to deal with his pain, while Sarah excepted his death but was emotionally destroyed in the process.
IV Chapter 4 “When the phone . . . hearts ‘sank’” In this scene Macon is awakened by the ringing of his phone. Still partly in his dreaming state, he believes it is Ethan calling from camp. It’s as if the entirety of time between his murder and Macon’s present did not occur, or if it was just a long and dreadful nightmare. However, this shows, despite all Sarah’s accusations, that Macon does in fact care. He misses his son, yet he tries to hide it; from the world and from himself. Macon carries on each day in the same routine because he cannot move past the death of his son. This passage has the purpose of further enlightening the reader on Macon’s emotional state. He is disconnected with reality at this point, longing for his child to be returned to him. Despite all his methods to living and his need to avoid change, he is still human. This scene reinforces that notion because without it the reader would forget Macon’s reason for the way he lives.
Key passage #1 "Honey, to tell...to begin with." Pg.3 (lines 19-20)
Within this passage, Macon and his wife, Sarah, are having a discussion about whether Macon truly cares about their safety during the rainstorm. Although it starts out just with Sarah's concern about the rain, it quickly changes to them talking about Ethan, their deceased son. This passage proves right from the start that Macon sees his life as meaningless. The death of Ethan impacted him so much, causing him to become the person he is today. Unfortunately, his new self is practically lifeless, because of the empty feeling he has within. He gives little emotion to the reader, causing them to be left guessing about his inner thoughts. Macon is battling an internal struggle which develops immediately, although it made not be clearly stated. Ethan meant everything to him and without him around he questions whether his whole life up until now was pointless. It appears that he doesn't want to express his love or comfort for others because the person he loved the most was already taken away from him. He doesn't see a reason that he should have to feel that way again, so instead he alters himself to feel nothing.
Key passage #2 "And when I...every few seconds," Pg.91 (lines 2-4)
Throughout this passage, Muriel begins her first obedience lesson with Macon's dog Edward. In the previous chapters, Macon has struggled with keeping Edward calm around outsiders and even his own family. For Muriel, it seems as if there is no effort behind her training. One may believe that Edward's behavior can be seen as a symbol of Macon's life. Because of how crazy Macon's life has recently been, he struggles with keeping his inner self calm. Although he doesn't necessarily show his true feelings through himself, they can seen as being expressed through Edward. This assumption may be the reason that Macon is having such a difficult time maintaining Edward's behavior. It proves that he has no control how he he is feeling inside. When Muriel comes to help she brings along a sense of sanity. Being that it is strangely easy for her to keep Edward in line, allows the reader to foreshadow that Muriel will be able to help Macon regain some of the sanity in his life.
Within this passage Macon went to a bunch of different hotels and restaurants like he usually does, but this time, he brought along his niece Susan. Susan is around the same age that Ethan would be and Macon is speaking to her easily. Previously he has been isolating himself when it came to having conversations with others, but he seemed to enjoy talking with Susan. Unfortunately she brought up Ethan at dinner and immediately felt sorry. Surprisingly Macon was not upset or angry with Susan for bringing up such a sensitive subject. This can show the reader that Macon is finally dealing with the pain that his been holding him back. Being able to talk about Ethan's death is part of Macon beginning his new life. Although Macon didn't seem completely ready to talk about Ethan, it probably made him feel a lot better after he did. Susan was one of the only other people who talked to Ethan frequently in his short life. This conversation could symbolize the fact that Macon has finally figured out that he needs to start coping with his son's death, and enjoying his life.
Key Passage #4 "About your son...the only one." Pg.184 lines (9-10)
Within this passage, Muriel and Macon are laying in bed together for the first time. This had been the first experience Macon had had with a woman since Sarah had left him, and he was slightly uneasy about it all. He actually tried to avoid this all together, but it must've been meant to be. Previously, Muriel had been nervous to tell Macon about her son which could tie into Macon's inner feelings about his own son. Both of these characters seemed to be worried about their past because it didn't go as they planned, therefore they tried to keep it a secret. Although both of them finally expressed their struggles dealing with their children, it didn't go as they expected. Honestly, the reader can believe that this brought Macon and Muriel closer because of the fact that Muriel understood what Macon was going through. Alexander was something that scarred her life, just as Ethan did to Macon. Fortunately, Macon being able to physically feel Muriel's scar may be the reason that Macon was able to open up to her and truly realize that he isn't the only one going through tough times. Overall, this passage can be seen as another example of Macon growing, and allowing him to stop living his life in grieving, and just start living again.
Within this section, Macon and Muriel are boarding onto a plane together. They are heading off to another city where they'll check out hotels and restaurants and then leave just as quickly as they came. Although this doesn't sound like the most enjoyable trip, and it may not seem to be the most important detail to the story, one may feel that it still has some significance. Never before in his long 21 year marriage did Macon take Sarah on any business related trips. After only seeing Muriel for a short period of time, she already seems to have replaced Sarah, possibly for the better. Going on this trip together can add to the fact that Macon is moving on. Although the memories of Sarah still linger in his mind, Muriel is helping ease the pain. She actually appears to be changing Macon for the better. He is beginning to open up and enjoy another's company, even if is only business at first. Luckily for Macon, Muriel is a people person and would never want to waste her life away being stuck reminiscing about a past romance. Maybe she is exactly what he needs to be free of Sarah. The reader may conclude that the plane is actually a metaphor for Macon to ground his past relationship and set off flying into his new life with Muriel.
Key Passage #6 "Look at that!...at the thought." Pg. 197 lines (30-37)
Within this passage, Macon is trying to teach Alexander how to fix a leaky faucet. This is probably the last thing Alexander would want to be doing at the moment, especially since he was watching tv before he was pulled into this. Because Macon doesn't have a son to teach all these manly jobs to, he has to jump on the fact that Alexander can be taught, even though he's still a little young for appliance fixing. At this point in the story, the reader may be struck with a question of whether Macon actually wants to be with Muriel, or whether he just enjoys the fact that he has a chance to give the fathering experience another shot. Without Ethan around, Macon was left with no one to be able to learn the things he can now teach Alexander. Fixing a leaky faucet isn't what a seven year old would want to do for fun, but for Macon, he must be having the time of his life being able to give this young boy knowledge of something he'll need in the future. Honestly, Muriel may just be someone to spend time with when he isn't with Alexander, as cruel as that sounds. Although it might be hard to realize that Alexander won't ever be able to take Ethan's place, Macon still enjoys being able to impact this young boy's life. Macon appears to be able to keep his head held high because of the smile this boy wears whenever Macon helps him out. He gives him father-like attention, not only because he knows how it feels to be without someone you need in your life, but also because every child deserves it.
After talking to Sarah here and there over the course of the book, Macon came to the conclusion that he still had a place for her in his life within this particular section. While he was on a trip in Vancouver, Sarah decided to call him and tell him she had moved back into the empty house with their cat. It seemed that now Macon had finally moved on in his new relationship with Muriel, Sarah decided to come back around. The lives of these two characters entirely switched because of the fact that Macon was out, dating and happier, while Sarah was left alone with just Helen to keep her company. Unfortunately because of how in love Macon was with Sarah, all the feelings rushed back now that she was alone and reaching out to him. Sarah doesn't come across as a devious character but digging deep into the way she is, as the reader, makes one realize how much she has sabotaged Macon's life, whether she sees it or not. Asking about Muriel was probably a part of her plan all along to pry into Macon's personal life, even though, she was the one who left it to begin with. Macon feeling as if Muriel's name is unfamiliar to him would be exactly what Sarah wanted to hear when she asked. Showing the reader how easily Macon can forget about Muriel when Sarah crawls back to him when she is struggling, proves how cruel Sarah really is. She seemed to be the source of all of Macon's problems from the start, but Macon is oblivious to it a
Key Passage #8 "He came to...had come home." Pg. 279 lines (13-18)
Within this passage, Macon is on his way home from one of his business trips. He had just recently talked to Sarah about her moving back into their old house. He wasn't sure if he should go back to her or stay with Muriel, who he was currently seeing. The way this passage is worded, allows the reader to be able to tell who Macon truly cares more about. Although he was living in Muriel's house, he didn't ever call that his home. Macon always referred to that house as "Muriel's", or "Singleton Street". Even though Macon and Sarah hadn't been living together for almost a year now, and Macon was living with Rose for a while, he still considered that old house "home". This paragraph expresses the struggle Macon is facing within, even though it is all so simply written. It appears that he is trying to start a new life and move on from Sarah, but he just can't yet. One may believe that this passage was written this way mainly to give it a more innocent feel. Macon was making the effort to go to Muriel by using the turn signal when he got to her street, but it appears that his mind just seemed to wander and eventually he ended up where he belonged. He was home now, with Sarah.
Key Passage #9 "Making love to...she was feeling." (lines 17-20)
Within this passage Macon and Sarah are putting a new couch into the living room that was destroyed due to flooding. Macon knew how much he missed Sarah but he still had feelings for Muriel as well. The way the author words Macon's thoughts allow the reader to see how Macon is truly feeling. Whenever Macon referenced to having sex with Muriel he always would just call it "sleeping". After not seeing Sarah for a while, the reader could believe that his feelings had faded, but they hadn't. Macon stated that he was "making love" to Sarah, making it clear how deep Macon feelings are for her. Although he is trying to move on with Muriel, he just can't seem to get Sarah out of the back of his mind, no matter how hard he tries. She was his first love and most likely his feelings for Sarah will never entirely be forgotten. She will always be a part of Macon's heart, mainly because of the fact that they both share such a strong bond of loving Ethan. Although Muriel is aware that his son was murdered, she will never be able to help him cope with that tragedy or truly understand what he went through, but Sarah would. Although Macon is trying to put Muriel first in his life, she will never be able to compare to Sarah. His subconscious mind can't seem to let him say that he is making love to Muriel because that wouldn't be the truth. He did not love her like he loves Sarah and unfortunately Muriel will never be able to take her place.
Within this passage, Macon and Sarah were both in France on a business trip. Macon blew out his back trying to fix the phone in his room, and he couldn't finish the work he had to do. Fortunately for him, Rose set up a plan so Sarah could finish the business for Macon. After a lot of thinking, Macon realized that this whole lifestyle isn't what he wanted. Even though he loved Sarah, he couldn't be with her again. Everything happens for a reason, and her leaving him opened Macon's eyes to a new world. He wanted to be with Muriel and had to find the power to tell Sarah, without making it seem like he was trying to get revenge for when she left him. He just wanted them both to be happy, which meant they couldn't be together. Sarah was right, they were so different and growing more and more apart from one another each day. The fact that Sarah finally rested her head on Macon's shoulder after he broke the news, symbolized her acceptance to the situation. Although she was unhappy that he was evidently leaving her after they had just worked everything out, she knew it was the right thing to do. Macon needed to be free of his old marriage, because it came along with many troubles. At least with Muriel, Macon will be able to start over with a new family and not be constantly reminded of the "old Macon". He is more open to socialization and now had a chance to put his parenting skills to good use because he didn't have a son of his own anymore. He isn't necessarily replacing his old life and family, but making a better life to help the people who truly care for him.
V Chapter 5 “Charles and . . . heavy and droopy.” After Macon broke his leg he is staying with his sister and brothers. In this scene he is alone and working on his guidebook. However, he cannot find the motivation to work. Instead he finds his body calling for sleep. The urge to just pass into a subconscious state and slip away from the days troubles leaves him without a will to write. It troubles him to the point in which his focus is shot and he cannot help but fall into the trap of procrastination. This begins, for Macon, what is very similar to one of the worst stages in depression. Previously, when he was just barely caring on with his existence, he was denying the very source of his grief; Ethan’s death and losing his wife in the process. This stage interrupts his comfortable life, forcing him to except the reality of his situation. With nothing to do Macon is held up in a room with a simple objective he must complete, yet there is an unknown prevention he cannot overcome.
Key Passage #6 Chapter 10: p. 152-153, “I’ll be honest…stepping on Edward.”
During one of Macon and Muriel’s training sessions with Edward, Muriel opens up about the beginning circumstances of her marriage. It seems like Muriel is always trying to ensure that Macon or others do not judge her. Muriel understands that Macon has a tendency to judge those who are not like himself because he does not understand them. If they are not obsessed with organization and do not aim for order in everything that they do, he simply cannot relate to them. When she is telling Macon about how she married her ex-husband, Norman, because they were having a baby, she makes sure to point out that she did not force him into it. She is sensitive about Macon’s opinion of her and does not want to come across as needy or pathetic. Although, it is surprising that Muriel would so willingly tell Macon about how she married young and had a child, something that she admits her mother and everyone who knew her disapproved of. Perhaps she is trying to gain a little of Macon’s sympathy. Maybe she is trying to crack Macon’s shell and induce some kind of feeling and real emotion in him. Muriel portrays herself to be a strong, independent woman who is answerable to no one, but underneath this pretense, she is probably just as vulnerable and sensitive as Macon. In this way, they are both similar to each other. Macon also hides behind all of his systems and habits, but in reality he is constantly lonely and disheartened. Both of them are missing a fundamental part in their life: a companion who will accept them for who they are and provide them with comfort when needed. It seems like Muriel and Macon are complements to each other and could therefore fill whatever is missing in each other’s lives.
Key Passage #7 Chapter 10: p. 160-164, “It was having…walked Edward home.”
Despite Muriel’s apparent carefree and cheerful nature, she has had more than her share of difficulty in her life. She opens up to Macon, even though he never encouraged her to do so, about how her son, Alexander, was born prematurely and was an unhealthy baby as a result. Her husband Norman exhibited a complete lack of interest in the child and blamed Muriel for paying more attention to Alexander than him. The way that the baby is described is similar to how Macon and his depression are portrayed. Muriel says that the doctors caring for Alexander “didn’t give him much of a chance and some had even wondered if he wanted a chance.” Macon is pessimistic and frequently wonders if there is a point to life at all, and if he cannot find this elusive purpose, then he feels life is probably not worth living. Alexander shared this same mentality when he was a baby. It is possible that Muriel recognized the same despair in Macon that she had once seen in her son. Muriel admits that she actually misses her time spent in the hospital with Alexander, claiming that “there was something cozy about it.” It seems like Muriel enjoys taking care of other people and fixing them, like she did with her son. Macon is just like Alexander was when he was a newborn; he is vulnerable, broken, and in need of someone to help him to see that there is a point to life after all. Just like Muriel was able to do with her son, she may believe that she can do the same for Macon. Perhaps this is one of the reasons as to why she has taken such an interest in Macon. He is something that she can fix. It seems that Macon and Muriel can both benefit from their relationship. As Macon is listening to Muriel’s rather heartbreaking story about her son and her husband leaving her, he is able to feel something other than unhappiness and despair. He finally acts on his desire for some kind of human connection and this is an indicator of Muriel’s positive influence on him. Macon should not view Muriel as a disturbance to his orderly life, but rather as the force that will allow his life to be reassembled.
Key Passage #8 Chapter 12: p. 193-195, “Macon suddenly…but orderly.”
Since meeting Muriel, Macon has changed in drastic ways. He is no longer so concerned with his systems and is starting to relinquish the control that he has always maintained in all aspects of his life. His days have been occupied with Muriel and her son Alexander, and his life no longer follows the usual pattern of feeling sorry for himself all day. He even finds himself missing Muriel when he is not with her, but at the same time, he is trying to reason with himself that “There was no room in his life for anyone as unpredictable as Muriel.” It seems like Macon is disconcerted over his major change in lifestyle and wants to find reasons that justify that Muriel is no good for him. This probably stems from his abhorrence to any kind of change and he is therefore reluctant to allow his life to be altered by Muriel. However, at the same time, he is still allowing change to occur which is a monumental achievement for Macon, considering that he thought altering his shower schedule to be radical. Even Rose has noticed this change and claims, “How can I plan when you’re so disorganized?” No one has probably every accused Macon Leary of being disorganized, but with Muriel, he finds himself acting like a completely different person from who he was before. When Macon’s boss, Julian, informs him that he is going to ask Rose to marry him, he observes. “Isn’t it amazing how two separate lives can link up together? I mean two differentnesses?” Although Julian is speaking of himself and Rose, the same observation can be applied to Muriel and Macon. Though they are so different from each other, Macon and Muriel are exactly what the other needs. Even if Macon is uncomfortable with the effect that she is having on him, it does not mean that in some capacity he is grateful for it. She is what is allowing him to experience life again and Macon cannot help but feel that this change is for the better.
VI Chapter 6 “Julian led . . . another month —‘“ In this passage Macon runs into his boss, Julian Edge, for the first time in awhile. An incident with his dog, Edward, forced him to come out of the house. Edward had chased Julian all the way to a lower branch of a tree, with Julian yelling “Call your dog off!” Macon came outside and took hold of Edward’s lease, starting the conversation from there. The reader knows that Macon Leary keeps to himself, but this scene shows just how much he keeps from people he comes into contact with. First, Julian asks about his leg, not hearing about it when it happened. In fact, he did not even know Macon was now living with his sister and brothers. He was completely cut off from contact with his employee, not knowing any of Macon’s personal troubles. When questioning about Sarah, he even learns that they split up, an event that occurred very early on in the novel. Macon, it is revealed, does not discuss his problems with anyone, keeping all his emotions bottled up inside.
Macon’s siblings all disapprove of his new relationship with Muriel. They do not understand why he would want to be with someone who is so different from himself. In chapter fourteen, Charles claims that “You’re not yourself these days and this Muriel person’s a symptom.” It is surprising that Julian Edge, Macon’s boss and future brother in law, would be so approving of his connection with Muriel. Julian and Macon’s relationship is a complex one. Before meeting Rose, Julian always viewed Macon in a humorous way, finding his strange ways amusing. He would always be amazed when Macon would say something normal or do something that everybody else does. When having conversations, Macon would refer to Julian’s responses often as his “Macon Leary Act,” which was Julian’s way of subtly making fun of him. Although, Julian has always seemed genuinely curious about Macon, and tries to understand him as best he can. He was forever desperate to be invited over for dinner so that he could see for himself where Macon lived and when he drops by Muriel’s house to retrieve Macon’s West coast material, Julian “was filing mental notes on Muriel’s household, no doubt the real purpose of this unannounced, unnecessary visit.” In his way, he does care for Macon and probably wants him to be happy. This may be why he is the only one who believes that Muriel is a positive part of Macon’s life and despite her eccentricity and volatile nature, she is what is changing him in a constructive way. Macon’s family does not understand this because Muriel is completely out of their comfort zone and they do not know what to make of such a headstrong and loud person so unlike themselves. The reason why Julian is so understanding of Muriel could be because, like Macon, he too has experienced a change because of a woman. Julian used to be against commitment and seriousness, preferring to spend all of his time on the Chesapeake, but after meeting Rose, he now wants something different: marriage and a family. Because Julian is experiencing a similar change like Macon, he is able to realize that Muriel “may be exactly what you [Macon] need.”
VII Chapter 6 “‘Meow-Bow Animal . . . kills all others.’” After an increase of Edward’s acting up, Macon decides to get him trained. Muriel, from earlier in the novel, is the first person he looks to for help. She is employed at the Meow-Bow Animal Hospital and also is an experienced dog trainer. Something so out of the ordinary uproots Macon and throws him on what seems like the start of an adventure. Who would guess that his dog starts misbehaving and the owner meets a friendly girl when seeking help. It’s the kind of circumstances so bizarre that they actually happen. Even crazier, Muriel is so eccentric and open about her personality she is almost a complete opposite of Macon. He avoids conversation and is very gloom about most things. Muriel becomes the woman he needs at this moment. He may want to carry on everyday as he already does, but with Muriel in his life it would be a much more exciting one.
VIII Chapter 7 “‘When I was . . . turn on me.’” In this scene Macon and Muriel are going over training Edward. The way their conversation unfolds displays even more so the difference between the two. In fact, Macon does not really speak at all, letting Muriel do all the talking. She easily gets Edward to sit, and even stay for quite some time. And yet she gets completely off topic countless times. While discussing dog training she goes into a rant about her hair. The two subjects are not remotely connected in any way shape or form. It adds to her personalty; that she does not share her focus to one subject at a time. One might consider this an annoyance, but in this situation it may be an answer to a problem. Being capable of dividing her attention is more of a skill, and it allows her to just simply live her life.
Key passage #2 After his...on him." First line of chapter 2 The description of the house after the divorce symbolizes Macon's feelings towards Sarah's departure. He originally thought the house would seem bigger without Sarah, however, he felt as if everything was pressing in on him. Macon described the windows as smaller than before and the ceiling lower than before. This is physically impossible, but these hallucinations seem to be the manifestation of the effects of divorce. For example, the house seems smaller than before because Sarah was such a big part of his life. Without Sarah, everything has little meaning to it. The fact that Sarah is gone is taking a toll mentally on Macon. Things aren't the same without Sarah and Macon is starting to feel pity for himself, as he knows he can't do anything to save the marriage. He starts finding reminders of Sarah and starts to appreciate them instead of disposing of them. Macon feels like the house can't accommodate him anymore and emphasizes the futility of materialistic things. He realizes Sarah is the one thing he always wanted and having the house to himself doesn't matter anymore. This despair stems off of the death of Ethan. His death is what ultimately decided the fate of the marriage. Ethan's death is what made Macon look at this world as meaningless. Macon's false ideologies were passed on to Sarah. Sarah was the first one to bring up the idea of life being useless, however, it is Macon's thoughts and words that made Sarah's point of view on life even worse than before. Macon is now viewing the world as counterfeit due to the fact that he lost two things he loved. Macon seems to be spiraling into a depression because of the events Ethan's death triggered. Right away, I'm able to tell that most events that will occur in this novel, will be triggered by Ethan's death. All events that happen in this book are connected to Ethan's death.
Key Passage #3 "Her enthusiasm...boyfriends, causes."-Chapter 5 In this passage, Macon is describing the habits her mother had. Macon's mother was a very sporadic and spontaneous person who didn't have much care for her kids. Her enthusiasm disturbed Macon and his siblings by always having different hobbies, friends, boyfriends and causes. She has a history of public misbehavior that embarrassed Macon when he was a child. All of these traits, were spawned off of the death of her husband(Macon's father.) Macon's mother was widowed. After her husband's death, she abandoned her ideals and "turned into something else, into something else, into something else." She started to find things to replace the pain of the husband's death. She thrived for unnecessary change. She started to find new boyfriends to replace the pain she felt. In the back of her head, she knew the pain wouldn't stop. Death acted as a force that motivated her to go down the wrong road. The death of a loved one spawned all types of bad events. Same could be said for Ethan's death. Ethan's death caused Sarah and Macon to view the world as futile. This caused their divorce and ultimately caused Macon to go into despair by questioning if he even lives for something. A connection can be made between death and Macon, and death and Macon's mother. Death had a lasting effect on both of them in a bad way. Death seems to have an impact on the whole family and can be seen as a hereditary curse. An assumption that could be made is the foreshadowing of Macon's downfall. One could notice what death did to the life of Macon's mother, and say it's Macon's fate, that he falls deeper into despair because of death. However, the concept of, "death destroying the lives of members of the Leary family," can become a broken curse. Unlike Macon's mother, Macon didn't abandon his ideals and morals. Macon still has other people to fill the void of death. Macon's mother seemed to have lost control of her ideals after the death of her husband. Death is what caused her to despair. On the other hand, while Macon did view the world as pointless, he didn't give up on this world. If you look at the big picture, death has played a part in the generations of the Leary family. No matter what, death played a crucial part in the life of Macon's mother, and Macon himself.
Key passage #4 "Paris is...my...wife."- Chapter 6 -Macon This is a quick and brief dialogue between Macon and Muriel. Muriel is a dog trainer who Macon hired to train Edward. During some downtime, Muriel mentions how she wants to go to Paris. Macon quickly shoots that possibility down by saying how impolite the people in Paris are. Macon shows a slight sign of detest for people and a lack of appreciation for the nice things might be spawned off of the hate he has. Muriel shows another side and says how romantic Paris is. Muriel represents the positive to this conversation as Macon represents the negative in this conversation. This conversation is very minor and doesn't hold much significance in the main story line, but I thought this would be an interesting commentary. Another thing I would like to point out is how Macon is finding other things to do with his life instead of mourning over the loss if his wife who he divorced with. Macon is trying to learn how to train his dog so they can become companions. Macon is showing that he is trying to move on with his life. This shows increasing maturity within this character and shows he has a sense of purpose. Instead of growing hateful feelings for Sarah, he is being productive and showing he won't follow in the footsteps of his mother. How one deals with death seems to be a reflection of the type of person he or she is. Macon's mother gave up and resorted to desperation because of the death of her husband. It might be safe to say she was careless when it came to decision making. On the other hand, Macon still has hope to make changes and be productive.
Key Passage #5 Macon's dream- Chapter 9 In this dream, Grandfather Leary visits Macon while he is sleeping. Grandfather Leary was an out of the ordinary person; always coming up with new inventions. He is described as someone who had a wandering mind. Anyways, Grandfather Leary tells Macon that he has lost his center and that center is Sarah. Basically, Grandfather Leary(G.Leary) is telling Macon that he lost the one thing that kept him together. In other words, G.Leary is telling Macon to try to pursue Sarah one more time because he knows Macon needs her. What G.Leary told Macon in this dream can be seen as an obsessive paranoia and not motivation. Another main theme in this book is grieving. After the loss of Sarah, Macon's constant grieving became a problem. His grandfather visiting him in his sleep could of been seen as a symbol of Macon's consistent sorrow. In other words, Macon is dreaming of someone telling him to get Sarah back because that is what he truly wants. Macon is still shocked Sarah left him and his constant grieving is what's giving him this internal struggle. G.Leary appearing in Macon's dream can be seen as a manifestation of Macon's obsession with getting Sarah back. He can't stop thinking about her and it is really getting to his head. This scene proved to be significant due to the fact that Macon is starting to lose control of his inner thoughts. He is now constantly battling with this grief that he faced. We are also starting to see the real effects of the divorce, which is paranoia in regards to how Macon feels about the whole situation. This passage can be connected to Hamlet, where the queen saw a ghost of King Hamlet but couldn't believe her eyes. She was able to see the ghost, but denied its existence. The ghost was seen as a manifestation of her guilt. This dream Macon is having can be seen as a manifestation of Macon's agony over the divorce of Sarah.
Key Passage #6 "I'll be...or anything."-Muriel Chapter 10 In this passage, Muriel tells Macon about her past marriage and what went wrong. Muriel had a baby, but she never told her soon to be husband that she was pregnant. Norman(the husband) felt forced into marriage due to the incoming birth of his son, this made the family financially unstable. The baby ended up being born premature and caused the family to spend extra money on medical bills. Norman couldn't take the stress so he left Muriel and his son. Muriel even stated that the baby was the reason for the marriage, and for the divorce of the marriage. Inconveniences in marriages really seem to be the deciding factor in this novel. Ethan's death shook Macon and Sarah mentally and physically. This inconvenience ultimately caused them to split up. With Muriel's marriage, the birth of the son determined the outcome of the marriage. After the conversation, a connection is felt between the two and Macon kisses Muriel. This kiss might indicate that Macon is ready to move on to someone else. However, that is not the case, actually, Macon is surprised by his actions. The fact that Macon is shocked means he knew he didn't want to do it. Which negates the possibility of him trying to pursue Muriel. At the moment, Muriel doesn't seem like a point of interest genuinely in Macon's life, especially since Ethan's death has really dulled Macon's love life, but things can change.
Key Passage #7 "I lost...you hear?" Macon- Chapter 11 In this heartfelt text, Macon describes the horror that threw him right into despair to Muriel. Macon shows up at Muriel's house and finally confesses that his son passed away and he hasn't been the same since. Macon describes this event in a stuttered fashion. This indicates how disturbed he is to even recall the tragic event. This traumatizing event obviously still haunts him to this day. Macon even states he is too afraid to go out to eat because his son died when he last went out to eat. Ethan's death really left an emotional scar on Macon and still torments him. Macon also tells Muriel how he and Sarah broke up. He really pours his heart out in this conversation and stresses how much he has lost in his life. He indirectly tells Muriel that he doesn't have anyone in his life, this might be a call out to connect with Muriel. His heart is still with Sarah but feels he can take away some of the pain if he still talks to Muriel. Anne Taylor really stresses the effects of death in this novel by making Macon reminisce death occasionally. Death is presented as a repeating theme in the novel by showing Macon's daily struggle against his son's death. Not only does this passage make the reader notice the effect death had on Macon, but it shows how powerful of a force death is overall.
IX Chapter 7 “‘Maybe you . . . told him.” This passage offers the first of an event in the novel. Macon’s character development is present and progressing, even if it is coming along slowly. As Muriel is ranting about her hair, she gets Macon to actually join in on the conversation. In an instant Muriel becomes the conversation trainer as well as the dog trainer. Once he would have simply avoided the situation, leaving before any form of talking occurred. Yet, in this instance, he does something out of character. It seems so simple when it occurs, as it is an action of everyday life. Macon converses a little on the matter of Muriel’s hair, suggesting she uses a comb. At the start of the novel the reader would not think he would contribute to such a useless conversation. Doing this completely out of character, Macon shows that he possesses the capability of change.
X Chapter 8 “‘Macon,’ she said . . . into a Leary.’” At this point in the novel Macon and Sarah are having dinner together. It is the first time they have spoken in awhile. She discovers that he had broke his leg and is now living with his brothers and sister, wondering why he never called her first. In an instant, acting on impulse, Macon remembered the girl he fell in love with and asked to get back together. He realizes the simple things he noticed her for, like the way she looks at the menu. Being married twenty years Macon does not want to just throw it all away, coming to know that when seeing Sarah after they were separated so long. However, Sarah’s reaction is negative, leading to her confessing a major reason to her wanting the divorce. After Ethan’s murder, she failed to see the good in people anymore, only seeing the evil in the world. The worst of it was that that is how Macon is, with an incapability of noticing what is good in the world. Sarah feared that she was “turning into a Leary.” She was becoming more like her husband and she could not except that.
Although Muriel has always come across as strong and fully capable of taking care of herself and her son, in this chapter she exhibits vulnerability and insecurity. She may seem like she does not need support from anyone, but in reality she is worried that she will not always be able to support herself and ensure that Alexander receives the best life possible all by herself. In chapter five, Muriel exclaims to Macon that, “I’m not scared of a thing in this world!” Part of the reason why Macon is attracted to Muriel is because of her tenacity and “her spiky, pugnacious fierceness.” It seems that Muriel’s insecurities about Macon and his commitment to her and Alexander arose from observing Macon’s encounter with Sarah at Rose’s wedding. Her fears are justified though as it is revealed that Macon has been thinking more about his wife. When he is distractedly listening to Claire talk, he has a “sudden view of his life as rich and full and astonishing,” and “the person he would have liked to show it to was Sarah,” not Muriel. In Macon’s defense, however, Muriel is very pushy and wants to get married when it is clear that he is not ready. On the other hand, one should not fault Muriel for wanting marriage: any single mother should desire that. Underneath all her bravado, Muriel is terrified of being alone and without someone to share her life with. Someone like her needs someone like Macon to serve as a calming and stable presence in her life. Up until Rose’s wedding, Macon has been a constant and predictable part of her life, but now Muriel fears that he is not as committed as she always thought him to be. As the novel progresses, Muriel becomes more and more complex. She was first portrayed as unintelligent and shallow, but now readers understand that she is mercurial, capable of kindness, loves her son, and needs Macon just as much as he needs her.
Kenneth Walsh Key Passage #1 Chapter 1, pg. 4 “Making, I… like moving.” Macon and Sarah are driving home from a beach vacation. Sarah asks Macon for a divorce. The loss of their child spurred on a sense of loneliness. Their differences are eventuated when Tyler notes Sarah’s tan and Macon’s lack of one. It suggests that they spent much of the vacation apart. The idea of being linked together yet simultaneously alone is pervasive. The rain adds to the sadness. Macon tries to reassure Sarah that the emptiness she feels is normal under these circumstances. His approach is uncharacteristically practical. Sarah, on the other hand, is a slave to her emotions. It’s just another way that they are different. They are unable to relate to one another anymore. Key Passage #2 Chapter 2, pg. 7 “He started… storage area.” After Sarah leaves Macon, he finds himself simplifying his life. His eccentric form of organization contrasts with Sarah’s chaotic freedom. The differences between them were expressed in plain English. It was those dissimilarities in character that originally helped them to complete each other. In the end, however, that which used to foster their dynamic relationship put strained it to point of collapse. They chose to cope with the death of their son in different ways, and because of that they grew distant and unloving. Macon founds himself slipping into a psychosis of organization. Is desire to simplify his life is an exaggeration of inability to deal with its unfavorable changes. He’s going crazy. He’s trying to move on in the best way he can. Key Passage #3 Chapter 5, pg. 60 “In 1950… at once.” While at his sister’s, Macon recounts his childhood experiences. He reveals that his grandparents raised him. The passage hints at Macon’s mother’s promiscuousness. Her taking on many suitors gave volatility to the children’s lives. She was flighty and uncaring. This is emphasized when the grandparents are immediately received by the children as better caretakers. They saw stability and safety in their grandparents. It is because of this that Macon takes on a very clinical personality. He appreciates order because he grew up without it. And now that his stability is once again compromised, he seeks it out more feverishly then ever. Key Passage #4 Chapter 5, pg. 68 “Don’t take… your hands.” Macon’s neighbor Garner engages him in conversation. They begin to discuss his dealing with the death of his son. Macon is isolated. He doesn’t want to share his grief with anyone else. His refusal to have a funeral service in town is emblematic of his lonely struggle. The fact that he feels isolated in is pain could have led to or manifested from the divorce. Either way it evident that Macon is alone. He tries to distance himself from the grief, but manages to distance himself from everyone. He simply can’t cope with the death of his son. He gives away his son’s bike as if he doesn’t welcome the reminder. Key Passage #5 Chapter 9, pg. 139-140 “He hailed… wither too!” Macon hails a cab to find a talkative cabby. The driver enquires on how to stop his daughter from piercing her ear. Macon’s responses bring a welcome break in the overall sadness of the novel. This moment brings in an air of refreshing humor. More than that, it provides Macon with the opportunity to give some fatherly advice. He shows progress. Macon is allowing himself to come out of his painful isolation. He is a father again if only by proxy. He’s starting to fill the hole. Macon’s selfishness has been temporary replaced.
Key Passage #6 Chapter 9, pg. 145 “All of… brain felt.” Macon goes to a restaurant atop of a skyscraper. While looking out a window he develops an unshakable feeling of loneliness. The emptiness of the sky mirrors his life. He can’t find substance in this world. He can only look on with envy at the way it used to be. The utter despair of being separate from everything is, in a way, part of the human condition. The people we love, however, serve to connect us back to world, saving us from despair. Macon has lost what he loves. He feels apart from the world. He is the last standing tree of what was once a beautiful forest. Key Passage #7 Chapter 10, pg. 160 “It was… wet-mopping floors.” Muriel explains to Macon about her first marriage. Complications caused her baby to be hospitalized for months after he was born. A great deal of resentment was put on her by her husband over the trail. Her time is consumed with trying to help her child pull through. Her husband misplaces his frustration on her and eventually leaves her. She remains, however, un-bittered by her circumstance. She accepts her pain without question and with great strength. In a way, she represents what Macon is not. He has trouble accepting and dealing with his pain. His attraction to Muriel is based in the strength she gives him. This relates back to Sarah, showing that she couldn’t supply Macon with strength, nor he with her. Key Passage #8 Chapter 13, pg. 200 “Would you… to explain.” Muriel asks if Macon would ever consider moving in with her. Macon doesn’t know what to say. Macon’s response is evident of his obliviousness when it comes to his relationship with Muriel. He is keeping his distance mentally, because he’s unable to move on. Her suggestion to move into his house surprises him, because he has forgotten about it. This plays into the theme of Macon distancing himself from the pain. It is reminiscent of the time he gave away Ethan’s bike. He won’t allow himself to be surrounded by such pain. But in a way that is what causes him the most pain. He’s too busy being alone to be accepted. Key Passage #9 Chapter 14, pg. 218 “Sometimes Macon… know that.” Macon is helping alexander with his homework. It is close to step toward normalcy. He could become a father or sorts to Alexander. But instead he refuses to fall into another paternal relationship. He finds a sense of freedom in his lack of obligation to Alexander. He disassociates from the people he meets. He finds the act of forming new bonds painful. And with his old bonds brutally severed he is alone. He would rather forget his pain than hold on to the memories of his son. He chooses loneliness to avoid pain, but suffers in his self-manufactured solitude. Key Passage #10 Chapter 20, pg. 326-237 “In the… to travel.” Macon decides to leaves his wife for Muriel. Sarah is displeased. Sarah has reattached herself to Macon’s life. And it might have been interesting to see if they could make it work, but it is an ultimately failed gesture. The two have simply fallen out of love. Macon, however, shows great steps. He realizes that there is love and happiness still in the world. He can make new connections and grow. He decides to be with Muriel, because despite their differences they love each other. They find happiness in one another. It seems strange and unknowable from the outside, but they truly complete each other.
#5- Chapter 5 “The artist…and suspicious.” Here, Macon is talking about his childhood with his siblings and his mother, Alicia. In his memory, Alicia was always moving around and changing. She would always meet new men, develop new hobbies, and move to new places. Anne Tyler wrote, “She believed in change as if it were a religion. Feeling sad? Find a new man! Creditors after you, rent due, children running fevers? Move to a new apartment!” From this, the readers can see why the Leary siblings are so orderly in their life and refuse to change. From the changes, the family is always moving around and the children are always changing school. They never felt steady living where they were. Also, Macon describes Alicia to be “some naughty, gleeful fairy.” She was very enthusiastic about everything and “she was always getting hurt. It may have been because she rushed so.” In the family, the Leary siblings are more like the parent, while Alicia the child. In the story, Tyler wrote, “The faster she talked and the brighter her eyes grew, the more fixedly her children stared at her, as if willing her to follow their example of steadiness and dependability.” The children were the more cautious ones and even as children, they have always worn “guarded and suspicious” expressions. The Leary children have experienced what it means to change and move on in time, but change scared them, just like how they had to constantly look after Alicia. Also, this passage gives answer as to why Macon is overly protective of Ethan when he was alive. It is mentioned that after Alicia met the engineer, she went traveling with him around the world and left the Leary children in the care of their grandfather in Baltimore. Their grandparents were described to be “two thin, severe, distinguished people in dark clothes,” emitting a depressing sad atmosphere. being neglected by his mother, Macon grew up to be the strict, unchanging person he is. He doesn’t want Ethan to end up like he does; therefore, he has to make sure that Ethan gets all the paretal love he deserves.
#6- Chapter 8 “Yes, I…and such.” Julian Edge, Macon’s publisher, is visiting Macon at his grandfather’s house for the second time. Julian asks what the other Leary siblings do for a living and Rose answers that she works at home, caring for her siblings and the elders in the neighborhood. The female role in society is a widely disputed topic in the 1960s and this passage demonstrates one of the positions in this debate. Here, Rose answers that she “works at home”, “keep the house for the boys”, and “take care of a lot of the neighbors.” The neighbors are mostly old people and Rose reads their prescription and repairs their plumbing. Rose isn’t mentioned to have a legit job outside of the house. On the other hand, Muriel holds a legit paying job at the vet clinic while she also cares for her son. Rose represents the female figure in the older society, where women’s main role is in the house. For example, in Pride and Prejudice, none of the female characters have a job and they have to rely on the men for economic support. Similar to Rose, Sarah also doesn’t have a successful life outside of her family. Sarah did work as a teacher before she was married, but after she married Macon, she became more secluded from society. She didn’t enjoy people’s company or going out to parties anymore. Another interesting thing to note is that Rose is satisfied with her domestic life. When she is answering Julian’s question, she is excited to introduce her job taking care of her family and the elders in the community. Anne Tyler doesn’t criticize Rose for her choice, but instead is interested in exploring the nature of this type of women.
1 Page 78 – “It … foreground” In this scene Macon has a huge epiphany that changes his entire life. Nothing has changed in terms of Macon’s relationship with his siblings and how he functions outside of his family. Examples given in the text when he first meets Sarah during a party in his “poetry days” prove that Macon has always been to himself even when surrounded by a sea of people. He is described to have been in the corner, choosing not to socialize with any of the others, including Sarah. This unsociable characteristic has been constant through the years with Macon as he stills chooses not to venture out of his “comfort zone”. This is shown when he describes Sarah and himself, as she likes to go to social gatherings with neighbors and venture to the mall to converse with complete strangers, while he would rather stay at home and stick his nose in a book. The idea of venturing outside of a comfort zone is a consistent theme within the novel. This is emphasized when Macon decides to stay at his siblings’ house after he recovers from his broken leg. It is also shown when he returns to Sarah, though he tells himself that he has moved on and is perfectly happy with Muriel. It is this desire to stay in a comfort zone that drives Macon away from happiness and Muriel. However, Macon finally let’s go of this desire to remain in a comfort zone when he leaves Sarah to be with Muriel, as he could only be himself when he is with her.
2 Page 339 – “The … bureau. In the novel, Macon utilizes Miss MacIntosh, My Darling whenever he embarks on a trip for his guidebooks. What’s ironic about using this book is how the book is entirely based on travel. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling is about a young woman searching through time and memories of where her nursemaid might be after a trip at sea. Macon himself detests traveling anywhere and uses his guidebooks to help travelers find themselves at home when they are far away. Based on how he describes himself and what he writes in his books, he should surround himself with things that remind him of home. Anne Tyler uses Miss MacIntosh, My Darling because the heroine of the story symbolizes Macon himself. The heroine thinks she loses someone close much like Macon loses Sarah. As the heroine travels further in her memories to where this nursemaid is located, she finds that her life wasn’t as she imagined it to be. This is much like Macon, how he looks back on his life and finds that he never changed, his marriage with Sarah wasn’t as great as he thought, and he must come to terms of what his life really was before meeting Muriel. The conclusion of Miss MacIntosh, My Darling is the heroine accepting the illusion she thought she had lived. This part is most crucial because it mirrors Macon both figuratively and literally. As the book comes to a close, Macon has an epiphany and finds he is no longer happy with Sarah, and never truly was. As Macon packs to leave Sarah at the hotel, he leaves Miss MacIntosh, My Darling, the heaviest thing he brought. This symbolizes the realization Macon has about Sarah and how much of a burden being with her brought. The reader can notice the difference of conversation between Macon and Sarah and Macon and Muriel. Dialogue between Macon and Sarah seems to lack any emotion or any affection. Macon does not desire to share his opinions or have any physical attachment to Sarah. When with Muriel, Macon doesn’t hide in his shell and blatantly tells Muriel what is on his mind and has physical contact with her, shown when Muriel is on the phone with her mother.
3 Page 3 – “I … words.” Throughout the novel, Macon realizes that in life things never go exactly the way that you think they will. Macon’s idealistic world is to have the perfect design, avoid random situations, and live life comfortably. However, as hard as Macon tries for perfection, it never really gets there. Although Macon does not realize it, the spontaneity of his life brings out all the monumental occurrences of his life, the first being the murder of his son. Most of the time, people do not plan the early death of a loved one; however, the death of Ethan is the original force that drives Macon to true happiness and the love of Muriel. The scene alone emphasizes the importance of life’s unplanned adventure and how everything happens for a reason.
4 Page 73 – “You … down.” Since the very beginning of the novel Macon is haunted by the death of his first son Ethan. Never quite overcoming the fact he is really gone, Macon tries to push Ethan out of his mind as much as he can. This alone shows that Macon has yet to accept reality. Unable to grasp Ethan’s death, Macon unintentionally drives Sarah away. Macon deserves much of the blame for the reason his marriage did not work as he was given several hints that Sarah was unhappy. The first major hint is given after Macon is asked for a witness account of his son’s murder. Instead of sharing his feelings with Sarah, Macon shuts her out and causes her to question his feelings. Another example from the text signifying Macon’s ignorance towards his marriage is when he finds a women’s magazine. In the magazine Sarah says she believes that she cares more than Macon cares about her. The final instance is not chasing after Sarah when she leaves. If Macon truly loved Sarah, he would not have let her go so easily. It’s Macon’s inward nature that drives away all things that he could have pursued and done in his life.
5 Page 106 – “He … Muriel.” Tyler utilizes both Macon and Muriel to be foils to emphasize each other’s characteristics. During this scene, Macon dreams about a woman in the same car as him; at first unable to identify her, it turns out to be Muriel. The dream ends on an awkward note with Muriel sticking her hand down Macon’s pants and waking him abruptly. In psychology, it is said that dreams reveal some of a person’s desires. This dream serves to foreshadow the feelings Macon will soon harbor towards Muriel. When reading about Macon’s experiences living with Muriel, the reader realizes that Macon has no trouble locating her house and street. This illustrates how at home he feels when he is living with Muriel. When living with Sarah and his family, he constantly found himself lost, never finding it easy to return. The reader also finds that Muriel and Macon have several other traits in common with each other. Both Muriel and Macon find themselves enveloped with their family. Both are captivated and do not really see past what actually is going on. Macon sets this image of his family, quite normal, just like he is. It is until he meets Muriel that the illusion is shattered and realizes that they all shared the same unsocial characteristics. Muriel on the other hand has set in her mind that Alexander is allergic to everything in existence, costing him a normal childhood. It is not until Muriel meets Macon that Alexander is exposed to what the world can offer such as casual clothes and normal food. The final similarity is how both are lonely. Scarred with the separation of their spouse, they are exposed. Never truly over Sarah, Macon is constantly drawn to her, shown when he suddenly feels the urge to move back in with her. Muriel is now hurt with the feelings of abandonment as her previous husband leaves her after Alexander’s birth. She clearly makes it known when she lashes out at Macon when he leaves her for Sarah, claiming she isn’t to be used up and thrown away when a man is “fixed”. Their relationship is a great example of how opposites attract as their differences compliment each other as they end up together in the end.
6 Page 86 – “While … put” This quote demonstrates the logo and declares there are two types of people in the world: travelers that only want to stay at home and the people that stay at home but wish to see the world. This symbolizes the relationship that Macon and Muriel have with each other as Macon is the armchair traveler and Muriel is the traveling armchair. It’s only natural for the characters to feel this way from how their past has affected them. Macon was faced with a mother constantly on the move, making Macon never feel quite at home. Muriel was always at home, never given a chance after her sister was born. Having been left in the shadows has caused her to seek a new beginning. It is ironic because they both want what the other has, yet cannot get out of the loop. Muriel can’t just leave her child to fend for himself just as Macon can’t leave the only job he has. It’s this characteristic that helps attract Macon and Muriel together. Always desiring the stay at home life, Macon is drawn to Muriel, while Macon has the ability to travel anywhere drawing in Muriel.
7 Page 89 – “At … once." As Macon calls Muriel to train Edward, it shows his first step into breaking his habits of his unsocial behavior. Usually afraid of inviting any outside person into his lifestyle, it comes as a shock to his family. Unaware, Muriel is not only training Edward out of his previous habits, but Macon as well. This serves to show how Macon and Edward mirror one another as both desperately need a change in their lives. Had it not been for Muriel interrupting his life, Macon would have continued closing himself off from the world. Macon soon discovers that his brothers and sister do not accept Muriel as a part of his lifestyle because of such a drastic change of character. Realizing the potential danger Macon has by acquainting with such a woman, Rose, Porter, and Charles try to intervene, claiming that her class and personality do not measure up with theirs. It shows how much Macon is coming out of his shell as Macon even goes past what his family wishes him to do when he describes how important family is. As a result, this passage signifies the first steps that Macon takes in getting rid of his old habits as he invites Muriel in his life and defies his family.
8 Page 56 – “At … own.” In the Accidental Tourist, Edward’s character serves to symbolize Macon himself. As the two characters experience new things with each other, their emotions and actions mirror one another. Here, you have Edward hungry, yet afraid of what the outcome might be from pursuing his desire. This is evident in Macon as he is lonely, yet afraid to venture out in fear of getting hurt. Rather than experiencing what life can give, Macon would choose to sit on the sidelines observing, untouched and unharmed. The second instance of shared emotions between Edward and Macon is during Macon’s trip to New York City. While dining at a restaurant recommended by Julian, Macon experiences a mental breakdown of sorts, unable to handle being away from home in such a new place. As Macon calls his family to come and rescue him, it comes to Macon’s attention that at the same time, Edward has gone a mental breakdown as well, enclosing Macon’s brother in the closet in the kitchen. Even hundreds of miles apart, Macon and Edward exhibit the same emotions as both are pushed to their limits, unable to cope with change.
9 Page 8 – “Now … say” The reader learns very early in the book of Macon’s job of making guidelines for travel. Macon travels to different countries to prune out any unnecessary accommodations and so travelers find themselves at home wherever they are. Macon, however, makes the ‘Accidental Tourist’ a way of life, and he never strays outside of the comfort zone. The precautions placed by Macon highlights his insecurities in people as he trusts none but himself. Macon believes that one should bring as little as they possibly can to avoid lost luggage and own detergents to avoid damaging clothes with foreign soap. This is one of the several actions Macon takes to make life “easier”. In the long run, the travelers will find that the precautions in reality will cause more harm than good for themselves. This backwards flow can also be found when Macon develops several systems to maintain a proper home when Sarah leaves. One is found when Macon tries to avoid constantly feeding Edward. Macon constructs a pulley system that will drop food down for him, but proves to be counterproductive as Edward begins to fear the stairs. In response, Macon must carry Edward down the stairs to make sure he eats, causing more work to be done than what he originally intended to do. Several of his systems are actually negative as he becomes malnourished and breaks his leg.
10 Page 77 – They … it. Macon and his family can be classified as xenophobes, or people who are afraid of foreign or strange occurrences and people. Macon, his brothers, and sister exhibit all the same unsocial behavior towards the outside world. This unsocial behavior is also common amongst Macon and Rose in their marriage as they both shun away their spouse causing doubt in their love in the first place. The card game Vaccination serves as the symbol to their behavior as Macon and his family play by their own rules and are classified as a different type of people by both their mother and Sarah. The name of the game is important because a vaccination serves to ward away foreign diseases to the body just as the game serves as a ward to people that intrude on the Leary lifestyles. Not only does the game relate to the Leary family, but to the ‘Accidental Tourist’ as well. Macon makes the guidebooks as a “vaccination” to traveling, eliminating as many foreign experiences as possible. This not only shows how much Macon has changed from his original thought-process, but how lost the Leary family is in their own world.
Key Passage #8 "I never...somebody else."-Muriel beginning of chapter 17 Muriel let's Macon in on her past when she tells him she dated someone. This man(at the time) just went through a rough divorce with an unfaithful girl. This girl cheated on him many times and this man thought he would never be able to trust a girl again. However, Muriel changed his mind set. Muriel described this man as "a whole different man," when he moved in with her. They lived together and were eventually able to come up with enough money to pay for Alexander's medical bills. Muriel told Macon that she "cured," him of his past hardships. In the end, Muriel did all of these good deeds just to find out she got cheated on. Constantly, we are reminded of how characters in this book give up in relationships. Anne Taylor constructs relationships as failed attempts at companionship. We saw what happened with Sarah and Macon's relationship; they were unable to stick through tough times and stay together. Muriel got cheated on in her last relationship. Failed marriages seem to be common in this novel. What happened between Muriel and his past boyfriend can be looked at differently. What caught my attention, is how Muriel took this man in and cured him of his past heartbreak. As soon as he moved in, they became happy. This might foreshadow what will happen between Muriel and Macon. Since Macon now lives with Muriel, they might be able to connect more and Muriel might be able to take away Macon's pain. Also, Muriel questioned if Macon would ever do something behind her back. This indicates that Muriel feels a strong connection between her and Macon and would be ashamed if Macon were to, "go back home to his wife." This tells the reader that Muriel has some kind of genuine feelings towards Macon. However, Muriel saying she "cured," her past boyfriend can be seen as an assumption. They way marriages work in this novel, what Muriel saw, could've been an illusion. Overall, inconveniences and short comings in marriages seem to be the cause of divorce.
Page 4 Chapter 1 “I’ve got a system, Sarah. You know I drive according to a system.”
Early on in the novel, the reader learns that Macon is overcome by his obsession for routine and order. While Macon and Sarah are driving home early from their vacation, they experience heavy rain. While Sarah wants Macon to pull over, Macon is determined to keep driving according to his “system.” This passage highlights the many differences between Macon and Sarah, introducing the reader to one of the major themes of this novel; which is Macon’s routine. This passage also foreshadows many events that occur later on in the novel, that are related to Macon’s passion for routine and order. After Sarah leaves Macon, he adopts some peculiar habits, such as his breakfast being eggs all the time, sleeping in a “body bag,” and even attempting to wear sweat suits for multiple days at a time without showering. Macon also speaks of conserving energy by only showering every other day and doing much less laundry. Throughout the novel, Macon is consumed by routine, as he often criticized Muriel’s travel habits toward the end of the novel. He speaks about how if she had read his guide books; she would know not to travel in white. Overall, this single sentence at the beginning of the novel allows the reader to learn more about Macon’s personality and love for routine, and also foreshadows many events that occur later on in the story.
Page 18 Chapter 3 “She would stop by for the rug and he’d invite her in. He’d offer her a glass of sherry. They would sit on the couch with their sherry and he would say, ‘Sarah, have you missed me?’”
At this point in the novel, Sarah has called Macon to ask if she could pick up the blue rug. Macon cannot stop thinking about Sarah. He often thinks about her throughout the novel, and he often thinks about past memories, or he creates scenarios where Sarah would come back. Overall, this passage shows that Macon is obsessed with over-analyzing every detail of a possible situation. Also, that Macon is preoccupied with his past. Throughout the novel, Macon experiences many flashbacks. These flashbacks are often about his marriage to Sarah, or his son Ethan. The flashbacks of Sarah are not necessarily because he loves her. Macon is addicted to routine, and without Sarah in his life, he is forced to change his routine, which upsets him. All in all, this thought is nothing out of the ordinary for Macon, as he likes to plan events in his head.
Page 27 Chapter 3 “Macon stared down at the little machine and wondered if he should buy one. Not for the music, heaven knows – there was far too much noise in the world already – but for insulation.”
At this point in the novel, Macon is on an airplane. He examines his neighbor, and is relieved to find that he has a music player and would not wish to engage in conversation with him. This passage shows that Macon does not really enjoy socialization, and prefers to be alone in silence. Also, this passage shows that Macon does not even wish to let socialization interrupt his routines. After reading this passage, it can be concluded that Macon possibly suffers from a form of social anxiety and/or OCD. So far, Macon is obsessed over every single aspect of his daily routine. He is also attached to his past, and even though his son has died and his wife has left him, he does not wish to let those aspects of his life change. Also, Macon refrains from any socialization at the beginning of the story. While dropping off Edward, Macon is anxious to leave the vet’s office when Muriel pursues him. This same behavior also occurs when Macon expresses his fear of his neighbor talking to him on the plane. Overall, this passage allows for further insight into Macon’s character traits.
Pages 50-51, Chapter 4 “In September, he decided to alter his system of dressing. If he wore sweat suits at home – the zipper-free kind, nothing to scratch or bind him – he could go from one shower to the next without changing clothes. The sweat suit would serve as both pajamas and day wear.”
After deciding that he wishes to conserve energy, Macon decides that he will wear sweat suits every day, and only shower every other day. Macon also decides that he will possibly grow a beard. This quote shows that Macon has become lazy and has lost a lot of his will to live. This passage also emphasizes Macon’s obvious obsession with strategy and routine. Macon’s obsession with strategy is also spoken about at a later point in the novel, where the story talks about Macon’s strategy for picking seats in a movie theater. One of the central themes of this novel is Macon’s obsession with routine; as every event in the story is driven by Macon’s attempt to stick to is routine. This novel is written in a way where the reader is able to understand Macon’s thought process throughout the entire story. Without Sarah, who was not organized, Macon has completely drowned himself in his routine. Therefore, this passage is an essential part to the novel; as it allows the reader to understand Macon’s thought process, and to understand the importance of Sarah in the story.
Page 60 Chapter 5 “She believed in change as if it were a religion.”
At this point in the novel, Macon has broken his leg and is living with his family. Macon is remembering his childhood, how his mother was obsessed with change. Macon talks about how his mother had many boyfriends and how the children had lived in a nudist colony for some time. Overall, this passage is significant, as it helps the reader to understand a possible reason as to why Macon is obsessed with routine. While living with his family, Macon is out of sorts; as he is not happy about straying from his routine. Throughout the beginning of the novel, the reader is introduced to Macon’s personality traits. It is at this point in the story that a possible reason for his extreme behavior is exposed. Knowing the possible reasons for Macon’s behavior is important to the progression of the story. Without completely understanding Macon’s behavior and motives, the reader would not understand the events that occur throughout the story. Also, Macon is remembering his past once again. This happens constantly throughout the story, showing that Macon is afraid of change and straying from his routine.
Page 81 Chapter 6 “’While armchair travelers dream of going places,’ Julian said, ‘travelling armchairs dream of staying put.’”
Here, Macon is speaking with Julian about the cover of his guidebooks. Julien produces an image of an armchair with wings. Macon does not understand the art, and Julien explains to Macon that it is his “logo.” This quote spoken by Julien is a very important quote, as it accurately describes Macon’s personality. Throughout the novel, Macon is described by is actions as someone who hates to travel. He is also described as consumed by routine, and also by his past. Overall, Macon is a “travelling armchair” who wishes to stay put. Macon focuses on his past because he is afraid of change. He also focuses on his routines and methods for the same reason. Throughout the entire novel, Macon is “travelling,” whether he is actually on a plane or not. The death of his son and the separation from Sarah allows Macon to try and find himself. However, Macon’s mentality keeps him from moving forward, and leaves him trapped in his past. Therefore, this quote spoken by Julien is significant, as it completely and accurately describes Macon.
At this point in the story, Edward is being trained by Muriel. Macon describes the dog, and at the end of his description he mentions that the dog had been Ethan’s dog. This passage is a significant passage. After examining the passages where Macon speaks about the dog, it is often observed that afterwards, there is almost always a mention of Ethan. This comes to show the reader that Edward is a reminder of Ethan in Macon’s eyes. Throughout this novel, Macon often has flashbacks and thinks about his past. It is later observed that Edward and Ethan have some of the same qualities. These include testing their luck and their boundaries. After describing Edward, Macon thinks about his son Ethan. For Macon, Edward is a strong reminder of his son. Therefore, he wishes to raise the dog correctly and do the best he can to have the dog trained. This passage is significant, as it explains the significance of Edward in the story.
Page 103 Chapter 7 “’He’s keeping his rear end about two inches off the ground. Trying to see what he can get away with.’”
Here, Muriel and Macon are walking Edward, teaching him to keep pace and sit. After trying many times to get Edward to sit, Macon finally sees some results. However, Muriel points out to Macon that Edward is testing his boundaries and trying to see what he could get away with. This is a very significant passage. Edward reminds Macon of his son, Ethan. Here, the reason becomes evident. When Ethan was killed, he was at a camp. Ethan decided one night to test his boundaries and sneak away from camp to grab a bite to eat. This was an example of Ethan seeing just what he could get away with. Edward exhibits similar behavior when he is not sitting all the way. This exposes the connection between Ethan and Edward, and helps to explain who Edward reminds Macon of Ethan. Overall, this passage clarifies the relationship between Edward and Macon.
Page 293 Chapter 19 “Is this what it comes to? Lift weights and take vitamins and build yourself up and then – nothing?”
At this point in the story, Macon is remembering the death of Ethan. Macon recounts the memory where he needed to identify the body of his son. He states that his son had been lifting weights and taking vitamins, trying to better himself. He is upset that his son died after he had done so much work to have a better life. Overall, this quote is significant, as it explains Macon’s negative outlook on his own life. After Ethan’s death, Macon had overwhelmed himself with routine and depression. Macon’s outlook on life was nowhere near optimistic. This attitude may have come from the death of his son. Macon explains that everybody dies, and that he should not put in so much effort if all he is going to do is die. This is extremely ironic. Macon states through his goals that he wishes to do as little as possible, and waste as little as possible, and so on. However, Macon is truly exhibiting more energy in order to not exert so much energy. Instead of going with the flow of things, Macon is tiring himself out and overwhelming himself trying to find the easy way out. Macon is not allowing himself to live his life to its potential, as he is so focused on finding simpler ways to do things. Overall, Macon’s negative outlook on life comes from the death of is son, as well as his obsession with finding the easy way out of conflicts.
Page 329 Chapter 20 “They were so bright and festive, for a moment he thought they were confetti.”
This sentence is the last sentence of the book. Macon has just left Sarah in Paris, and has decided to pursue Muriel. This sentence describes Muriel’s smile as she sees Macon sitting in the cab. This passage stands out in a number of ways, one way being that it is one of the first (and last) examples of positive imagery in the entire novel. Throughout the entire novel, Macon was seen as depressed and consumed by his routines. Suddenly, at the end, Macon had decided to make a decision and leave Sarah for Muriel. This is significant, as Macon has finally decided to make a change in his life after suffering for so long. While Sarah was giving Macon medications, he stated that he did not like the pills, as they made him fall asleep. These pills given to Macon were a metaphor for the life that Macon was living while he was consumed by his routine. When Macon decided to drop the pill and leave, it became a metaphor for Macon giving up his monotonous habits, and beginning anew with Muriel. Overall, this final sentence of the novel is significant; as it shows that Macon has finally made the decision to change and stop being a “travelling armchair.”
#1 “They passed a… blades to high.” Chapter 1 Macon and Sarah are returning home from their trip from the beach. So far in the beginning the reader can see that Sarah and Macon are opposites. Sarah so far is uneasy driving in the rain while Macon finds no problem. Later after this part the reader finds out that Macon and Sarah had a son that passed. This grass that is covered up is the relationship with Sarah and Macon. They are covering up how they truly feel about each other and not letting out their feeling. Sarah questioning the way Macon drives shows that she doesn’t trust him. The grass represents the true feelings and the sheet is the cover-up from both parts. The rain hitting the sheets is the clock ticking until one of them rips off the sheets and explains how they truly feels. This ripping of the sheets happens later in the chapter where Sarah wants a divorce.
#2 “After his wife… in on him.” Chapter 2 The chapter begins on how Macon had lost his family and the house feeling smaller is how Macon feels. Sarah and Macon have just lost a son about a year ago. Now Sarah has left her husband and moved out. Macon at this current moment doesn’t feel complete. Everything feels useless since he doesn’t have the support and the love that makes a household itself. With each of his family members leaving each of them took a piece of his house away. Macon felt more crowded since everything was happening all of the sudden within one year. The house felt more like his feelings then more like his actual house. The house represented his feelings and how crowded and how his mind is. It shows how crazy Macon’s life is so far.
#3 “Macon went on…. On a marriage.” Chapter 1 Macon at this point has finally noticed the errors he has made in his life. Macon can’t believe that he has been asked for a divorce. Macon has deprived his feelings from his wife by saying that he has been a wreck since the death of their son. This is an excuse but can also be understandable. Losing any family member is always hard on a family. For Sarah and Macon the hurt is even deeper since they are the parents of Ethan. The pressure of the lack of affection and the loss of her son has left Sarah with no choice but to ask for a divorce. The reason that Macon gives is also an excuse because even though his son has passed he should have left the connection between his wife and his even tighter and ever and not made his wife feel alone. Macon and Sarah should have been there for each other and supporting each other with the loss of their son. The relationship crumbled under pressure and divorce was the only way out.
#4 “At any rate… he said.” Chapter 2 In this passage Macon is talking to his sister. They are talking about Macon and Sarah getting separated and the things that are happening. Macon’s sister gives Macon a chance of hope that Sarah wants him back. Sarah went back to pick up the boiler that she likes. Macon’s sister found this very strange because Sarah could have clearly bought a new one. Sarah may have used that she likes the boiler as an excuse to see how Macon is doing. A woman or a person will usually try to find a way to see how their old relationship is doing. This may be an excuse that Sarah wants to see Macon again. Macon still shows that he cares for he is scared that he may get rejected of Sarah wanting to enter the house. Macon shows that he still doesn’t want to get hurt by her and doesn’t want any more pain in his life.
#5 “Look… had good reason.” Chapter 3 Macon is dropping off Edward, his dog, at the vet and he finds out that Edward bit someone already and nobody told him. This happened right after the divorce was on the table. Macon defends Edward saying that he may had a reason to bit the man. This can also mean that Macon had a reason of why he is so uptight and has rules for everything. Macon also has a way to cope with his feelings of the death of Ethan. Edward resembles Macon by saying that Edward may have had the reason of why he bit the man. Macon had a reason of why he acted the way he did after Ethan’s death. Macon’s “bite” was the lack of attention to his wife and shutting her out of his life. She bit her off to end the relationship. Edward here may have meant more than one thing instead of defending a dog he may have also been defending himself.
#6 “Shouldn’t I need… your loss alone.” Chapter 1 Macon and Sarah are talking about how Macon doesn’t listen to Sarah anymore on the way home from their trip. Sarah surrounds the conversation about herself and talking about the loss of their child was hard on her too and not only Macon. Macon says here that she had to five him comfort too. He says that Sarah isn’t the only one that goes through the pain of losing a child he also is. Sarah doesn’t try to understand him but yet tries to attack him saying that he has never been there for her. Sarah is blind that Macon needed her too and his way of dealing with the loss of his son was by going back to his old habits. Sarah throughout this conversation is just thinking about herself and how she feels and doesn’t think about Sarah.
#7 “For some reason… far above them.” Chapter 1 In the end of Chapter 1, Sarah told Macon that she wanted to have a divorce with Macon. Macon and Sarah pull over by the storm and are left both to grieve in the rain. The rain leaves a mess which is the relationship that Macon and Sarah have. The rain helps break the elephant in the room and the problem that they have been having for quite a while. The rain helped push the relationship over the bridge since Sarah felt uneasy Macon driving in the rain. Throughout the chapter the reader sees the difference with Macon and Sarah and how they both feel. Macon has a strategy and Sarah is more rational with her decisions. The rain helped emphasize the problem within Macon and how they didn’t quite help each other out. The rain at the end drumming on the rooftop is the final drum roll for Sarah and Macon.
This is the first time that the reader gets to see the pain that Macon has to go through. The death of Ethan is where all the problem that he has with his wife are created from. The death of Ethan has haunted him and clearly this is shown by the flashback that Macon has. Near the end of this passage the blamin game is played at who should be blamed for the death of Macon. This is the first time the reader gets to see the reason on why it's so hard on Macon and Sarah to move on from the death of their son. The thoughts of a parent thinking that they could have had a chance to save their son is clearly running thorough their mind. The haunting of the death of Ethan has definitely impacted the lives of Sarah and Macon differently and clearly here Macon can't forget about it. The death of a child isn't easy and Macon can't help but remember the memory of his son.
Sarah here feels uncomfortable driving in the rain and feels quite uneasy. The windows fogging up is the way that Sarah feels inside. Sarah doesn't feel safe driving in the pouring rain. The breaking down of the air condition in the car shows how Sarah is slowly feeling in the rain. The reader sees that immediately that Sarah doesn't like to drive around in the rain. The little gap that they get without rain Sarah let's out a little sigh. Once the rain starts again she begins to hold on again. Sarah is beginning to feel unsafe in the car and will later break down from the fear of the rain.
In this short passage, the reader sees how the married couple are such opposites. Sarah is coming back the way she would from coming from the beach. Macon is coming back as if he had never gone in the dirt place. This shows the reader that the personalities of the couple are opposite. Sarah, she likes to have fun and likes to enjoy her surroundings. Sarah comes back more free flowing and looks more like she is coming back from the beach. While on the other hand, Macon looks more formal. Macon doesn't look like he is coming back from the beach. They both take different approaches on their life and are unlike each other.
Key Passage 1 Cody Smith "I'm beginning... With them" This passage portrays the theme of love in an inspirational way that shows the reader that Macon is a man to be looked up to. The quote means in a literal sense that loving someone isn't the most important thing, what is important is the person you become around them and how they transform you into a noble man. This hints that the plot of the story will center around not how much someone is determined to do something but how they try and who they become when the object presents itself. That sometimes the road of life takes unexpected turns and what is important is how you act and who you become when you are faced with the decision. Some people will not care how great of a person and how much you care for them, the only thing that matters is how you treat them and the man you become in their presence. Much like in real life and not only the book, in the case of marriage it can largely depend on who you are when around your other half, not what you do to please them behind their back but rather what they see.
Key Passage 2 Cody Smith "There is...else's house" This quote hints at the security and comfort people find when they no longer are worrying about their personal problems. In a way similar to ignorance is bliss, one can be happy and have not a single care In the world when in someone else's house. However when they return the sad truth of what their life has become will hit them again, the feelings they sought to escape have yet again creeped into their life and dragged them down. This accidental tourist persona can be perceived as someone trying to avoid their problems either in an active or passive/accidental manner. It also shows that there is much good to come from being your own accidental tourist and exploiting your options and possibly being a leaf in the wind and just going along with what life and ignoring the scary truth behind how our world works. It shows that there is an extreme sense of enjoyment that can be discovered when one tries to trick them self into living in a world with false hope and disillusions.
Key passage 3 Cody Smith "Now that...to life" This passage is stated by Sarah and portrays the evident theme of death in the novel as shown through Ethan's death which in affect spurs the whole book. Ethan's death puts in motion Sarah leaving Macon as she feels there is nothing left meaning wise to life. She falls into a deep depression as any mother would at the loss of her child but she goes and loses all hope on life and literally abandoned Macon. This all leads to Macon being faced with a major adversity, not only had his son died but his wife whom he so loved left him and fell into a deep pit of depression. This disorder sends Macon into a spiral in which he wants to start a totally new life to forget about his old life however he does not really know what he wants out of his new life.
Sue Carney is Macon’s neighbor and is welcoming and friendly. Although, this passage displays Macon’s feelings about her and everyone not related to him. It is explained that there seems to be an invisible layer as he touches Sue’s skin. This is separation is also mentally. Besides Sue’s skin feeling waxy and unreal, it symbolizes Macon’s lack of connection to outsiders, or people not related to Macon. This passage demonstrates more of Macon’s personal barrier to anything outside his cocoon. The barrier to the world is actually the main reason Sarah divorced him. It is quite sad and pitiful, Macon’s refusal to live out life fully. This passage is important as it gives the reader understanding on why Macon acts the way he does. Without this information, the reader may be lost and confused.
Muriel’s neighborhood is described in this passage. It is run-down and poorer than Macon’s and he notices this. The area is eerie and suspicious, as if someone is watching your every move waiting for the right time to pounce. The buildings are explained as no extra room; no generosity. This description could be Macon acquiring admirable traits. It indicates him waking up and changing himself. Also, the realization of what Muriel is going through hits Macon in that he sees just because Muriel is happy could simply mean she is being strong. If Muriel could do it, so can Macon. This gives him hope, a light in his dark cave signifying that there is a way through this. This entire disorderly town could also make Macon feel more defensive about Muriel as if it was his duty to protect her from the harsh world she lives in. The bond between these two is tightening and they are becoming closer.
While at first insignificant, this marks a big change in Macon. He is less obsessed with complete order. His greasy fingers got all over the steering wheel as he was driving over to Muriel’s. Instead of becoming upset it does not seem to bother him all that much. He even continues to hum as he drives so Macon is getting better. Even though a bit later he admits that Muriel’s way of getting someone to babysit Alexander is confusing, he doesn’t seem all that bothered by that either. Macon appears to be calming down and slowly start to become happy. Muriel’s presence in his life really made an impact. He is not focusing on his loss of Ethan or the divorce. Things are no longer a giant depressing pit for Macon Leary, he found some happiness.
Muriel reveals a bit of her past to Macon after they attend Rose’s wedding. She has gone through a similar situation as hers’ with Macon. Muriel met a guy who recently went through a divorce and they both dated each other for a while. The man got cured from his fear that all women would cheat on him. He was not comfortable with sleeping in the same room as a woman. But slowly, Muriel changed this and he got better. In return for her kindness, he gets with an airline stewardess and leaves her. After all their talk of getting married, he ends up leaving her for someone else as if she was only a pill to take in order to get well. Macon is asked if he would do this to her and this obviously puts some pressure on Macon. Macon is asked if he will return to Sarah, if he would have an affair behind her back and leave Muriel the same way the other guy did. With Macon’s intentions questioned, Muriel seems to be rethinking her decision of accepting Macon. This passage adds some doubt to what will happen which makes the story more interesting.
Macon just arrived at his hotel in Paris and called Sarah “just to talk”. This is very different from the Macon in the beginning of the story. When first asked if he ever gets the urge to simply talk, he replies with no, he never gets that feeling and uncomfortably goes away. Now he is the one starting the seemingly unnecessary conversation. Macon is in a way becoming Muriel; he is talking like her and thinking like her. Sarah is apparently surprised and does not understand this new Macon; it is different, not expected of him. Not only does he get the urge to just talk, but he offers to compensate. Macon never liked gardening but offers to help Sarah garden. This shows he is feeling compassionate and is even becoming the person Sarah never thought Macon could be. This passage is important because it shows just how dynamic Macon is.
These are the ending words of the story and Macon's final thoughts. The passage gives a positive and warm feeling to the reader. Macon just finished reminiscing on his son without sadness. This says that he must have finally gotten over it that he no longer is a wreck from it. He simply wonders if Ethan would have turned out that way in a seemingly positive way. Then he sees Muriel and it almost as if angels were singing and a light from heaven shined upon her. Water spots and stains on the windshield to him looked liked confetti. This is really significant because it symbolizes his new outlook on life. Simple things such as leaves and everyday objects Macon describe as first looking like bright and festive confetti. Macon has proven to be the most dynamic character in the story; he never would have seen joy in these objects. The bright and festivity of it could also signify him seeing a marriage between them as confetti and brightness could be for marriage.
Key Passage #9 "When he'd... by that."-Chapter 17 This short passage brings up the possibility of Macon moving on. Macon is able to strike up a mature conversation with Sarah. After hearing Sarah's response, he didn't seem bothered at all. This might be because of the time he spent with Muriel. Muriel and Macon were able to connect and understand what they both went through. Since Muriel understood Macon's pain, they were able to become great friends. To Macon, Muriel is someone who can give Macon something Sarah never gave him; a reason to live. Since Ethan's death, Macon viewed the world as irrelevant. However, Muriel never gave up on Macon, and Macon won't give up on Muriel. On the other hand, Sarah recognizes Macon's maturity and responds with "not really." This might be an attempt to get Macon to worry if she is happy with another person. If so, then Sarah hasn't moved on, while Macon is making progress in his life. Sarah realizes that she is mostly responsible for creating these circumstances and wants to see if she can get a reaction out of Macon. In this text, Macon shows maturity and shows he is willing to make progress in his life.
Key Passage #10 "The taxi...the glass." Chapter 20 In the final moments of this novel, we see Macon in his final pursuit of Muriel. He decides to leave Sarah in the past and go after the person who was with him during the hard times. He saw Muriel frantically wave down cabs and made a desperate attempt at going for her. This attempt not only showed that he is interested in Muriel, but that he wants Muriel to be a part of his life. This text shows Macon finally moving on with his life. The author brings up a life lesson in the end of this novel. With the help of supporters, one can ease the pain in one's heart. In this case, Muriel befriended Macon and took away the pain in his heart. She eased Macon's burden. Also, Macon choosing Muriel over Sarah indicates him moving on with his life. Macon went through all of these hardships, but overcame all of it with the help of Muriel, Sarah was unable to do that. Anne Taylor wants the reader to realize the amount of progression Macon went through as a character. At first, he was a hopeless person who thought life had no meaning. He found new hobbies and connected with people who cared about him. By doing so, he was able to fill the void left by Sarah. In the end, he moved on and started a new chapter in his life. I couldn't help but give a short commentary on the firmness Macon showed in this novel and Anne Taylor presents it perfectly.
Key Passage 4 Cody Smith "You ever...think so?" This passage acts as a little bit of comic relief that literally seems like a joke but on another level it represents the disorder in society present in the novel. Ethan's death has both literally and figuratively thrown a wrench into the life of Macon and his ex-wife. His death causing this disorder is evident from their divorce and the disorder is evident in society as is shown by the pleasure he takes in "organizing a disorganized country". After the death of his son it becomes the only joy he can find in his world as he mindlessly wonders through life. This obsession for being happy after this tragedy escalates to the point that it boils over and culminates with his invention of the Macon Leary body bag which becomes his personal cocoon and allows his to retreat I to his own little world for the night.
Key Passage 5 Cody Smith "They were... Above them" This passage is essentially ponying it the major differences between Macom and his wife Sarah. At the end of this all the reader is left to think that any couple with this many differences will never last long. However, they are proving everyone wrong and against all odds are making what they have work in an incredible display of order. This is ironic in that by later in the novel the disorder is incredible. At the moment it appears that these two opposites are making it work and fining their own bit of paradise in the world. Not only are there moral barriers but there are physical barriers such as Macon's hating of going out. These insurmountable odds finally become too much to handle and push Sarah to divorce Macon and send him into a deep spiral of depression.
Key Passage 6 Cody Smith "When Ethan... Had said" This sad passage stinks of the theme of death and is where the details of Ethan's death are reveled. While this information had to be revealed eventually, to me it was all up to the occasion when the author would reveal it. However the manner in which it did show up was rough, it seems to appear out of no where really and proves that Macon has to be hiding some emotions and wondering about love. We are also left to believe in Macon's bleak outlook on life as he sees life in a harsh way and views his son as dead already. He sees a dead man, as evident by his statement "not much" when asked what he saw when looking at his son.
1) *Page 1* This passage is important because it introduces the two main characters Macon, and his wife Sarah. We are given a character description, yet there is much more to interpret regarding the two of them. The most notable discrepancy has to be clothing, and it seems to foreshadow a later uncovered personality contrast. Sarah is dressed in a mild and casual fashion. Her style seems to be slightly revealing and care free. This is a major contraction to Macon. His clothing tendencies are very uniform and organized. This passage is full of chronological symbolism. First, the divide in the highway portrays the division of the lovers. The rainstorm represents the dark aftermath in Muriel. There is again a contradiction in the characters preferences, Sarah despises the rain, while Macon choses to embrace it. The rain represents Muriel.
2) *Page 21* This passage is important because we are finally introduced to Macon's profession. He writes guidebooks for tourists. The guide books are intended to make one feel at home in a foreign place. The title of the books consistently start with "An Accidental Tourist In…" In these novels he suggests ways in which a foreigner can accomplish stable living in an unfamiliar land. This is extremely ironic due to the fact that he cannot establish a stable life in a familiar land. He seems to be the one in need of guidance because his house is very far from stable.
3) *Page 37* This passage is important because it sets the stage for the story's major conflict. In this scene, Muriel and Macon come across each other for the second time at her place of business. Muriel's occupational obligation is to train Macon's dog, yet she shows much more interest towards Macon. She is the complete opposite of him, but in a positive way. Using a very cliche term here, she is his better half. She is vibrant and animated, whereas Macon is boring and bland. When the two are together you see how perfect of a foil Muriel is to Macon.
4) *Page 42* This passage shows Macon's adjustment to his new life as a bachelor, this adjustment is going quite poorly. All of his pain and sorrow is seemingly self inflicted. He becomes lazy and eliminates all busy work he has, thus creating free time for him to bask in depression. The last thing he should be doing is leaving himself alone with a wondering mind. He trains the cat to go to the bathroom outdoors, and also constructs a feeding apparatus for his dog. He also rarely cooks, leaving all the time in the world for him to realize how pitiful his life has become. This passage portrays his realization of his loneliness. He is aware that instead of guiding other accidental tourists, he should have been guiding himself.
Key passage 7 Cody Smith "Ever since... Pruning sheers..." This passage shows the breakdown of order in the novel along with the long standing disorder evident throughout the novel. Ever since Ethan's death disorder and depression have crippled Macon. As he is searching for hope and to start a new family and restore happiness to his life. He brings a very morbid outlook on life. He sees no joy and only seeks salvation from what has become a nightmare of a life. Macon sees the corruptness and evil that hold together and yet tears apart society. He sees such evil and this only adds to the theme of depression and death as it shows how little society cares about the people that make it up.
Key passage 8 Cody Smith "I don't...close up" This passage shows us the bleak outlook that Macon has on life mainly due to the several adversities he is forced to over come such as a divorce and lose of a child. Furthermore, it also shows us that he does not like to go out in public which only adds to the division between him and Sarah. This division only grows throughout the novel until it culminates soon after his sons death. It seems like a never ending cycle of death, depression and abandonment haunt Macon. He tries so desperately to get out of this slump and start a new family to move past his previous adversity and as it comes as no surprise he finds adversity to overcome in that too.
5) *Page 59* This passage is very important because it reveals to us the foundation of Macon's character. We see the details of his childhood. He was raised by a very unstable and irresponsible mother. Her kids did not peak the top of her priority list, not by a long shot. This weak and unstable home life makes perfect sense when analyzing the characters current state. Macon's sister has become a wonderful motherly figure in spite of her upbringing. You can see how her brothers treat her as the mother they were deprived of. Macon relies heavily on a structured schedule due to a lack of structure as a child. The consistent marital failures of Macon and his siblings are directly related to their poor upbringing.
Key Passage 9 Cody Smith "He was...hugged him" In this passage we learn the exact details of Ethan's tragic death. We also learn of Macon's insatiable quest to control his own life. We learn that he was shot in cold blood and this leads to his distrust of society and builds upon his never wanting to go out in public. Overall, this turns out to be the final straw in his marriage among other things as his life seriously goes wrong and he never quite achieves his everlasting goal of control and a perfect and happy family restored. This passage is a major turning point it the story as many mysteries are solved by the reader along with possible consoling with Macon as it is now out in the open. The struggle and adversity he had to conquer and never truly did lead to his downfall overall in every aspect of his life.
Megan Bollenbach Key Passage #1 “Macon wore…you and your systems!” (Chap 1 pgs 1-6) In this passage of the novel, Macon and Sarah are driving home from the beach in a rain storm. This passage holds significance because it immediately provides the reader with a sense of the characters’ personalities. Right away, Anne Tyler sets Sarah and Macon apart. Tyler describes that Macon is dressed neatly in a suit as he returns from the beach while Sarah is appropriately dressed for a beach vacation. Macon’s suit is not appropriate for the occasion and emphasizes that Macon is a more reserved character than his partner. Tyler’s physical descriptions of the two characters suggest the type of people they are. Macon was described as pale with thin skin that easily burns. Because of this, Macon always avoids the warmth of the sun while Sarah basked in it and worked on her tan. Through these descriptions, the reader realizes that Sarah is the type of character that takes life as it comes while Macon lives his entire life according to set schedules that he refers to as “systems.” It almost seems that going on with everyday life is a chore for Macon and that is beginning to tire Sarah out. I predict that this behavior reveals something deeper about Macon, that perhaps he is battling with his own thoughts and uses these “systems” as a means of distraction.
Key Passage 10 Cody Smith "In the morning... To travel" This passage is by far the most intriguing to me as it seems that the incredibly indecisive and never in control man Macon has made a decision. Here he decides to go back to try and rekindle with Muriel. Likely, the only reason a decision was made was because he now knows what he wants in life, to be happy and gain control of his life. This passage is almost like a resolution in that Macon has now overcome adversity and determined his new path after tragedy. Overall, this is the most important part of the novel as the main conflict of Macon bring lost in life is finally coming to an end. We see a side of him that is decisive and finally in control. He knows what it is he wants in life and now knows how to attain the goal. He made peace with his horrifying history and now can now end his search for control.
Chapter 2-Page 16 "He had always disapproved...gone to bed." At this point in the story Macon is showing how he misses small things about his wife.One of the things he misses is the messes she would leave around. This is a huge thing because Macon is a man that requires organization. He has a specific system so there won't be any form of chaos. His wife, Sarah, was the form of chaos in his life that he was used to picking up after. Now without having to clean up after her he feels a sense of emptiness in the house. This shows that he did care about his wife and misses her deeply. He misses her presence in all of its forms. Even though he would give off a demeanor of annoyance to the messes she created her associated them with her personality. Now that the messes are gone he can truly feel her absence.
Chapter 3-Page 30 "Although he felt...stranger come." In this section Macon just got off of the phone with Sarah. He sees that his wife isn't the same person he was with before. From the loss of their son she went into a form of hysteria. Instead of being her regular put together self she is now talking of killing the person that shot their son. The way that she's talking tells that she now holds a large amount of anger and is channeling it into these violent thoughts. Macon tries to calm her but it instead backfires and turns into an attack on him. Sarah then explains her hatred for how he needs order. She mocks him and makes it seem like he doesn't even care for the fact that their son is dead. After her angry outburst Macon now wonders who he is letting into his house.
Megan Bollenbach Key Passage #2 “In September…out of practice.” (Chap 4 pgs 55-56) In this passage of the novel, Macon decides to alter his “system.” This passage is significant because it indirectly emphasizes Macon’s internal conflict for the reader. The simple details of this passage show that Macon is unable to accept the changes that he is noticing in himself. He decided to change his routine by dressing differently and immediately blames the absence of his routine for his poor posture and even goes as far as blaming the shoes he is wearing for his resemblance to a patient in a mental hospital. It is evident in this passage that Macon is highly concerned with his self-image. Macon contemplates buying sneakers, but quickly tosses the idea aside because he would hate to be mistaken for a jogger. This is important because Macon is clearly struggling with what he is feeling. I believe he is unable to accept that he is suffering the loss of his wife and would much rather blame the absence of his “system,” which Sarah used to criticize. In a way, Macon’s ego is prohibiting him from coming to terms with his emotions after losing Sarah. It is much easier for him to place the blame elsewhere than to admit he is hurting. It is because of this behavior that I predict he will become desperate to find love much like he described when providing the reader with details of when he met Sarah. Macon also hinted that, with Sarah, he needs to keep a sense of dignity, which leads me to believe that he will begin to search for love elsewhere.
Megan Bollenbach Key Passage #3 “In the portrait…own empty hands.” (Chap 5 pgs 80-81) In this passage of the novel, Macon realizes that him, as well as his siblings, are sitting in the same way that they were in the portrait on the wall. This is significant because this chapter gives the reader a sense of Macon’s childhood through flashback. The portrait that is hanging on the wall showed the Leary children, who appeared stone-cold, all arranged in an arm chair. Macon’s connection between his past and his present causes him to almost panic. Up until this point, Macon has been presented as an emotionless and dry character. The thought that he has remained the same between the time of the portrait and the present scares him. When Macon looks down at his empty hands, this is symbolic of all that he has lost throughout his life. Not only did he lose his cards, but he has lost so much more than that. When Macon was a child, he lost his mother and has now lost his son and wife. His loss in the card game represents that Macon is always left empty-handed, lacking what he desires most. Earlier in the chapter when Tyler is describing the portrait of the Leary children, She described, “Macon had the indrawn tenseness of someone placed in a physically close situation he wasn’t accustomed to.” This holds true for Macon because his injury has placed him back home with his siblings and without his wife. After twenty years of marriage, Macon surely is not used to his current situation and while many people fear change, Macon ironically fears that he will stay the same.
#1 “Macon wore… every day.” – p.1 This passage introduces the characters of Macon and Sarah Leary. They are shown to be very different in this passage. Macon is shown to be a tall pale man who always wears a suit. He is also said to avoid the sun because of his fair skin. Sarah is shown wearing a strapless dress and she has a tan. Although these are merely physical differences, they represent much bigger differences. There are many more that are discussed later in the story. This passage just introduces basic differences that show the reader how much contrast their marriage has. These differences end up tearing their marriage apart. This passage, in a very basic way, sets up the entire plot of the novel.
#2 “I’ve got… a system.” – p.4 In this passage, Macon and Sarah are arguing about comfort. Sarah expresses to Macon that she wishes he would comfort her. She uses the example of driving through the heavy rainstorm that makes her nervous. She wishes that Macon would pull over and wait the storm out so that she would feel safer. However, Macon does not want to do this. He is too obsessed with his routines and his specific “system” he has for driving. This once again highlights some of their differences. In fact, this argument leads to Sarah saying she wants a divorce. The passage also highlights Macon’s need for planned out routines and regular habits. This is a recurring theme throughout the novel. Macon always has everything planned out and he does everything by a system.
#3 “While armchair… staying put.” – p.81 This passage is a quote from the character Julian, Macon’s publisher. This is a flashback to when Macon was first getting into travel guide writing. Julian said that his design, a picture of an armchair with wings, would become Macon’s logo as a travel guide writer. Julian says that this logo represents Macon. It shows his view on travelling. Ironically, Macon does not like to travel despite becoming a travel guide writer. The armchair with wings represents Macon because he travels even though he wants to stay in place. Armchair travelers are people who sit at home and dream of seeing the world. Traveling armchairs would be the opposite, someone who travels who doesn’t want to at all. Macon becomes a traveling armchair.
#4 “And he’d been Ethan’s.” – p.85 In this passage, the reader finds out why Macon would not get rid of Edward. Edward serves as a strong reminder to Macon of Ethan. In fact, in Macon’s mind, Edward almost took the place of Ethan. The reader discovers that Ethan and Edward were very similar and they loved each other. Edward is all that Macon has left of Ethan so there is no way he will get rid of him. Also, this may be the reason why Macon was so reluctant to have Edward trained, even when his behavior got bad. He wanted to be the father and raise Edward on his own almost in place of Ethan. At the same time, this could be the reason why Macon has Edward trained. He wants Edward to have the best life possible. Since he couldn’t provide it for Ethan, he is now focused on Edward.
#5 “And when... few seconds.” – p.91 In this passage, Muriel is training Edward. Edward has become increasingly rambunctious. It seems like he was becoming crazier as Macon’s life got more and more messed up. It comes to the point where Macon actually ends up calling Muriel to train him. When Muriel comes to train Edward, everything in Macon’s life slowly begins to fall into place. It is as if his life was a jigsaw puzzle and Muriel was the last missing piece. Now his dog will be obedient. Also, Macon is making a new friend that will end up becoming something much more than a friend. Overall, his life begins to calm down when Muriel comes. Muriel ends up bringing Macon’s life back to normal and then improving it.
#6 “We wonder… him behind.” – p.168 In this passage, Macon’s niece, Susan, talks about Ethan. This is the first time we really hear about Ethan. He was obviously mentioned before, but he was never thoroughly discussed. In this passage, Susan brings him up and begins to talk about him. She remembers what it was like when he was around and she expresses that she, along with her siblings, miss Ethan a lot. This dialogue is very important for Macon. He can now understand that he is not alone. Earlier in the story, Sarah felt that she was alone in the loss of Ethan, and when she left, so did Macon. However, now that he is hearing this from his niece, Ethan’s cousin, he can finally understand that he isn’t the only one who suffered a loss. This now allows Macon to be even more understanding of his own current life situation.
#7 “I lost… to me.” - p.189 In this passage, Macon finally opens up to someone. Seemingly for the first time since his son died, he actually expresses his real feeling for what was happening in his life. Ironically enough, while on his way to decline an invitation from Muriel, he begins to tell her the struggles in his life. He describes how hard Ethan’s death was on his marriage. Also he explains how now that Ethan has been dead for over a year, it all seems real. He expresses that his son’s death is the reason he is the way he is. It is the reason that he shuts everyone out and lost all of his friends. It is also the reason why he wanted to decline Muriel’s invitation to dinner with her and Alexander. This expression of sorrow is the first time Macon has told anyone his grief and he is lucky to be able to explain it to Muriel. She is very understanding of the entire situation and is able to comfort him.
#8 “Look at… the thought.” – p. 197 This passage is the first glimpse we get of Macon in a fatherly role. In this passage, Macon is teaching Alexander how to fix the leaky faucet at Muriel’s house. He helps Alexander out and Alexander fixes it. This makes Macon somewhat proud of him which is similar to his feelings of his son. He always wanted Ethan to be good at what he did and now that he is with Muriel, he is trying to act the same way towards Alexander. This makes Macon into somewhat of a father figure for Alexander. This role gets strengthened later in the story as well. However, this is really the first time we actually see Macon do something fatherly. This shows that Macon has been able to move on a little bit. Now he is able to spend time with Alexander and even act as a father figure to him.
#9 “Just as… of course.” – p. 249 In this passage, Alexander is getting teased by some of the other kids on his way to school. Macon just happens to be in the area walking Edward while this is going on. Macon noticed that Alexander was crying and went to him to console him. This shows Macon take on a fatherly-role once again. This is the first connection he has had to a child since his son died. When Alexander takes Macon’s hand shows that Macon once again has a fatherly bond with someone. He originally did not really want to get involved with Alexander because the situation reminded him too much of his son. But when he helps Alexander, he finally feels better about his son. He can now finally live without that burden. He now feels freer because he can finally put his son’s death behind him.
#10 “They were… were confetti.” – p.329 This passage is talking about Muriel’s smile when Macon finds her in Paris after leaving Sarah. This is the last sentence of the entire novel. It is a happy ending for Macon because he is finally living life again. Macon’s decision to go back to Muriel was made when in the hotel with Sarah. When Macon decided to not take his sleeping pill, it marked another big change in his life: leaving Sarah for Muriel. The sleeping pill acts as a medium for foreshadowing. Taking sleeping pill in this passage represents staying with Sarah and continuing his tedious, routine-based life. Not taking the pill represents leaving Sarah and going back to Muriel, which would involve changing his repetitive habits. By not taking the pill, he decides that he no longer wants to be with Sarah and that he wants to be with Muriel. This sets up the ending perfectly for Macon to see Muriel and finally be happy.
Chapter Four-Page 53 "But the fact...like a snail." In this passage Macon decides to accept an invitation to Sue Carney's house. Upon visiting Macon immediately felt out of place. The whole experience at her house made him feel uncomfortable and shows that he isn't one for human interaction. He never really found enjoyment in other people's children and would avoid going to social events. Now that he isn't forced to go to social events by Sarah he finds simply having dinner at Sue Carney's to be depressing. From the loss of his wife and son he began to cut off human interaction even more. Macon was never a people person but in this chapter it can be seen that he would rather isolate himself then interact with others.
Chapter Four-Page 56 "Don't you miss...the room." This quote is something Sarah wrote to Macon in the letters they exchanged during college. From the moment she showed interest in him Macon gained a mysterious persona. He believed that he needed to keep this type of personality to keep Sarah's attention. He believed that once he shows complete interest in her their relationship would fall apart. On the other side of this Sarah is hurting because she actually wants Macon to show her his true self. She wants him to drop the mysterious act and say how he really feels about her. So instead of Macon preventing issues he was building future ones in the relationship. This quote shows Macon's insecurity and Sarah's vague wants.
Megan Bollenbach Key Passage #4 “He would have to…someone to help him.” (Chap 8 pgs 143-144) In this passage, Macon is leaving the restaurant after Sarah walked out on him. This passage is significant because here, the reader gets a sense of Macon’s confusion. In a way, by the end of this chapter, Macon has ultimately surrendered. While talking with Sarah, Macon continuously adds sarcastic remarks to the conversation that proved Sarah’s point, but he never realized it until he had already said it and it was too late. One example of this is when Sarah said, “He’s an attorney” and Macon replied, “I guess you must mean a lawyer.” Despite the amount of time in between Sarah’s remark and Macon’s response, Macon still could not stop himself from correcting Sarah. When the waitress finally brought Macon his crutches, he could not help but feel like everyone in the restaurant was staring at him as if his foolishness was radiating off of him like an aura. He was so distracted by this thought that he did not even realize that the crutches were too small for him and belonged to someone else. Macon’s reaction when this was brought to his attention is significant because he, surprisingly, hung his head and waited for help. This surrender from Macon is significant because we are seeing a drastic change in him as a character. Macon even realizes the change in himself because he realizes he normally would have caused a huge scene after such a mistake has been made. Macon had prided himself on the fact that he was alright and especially tried to prove so to Sarah. At the end of this passage, he is finally admitting defeat for the first time.
Chapter 1 - pages 3-7 "They were...above them"
ReplyDeleteEverything in this chapter revolves around the differences between Macon and Sarah, evident from the dialogue to the descriptions. A common adage to use in this instance would be “Opposites attract.” For Macon and Sarah's relationship, this saying remained true until their son, Ethan, died. They stayed together, got married, and had a son, despite these differences. Although it seems Ethan's death is what gave Sarah the final push for divorce, that's obviously not the only reason. The couple can't even go on vacation together and have a decent time because Macon hates both travel and the sun. This physical barrier plagues Sarah's connection to her husband. But she also can't even hold a conversation with him because he doesn't listen, shown by his shallow reassurances that they would be fine driving in the heavy rain and also Macon's forgetting of what he said regarding his son's death.
Similar to Hamlet, Macon never saw a point to life, unlike Sarah who only stopped clinging to life after Ethan's death, but she still holds a little hope, based on her statement “I SOMETIMES wonder if there's any point to life.” But now Macon's trying to kill what little hope she still possesses because he says prior to Sarah's wish for divorce, “If you don't see ANY point to life, I can't figure why a rainstorm would make you nervous.” Maybe it makes her nervous because that's how Ethan died? If that's the case, Macon is showing no concern for it. Maybe Ethan died riding a motorcycle like the boy beneath the underpass, being cautious of his surroundings and was merely a victim of an accident. And now, Macon is denouncing the boy's choice to ride a motorcycle while also challenging death himself, therefore mocking his own late son.
This is what puts Sarah over the top. She can handle all the differences, but when Macon starts mocking her own child that she obviously feels more pain for, she loses it. If this chapter had a title, it would be 'The Accidental Tourist', alluding to Ethan, a victim of a touring accident and the reason for this decaying marriage. But it also represents Macon because, although he rejects his son now, Ethan will have an increasing amount of influence on his father throughout the book.
Page 1, “Macon wore...of every day.” In this passage it sets the whole story up by looking deeply into what the main character does. It’s an extremely important passage to put in the beginning of the novel. It first of all shows the difference between Macon and Sarah, which plays a huge part not much later in the story. Macon is wearing a suit and he was pale and had a nice hair cut. Sarah is in a flowy, strapless beach dress and is tan. This sets up their differences right off the bat, which makes the readers think that something later will happen to them. This also shows how the writer wants the readers to notice how Macon is so uptight. This plays a lot in the rest of the book. The beginning here is exactly what the reader needs to show that throughout the book, Macon is going to be hypersensitive. It describes him as tall, pale, gray-eyed, fair hair cutted and kin that would easily burn. These descriptions, even though people say not to judge a book by its cover, these descriptions make the reader think about a businessman that is analytical, and organized. Already, when he talks about the sun, you can tell he takes care of himself, and maybe even sees the world differently. A normal person wouldn’t stay out of the sun during the middle of the day every day. The author uses the descriptions and ideas of this paragraph to really get the readers to start to understand the mind of Macon.
ReplyDeletePage 13, “He didn’t...of malnutrition?” This is a big paragraph. Not just for plotline, but also because it shows Macon’s weakness. Sarah left him, and he went into a spiral downward. The descriptions in this paragraph are extremely well written. When I read them, I thought of a homeless person. That, our a grown man still living in the basement of his mother’s house. As bad as it sounds, it’s true that that’s what he looks like. Macon is depicted on being a depressed man in this paragraph. What’s so ironic and so great of why the author put this in, is that the characters in this story, all at least once, mentioned that Edward (Macon’s dog) is bad with change. That sounds super familiar. Wasn’t Macon breaking down because of the change in his life? Though the reason is perfectly understandable. Throughout the story there are similarities between Macon and his precious K-9. They both don’t do well to change. That’s why this paragraph is super unique to me. It shows the similarity between Edward and his owner.
ReplyDeletePage 18-19 ”She would...in the morning.” Sarah has already broken up with Macon. She wants to go pick up a rug from Macon’s house. What this shows is that Macon is still in a boyish fantasy. He seems to create idea’s in his head of what will happen. He believes that everything will be ok in the end. He believes that they will get back together and that everything will go back to normal. In reality this is not the case. The readers know this, but Macon doesn’t. This can be shown as a teenagers thought that life will be fantastic in the end. The reality hits him when she says, “I thought i’d drop over on Saturday morning, if that’s convenient.” This also shows, again, that he’s not accustomed and doesn’t like change. He creates a situation in his head that would be preferable than the one that will actually happen because he want’s everything to stay the way it was. This points again to how the author put a hypersensitive impression on Macon.
ReplyDeletePage 21, “For his trip...somber for everyday.” This is the first time we really get to see what Macon actually writes in these Accidental Tourist guides. He gives great advice. It’s short and to the point. You can tell that what style he’s using to write, is exactly how he is in real life. It’s organized and concise. That is exactly what he is. The author is connecting everything to him. His writing is exactly like his personality and character, even his dog is like him. This also proves that he is very well versed in his field. Though he may not like traveling himself, he can pick up on things like how the color of the suit matters, and the number of suits. Because his mind is so simple and one tracked, he looks at the world differently. He looks at it and can pick out the smallest details that make life so much easier. That’s what makes him great at what he does.
ReplyDeletePage 85, “Besides, Edward...Been Ethan’s” In this paragraph, it’s describing the dog, Edward. Other times we’ve seen him, Edward has been crazy and out of control. He’s shown to be a dog with no feelings. Even just the past paragraphs, he had bit Macon’s hand. In this paragraph, however, Edward is described as loving and protective. If he was protective of Macon, why didn’t he bit Macon’s hand? We see the contrasting evidence, so at this point in the story we don’t exactly know what to think. The last line is what makes this so important. “And he’d been Ethan’s.” we learn at a fairly early time in the book, that Macon and Sarah’s only child, Ethan, had died, but before he did, they got him this pup. Ethan loved the dog. This is the first time we see true, genuine sadness from Macon, concerning Ethan’s death. Even when he first died, Macon is portrayed as hurting but doesn’t really show it and goes on with his life like nothing ever happened. Up to this point, the reader can assume that Macon doesn’t care too much. Those four words change their perspective in an instant. Even though this dog is biting and going crazy, he can’t let himself let him go because it was his son’s. This shows some emotion that the reader hasn’t seen yet.
ReplyDeleteChapter 2 – pages 9-10 “The house...his face.”
ReplyDeleteAs expected, Macon is reminiscing Sarah. He's imagining her as he enacts his new system. His vision is a young, beautiful, happy woman, who teases her husband's illogical systems that are so against her own. She wears a light blue dress that Macon remembers she sported frequently in the early years of their marriage. This is what gives the idea that their relationship is like the course of a day or a color palette – going from light to dark. When they first met, it doesn't describe what she was wearing, but she was holding a cup with ice cubes in it, a color even lighter than white. On their wedding day, she wore white, then she began wearing the blue dress. As their marriage progressed, she began wearing darker and darker colors until she wore nothing but brown, evident by the brown sash she left in the closet to remind Macon of what their marriage became. Even though he later repeats to himself to carry on, it will be a long and difficult journey for Macon to let go of the past and Sarah. As of now, everything in his life reminds him of his wife, even though he's trying to change the systems of the house. Change is never easy; you fight to let go or you fight to hold on. And right now, Macon is torn between the two and his journey will be finding the kind of change he wants.
Chapter 3 – page 34 “The stewardess...American-looking.”
ReplyDeleteMacon Leary is a man who hates travel, but likes and is very knowledgeable about planes. This begs to question other ironic and opposite preferences in Macon's life. For example, Macon seems to hate marriage, having to risk his systems and to compromise aspects of his life. He knows a lot about marriage, having 20 years experience, but still despising its limitations. But he does love one thing about his marriage – Sarah. He misses her, he admitted it already. He's constantly thinking about her. He loves her but knows they're in different time zones, literally and figuratively. He's in London right now and Sarah's back in America. But figuratively, their mornings will never match, and therefore their hopes and journeys will never be the same. They were never at the same stage, evident by Sarah seeing the doom in their marriage long before Macon. This is also the reason Macon changes the time of his digital clock but keeps the one on his analog watch, the 'real time', constant. Because back home is where Sarah is, his real life. He loves her so much that even an old lady with Xs and Os in her hair reminded him of her, simply because she looked American. He wanted to live a life where he grew old with Sarah, one filled with hugs and kisses, one with grand children. But Macon doesn't even have a child anymore and he hates talking to stranger while on travel, yet he can smile when the old lady mentions shes going to see her grandchild. He can smile because he sees Sarah, which overrules all the miseries of his life. He sees her happy and that's all he ever wanted.
Chapter 4 – page 45 “Macon Leary...Macon said.”
ReplyDeleteMacon is now talking to his boss, Julian. The line, “He [Julian] seemed to enjoy pretending Macon was some kind of character,” seems like something Macon himself would say, that he's not a character. Aside from him actually being a character in a book, he's starting to act like one too. Shortly after the conversation with Julian, Macon starts creating new, silly methods of organizing and making his around-the-house life easier. Even he admits the dog shoot, laundry skateboard, and sweat suit all-day every-day ideas are silly, because no normal person would enact such ideas, making him a character. The funny part is that if Sarah was still there, he wouldn't be able to do such things. But to make it even funnier, Macon is all about organization, and yet he's doing all these unorganized actions, while Sarah is rather messy and she would disapprove of these new systems. Macon needs Sarah to stay sane. These new ideas and behaviors are because he misses Sarah's messiness, but doesn't want to be reminded of her exact behaviors, evident by him discarding her old bottles and splatters. He acknowledges this too, because he tells Julian that he can't finish the manuscript by the end of the month because he's unorganized. When Julian proposes a simple solution, Macon tells him it's more than that, because now it's not just the manuscript. Right after the phone call, the descriptions talk about Macon's life with his new methods. The prior comment emphasizes how unorganized he is. And he keeps reminiscing both Sarah and Ethan. Macon Leary is going insane.
Chapter 4 – page 57 “Well, I'm...soggy sweat suit.”
ReplyDeleteIt's now later in the same chapter, and Macon has gone even crazier. Now he's calling in his whole week's worth of groceries, telling them which item goes where. This is where he snaps. Still on the phone, he repetitively states how he's alone, that everyone left him. He's wondering what he did to make them leave. And he hangs up, because he doesn't want to think like that. He knows he is obviously falling apart, and he's blaming it all on his attire. There was a chance that he could have turned his life around, but now he's taken another step back by not acknowledging his own mistakes and correcting them. Just because of the sweat suit, he thought he had 'come within an inch...unwashed, unshaven, shapeless, talking to themselves, padding along in their institutional garb'. Perhaps the sweat suit had some part in it, because now in his khakis, he is rational enough to use the dryer instead of crying over soggy sweat suits. However, the problem lies much deeper than the clothes, but Macon can't see that yet. At least he's taken his first steps back to sanity.
Chapter 5 – page 74 “Don't take...turned to leave.”
ReplyDeleteMacon is now living with his siblings because he broke his leg. His neighbor, Garner, has found his whereabouts and is casually talking to Macon. The conversation turns to Macon's status and relationship with Sarah. Garner tries to give Macon advice, but Macon keeps pushing him away, like he's been doing with almost everyone else in his life. This is also the first time the reader gets details on Macon's life, especially after Ethan's death, from a character in the book. Garner tells the reader how inhumane Macon acted regarding his son's death. This is what sets Macon off. He doesn't want to be reminded of what he did because he is so fixed on Sarah and Ethan as it is. He's also notorious for blaming others for the miseries of his life. When Garner is about to leave, he tells Macon to not worry about his out burst, to not 'think anything about it'. Macon thinks too much, and he doesn't think anything bad about it, the opposite of Hamlet. In response to Garner's 'don't think about it' comment, what else would Macon do but to think about it? He wants to tell Garner a flood of things, like a redundant comment of how it's not his fault. But like several prior instances, he keeps his emotions and thoughts in his head so his opinion is the only one he hears. This is what causes him to be so narrow-minded and insane.
Chapter 6 – pages 101-102 “Well, I...to ache.”
ReplyDeleteMacon has invited Muriel over to train Edward. Throughout the past chapter, Macon was reluctant to give Edward away or to call Muriel. This is because Edward is Ethan to Macon now. He was Ethan's dog and now he feels the responsibility to care for him because his son no longer can. The only reason he lets his siblings care for Edward too is because they're family, Ethan's (Edward's) aunt and uncles. But Macon's siblings don't see this because they never felt connected to Ethan, for Macon was so protective of Ethan up until the time he decided to let him go to camp. Rose, Porter, and Charles never really felt like Ethan's aunts and uncles, so they don't feel bad for letting Edward go now. Macon's also reluctant to send Edward to obedience school because something bad happened to Ethan when he was sent away. Now Muriel is training Edward and Macon feels uncomfortable, not because Muriel is obviously into him, but because another female other than Rose or Sarah is influencing Edward. Edward is going through he rebellious teen years, just like Ethan would be, and he and Macon both know that Macon can't handle it without Sarah. It kills the already broken-hearted Macon to call in someone to train his son because he doesn’t have enough authority. And to make matters worse, the one he called in is now acting as a motherly character to Edward, and he's obeying. This only makes Macon question his and Sarah's parental roles on their son. It also begs to question if Ethan knew of his parents' faltering marriage, that Edward would so easily respond to a new mother. Just like page 101 says, “Things couldn't be that easy. Edward had improved too quickly...” And also, Edward's (Ethan's) unnaturally fast response to Muriel and Macon's still rather hasty response to Muriel so soon after Sarah implore the idea of Macon's dedication to Sarah. Macon is well aware of how personal Muriel is with him, and now he's inviting her into his home to train his son. When did he lose any hope of being reunited with Sarah?
Chapter 7 – pages 122-123 “With a bellow...walk away.”
ReplyDeleteMuriel is still training Edward. Prior to this, Macon asked himself what is the point of a trainer if he's doing all the training. That's exactly how he felt about marriage and life in general. What's the point? Now the same thing is happening to his relationship with Muriel. It is short and it ended with them fighting over Edward (Ethan). But what's interesting about Edward now is that he attacked Muriel, his supposed new mother, and he did it to protect Macon. He doesn't respect Macon but Edward still loves him. Edward chose his father over his mother. Would Ethan have chosen Macon over Sarah if he had lived through their divorce? Or would he have agreed with Macon and tried to keep his parents' relationship stable? It seems that way, based on how much influence he has on Macon now. Edward is acting just like a teenage boy would – seemingly careless until his family is being hurt. Macon then reacts in the same way. Once Muriel starts hurting Edward, he jumps to his defense. Macon and Edward (Ethan) are like father and son, protecting each other and not letting anything separate them, even through their social (and physical) differences.
Chapter 9 – pages 145-148 “Back when...he died.”
ReplyDeleteMacon is reminiscing his grandfather as his mind was going crazy. He talked of a made-up, illiterate island and crazy new inventions. It is an insight of the future for Macon Leary, except with Macon, his mind is going insane prematurely. He's only in his 40s and he's already going crazy. He used to hate travel but now he only expresses the difficulty of it because of his broken leg, not his direct hatred of it. He is losing sight of the fundamentals of his life. Macon is also a freak for grammar, even correcting his grieving wife while they're having dinner. He's constantly commenting on the literacy of the world. But here is where he draws a distinct parallel to his insane grandfather – their inventions. Listening to his grandfather's ideas, young Macon has to suppress laughter. He can't fathom how someone could think of a car that acted like a dog, or a mobile radio. But now he's behaving the same exact way – through his systems. The laundry system, the dog food system, etc. But after, a young Rose comments how happy their grandfather is with his crazy mind, and Macon is envious of that. Of course Grandpa Leary is happy! Because he can't remember all these things he does. Macon remembers everything – his mistakes, his embarrassments, everything. Both him and his grandfather have lost the cores of their lives, but Macon has lost his much sooner. And now he has to live with it for the rest of his life. Grandpa Leary knows what the core is because losing his made him go insane, and now he's trying to help Macon. The core is his wife, Sarah. Grandpa Leary makes an excellent parallel for Macon, but there is one crucial difference between them – Macon will never be a grandfather.
Chapter 9 – page 164-166 “He called her...his seat.”
ReplyDeleteMacon is having a break down on top of a sky-view restaurant, while Charles is just a door away from death-by-Edward. To try and solve both problems, Macon calls Sarah, hoping her voice can be the human touch he says he needs, and she can also physically go solve Charles' problem. But Sarah doesn't pick-up. Both issues are getting worse, so Macon has no choice but to call Muriel. She picks-up and assures him she'll take care of Edward. And she also completely solves Macon's problem too. Aside from picking-up, she sounded as if nothing had happened the last time they talked. It's like she completely started over without him even asking, unlike when Macon asked Sarah if they could start over and she just rejected him. Muriel gives Macon hope, for Edward and his own life. All Sarah has done to him throughout the book is denounce his habits and way of life. But Muriel is praising and honoring him for being able to stand on a roof. The reason he keeps telling her to wait, knowing his brother's and dog's lives are in jeopardy, is because he needs her. He needs a human touch to bring him back to Earth, and just her voice has brought him back. Of course he doesn't realize this until he confidently sits back down in his roof-top seat. Macon's finally starting to turn his life around, ceasing his focus on his dead son, his old life, and his ex-wife who has now failed him too may times.
Chapter 1 - page 12 "You said, 'Honey...your exact words."
ReplyDeleteSarah and Macon are coming back early from their trip at the beach and are riding through some heavy rain. Sarah doesn't feel comfortable riding through the rain and is questioning if Macon cares. Sarah reminds of him of when she spoke of their son's death and how he offhandedly responded to her. He didn't give her any comfort and instead told her how he doesn't see any point in life. This shows that Macon has a pessimistic view of life and isn't really able to supply emotional support. This also shows that he is a depressing character and there is a possible strain on his marriage to Sarah. He is a character that is determined to a goal and won't let other issues come in the way of his plan. For example, him riding through the rain though it is blinding and his wife feels unsteady in it. He disregards her feelings and in a way scolds her for wanting to wait the rain out. This is shows how he isn't able to give comfort and how his mind is one track.
#1
ReplyDelete“Now was…might say.” – Chapter 2
Sarah has just divorced Macon and has moved out of their house. Macon is reorganizing everything in his house to fit with a certain system that he has in mind. Sarah mentions in chapter one that Macon always had “little routines and rituals, depressing habits, day after day” and that he “never did like moving.” Macon is the kind to want a settled, peaceful life, not one of constant change. Ethan’s death and Sarah’s divorce disrupts his original life and throws it into disorder. Now, by organizing his house into the way he wants it, he is trying to find comfort in the order he is establishing in his own house.
This passage also contrasts Sarah with Macon. “She was the sort of woman who stored her flatware intermingled. She thought nothing of running a dishwasher with only a handful of forks stacked inside,” while “Macon found that distressing.” They are never meant to be. Even Macon admits that “When she had looked up at him that first night…they were already moving toward their last edgy, miserable year together, toward those months when anything either of them said was wrong, toward that sense of narrowly missed connections.” Ethan is the last connection they had with each other and when he died, there is no longer anything binding them together, justifying the divorce. The author Anne Tyler decides to divorce these two because she is trying to give these two a new chance. Sarah and Macon have been married for twenty years, but Macon is still the deadly, old self. Sarah cannot change anything about Macon. It should be time for each of them to look for a new life.
#2
ReplyDelete“Macon said…fountain pen.” – Chapter 3
Macon is leaving for England and he leaves Edward, his dog, at the Meow-Bow Animal Hospital, which is also where Muriel works at.
Muriel appears for the first time in the story, helping out Macon at a crucial time. Macon has previously visited a separate vet clinic, but the clinic wouldn’t take Edward because Edward bit someone working there the last time Macon left Edward at that clinic. After the loss of Ethan, not only has Macon become more alienated from the world, but also the world has started to deject him. First is Sarah and now the vet clinic. Everything is just not going the way Macon planned. Muriel is the first person in a while who is willing to help Macon. She shines a new light onto Macon.
From this passage, the reader also gets an insight as to Muriel’s character. Muriel appears to be a warm and enthusiastic girl. She doesn’t start to fear Edward after hearing that he bit someone from the Murray Avenue Veterinary Hospital. She continues to interact with Edward and asks him questions like, “Edward? Do you bite?” and “How could you do such as thing?” Her tone of voice and her choice of words make her sound like a mother who is condemning her children. She’s also willing to help others in need. For example, after hearing that Macon is in a hurry to catch a plane, she is willing to take Edward in even without reservation. Also, the readers learn that Muriel has also been divorced before, yet she holds a completely different outlook on life. This vitality will prove to encourage Macon to come out of his little safety house later in the story.
pg160-162 "It was...left me."
ReplyDeleteIn this section of the chapter, we learn the past of Murial. She hasn't spoken of it until this section. It shows she's really opening up to Macon. This whole section talks about their marriage and the beginning of Alexander's rough life. First of all, it shows how dedicated Muriel is to her son. It shows she's a dedicated person in general. She's dedicated to her jobs. She's dedicated to Macon's dog, Edward and trying to teach him, no matter how disobedient the dog is. Finally, she's very dedicated to her son. Her husband and his mother both gave up and didn't care about him, but Muriel stuck by his side. Secondly, this situation can compare to both of Muriel's and Macon's divorces. Muriel's divorce was because Alexander wasn't a normal, healthy child. A big deciding factor in Macon's divorce, was Ethan passed away. Both these divorces were do to a son. It shows one thing that the two character's have in common, in a bunch of differences. The idea of Muriel's son also comes up multiple times throughout the book. Knowing the story behind this child allows the readers to understand why he is so important to the story and Muriel.
#3
ReplyDelete“If you…about it.” – Chapter 4
Once again, Macon is thinking of Sarah and the time he spent with her. He notices that even though Sarah used to like social events and overcrowded places, she has start to separate herself from society in the past year.
At this point, the readers know that the ultimate reason Sarah wants the divorce is because Macon is becoming more and more secluded from society. It has been to a point where he doesn’t even talk to Sarah anymore. However, this passage revealed new information about the cause of the divorce. Macon observed that Sarah had “always been a social person…Sarah thought crowds were exciting. She liked to meet new people;” however “that had changed during this past year. Sarah didn’t like crowds anymore. She never went near a mall, hadn’t made him go to any parties.” Sarah was becoming similar to Macon and that scared her. She has once told him, “I don't have enough time left to waste it holing up in my shell.” From this, she is acknowledging that she too is retreating from the world. This acknowledgement prompts her to leave before he completely changes her.
This instance can be compared to the family theme is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet influence shapes their daughters’ personality. For example, like Mr. Bennet, Elizabeth turns out to be an intelligent and witty girl. Also, like her father, Elizabeth doesn’t value money and social status as much as love when looking for a suitor. Similarly, Sarah and Macon has been married for many years and by living together, each person’s habits and personality has influence the other, such as Sarah’s increasing isolation from the world.
Chapter 14 pg 224-227 "We have...we can leave."
ReplyDeleteThis passage is important because it shows the differences between the brothers. It gives the readers an inside view of the family and how it works. First they argue about the car. It shows how each of the brothers think differently. They are all the same in the way that they have systems and try to think simply, but when it comes to the thoughts of each, they are completely different. They have systems and are simple, but they each think differently. Here it is very evident that Macon and Charles think differently. They argue about the car, they look at the situation at hand and have different ways of solving it. This proves to not be effective, because they argue for a while. Then, in Macon's house, Macon just wants to leave his house the way it is, but Charles disagrees, and believes it to be a horrible idea. This passage really shows the difference between the two brothers, and definitely the complex family they belong to. The two agree that it is terrible how the living room is completely destroyed, but each has they're own thought. What this passage really shows is how people can be super similar. They can be practical and precise, and yet be completely different. This is shown multiple times in the rest of the book. Even though the family is so similar, they all have their differences.
Chapter 15, pg, 236-237 "Just as...of course
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of this passage, we see Alexander being bullied by children. Now, up until now, Macon has wanted Edward to become calm and gentle. Here the readers see him aggressive and harsh. This is because Macon let him go to protect Alexander. This is a part of the story the reader really gets to understand that Macon isn't as harsh and uptight as the book keeps describing him as. He has a soft spot and that spot is shown in this passage. In the past chapter's the reader can easily compare Alexander and Ethan. This passage shows that Macon is willing to risk Edwards behavior to protect Alexander. Also it shows how attached Edward is to Alexander. It said, "His ears had perked at the sound of Alexander's voice, and now he hurtled after him." this sentence shows that this dog, Edward, adores Alexander. This can compare to the relationship that is mentioned multiple times in the book. The relationship between Ethan and Edward is a big part of why Macon kept the dog. Readers can easily compare the two relationships because this passage shows that Edward cares deeply for Alexander. In the last section readers see what Macon thought after Ethan was born, "From this time on I can never be completely happy." This thought has always been a guilty one for Macon. In the end, Ethan was a fantastic event that happened to him, and he loved him deeply. This passage just emphasizes that Macon was never really completely happy.
Chapter 19 pg 292-294 "When Ethan...had said."
ReplyDeleteFinally, the death and reaction to Ethan has been told. The author was bound to do this sometime in the book, it was just about when and how he smoothly fit it in. The thought came out of nowhere because he was just sitting there. At the end it flows perfectly into a thought that shows he is questioning love. During the whole scene, the reader can see that Macon is just lying down the hard truth. He may feel hurt or destroyed inside, but he doesn't show it. He says as he sees it. This shows how he thinks simply. When he looks at Ethan, he doesn't look at his son, he looks at a body that passed. Someone who is no longer living. He even says something similar in the book. When Sarah asked about Ethan and what Macon saw, this was Macon's response, "Not really much of anything sweetheart." This comment shows that he was looking at a dead person, and that's all he would say to his wife. This past really shows his simple way of thinking and how he sees things as they are. Other humans over complicate everything, whereas, Macon, doesn't. He tries to think of the world as simply as he can.
Chapter Five Page 62-63 “Lately, Macon…weep at his funeral.”
ReplyDeleteMacon and Sarah have been apart for a while now, leaving Macon to stew in his own thoughts. Sarah constantly thought, and said, how Macon was so apathetic about everything. He didn’t appear to care about social outings, his relationship with Sarah, and especially the death of his son Ethan. Yet this passage contradicts Sarah’s idea of Macon being apathetic. When she left, Macon started going down a self-destructive path, and acknowledged it too in Chapter Two. The passage in Chapter Five illustrates how Sarah had emotionally wounded Macon when she left, and so to comfort himself he imagines how she should be wracked with grief over what she did. The same was with his mother; she was never around and didn’t seem to care much about the children since her main focus always was on getting a new boyfriend. So, as a little boy who missed his mother’s attention, Macon felt comfort in imagining how regretful his mother would be once he was dead. Sarah thought that she didn’t mean a whole lot to Macon, but Macon’s need to play out her remorsefulness and her apologies to him displays how much he truly cared. This passage shows a bit of Macon’s true self; how it isn’t that he doesn’t care, rather he cares a whole lot.
Chapter Four Page 764- “Macon gave up…not quite as feeling.”
ReplyDeleteWhen Sarah and Macon were in high school, Sarah was sought after by many guys so Macon didn’t even bother to go after her. Due to his lack of interest, Sarah went to Macon; so in order to keep Sarah interested in him, Macon kept up his apathetic façade. So he did, for more than twenty years Macon was always pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Even when he wasn’t with Sarah, Macon continued to be very Vulcan-like because he was so used to doing it that he didn’t know how to stop. Due to Macon’s constant apathy, especially after Ethan’s death, Sarah believed Macon wasn’t as caring as normal people are. That was why she wanted to divorce Macon, because he didn’t seem to be caring. However, Sarah showed interest in Macon when he didn’t show interest in Sarah, so Macon believed Sarah wanted an apathetic man. Macon ended up being trapped in that persona and wasn’t able to give Sarah that proper comfort she needed following Ethan’s death. Macon created that wall of apathy in order to draw Sarah in and win her heart. Ironically, that same apathy spoiled their marriage and caused Sarah to eventually leave Macon.
Chapter Seventeen Page 4254 “He couldn’t explain…and went on inside”
ReplyDeleteAs Macon and Muriel grow closer, their relationship seems to greatly reflect his relationship with Sarah. While married to Sarah, Macon was constantly on her about how sloppy she was. He would make comments about how she needed to be more rational and to be orderly, but this only sparked animosity between the two of them. Sarah would ignore Macon and retort that he was too stiff. When Macon gets together with Muriel, he does the same thing; as read in the passage, Macon tells Muriel she’s sloppy and imprecise after she tells him that she quit her job. However, Muriel doesn’t get upset and coaxes Macon inside the store by childishly using a sock puppet. With a grudging laugh, Macon drops his anger and joins Muriel in the store. Both women, according to Macon, are generally untidy and social and Macon treats them both the same way in his relationships with them. Despite this, his relationship with Sarah stagnates while his relationship with Muriel grows stronger. The two relationships seem to be like two endings to a game. The one, Sarah, is the bad ending where you lose, and the other, Muriel, is where you continue on living. The events that led up to these “endings” are the same, and yet the actual results are different.
Chapter Seventeen Page 4178 “Muriel said…some small animal”
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of Chapter Seventeen was similar to the night before Jesus was taken away to be crucified. Muriel tells Macon of the how the man she dated before had been broken by his ex-wife’s betrayal. So as Muriel helped heal him they fell in love, only for the man to leave her at a moment’s notice for another woman. She asks Macon if he’d do the same, and when he says no she, “considered him. Her eyes were alert and bright and knowing,” implying that she knew Macon would leave her too. When Jesus had told His disciples how they would all doubt him, Peter fiercely denied it. So Jesus, knowing what was to come, replied, “You will deny me three times before the rooster crows.” Later, Peter was questioned about his relation to the man being executed for crimes against the Jews, so Peter denied any knowledge of Him; just as Jesus said he’d do. When Sarah came back to Macon, he didn’t even hesitate to go back to their house and leave Muriel alone again. Muriel, like Jesus, seemed all knowing in this passage, and knew that Macon would eventually abandon her.
Chapter Fourteen Page 3793-3829 “Once they were…Charles closed his mouth.”
ReplyDeleteAfter Macon had officially moved in with Muriel, Macon and his brother Charles examine Macon’s old house after a pipe burst. As Charles drives Macon back to Muriel’s, he decided to talk to Macon. He expresses how he, and the other siblings, disapproved of Muriel. The Leary children had grown up with an eccentric mother who was hardly at home. Their mother was always jumping from one thing to another, never really having anything steady or constant in her, and consequently her children’s lives. It was a relief for the children to escape their mother, but Muriel almost seems like another Alicia. She’s eccentric, spontaneous, and is sort of a free spirit (quitting her job on a whim), a lot like the mother was. Macon doesn’t seem to make the connection, and yet it’s almost like the Leary siblings notice the similarities. As Macon becomes more involved with Muriel and seems to become carefree, the siblings really worry. Charles attempts to warn Macon away from Muriel, as she’d be a burden (like their mother was), but Macon ignores it and tries to defend Muriel.
Chapter Fourteen Page 3829 “…She’s got…his mouth.”
ReplyDeleteWhen Macon’s relationship comes under fire from Charles, he keeps his cool until Charles insults Alexander. When Ethan died, Macon told the reader that he agonized over it. Throughout the book Macon seems to be unable to move past Ethan’s death. As Macon’s relationship with Muriel got stronger, Macon became attached to her sickly son Alexander. At first, Macon dislikes the idea of Alexander, as if he was a mockery of Ethan. Overtime, Macon’s opinion changes and Alexander becomes just as dear to him as Ethan was. Macon becomes very involved with Alexander, he protects him from schoolyard bullies and considers enrolling him in a private school. He even takes Alex to the same cowboy clothes store he took Ethan to, unable to feel the grief of Ethan’s absence. In a way, Macon seems to have, not replaced Ethan, accepted Alexander as a son figure to fill the void Ethan left. It’s very clear just how protective Macon is of Alexander when he snappishly shuts his own brother up the moment Charles said something negative about the boy.
Chapter Four Page 813 “In some…that way”
ReplyDeleteMacon’s relationships with Sarah and with Muriel are almost opposites. While with Sarah, Macon was almost stuck in time. Macon stayed the same as he was when he first met her in high school, “It was like that warning of his Grandmother’s: don’t cross your eyes, they’ll get stuck that way.” For twenty years, the two lived in the same house with the same neighbors; and even after Ethan died Macon went back to how life was like before he was born. However, as Muriel kept pushing her way into Macon’s life, she seemed to restart the clock in Macon’s life. When Macon was with Sarah, he hated to leave his home, and yet Muriel somehow got him to move in with her. The thought of travelling used to put Macon off as the change, in pretty much everything, made him ill at ease. However, his relationship with Muriel made traveling more exciting as he began to notice all of the wonderful unique differences each place had. Finally though, Macon was able to move on from Ethan’s death and didn’t dwell on it so much as he did when with Sarah. Sarah was a thing from Macon’s past, a fond memory you can never re-experience, but Muriel was a fresh new change that made time move forward again.
Chapter 20, pg 326-327 "In the morning...to travel"
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the most important passages in the book. Throughout the whole story Macon is back and forth with Sarah and Muriel. Finally he chooses which side he's on. He decides to go back to Muriel. At this point in his life, he finally realizes what he wants to do, and what his life is about. Through the whole story, Macon is confused, lost and not knowing which direction to head to. That's what the whole story is about. It's about Macon finding his way in life after a horrible accident. This passage is so important because it is the end of his searching. He can finally be at peace with his life. The whole book led up to this section, when he makes the big decision. He has Sarah back, the person he wants, but then he questions it. In this moment he realizes that it's not Sarah who he wants, it's Muriel and Alexander. This can make the leader to believe that he's replacing Sarah and his passed son with two new people that love him. With his time with Muriel, the reader can take away that he felt happier then he did with Sarah. In this passage, he is at peace with his decision and won't go back to Sarah.
Chapter Seventeen Page 4347 “Muriel please…perfect couple.”
ReplyDeleteThis passage is mentions one of the ongoing themes in the Accidental Tourist: Perfect couples; or rather, a perfect family. This book was written in the 1980s, a time where a normal American household had a mom, a dad, 2.5 children, and maybe a pet. A “perfect” American family had sweet children who always did as they were told, parents who loved each other as much as they loved their children, and a sort of “put together” feel to their lives. Macon’s family was anything but that as his dad had been absent and his mother left him and the siblings with their grandparents. Even when Macon married and had his own family it wasn’t idealistic. His wife and him were distant, his only son Ethan disobeyed and ended up dead, and then his wife divorced him. Muriel and Alexander were a bit abnormal too, as Muriel was not very lady-like. She had a venomous tongue and retaliated against a mugger, and Alexander was so weak and sickly unlike a normal child. Even Macon’s dog, Edward, wasn’t the idealistic friendly pup and bit various people. As the author writes, “Who’s a perfect couple?” The idealistic perfect American family of the 80s is very different to the actual American families depicted in this novel.
Chapter Eight Page 2175 “Oh Macon…it’s you.”
ReplyDeleteDuring another confrontation with Macon, Sarah states something significant. She tells Macon that his Accidental Tourist logo and him are the same. The Accidental Tourist logo was created by Julian because “While armchair travelers dream of going places traveling armchairs dream of staying put.” Macon wrote travel guides for people like him; people who hate change. He wanted to stay in his cozy little house in Baltimore forever, so when Macon traveled he tried to make himself feel as mush as home as possible. Macon didn’t want to try anything exciting or risk changing into something new because it was new. Most people like the old because it’s familiar and safe, we know how to work it and react to it. However, the new is unknown territory; you could lose everything or end up being miserable. Macon, being stuck in the past as he is, hasn’t changed since Sarah had first known him, which was why she compared him to his logo. Macon was afraid of change and what it might mean for himself.
Chapter Twenty Page 5434-5565 “He didn’t…were confetti.”
ReplyDeleteThis last passage has three significant symbols that, in a way, summarize Macon’s transformation. Macon leaves his hotel carrying his bag, however, this doesn’t last long. The bag pained Macon’s back, so after some consideration Macon decided that the bag had nothing he would need and left it. The bag was like Sarah; while with Macon she always seemed to bring him down, which was why Macon felt fits of anger and even animosity towards his wife. He couldn’t continue on with his life until he got rid of his extra baggage. Next, a boy who reminds Macon of Ethan hails down a cab for him and then gives him a formal farewell. In a way, it was almost like Ethan himself was saying goodbye to Macon, as Macon had finally moved on past the death of his son. Lastly, when Macon sees Muriel and tells the taxi driver to stop, Macon thought that the reflections of light on the windshield appeared like confetti. The bright festive appearance of this ‘confetti’ marks a new happier chapter in Macon’s life with Muriel. The confetti is almost like a celebratory symbol of how Macon finally got together with the woman he loves and that makes him happy.
I'd just like to say that I was reading both books on my kindle, so it tells me the location rather than the actual page number. Since it's a small screened e-book, there were a LOT of pages, hence the whole over "Page 5434-5565" thing. I'm sorry if this confuses people.
Delete#4 – Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteSo they…as feeling.
Here, Macon is reminiscing about his past with Sarah when they just married. He mentions that after they got married, Sarah is beginning to find fault in Macon. When Ethan’s death coincided with Macon and Sarah’s divorce, the readers would normally conclude that Ethan’s death is the main reason for the two’s divorce, but this passage reveals new information. Macon mentions, “It was seven years before Ethan was born. By that time, Sarah was no longer calling Macon “mysterious.” When he was quiet now it seemed to annoy her.” in high school, Sarah was attracted to Macon because of his mysterious aura, but by the time they’re married, that mysterious aura no longer attracted Sarah. If anything, it should be applauded that Macon and Sarah divorced only after Ethan died and not sooner. Ethan’s death gave Sarah a reason to finally divorce Macon. Also, it should be noted that Macon “was locked inside the standoffish self he’d assumed when he and she first met.” Macon was shy in high school, but from there he never changed because he wanted to impress Sarah. After going out of Sarah, he can no longer escape that persona. After marrying her, Macon has tried to change because he notice Sarah’s change in attitude, but “no matter how he tried to change his manner, Sarah continued to deal with him as if he were someone unnaturally cool-headed.” In time, he stopped trying to change and rebounded to his original cool-headed nature and he stayed that way until now. Lastly, this passage reveals the prospect on marriage at the time of the setting. Sarah married Macon “the spring they graduated from college,” which is quite fast compared to now, when people tend to marry in their mid-to-late twenties. Notice that all of the female characters in the story are either married or divorced, showing the importance of marriage to women. This is often compared to the marriage theme in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. In both stories, marriage is essential for women. The difference is that in The Accidental Tourist the story is focused on post-marriage, while in Pride and Prejudice the story is focused on pre-marriage.
Chapter 1
ReplyDeletePage 1
"Macon wore... every day."
In the early line of "The Accidental Tourist," the reader already understands Macon and his personality and the reader understands most of what they need to just by reading the first page of the book. In this passage, the author describes Macon's personality and what he wore to the beach that day. The author describes him as a very dull person and one who likes to stay in his own little bubble for the most part. He doesn't seem to venture out very much and he seems happier that way. Clearly that's why the title is what it is. The point is and the significance of this section is that Macon's personality and the vibe he gives off is the reason why he doesn't enjoy the travelling and it is the reason why he is so unwilling to venture out and try new things and see what the world has to offer. He is stuck at a certain comfort level that he will never break out of unless he changes a few things about himself first. The reason he is the way he is, is because his personality forces him to be that way. He has a dull personality so he will live a dull life, it's as simple as that.
Chapter 1
ReplyDeletePage 3
"Crazy to.. the elements."
In this passage, Sarah and Macon had just passed under an overpass and Sarah pointed out a boy on a motorcycle and how he was waiting out the rain, hoping it would stop even briefly so he could get to where he needed to go. She pointed out too how crazy it was of the boy to be riding a motorcycle in this weather. Macon followed her statement up by saying it's crazy to ride one any day. Considering how dangerous it is and how exposed you are to everything around you. That's just it though. That's what Macon has yet to understand. Life is about living on the edge a little bit and that sometimes a little danger isn't such an awful thing. In a way, it's good for you. When you get out into dangerous situations, often times when those situations are over, you don't take things for granted as much. The danger makes you realize what you truly have is a blessing. Life itself is a blessing but Macon cannot see that until he frees himself and rids himself of the fear inside of him. Macon needs to realize that there is much more to life than what he experiences day in and day out. Life moves pretty fast, and if you don't stop to look around once and while, you could miss it.
Chapter 1
ReplyDeletePage 3
"Macon said... exact words."
In this passage, we continue to see the way Macon values life. Ethan, someone who must be close in relation to Sarah and Macon, has recently passed away. Sarah feels as though now that he is gone, there isn't much point to living anymore. Macon comes back by saying he never thought there was much point from the start. That alone is enough catch someone's attention and worry them. Life is a precious gift and a blessing and Macon has been taking it for granted for far too long. He sees that there is no point because he hasn't had anything to live for. The more he lets this drag on the worse it will get. He needs to change his attitude around and the perspective he has on his life or this will be the way he continues to live for a long time. Maybe he's happy this way or maybe he isn't. That is not the point. The point is that everyone deserves to experience the true beauty of life and this world and all that they both have to offer. It all goes back to his personality and perspective. It starts there and it will end there too unless he steps up himself and makes a change. He owes it to himself and to anyone around him to just be happy.
Key Passage #1
ReplyDeletePage 20
“Look at what… an on forever.”
Sarah is still very upset about the death of her and Macon’s son Ethan. After their separation, Sarah calls Macon and tells him how she feels about the boy who killed her son. She said that she would like to confront him and tell him of all of the problems that he has caused, and how he has not only killed the people he shot, but other people too. Sarah believes that when Ethan was killed, a part of her was also killed. This passage shows that death is more than just one person dying. Instead, it affects everyone that was every acquainted with the person. Losing one person can change the lives of so many others. While one may not think that they have a very large influence on anybody, it would turn out that there are people that need them. Sarah didn’t know what to do with her life once she lost her son. She felt there was no need to live on because the thing that was most important to her was taken away by a careless teenager. This goes to show that the simple acts of one person can change so many more things that they intended. No matter what, the boy that killed Ethan also killed Macon and Sarah, changing their lives forever.
Key Passage #2
ReplyDeletePage 81
“It was a steel… antique bibles.”
Macon was recalling the first day he met Julian, which was when Macon was still working at the bottle factory and writing short news articles. Julian loved the way that Macon wrote, and when Julian handed him his business card, the logo was what stood out. The logo was an overstuffed chair with wings attached to the back. The significance of the armchair is that the traveling armchairs dream of staying put. Macon wrote a guide for travelers that didn’t want to travel, and he made their trip seem like they had never left home. The armchair acts as a piece of home, and it makes a trip away from home as painless as possible. This describes Macon perfectly because he does not like traveling, and he would rather stay in the armchair from home. The books are made for people who travel out of necessity rather than pleasure. The traveler does not want to take the trips, but they must because it is a requirement of their job. Rather than making it seem like they are going on a trip, Macon’s job is to help the business man feel as at home as possible.
Key Passage #3
ReplyDeletePage 134
“’You’ve… Macon.’”
In a dream, Macon is talking to his grandfather about his life. He tells Macon that he has lost the center of his life, referring to Sarah. This shows that Macon has reached a new low where he realizes that his life is no longer in order. When Macon had Ethan and Sarah, his life was completely planned out and everything had a system. Once Ethan died, Sarah was what was holding him together. After she left him was the moment when things started to go bad for Macon. He could no longer comprehend his purpose in life. After his conversation with his grandfather in his dream, Macon realized that his life was not going the way he wanted it to. That was the turning point in the story where Macon decided he had to make a change in his life. Sarah was a big part of his life and while she may have been the center, Macon knew that he had to fill that center with something different. He changed his ways and moved on with his life, a life without Sarah.
Key Passage #4
ReplyDeletePage 137
“Even those… belonging to someone.”
On his extensive trips, Macon begins to feel very alone. In this scene, he is at the train station for his trip to New York. He looks around at the different types of people that are occupying the train. He sees families, old couples, adventurous teenagers and the common businessman. The one detail that he did notice was that nobody seemed to look completely alone. While one may have been alone at the time, he realized that they did not give the impression of being alone in life. Macon used the term that they “belonged to someone.” Macon started to consider himself completely alone, as if he did not belong to anyone. He did not have his wife or his son anymore, and besides his family, he did not have anybody else. Macon sat at the train station watching the content people and thinking of the wonderful lives they might have compared to his. At that moment in the story, Macon felt completely lonely. Even when one is surrounded by people, they can still feel like they are alone.
Key Passage #5
ReplyDeletePage 145
He would never…sherry glass.”
At the top of a very tall building in New York, Macon realized the turn his life was taking. He realized that he had isolated himself from everybody that he had ever loved. He acted in a distant way from his friends and family, and that caused him to grow apart from everyone. Rather than bringing his loved ones closer in a time of need, Macon pushed everyone away and tried to handle his feelings by himself. Little did he realize that being alone was the worse way to live. Even when his son died, Macon pushed his neighbors away and he didn’t let himself cope with the fact that he had just lost a major person in his life. He had trouble opening up to others, and after a long time he realized the negative impact it had. When he saw the city below him from the restaurant at the top of the building, Macon realized that there were so many people in the world, and so many of them were willing to help someone in need. Macon knew that people were willing to lend a helping hand, but it wasn’t until that moment that he realized that it isn’t bad to accept it.
Key Passage #6
ReplyDeletePage 168
“’We wonder… left him behind.’”
After Ethan was killed, people figured that they should not mention his name around Macon or Sarah. One of the times that he was mentioned to Macon was by his niece Susan. She was accompanying him on one of his day trips when she started to talk about Ethan and how he was missed. It shows that he was an important part in the lives of his cousins too, and when he died it affected them too. Susan and her siblings thought of Ethan as the funniest one, and they wonder what Ethan would think of if he could see them. Susan is afraid that Ethan would be upset because they continued their lives without him, but she would want him to know that he is thought of often. While he is not mentioned, he is still on somebody’s mind. It might have been strange for Ethan to be talked about around Macon, but that may have been the best thing for him. Macon needed to know that he wasn’t alone and that many other people missed his son too. He always wondered why he was not mentioned, and through Susan he found out that it was to spare his feelings. Nobody knew how to act around Macon since his loss, and it must have been nice to have someone to talk to about a subject that everybody avoided.
Key Passage #7
ReplyDeletePage 184
“Just…only one.”
During Muriel’s pregnancy, something went terribly wrong, so she needed to get a caesarean removal of the premature baby. This left her with a scar on her abdomen. The first night that Macon spent with Muriel, he felt the scar and he took this as a sign. He could hear Muriel saying that everyone is scarred and that he isn’t the only one. By scarred, it is meant that everyone is fighting their own battle. It isn’t just Macon that has a hard life and problems that need to be taken care of. That gave Macon a sense of security because now he knows that he is not the only one that is alone. Before, Macon thought that nobody understood what he was going through, but Muriel’s scar showed him that there are so many other people that feel the same way. Others feel that nobody understands them or that they have nobody that is on their side. The scar signifies so much more than an operation; it signifies the struggles and the hard times that everyone has to go through in their life.
Key Passage #8
ReplyDeletePage 237
“From this… happy.”
When Ethan was born, Macon thought that he can never be completely happy again. He realized that with a child comes great responsibility. There is constant worrying about the health and safety of the child. When one thing went right, there would be a moment of happiness before the parent had to worry about the next thing that could go wrong. After Ethan’s death, it seemed as if Macon’s feeling went away. It wasn’t until he developed protective feelings for Alexander did the thought come back. Macon felt affection towards Alexander and he knew that he had to protect the boy as best as he could. Alexander took on the role as his son, and Macon knew that he could not be completely happy because he needed to make sure that the child was happy. Macon thought of it as sacrificing his happiness for the happiness of another person. Without Ethan and Sarah to take care of, Macon was lonely and had nobody to worry about but himself, but with Alexander, the feeling of being needed came back.
Key Passage #9
ReplyDeletePage 274
“He put… Never mind.’”
Towards the end of the book, a change in Macon was evident. Normally, on his plane trips he would do anything he could to avoid talking to the people sitting next to him. He would take out Miss Macintosh, which was a very thick book and Macon knew that one would not disturb another who was immersed in a book. Macon avoided anybody he did not know until his plane ride to Edmonton. Next to him was an old woman who was afraid of planes. Instead of looking away from the woman and avoiding her, Macon turned to her and tried to talk her through the flight. Macon realized that he can’t live his life by himself and that branching out to others is not always a bad thing. He changed from being a cold man with a broken heart, to an accepting man who was considerate of others. Macon changed for the good, and this was a part in the book that the change was evident. Sometimes it is better to talk to someone new, and learn that everyone has their own unique story.
Key Passage #10
ReplyDeletePage 294
“He began to… whether you love her.”
Macon things that the way you act with somebody matters more than whether if you love that somebody or not. He knows that once one starts to love another, they could change completely. The thing that matters most is how they act around them. They could love this person, but what is most important is how they act around each other. If somebody is madly in love with another person, but treats them poorly, then the feelings do not matter. This passage is significant because love is explained. Love is not only having feelings for someone, but showing the same feelings in a positive light. Macon knows that he loved Sarah, but he didn’t show his affection as much as he should have. Macon realized that the person he was with Sarah mattered more than any amount of love he could have had for her. Affection and loved should not be concealed, they should be shown.
Chapter 1
ReplyDeletePage 3
"And you... at all."
In this passage, Sarah is still hung up on how Macon doesn't seem to have many emotions. She really focuses on how he continues day in and day out to live in his own little shell. He sticks to the same routine and the same plan each day and doesn't venture out whatsoever. He continues to let life pass him by and clearly Sarah is bothered by it now. She wants him to get onto living a normal life, well at least somewhat normal. She is tired of her husband keeping to himself all the time and never just breaking out of his habits. That is the significant part of this section. Sarah is voicing her opinion about this and she has every right to. However, as much as it bothers her that Macon is like this, if she truly loves and cares about him, it should not matter. She should be on his side, supporting him all the way. That is what you vow to do when you get married. You promise to never give up on one another and to always stand by each other. That's what marriage is about. The ups and downs and standing by each other because you know when you get passed it all you will be stronger because of it. Unless Sarah doesn't truly love Macon, then she will just fall apart from here.
Chapter 1
ReplyDeletePage 4-5
"This rain... above them."
Sarah has had it with Macon and how he lives his life. She simply cannot stand it anymore. They are at the point of arguing and fighting now because Sarah doesn't feel that Macon cares about anything, much less their marriage. When it gets to that point, the point where you just feel like you are on your own in what is supposed to be a two person effort, you give up. Which is why Sarah wants a divorce. Macon thinks all of this is happening because of the death of their child, but she has been feeling like this for quite some time now. They are two completely different people that want completely different things from this life. She wants to find a place of her own as soon as they get back home. The significance however, comes at the very end of this chapter. When they are sitting under the overhang at the gas station and Sarah won't even look at Macon, we see him show some feeling. As he sits there and rubs his knees with the palms of his hands, he feels pain. The pain of losing something he thought he would have forever. This is good for him though. Maybe this will help him realize that you cannot live like this. It isn't healthy for yourself and it tends to drive the ones you love away. This is going to be a really tough part of his life that he has to fight through. But then again, maybe Macon needs to go through the worst to appreciate the best when it comes along.
Chapter 2
ReplyDeletePage 6-7
"After his... to bed."
This section takes place right after Sarah moved out of the house and left Macon on his own. She was going onto bigger and better things and was going out to see what else this world has to offer her. Meanwhile, Macon hasn't found that yet. He sits at home and focuses on everything negative. He absolutely has a right to do so and to feel that way, but if he plans on getting passed this anytime soon, he has to change up his attitude. However, there are positives to this section and there is significance here as well. As Macon looks around his house and sees what is missing and the memories that used to be there but all that are left in their places are some empty spaces. Those empty spaces made him feel though. He is feeling what it is like to hurt and to lose, to love and to have lost. That is the first step for him. He needs to understand and by feeling anything in general will help him to do so. He recalled everything about Sarah and everything that she did that he enjoyed. Looking back on it now, he probably wishes he enjoyed it a little more while he had the chance. He let something good go to waste and now he is paying the price. He seems to be taking a step in the right direction. Which is good because before he can do anything, he must be willing to take that first step.
Chapter 2
ReplyDeletePage 9
"Most of... hated travel."
In the pages prior to this passage, we learn about some of the systems that Macon has developed over the years and even some of the ideas that he had come up with. Ideas that he wanted to portray to other people in hopes that they begin to live as he does. He feels that the way he does things is easier and it saves energy, which is something that he seems to do for fun. The reason it seems as though he is trying to come up with ideas to portray to others to make their lives "easier" is because in one of the spare rooms that you could say was his office, he typed away at an old typewrite that he used all throughout college. On that typewriter he was trying to come up with guidebooks. They would be designated for people who had to travel for business. Almost like what seemed to be a survival book for those people. Since Macon did all his work from home, we understand how he feels about travelling. Clearly he prefers to stay in the comfort of his own home. That is the first instance that begins to unfold the rest of the story. Once we as readers learn this about Macon, we learn more about what the rest of the book could have to offer. This foreshadowing by Tyler allows us to think about what is to come in the later stages of the story.
Chapter 2
ReplyDeletePage 9
"He careened... the cover."
This selection is very interesting. It is interesting simply in the way it is written and the way it may be perceived by the readers. The author is describing Macon's guidebooks and what they look like and some of the different ones he has written. The things that Macon writes about too, it just seems a little odd. It doesn't seem like what he puts in these books are things that would really happen. He makes it seem like he is writing about a dream. Like everything in the book is something he thought up in his head. That is the significant part though. Tyler is making it seem like this is all some fantasy that may or may not have occurred. Maybe she is leaving that up to the reader to determine. Then there is the chair this is on the cover of the books. The fact that there are wings on the chair makes it seem like you would float off into whatever city Macon decided to write about, But you would not actually go there, you would just picture and imagine it all. You see, wings remind people of flying and floating. When you dream or imagine something you float off into your own little world for a little while and you forget anything else exists. So the cover of this book makes it seem like whatever takes place in the book, doesn't actually happen.
Chapter 2
ReplyDeletePage 10
"Their concern...terse paragraphs."
In these lines, if you see what Macon is talking about it is easy to understand why it seems like none of this is real. He talks about things that would never matter to someone who was actually doing business in one of these cities. Like is there a McDonald's in Amsterdam or is there a Taco Bell in Mexico City, or does a place in Rome serve Chef Boyardee ravioli. These are all things that would never seriously be thought about by someone on a business trip. That right there could lead the reader to believe that it is all a fantasy. What really sells this idea is the next few lines. How Macon loves to write, and how there is a virtuous delight in organizing a disorganized country. Taking away anything that was not necessary and just writing about what remained. There is irony and significance there as well. Up to this point, all the reader reads is how Macon has a system for everything he does and it is all orderly. Well he likes to organize something that is not organized. It doesn't make much sense. Then he talks about taking away all that was not necessary and just discussing what was left. If he was taking away all the unnecessary things in these cities that he would write about, then it doesn't make too much sense for him to be concerned about Amsterdam having a McDonald's or not. So everything seems a little sketchy here and it seems like Tyler is leaving it up to the reader to figure out themselves.
Chapter 2
ReplyDeletePage 12-13
"Macon wondered... of malnutrition?"
In this passage, Macon is contemplating a few things. He wonders if Sarah is feeling the same way he is. He also wonders if he will get passed this. Then he tells himself that he is fine and he can handle it. It is pretty obvious though that it is tearing him apart. The reader realizes it but he has yet to do so. It seems almost impossible for him to not realize how much it is killing him considering how dramatically his appearance and appetite has changed because of all of this. He looks like he has aged a lot, he has lost weight, he hasn't been eating properly. It is becoming a serious issue. Macon could be in denial. He says he is okay but then he goes right back to doing the things that are breaking him apart. That is the significance and almost irony in the situation. The reader sees how much he has changed since Sarah left, yet he will not admit it. Half the battle is admitting something is wrong. Macon needs to realize something is wrong before this really goes down hill. His health is being jeopardized and that is a road he cannot afford to go down.
I
ReplyDeleteChapter 1 “They were . . . every day.”
At the opening of the novel the reader can easily, and almost immediately, sense that something is awry. It is mentioned that Macon and his wife, Sarah, have been vacationing at the beach. However, they both loose interest and decide to leave. This shows that an underlying issue is yet to be revealed, yet its presence is foreshadowed. Also, the description of these two characters positions each at opposite sides of the spectrum. It is included, “They might have been returning from two entirely different trips.” This tells the reader all they need to know on their relationship and the current state of their marriage. It is actually surprising that they are married when they are first introduced. They are completely different and seem (and yes, Jane Austen’s favorite word) most disagreeable with each other. This opening leads perfectly into the upcoming divorce between them, making it not much of a surprise.
Key Passage #1
ReplyDelete"Now that...in life."- Sarah, Chapter 1
The author brings up death as a main theme and a powerful force right away. This passage is Sarah remembering her words from a couple of days ago. Both Sarah and Macon are greatly affected by Ethan's death to the point where Sarah wonders if there is any point in life without Ethan. It's made obvious that Ethan's death had a traumatizing effect on Sarah and it's taking a toll on their marriage. Death is making Sarah question her marriage with Macon due to the fact that Macon shows no care towards Ethan's death. Ethan's death devastated the lives of this couple. When Sarah stated those words, Macon responded with, "to tell...begin with," a philosophical yet pessimistic response to the situation. Death has eliminated Macon's hope in life. One thing that caught my attention in this scene was the rather symbolic weather. The day is described as gloomy, rainy and sad. This really sets the scene for reminiscing the death of their son. Moreover, Macon is now faced with the possibility of losing his wife. Macon is made out to be someone who will have to overcome a lot of heartache. Right off the bat, death imposes its impact on the lives of this marriage couple. Death seems to be the main theme of the novel so far.
Key Passage #1
ReplyDeleteChapter 2: p. 6-8, “After his wife…her mouth.”
In this chapter, the protagonist of the story, Macon Leary, is introduced and developed. Although Macon seems to be indifferent to life and everyone in it, his thoughts are preoccupied with his wife, Sarah, which indicates that he does in fact miss her after she left him. Macon feels crowded in his own house, even though he is the only one in it, and observes that “there was something insistent about the furniture, as if it were pressing in on him.” He may feel this way because he is left to his own thoughts which could be, in a sense, suffocating him. He no longer has his wife to talk to, or rather to not talk to. It is ironic that he should miss Sarah when he was not that attentive to her when she was with him. Macon never enjoyed her lack of organization and messiness, but now that she is gone, he finds himself missing the things about her that he had previously disliked. It is revealed that his son was killed and his old room in the house was “neatly made up, as sleek as a room in a Holiday Inn.” Hotel rooms are impersonal and lack character. It seems a bit peculiar that their son’s room would be like this. After a child’s death, a parent may want to preserve as many belongings of their child as possible in order to remember him by, but it seems that Macon and Sarah have instead decided to keep his room like any other room would be kept. Perhaps they would rather not be reminded of their son as it brings them too much grief. Also revealed is Macon’s obsession with order and systems. He needs everything to be organized and accomplished in a methodical way. This could be a coping mechanism for his son’s death, but it seems like this unusual behavior is ingrained in him and occurred even before his child’s death. Macon dislikes change and feels that by altering his shower schedule, switching them from morning to night, he is making a drastic adjustment in his life. Sarah disapproved of his daily procedures that helped him to get through the day and often found them ridiculous, which may have contributed to her motivation for leaving him.
pg. 1 “Macon wore... of everyday.”
ReplyDeleteIn this passage Macon and Sarah are returning from their recent, albeit suddenly-ended, vacation at the beach. The use of their descriptions shows an immediate rift between a couple that had been married for several years. Macon's formal travel suit shows that he is clean cut, and though he is on vacation he sees it as no excuse to be dressed up. Sarah, on the other hand, is in a sundress, this shows she had enjoyed her vacation and saw it as a full break from the real world, she saw no need to dress up like her husband had to simply travel home on account of the fact that she is on vacation. Macon's lack of tan shows he did not spend his time outdoors, rather staying inside, away from the sun. Sarah on the other hand is very tan and it's obvious she was outgoing and enjoyed her stay at the beach. These differences in appearance show immediate differences in these characters, making it obvious they see the world from two different perspectives. Macon is reserved and clean cut, Sarah is outgoing and eccentric. The fact they were ever married at all can be questioned right from the start because of these difference and how they bicker and such. The point of this passage is to immediately show difference in these characters, and essentially force to their ultimate splitting and divorce. It can also be important because it shows the stubbornness of Macon. He spent no time outdoors, and refused to dress down and relax which shows his stubbornness. It sets Macon up as a very stubborn man, who likes things the way they are and doesn't like to stray from the way he wants it
pg. 15-16 “Ethan went... about it.”
ReplyDeleteMacon recollects on the story of his sons murder. The way he goes about remembering the scene, is odd. It appears as though an omniscient narrator recalls the night, yet it's the thoughts of Macon that are reflected in it. It's an interesting tool used by Anne Tyler. Rather than the typical omniscient narrator which knows the characters thoughts, in this case it seems to switch back and forth. The narrator sets the scene and Macon interjects with his thoughts of the event play by play. This passage shows Macon's instability as well. He is unable to set the blame to one place, but he wants someone to be blamed, yet it can never be himself for not stopping Ethan from attending camp. It's always someone else, or something else that led to the death of his beloved son. Macon is unstable, he's worrisome, he suppresses his thoughts and forces himself not think about it because he'll get worked up about it. These actions are unhealthy, by suppressing these thoughts he's driving himself more mad. This suppression also gives more light to the reason as to why Macon lives his life so planned out and pattern-like. By doing so, he knows how everything must happen and if anything doesn't happen that way he knows he can never be to blame. I believe this is because he knows that the death of his son was because he let him go to camp, but he can't admit it to himself. He knows he's partially the reason for the death of his son, but because he's so unstable he can't admit this to himself and just move on with life and remember his son for the short time that he had him. By telling the reader of the night of Ethan's murder and Macon's way of reacting to this memory, it further moves Macon's character arc and simply gives more light as to why he lives his life the way that he does.
Pg. 41 “So anyway... than that.”
ReplyDeleteAs Macon returns from his recent travels, his boss calls to check in on him and ask about the next installment of Macon's “Accidental Tourist” series. There is a sense of irony in this conversation between Macon and his boss, Julian Edge. Edge is implying that this kind of book is a cake-walk and that Macon should have it done in no time whatsoever. Macon responds by saying he isn't organized, which is quiet ironic considering the way he lives his life. He has everything planned out and lives the same day over and over again with the same routines. While it's ironic, when one thinks about it, it is true. It's almost as though Macon is aware that his mind is running a muck at the moment, though he tries to fool himself otherwise. He must be aware of his current state and knows he is in no shape to write another book about something he hates as much as travel. He must know that he can't organize a coherent thought with out it boiling down to some memory of Sarah or Ethan, which will get him no where in writing a book. His life is organized, but it isn't at the same time. It's interesting that Anne Tyler takes this approach, it's as though she using word play to kind of give multiple meaning to certain exchanges or inner monologues, something that is quite different from anything else. It's quite amazing, most of the time when one finds multiple possible meanings in text, they take the one that they feel is has the best chance at being correct. In this case, I'm comfortable sticking with these two possibilities, because I feel as though they both could be correct. It is ironic that Macon says he's not organized when his life is so well planned out on a day to day basis. And at the same time it's not ironic in the slightest because inside his head, there is no form of organization, he has a million thoughts flying at once and can't seem to organize them into making any sense without torturing himself into painful memories of his past that is all but obliterated.
Pg. 80 “Macon and... it closes”
ReplyDeleteMacon is recalling how he came to meet his boss Julian Edge. What is interesting about this passage is, it tells the story how Macon began writing for Julian. He took the job because it was there and just began writing, even though it seems as though he doesn't truly enjoy it. This opens up another question about Macon. Why does he write if he doesn't enjoy it? It seems as though Macon does many things he doesn't like, not because he has to, but because he doesn't strive for anything different. He may hate his job, and hate traveling, but he is comfortable for some reason. He is comfortable with his routine, he is comfortable with his job and he is comfortable settling for what he has. The fact that he does that seems odd, and all of these flashbacks show more of who Macon is as well give more possibilities as to why Sarah chose to leave him. Speaking of the flashbacks, Tyler's use of flashbacks to move character arcs is different and it works well, because it creates questions that the reader can ask that will eventually get answered, and she seems to use this tool often, because it's a way to move the plot, but also have the reader come to their own conclusions. With these flashbacks, she never forces any one answer on the reader, but rather has them play out in such a way that it can be seen in a few different lights and have many possible answers as to what the true conclusion is, it's up to what the reader can get from the passage.
pg. 122 “He wondered... him more.”
ReplyDeleteMacon and Sarah have met for dinner at a local restaurant. They are conversing about Macon's accident involving his dog Edward, and Macon explains to Sarah how Edward has not been himself recently. One can presume that in this conversation, Macon uses Edward to symbolize himself. His life has changed drastically in the last few months since the separation, and he truly isn't himself, he is out of his normal, safe-zone if you will. He's moved back home, he's doing more in a less planned way, he's kind of found a new lifestyle, yet he's not sure what to make of it, which is why he isn't himself as of recently. Like many other key passages, Anne Tyler's clever use of word play is yet again the reason this passage is important. This passage is important because Macon seems to be self-aware of the change in his life, but rather than be straight with his ex-wife, he explains where he is through what his dog has been through, but truthfully it's quite apparent that this is simply a reflection of himself. Edward has gone through these changes and isn't himself because he's had an accident, he's had to adjust and go through training, he's gone through abuse, and he doesn't really seem to have control of himself. It's no coincidence that Macon has gone through many similar things, he's been injured, he's adjusted to being alone, and his emotions and mind a kind of at a point where it's difficult for him to gather thoughts and be himself. This passage is yet another example of Tyler's clever use of words and how everything is structured to have multiple meanings to it.
pg. 122 “Oh, he'd... her out.”
ReplyDeleteMacon realizes that no matter how much he fights it, how much he tries to forget all he had with Sarah, all he had ever felt for her, she will always be there, she will always be important. He comes to realization she is in fact his best friend. This passage is important because it creates inner conflict with Macon. He wants to move on, he wants to end this part of his life and live out the rest of the days not having to worry about Sarah, not thinking about her, but he can't. He can't because deep down inside he knows she will always be a part of him, she will always be his best friend, and she'll always have a connection with him no one else ever will. It's an important passage because Macon is fighting with himself to move on, but he really isn't ready to, nor does he want. He has an important internal struggle that will move the story forward and draw the question of whether or not Macon should erase Sarah from memory and just move on with his life. This passage moves his character arc forward and opens another struggle, this time internal.
pg. 168 “We talk... him behind.”
ReplyDeleteSusan and Macon speak of what Susan thinks Ethan would have been like had he still been around, what he would have thought about who everyone turned into. She thinks about how they always made fun of adults, yet now she was grown and how she worries of Ethan. This passage is meant to be another direct correlation to Macon. For years Macon had been away from his family, though in contact he would seldom see them, that meant he didn't see them grow, he didn't see who everyone was turning into. Yet, every time Macon saw his family they'd get older, right in front of his eyes, they'd change. Susan worries about what Ethan would think, but no one worries what Macon thinks, this is really the first time he's spending prolonged amounts of time with his family since he left them. Susan's worry's of Ethan can also be worries for Macon. Throughout the book it seems as though many of the situations involving Ethan, can involve Macon, it's as though they are one in the same. It's like Macon is living on with Ethan as a part of him, as he should be because he was his father, but it seems like many memories of Ethan, or thoughts of who he became can relate to Macon and who he is since Sarah left him.
pg. 130 “once when...go on.”
ReplyDeleteMacon recalls a time when Ethan had ran into traffic to retrieve a ball. His worry for the safety of Ethan immediately turned into a situation without Ethan, Macon readied himself in that instant for a world without him. This shows why Macon reacted the way he did when Ethan was killed. Why he simply cleaned the home of Ethan, why he dealt with it much better than his ex-wife had. He was prepared, he had felt that feeling once before and immediately imagined what life would be like and he had done it again when the time to do so actually came. This passage reveals Macon's tendency to prepare for the worst. In that story he recalls, rather than pray for the best, hope his son is smart enough to jump out of harm's way and be unscathed, Macon just prepares for Ethan's death, in and instant he gets into a mindset where he has to live without Ethan, because he prepares for the worst. He is pessimistic in nature and knows it, so rather than try to change that he continues to hope for the worst and just go on living like this. Though Sarah claims that the breaking point of their marriage was Ethan's death, I believe otherwise. I believe this tendency Macon has was stressful to Sarah, someone who is compassionate and caring and would never imagine something as terrible as her own son's death. She was the complete opposite of her husband, and this caused a rift, that when the worst did happen, she just couldn't handle, she couldn't handle because she had never prepared herself. This passage not only reveals Macon's pessimistic nature, but implies that Sarah couldn't handle the fact that her ex-husband was prepared for a situation where their son had passed, she didn't want to imagine it and the fact that Macon could scared her.
pg. 232-234 “I'm sorry... wind blow.”
ReplyDeleteMacon is seated next to a man named Lucas Loomis. This man seems to be self conscious of his size and is quite uncomfortable traveling, much like Macon. As it turns out Loomis is a fan of Macon's book “The Accidental Tourist” and just so happens to follow it quite religiously. This passage is ironic though, one who follows the guidelines of Macon's book tends not to be very outgoing and doesn't really interact with others while on business, rather they go on their trip with the intent of feeling like they never left home. The irony is the conversation that Macon and Loomis have, they speak of destinations they've been to and how “nice” they are. Specifically San Francisco, they both chat about how nice it is there and how “beautiful” it is. Neither of them should know this because while they are on business in a place like this, the goal is to just do their work and not site-see, yet their light conversation continues. Something else to note is how Macon is unsure of how he likes San Francisco. One could conclude that this may because he doesn't dislike it as much as he should being that he hates travel. It's possible that the drastic change in Macon's life recently has made him enjoy time away from Baltimore a little more than before, his lack of opinion on San Francisco can be seen as a change in who he is. Months ago he would have just said he dislike it and would never leave Baltimore, and that would be that, but he won't say that now, he won't say anything about it. Instead he just recalls the beauty of the views there, and how they were truly breathtaking. This opinion contradicts his normal opinions on places he travels. One can assume Tyler put this conversation at the beginning of the chapter to begin to show a change in Macon's personality, that he isn't the man he used to be.
pg.129 “She chose... get out.”
ReplyDeleteSarah expresses her grievances about how Macon simply erased Ethan from their life. She explains how Ethan's death made her realize she needed to leave. This passage is meant to symbolize the rift between Sarah and Macon, Ethan is that rift. How these two each dealt with his death reflects their personality. Macon wanted to move on as quickly as possible and not have things lying around to remind him of what he lost, so he got rid of everything. This was something that Sarah didn't want, she wanted to grieve, she wanted to have these things lying around to remind her of her son, and how great he was. Macon seems to suppress his emotions, he just goes through the motions and does whatever he has to do to get through the day, or the flight or the business trip. Sarah, on the other hand, is eccentric and emotional and has no problem expressing how she feels. This rift in personality caused problems and Ethan's death was a catalyst for it. One could say that their relationship was a “stay together for the kid” situation and the way they argue here, the way Sarah explains everything she felt about how Macon handled his son's death only further helps prove the possibility of this. It shows that there was no love, if there was they would have gotten through it together, but rather they each took their own approach and when they tried to handle it together, these different paths of grief had already gotten too much in the way and ultimately led to their separation. This passage further separates Sarah from Macon.
Chapter 1, Page 4-5, “You just go…far above them.”
ReplyDeleteHere we are introduced to Macon and Sarah who were supposed to stay at the beach for a week but decided to end their vacation early and come back home. From the beginning of the book the reader is introduced to the differences between this wife and husband. Sarah is introduced as a tan curly haired woman who wears dresses and looks nice for the beach while Macon described as tall and pale with straight hair who stays away from the sun. As they head home it starts raining eventually coming down hard enough that it becomes harder to see out the windshield which provokes an argument between the two and focuses the reader’s attention at the differences between the two. This heavy rain worries Sarah causing her to want to pull over, but Macon wants to keep going despite the risk which causes Sarah to bring up the issue of comfort. Sarah wants to feel comforted by Macon and she wants to feel safe with him but she feels he is not putting in any effort. Sarah wants this comfort because of the rough year they have had after the death of their son Ethan. After the death of their child they both questioned whether there was a point in life and their relationship grew further apart to the point where this rainstorm was the final component to ending their marriage. Macon still refused to pullover and Sarah announced she wanted a divorce. These differences in personality where heightened and proved fatal in their relationship after the death of Ethan. In order for the marriage to work Macon would have to change, but this was very unlikely as pointed out by Sarah who lets him keep the house since he hated change so much.
Chapter 2, Page 16, “When Ethan was…of his feet…”
ReplyDeleteEthan’s birth caused Macon and Sara’s differences to stand out more and his upbringing further proved their differences. Sarah wanted to bring up Ethan in a relaxed manner with not much stress while Macon tried to make Ethan the best he could be by trying to train him in sports at the age of six and making sure he was caught up on daily life so he would be ahead of other children. Macon did not want Ethan to be one of those kids who gets picked last. Macon wanted Ethan to be brought up strong and disciplined. Ethan was sent to summer camp at an age older than most boys who go because Macon did not want to send Ethan by his own because he felt there was no point in having a child and then shipping him of to camp. When Ethan was murdered after sneaking out of the camp, Sarah and Macon’s marriage suffered. Macon even questions and theorizes who is to blame for Ethan’s death. He could blame Sarah for letting Ethan go, he could blame himself for not fighting the decision, and he could even blame Ethan for sneaking out. Macon was against sending Ethan to camp and the fact that he died while away at camp really hurt the marriage. The differences in personality between Macon and Sarah were able to be handled at first, but when Ethan came along the differences came against each other in raising him and when his death occurred, they began to realize they were two completely different people who weren’t suitable for each other.
Chapter 4, Page 55, “Not the dog…her his name.”
ReplyDeleteMacon has been living by himself for some time now. He is divorced and living with his cat Helen and dog Edward trying to get by alone dealing with the stress of the divorce and the death of his son Ethan. Macon believes he is fine and that he can easily get through the hard times. With his system of organization and energy conservation he feels life alone will actually be sort of nice. This thought is seen to start to crumble as Macon becomes sadder and when he snaps at the grocery delivery woman on the phone. When the woman asks him a simple question, Macon snaps at her and even curses at her and then begins to tell her that he is all alone. He expresses how everyone has left him and even asks if we was actually that bad that everyone decided to leave him. We can see that Macon is losing it and realizing that life alone is not as easy as he thought. This new life by himself is actually hurting Macon. Macon believed at first that he would be fine alone but he has finally come to terms with the fact that he does not want this type of life. The life of loneliness saddens him and makes him realize the type of introverted and strict type of person he is and that he could have in fact been the reason Sarah left and why he is alone. From this point it could cause Macon to realize that he must change his attitude in order to overcome this loneliness and have companions that are not animals.
Chapter 6, Page 91, “Can you explain…was, Oh Edward...”
ReplyDeleteEdward’s behavior over the past weeks has been getting worse. He has barked at people, he tore the screen door trying to get an elderly man, and he even caused Rose to fall and scrape her knee. All of Macon’s siblings are trying to get Macon to do something about Edward’s behavior, but Macon just puts it off and lets the behavior slide. This lack of punishment on Edward by Macon is a result of Ethan’s death. Edward was Ethan’s dog and those two were best friends always playing together and being alongside one another. This strong connection between the two is why Macon is not quick to correct the behavior. Macon feels he needs to protect Edward from everyone and their criticisms. Edward’s behavior reminds Macon of Ethan and brings him back to the times when he was happier and when his son was still alive. He puts off calling the Meow-Bow because he does not want to change Edward. By changing Edward, Macon feels he is losing a piece of the past where his son and dog were best friends. By now the reader knows Macon is not fond of change, especially if that change means altering the personality of his deceased sons best friend.
Chapter 8, Page 137, “He looked down…to help him.”
ReplyDeleteIn this scene we see Macon in a defeated manner. He and Sarah met for dinner and she told him news that crushed his hopes and completely changed him and hurt his spirit. Although Macon and Sarah were separated, Macon had high expectations that they would get passed this rough patch and eventually move back in together and start over stronger than ever. This dinner was supposed to be about their future together, but instead in turned into a debate. Macon still does not see the faults in his personality. He continues to be more of a lone man who wants things done his way. He even corrects Sarah’s grammar as she tries to explain why she wants to start a life without him. Macon wants Sarah to be happy with him but he still does not understand himself and why it is that he causes Sarah to distance herself. Hearing Sarah say she wants a divorce and his hopes being crushed immediately changes something within Macon. When he is given the elderly woman’s crutches instead of his own, he does not even notice. The regular Macon would have seen the difference and would have been complaining to the manager. This realization that because of his character his wife is divorcing him might actually cause him to change his outlook on life and act better. This changing moment could even open him up in order to start a potential relationship with Muriel who he is reluctant to open up to.
Chapter 10, Pages 180-181, “I’ve never been…the door intently.”
ReplyDeleteThis scene shows two important events happening in Macon’s life. Macon is someone who likes to be organized and proper and he usually corrects people on their grammar and the correct use of words. This is one of the aspects of Macon’s characters that led Sarah to file for a divorce. The need for Macon to correct people on their speech would annoy most and attract dirty looks, but when he corrects Muriel, she just keeps on talking and agrees with him. Muriel does not care that he corrected her. She just cares that she has someone to talk to who could potentially be a male role-model to her son Alexander. Macon has found someone who does not mind his sometimes arrogant character which is huge since that very thing is what played a major role in his divorce. Macon has also put his trust in Muriel by accepting her help in training Edward. This indicates a major change in Macon’s attitude from before where he did not want Edward to change and lose that connection to Ethan and it shows that he now accepts Muriel’s help. Before he thought her methods of training were cruel and he did not feel Edward deserve it, but he is now learning to accept the change in order to help himself and Edward. Macon is starting to open up and let people in his life again even to the point where he accepts, reluctantly, to have dinner with Muriel and Alexander.
Chapter 11, Pages 189-190, “I lost my…related to me.”
ReplyDeleteAs soon as Macon begins to open up, he once again begins to close himself off from others. Macon decides to drop off the letter he wrote, telling Muriel he could not make it to dinner, over at her house when he is seen by her. Here, Macon finally admits to Muriel why he cannot have dinner with her and why he is so shut out from society. Macon finally admits that Ethan’s death has caused him so much pain. It has caused him so much pain, especially in the second year after Ethan’s death and it has caused him to lose friends and look at everyone as foolish and trivial. This is the first time Macon has opened up and expressed that Ethan’s death has had this effect on him. He never opened up with Sarah, instead he just suppressed his feelings and tried giving Ethan’s things away and acting as if he was alright. Making is starting to move on with his life by opening up and the fact that he opens up to Muriel shows that she is becoming special to him. The fact that he did not even open up to Sarah, even though he wanted to get back together with her, shows how special Muriel is. Later when Muriel takes Macon to her bed and lays with him it shows that Macon is comfortable with her. Around Muriel Macon learns to express his pain and worries which is something few have seen from him.
Chapter 14, Pages 235-239, “What are you…down to it.”
ReplyDeleteWe can see now that Macon has a new view on life and has moved on from the past. Macon and Charles go over to Macon’s house to investigate the water in the living room and find that a pipe has broken causing the ceiling to break and sending water and plaster all over the place damaging everything. Charles is very worried and asks Macon what he is going to do and Macon nonchalantly responds he will turn off the water valve and they will leave, causing Charles to react in a puzzled matter. Here it is seen that Macon does not really care what happens to his old house. That house holds some painful memories and now he is ready to let go of that hard past and move on. He basically lives with Muriel at her place and his very happy there, even taking Eduard with him to live there. Charles then begins to explain to Macon that he and his siblings are wary of Muriel and that she might be using him to support herself and Alexander. Macon becomes clearly upset and defensive at this. Macon defends her after every insult Charles says about her and then says that he has felt more himself with her than he has been in a long time. After years of putting on acts and feeling down Macon finally admits to himself and to his brother that he is happy and that being in that shabby little apartment makes him feel good. He even goes as far as saying that somebody should protect Muriel from himself when Charles asks Macon to list one unique quality about her. He feels that she is very unique and true and that if anybody needs protection from the other in the relationship it is her. Macon has found someone he truly cares for and someone that can make him feel calm about the past.
Chapter 15, Page 246, “Just as he…before, of course.”
ReplyDeleteIn this scene we once again see another major change and character development in Macon. As Macon walks Edward down the street he notices Alexander up ahead and sees that he is crying as other children tease him. Macon then runs up to him, comforts him and grabs his hand. At that moment Macon made the type of connection he had to Ethan with Alexander. A new fatherly bond was formed and Macon now had a new responsibility to care for Alexander. This new outlook Macon has goes completely against what Macon felt about Alexander before. In chapter fourteen Macon felt he had a link to Alexander, but it was not a father-son link. It was explained that at that point he could easily still give up on Alexander without feeling bad for him. He felt no responsibility for him and he was glad that he could easily make Alexander’s problems someone else’s. When Alexander tightened his grip on Macon’s hand, Macon got that happy but sorrowful feeling that responsibility can bring. He even gets that feeling that he can never be completely happy, which is the same feeling he got when Ethan was born. Macon has grown to the point where Ethan’s death is not holding him back and he even begins to have a sort of love for this new fragile child that needs a father figure to love him and help him grow up.
Chapter 18, Pages 284-288, “His seatmate on…Mrs. Bunn after all.”
ReplyDeleteMacon is not a big fan of travel even though his job is to travel and review places for businessmen. One of the parts he dislikes most is getting to the destination and dealing with the people travelling with him and sitting next to him whether it’s on a flight or train. Macon keeps to himself during the travel part of his job and to do this he always carries around a copy of Miss MacIntosh to pull out to look at to make it seem like he is deep into the story so no one will bother or talk to him. In the beginning we see this type of attitude in Macon where he keeps to himself and is annoyed when passengers talk to him. As time progresses though and Macon starts to get closer to Muriel we can see his change. When he is in New York and the taxi driver begins talking to him he seems a bit annoyed but he eventually talks to the driver and even offers some advice on how to deal with his daughter and her ear piercing wishes. When Macon is on the plane from San Francisco to Baltimore he and his seatmate Lucas Loomis have a conversation that gets personal and Macon seems to sort of enjoy it. Finally it comes to this point where Macon is on the plane with seatmate Mrs. Daniel Bunn who is terrified of flying. Here, Macon initiates the conversation by checking on her a trying to comfort her. He even offers her his late night sherry and then buys her some and even holds her through the turbulence to comfort her. During the whole ordeal Macon feels as if he is lying to Mrs. Bunn. He feels like he is putting on an act as a tolerable and helpful person in order to comfort her. However once they land, Macon notices the grin on his face and realizes he was not lying to Mrs. Bunn. He was happy to converse with her and help her through her fear of flying. He had a good time helping her and he has turned into a tolerable, helpful, and nice person. This new Macon Leary is a completely different person from the Macon Leary that was introduced in the beginning who was grumpy, introverted, and even a little bit intolerable at times. This event shows that there is a new Macon with a new view on life.
"I don't know if you... your loss alone."
ReplyDeleteMacon and Sarah are driving home from the beach, and Sarah is trying to discuss with him their feelings about the death of their son, Ethan. It seems as though Macon has no emotion about the situation, which is bothering Sarah immensely. This passage is important because it shows how Macon lets himself be separated from the rest of the world. He tries not to let his emotions overcome him, even when his son is dead. It is almost like he is protecting himself from something. This is shown when Sarah tells Macon, "You're not a comfort. You just go on your same old way like before. Your little routines and rituals, depressing habits, day after day. No comfort at all." Sarah believes that he does not care at all about their family's situation. He does not show his feelings the way a typical person might do so. It is slightly evident that he might care in his own way when he tells Sarah, "Shouldn't I need comfort too? You're not the only one."
II
ReplyDeleteChapter 3 “‘Macon, do you . . . room rug.”
Sometime after Macon and Sarah spilt, he stayed at their house they once shared while she moved to an apartment elsewhere. This scene transpires when they are speaking with one another over the phone. It is here that Sarah goes on a rant, revealing all the information of Ethan’s death from her perspective as a mother. The reader feels as heartbroken as her while she spills her guts to the man she once shared her life with. Her statements dig deep into the core of her post-Ethan’s death psychosis. What was once bottled up inside reached its point of containment. Macon takes care to disagree with Sarah, making their vast differences even more vast. The way they dealt with Ethan’s murder, for example, is completely opposite. Sarah imagines taking revenge while Macon shuts the entire incident out. She mocks him for it, accusing him of not caring, while in actuality it is just his method to suppressing his grief.
"Everybody knows... oven and hung up."
ReplyDeleteMacon is on the phone with his sister, Rose, who has just heard that he and Sarah had separated. This passage is important because it shows that the Leary siblings are exactly like Macon; living life through systems, and alphabetizing everything in the kitchen. Porter, their brother, even alphabetized the grocery lists which his ex wife could not understand. All of the Learys' marriages had failed, because of how strange they were. Another example of how they are strange is that Rose had invited the ex-wife of their older brother, Charles for Christmas dinner. It is almost as though they cannot move on from the past, and they do not want to interact with anyone else. Like macon, the Learys are isolated from the rest of the world. their odd behavior hints that their may be something that had happened in their past. Something had to cause them to be so particular about the smallest things in life.
"Oh I've Erred... people he started out with."
ReplyDeleteMacon has just broken his leg and is currently living with with his sister and brothers. This passage is important because it shows Rose's role in the family. She is the caretaker of her brothers, it seems. She makes sure the house is clean, cooks the meals, and she is the one who helps Macon with his leg. This is also rather sad, because after reading, we know that Macon really did not have anyone else to call that he preferred. This emphasizes just how secluded from the world he is. He does not really know many people, aside from his family and his boss. In the end, it said that maybe he had subconsciously planned his injury so he could go back to his family. In other words, he is back in his comfort zone, since his wife has left him.
"She was always taking up... Approved of them at once."
ReplyDeleteMacon is thinking back to his childhood, especially the time when he and his siblings lived with their eccentric mother, Alicia. This passage is significant because it explains why they live their lives overly organized. Their mother was always ready for change. She always had a new boyfriend, was working for a different cause and taking it too far. She even had pulled them out of regular school and ennroled them in a school where no one wore clothes. She was an embarrassment to her children, which was why they automatically approved of their stern grandparents. Later, put everything in a system, and make routines for the smallest things in life to seek some sanity. Particularly, they were seeking the sanity they never seemed to have in their childhood.
"When I was a little girl... unruly as ever."
ReplyDeleteThis passage has a better introduction of the personality of Muriel Pritchett, the woman who had been at the animal hospital where Macon had boarded his dog. Her personality is very unpredictable. One minute she is no-nonsense with the dog, and very businesslike. TTTThen, she is telling Macon about her life. She is doing a job that does not require fassionible looks, and always talks about how she changed from a film-quality child to a woman with frizzy hair and dirt-brown eyes. Then she fusses over breaking another nail. This is just the start to the unpredictable personality that Macon will eventually experience with Muriel. It goes completely against the way Macon lives his own life, with everything set in a routine, and no change what so ever.
"Early Wednesday morning... stay fixed here?"
ReplyDeleteMacon is dreaming about his long-dead grandfather, making a point that he had lost the center of his life. He also asks Macon how long he would be "fixed" in this house. It is possible that Macon might be thinking about both his future and his past. Sarah is the most significant representation of Macon's past. He still cannot get over the fact that Sarah left him, no matter what he does to try forgetting about his emotion. When he sees Ethan to the left of his grandfather, We see that he understandably still is suffering from grief deep down for the loss of his son. When Grandfather Leary tells Macon, "Sarah was the best of all of us," it is just a way of Macon wondering whatever happened between him and her. When he asks Macon, "You want to sit in this old house and rot, boy? It's time we start digging out," it is a sort of message, telling Macon that he needs to eventually just move on. He has to leave the comfort zone, and start over.
"I don't understand you... Rose lowered her eyes."
ReplyDeleteIt is evident that Macon has been spending a lot of his time with Muriel Pritchett, and Rose is commenting about his sudden unpredictable behavior. This passage is important because it is possible that Muriel may be having a large influence on Macon. Ever since he started visiting her home, he seemed to develop an "anything goes" attitude. This is clear when he tells Rose, "Time creeps up on me. You know how it is. I mean I don't intend to go out at all, to begin with, but then I think, 'Oh, maybe for a little while,' and next thing I know it's so late, much too late to be driving, and I think to myself, 'Well ...' "
." That is something that he would never say before. He would create a system based on eat time he would be visiting Muriel's house, when he will call Rose to tell her whether he will be there for dinner, and when he will return home. Even his siblings know this, since they seem to "Come out of the woodwork" when Muriel is training Macon's dog. He is slowly changing into a different person.
"Her face lunged towards him... after all."
ReplyDeleteMacon is making one of his trips and he is surprisingly engaging in conversation with the woman sitting next to him. This passage is important because it shows that Macon is really changing. He used to be very anti-social, trying to avoid any sort of conversation with a fellow passenger. Now, he is talking to this older woman, trying to help her cope with her fright while the plane is moving. He even offers her some sherry that he {{?}}^have in a travel flask. He in also very tolerant with her, and patient. When the plane landed, Macon was bombarded by small children banging into him. He did not seem to care about this either. In the past, he would be dismissive towards the woman sitting next to him and take out "Miss MacEntosh," the book he also: brings with him. Also, he would not have been wearing that grin he saw on his face when looking in the mirror.
"They were not the usual... Muriel had said."
ReplyDeleteMacon has just moved back with Sarah after the spat he had with Muriel. It seems as though he still does not know what to do with his life, and what he really wants. He is still caught between Sarah, the woman of his past, her familiar ways, and unpredictable Muriel, who he seems to miss from time to time. He even misses how she mispronounces the phrase, "et cetera," for instance. It also seems as though Sarah does not understand Macon as much as Muriel does. The way they interact is different. Sarah does most of the talking, while Macon is just passive. I is also odd how Sarah suddenly wants to get back together with Macon after she finds out that he is with Muriel. It also seems like the both of them want to just return!o the past and go back to how it used to be.
"Finally he opened... they asked...”
ReplyDeleteMacon is dreaming about being at a witness stand in a court, as a suspect to the killing of someone. This dream can be connected to the death of Ethan and the death of Dominic Sadler, the boy Muriel knew who had died while using her car. They had both been so sudden and unexpected. With Ethan’s death, Macon had tried his best to take all thoughts of him and his out of his mind, hense him saying in the dream, “I put it all out of my mind. I worked to put it out.” Not knowing anything about the crime can also connect to Dominic’s death. He had not known anything about what was going on in Muriel’s neighborhood, until he made the phone call to her, and she had given him the news. It had taken Macon by surprise when he heard it, and he seemed to regret being indifferent to everything that was going on. He was so far into his past life, that he did not put much thought into the life that he recently left behind. It is possible that the dream may represent him wishing he could have done something to prevent all this from happening, along with guilt that he had not been there.
Key Passage #2
ReplyDeleteChapter 5: p. 58-61, “Charles and Porter…guarded and suspicious.”
An individual who is so against change and disorder in their life most likely possesses a reason as to why they are the way they are. This is true for Macon and his siblings: Charles, Porter, and Rose. It turns out that it is not just Macon who is obsessed with his own daily systems, but is actually the entire Leary family. Macon and his siblings are so stuck in their ways that they seem to always be in their own little world, alienated from everybody else. The three brothers are all separated from their wives, which is a testament to how incompatible their habits are with others. Their upbringing by their mother, Alicia Leary, was what caused them to be so abhorrent to change, especially Macon. After their father died in the war, their mother was constantly meeting new men with whom she could have flings with. By doing so, she would disrupt her children’s lives with the continuous comings and goings of men and prevent them from living in the stable environment that is often necessary for a child to learn and grow. It is a rather selfish thing for Alicia to do, putting her own desires and wants ahead of her children’s. It seems like she would only pay attention to them when she wanted to and when that happened, they dreaded it. Instead of the mother taking care of the children, it was the opposite in the Leary household as the children were always “willing her to follow their example of steadiness and dependability.” They were forced to grow up far too fast as they were required to take care of not only themselves, but their erratic mother as well.
One cannot help but feel sorry for Macon and his siblings who were forced to move so often in one year that Macon had to think about how to walk home each day from school because he could not remember. In light of this upbringing, a certain sympathy can be directed towards Macon. He can hardly be blamed for his seemingly cold and introverted nature; it is just a result of such an unstable childhood. His need for organization may serve as a mechanism for him to deal with the disorder of his life. His mother “believed in change as if it were a religion,” and after witnessing the kind of unreliable and volatile lifestyle that such a mentality could bring, naturally Macon would grow up to become opposed to it. When Alicia decided to send off her children to live with their conservative grandparents, not one of them uttered a single protest which conveys the type of mother she was. The portrait of the Leary siblings that their grandfather commissioned shows 7just how different they are from their mother. It seems that their unhappiness as children had a physical affect on them and instead of having their mother’s vibrant blue and blonde coloring, they were ashy and gray. Perhaps the author included such an extensive portrayal of Alicia Leary in order to allow readers to understand why Macon is the way he is and possibly empathize with him and not judge him too harshly for his aloofness.
Key Passage #3
ReplyDeleteChapter 6: p. 86-87, “On Sunday…a person.”
One of the only environments that Macon is ever truly comfortable in is at his grandparent’s old home with his siblings. This may be because they are able to understand him and his habits in a way that no one else can. They seem to suffer from a similar affliction, especially Rose who possesses her own systems and desire for perfection. As previously stated in chapter five, she “painstakingly planned the menus, how often she reorganized the utensil drawer…” and so on and so forth. Rose methodically runs the household just as Macon carefully performs his daily activities. Despite their frequent arguing of seemingly trivial things, like what to have for Thanksgiving dinner, the Leary siblings are close. Though, it is a bit strange that four adult siblings are living together. It shows that the Leary’s are relatively unsuccessful functioning outside their own little family unit. Macon, Charles, and Porter all failed at their marriages and Rose never married, is unemployed, and is supported financially by her brothers. It is probably no coincidence that all of the Leary children should be so unsuccessful at life. This is likely a result of their upbringing by an unstable mother. Macon is able to find comfort in the little daily rituals and traditions with his siblings, such as playing their self-made card game that only they know how to play. Although, as comfortable as he is with this family, he still does not like them feeling pity for him. For example, when Edward the dog is acting out uncontrollably and Macon refuses to have him trained or sent away, the Leary siblings are at first frustrated but then develop more of a resigned attitude. Rose “looked at him [Macon] the way she would look at, say, some hopeless wreck of a man wandering drugged on a downtown street.” Macon does not seem to want to evoke any type of pity in people and is disturbed about how Rose feels that he is beyond saving. Maybe the reason why he ends up calling Muriel for the training that he had so persistently objected to was to prove that he is capable of changing his mind.
Key Passage #4
ReplyDeleteChapter 7: p. 96-98, “When I was…to the house.”
Macon focuses a great deal of his energy trying to avoid any human interaction. Although he is lonely, he is always claiming that he likes to be by himself, cut off from the rest of the world. It seems that Muriel Pritchett is just the opposite. She is lively, loquacious, and seems to crave communication with others. It is important to note that the conversations between Macon and Muriel are rather one-sided, with Muriel doing all of the talking and Macon only volunteering short, clipped responses. In one of their conversations, she spends a lengthy amount of time talking about her frizzy, unruly hair. This portrays her as a person who lacks depth, or someone who seems to be superficial in nature. Talking extensively about one’s hair is not a testament to their intelligence. The way she dresses in flashy and provocative clothing shows the world that she seeks attention, the very opposite of Macon attempting to stumble through life unnoticed. Although, Muriel’s seemingly vacant mind is deceptive and behind her loud personality, she possesses a sparkling intelligence and tenacity. Muriel admits to Macon that in high school she was a straight A student, much to his surprise. As if reading his mind, Muriel states that “You think I’m kind of like, not an intellect.” Based on the way she portrays herself, it is not unexpected that people would believe her to be lacking intelligence and Muriel understands this. She is used to always being thought of as nothing more than a pretty face, incapable of true intelligence. Even her own mother thought of her like this and always thought her sister was better and Muriel was “the bad one.” Macon may not realize it but he and Muriel are similar in this way. People automatically write Macon off as cold, insensitive and odd, when in reality, he is capable of intense emotions that he keeps carefully hidden away. Readers are able to realize this because the story is told from Macon’s point of view, but it is more difficult to ascertain that Muriel also possesses a complex character that is concealed.
Key Passage #5
ReplyDeleteChapter 9: p. 137-139, “But immediately…either side.”
Similar to Elizabeth Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice,” Macon has a tendency to observe those around him. When he is on his way to New York City to update one of his guide books, he sits in the train and scrutinizes the fellow passengers. He notes details such as what they are wearing, how they are moving, and how they are interacting with others. He even invents explanations as to why certain people are traveling and tries to picture what their lives are like. Although, this studying of others has a detrimental effect on him and he develops a sense of melancholy that dampers his mood. He observes that even the people who are sitting alone, like himself, “gave the impression of belonging to someone.” Macon must recognize that he so unlike them, and this realization depresses him further. It is almost like Macon is peering through a window and observing the life all around him but choosing not to partake in it. He is like an alien observing another species, noting their ways and habits but never being able to perform them as they do. He just observes, never interacting and therefore never living. He is so opposed to communicating with strangers that he always brings a large book, “Miss Macintosh,” with him because he has noticed that people tend to leave you alone if you are reading something. Despite all his studying, he still cannot understand others. For example, he does not comprehend why everyone always seems to be in such a hurry, and he stands out as he “refused to be rushed and made his way methodically through the crowd.” Though it can also be argued that Macon consciously decides to be isolated and that he could probably be like everybody else if he simply tried to.
III
ReplyDeleteChapter 3 “By eight . . . was midnight.”
This excerpt has to do with perspective. American time, as is Macon’s wristwatch, says eight o’clock while in England it is considered to be midnight. Macon, being already adjusted to American time, follows that instead of readjusting himself to this foreign way of life. This is a basic theme in regards to change. Macon avoids any instance he must change his ways. However, he is willing to do so to better his way of living on the home front. But when abroad it is the guidelines of the accidental tourist series in full throttle (just no Cameron Diaz). Every action he takes is designed to avoid the seemingly inevitable change when traveling. As for perspective, it is all how a person sees and reacts to something. When Ethan died, Macon rearranged and ordered things to deal with his pain, while Sarah excepted his death but was emotionally destroyed in the process.
IV
ReplyDeleteChapter 4 “When the phone . . . hearts ‘sank’”
In this scene Macon is awakened by the ringing of his phone. Still partly in his dreaming state, he believes it is Ethan calling from camp. It’s as if the entirety of time between his murder and Macon’s present did not occur, or if it was just a long and dreadful nightmare. However, this shows, despite all Sarah’s accusations, that Macon does in fact care. He misses his son, yet he tries to hide it; from the world and from himself. Macon carries on each day in the same routine because he cannot move past the death of his son. This passage has the purpose of further enlightening the reader on Macon’s emotional state. He is disconnected with reality at this point, longing for his child to be returned to him. Despite all his methods to living and his need to avoid change, he is still human. This scene reinforces that notion because without it the reader would forget Macon’s reason for the way he lives.
Key passage #1
ReplyDelete"Honey, to tell...to begin with." Pg.3 (lines 19-20)
Within this passage, Macon and his wife, Sarah, are having a discussion about whether Macon truly cares about their safety during the rainstorm. Although it starts out just with Sarah's concern about the rain, it quickly changes to them talking about Ethan, their deceased son. This passage proves right from the start that Macon sees his life as meaningless. The death of Ethan impacted him so much, causing him to become the person he is today. Unfortunately, his new self is practically lifeless, because of the empty feeling he has within. He gives little emotion to the reader, causing them to be left guessing about his inner thoughts. Macon is battling an internal struggle which develops immediately, although it made not be clearly stated. Ethan meant everything to him and without him around he questions whether his whole life up until now was pointless. It appears that he doesn't want to express his love or comfort for others because the person he loved the most was already taken away from him. He doesn't see a reason that he should have to feel that way again, so instead he alters himself to feel nothing.
Key passage #2
ReplyDelete"And when I...every few seconds," Pg.91 (lines 2-4)
Throughout this passage, Muriel begins her first obedience lesson with Macon's dog Edward. In the previous chapters, Macon has struggled with keeping Edward calm around outsiders and even his own family. For Muriel, it seems as if there is no effort behind her training. One may believe that Edward's behavior can be seen as a symbol of Macon's life. Because of how crazy Macon's life has recently been, he struggles with keeping his inner self calm. Although he doesn't necessarily show his true feelings through himself, they can seen as being expressed through Edward. This assumption may be the reason that Macon is having such a difficult time maintaining Edward's behavior. It proves that he has no control how he he is feeling inside. When Muriel comes to help she brings along a sense of sanity. Being that it is strangely easy for her to keep Edward in line, allows the reader to foreshadow that Muriel will be able to help Macon regain some of the sanity in his life.
Key Passage #3
ReplyDelete"She pressed her...talk about him." Pg.167 (lines 14-17)
Within this passage Macon went to a bunch of different hotels and restaurants like he usually does, but this time, he brought along his niece Susan. Susan is around the same age that Ethan would be and Macon is speaking to her easily. Previously he has been isolating himself when it came to having conversations with others, but he seemed to enjoy talking with Susan. Unfortunately she brought up Ethan at dinner and immediately felt sorry. Surprisingly Macon was not upset or angry with Susan for bringing up such a sensitive subject. This can show the reader that Macon is finally dealing with the pain that his been holding him back. Being able to talk about Ethan's death is part of Macon beginning his new life. Although Macon didn't seem completely ready to talk about Ethan, it probably made him feel a lot better after he did. Susan was one of the only other people who talked to Ethan frequently in his short life. This conversation could symbolize the fact that Macon has finally figured out that he needs to start coping with his son's death, and enjoying his life.
Key Passage #4
ReplyDelete"About your son...the only one." Pg.184 lines (9-10)
Within this passage, Muriel and Macon are laying in bed together for the first time. This had been the first experience Macon had had with a woman since Sarah had left him, and he was slightly uneasy about it all. He actually tried to avoid this all together, but it must've been meant to be. Previously, Muriel had been nervous to tell Macon about her son which could tie into Macon's inner feelings about his own son. Both of these characters seemed to be worried about their past because it didn't go as they planned, therefore they tried to keep it a secret. Although both of them finally expressed their struggles dealing with their children, it didn't go as they expected. Honestly, the reader can believe that this brought Macon and Muriel closer because of the fact that Muriel understood what Macon was going through. Alexander was something that scarred her life, just as Ethan did to Macon. Fortunately, Macon being able to physically feel Muriel's scar may be the reason that Macon was able to open up to her and truly realize that he isn't the only one going through tough times. Overall, this passage can be seen as another example of Macon growing, and allowing him to stop living his life in grieving, and just start living again.
Key Passage #5
ReplyDelete"We're off, he...I'm flying!" Pg.190 lines (31-32)
Within this section, Macon and Muriel are boarding onto a plane together. They are heading off to another city where they'll check out hotels and restaurants and then leave just as quickly as they came. Although this doesn't sound like the most enjoyable trip, and it may not seem to be the most important detail to the story, one may feel that it still has some significance. Never before in his long 21 year marriage did Macon take Sarah on any business related trips. After only seeing Muriel for a short period of time, she already seems to have replaced Sarah, possibly for the better. Going on this trip together can add to the fact that Macon is moving on. Although the memories of Sarah still linger in his mind, Muriel is helping ease the pain. She actually appears to be changing Macon for the better. He is beginning to open up and enjoy another's company, even if is only business at first. Luckily for Macon, Muriel is a people person and would never want to waste her life away being stuck reminiscing about a past romance. Maybe she is exactly what he needs to be free of Sarah. The reader may conclude that the plane is actually a metaphor for Macon to ground his past relationship and set off flying into his new life with Muriel.
Key Passage #6
ReplyDelete"Look at that!...at the thought." Pg. 197 lines (30-37)
Within this passage, Macon is trying to teach Alexander how to fix a leaky faucet. This is probably the last thing Alexander would want to be doing at the moment, especially since he was watching tv before he was pulled into this. Because Macon doesn't have a son to teach all these manly jobs to, he has to jump on the fact that Alexander can be taught, even though he's still a little young for appliance fixing. At this point in the story, the reader may be struck with a question of whether Macon actually wants to be with Muriel, or whether he just enjoys the fact that he has a chance to give the fathering experience another shot. Without Ethan around, Macon was left with no one to be able to learn the things he can now teach Alexander. Fixing a leaky faucet isn't what a seven year old would want to do for fun, but for Macon, he must be having the time of his life being able to give this young boy knowledge of something he'll need in the future. Honestly, Muriel may just be someone to spend time with when he isn't with Alexander, as cruel as that sounds. Although it might be hard to realize that Alexander won't ever be able to take Ethan's place, Macon still enjoys being able to impact this young boy's life. Macon appears to be able to keep his head held high because of the smile this boy wears whenever Macon helps him out. He gives him father-like attention, not only because he knows how it feels to be without someone you need in your life, but also because every child deserves it.
Key Passage #7
ReplyDelete"He was noticing...so unfamiliar, suddenly." Pg. 278 lines (1-3)
After talking to Sarah here and there over the course of the book, Macon came to the conclusion that he still had a place for her in his life within this particular section. While he was on a trip in Vancouver, Sarah decided to call him and tell him she had moved back into the empty house with their cat. It seemed that now Macon had finally moved on in his new relationship with Muriel, Sarah decided to come back around. The lives of these two characters entirely switched because of the fact that Macon was out, dating and happier, while Sarah was left alone with just Helen to keep her company. Unfortunately because of how in love Macon was with Sarah, all the feelings rushed back now that she was alone and reaching out to him. Sarah doesn't come across as a devious character but digging deep into the way she is, as the reader, makes one realize how much she has sabotaged Macon's life, whether she sees it or not. Asking about Muriel was probably a part of her plan all along to pry into Macon's personal life, even though, she was the one who left it to begin with. Macon feeling as if Muriel's name is unfamiliar to him would be exactly what Sarah wanted to hear when she asked. Showing the reader how easily Macon can forget about Muriel when Sarah crawls back to him when she is struggling, proves how cruel Sarah really is. She seemed to be the source of all of Macon's problems from the start, but Macon is oblivious to it a
Key Passage #8
ReplyDelete"He came to...had come home." Pg. 279 lines (13-18)
Within this passage, Macon is on his way home from one of his business trips. He had just recently talked to Sarah about her moving back into their old house. He wasn't sure if he should go back to her or stay with Muriel, who he was currently seeing. The way this passage is worded, allows the reader to be able to tell who Macon truly cares more about. Although he was living in Muriel's house, he didn't ever call that his home. Macon always referred to that house as "Muriel's", or "Singleton Street". Even though Macon and Sarah hadn't been living together for almost a year now, and Macon was living with Rose for a while, he still considered that old house "home". This paragraph expresses the struggle Macon is facing within, even though it is all so simply written. It appears that he is trying to start a new life and move on from Sarah, but he just can't yet. One may believe that this passage was written this way mainly to give it a more innocent feel. Macon was making the effort to go to Muriel by using the turn signal when he got to her street, but it appears that his mind just seemed to wander and eventually he ended up where he belonged. He was home now, with Sarah.
Key Passage #9
ReplyDelete"Making love to...she was feeling." (lines 17-20)
Within this passage Macon and Sarah are putting a new couch into the living room that was destroyed due to flooding. Macon knew how much he missed Sarah but he still had feelings for Muriel as well. The way the author words Macon's thoughts allow the reader to see how Macon is truly feeling. Whenever Macon referenced to having sex with Muriel he always would just call it "sleeping". After not seeing Sarah for a while, the reader could believe that his feelings had faded, but they hadn't. Macon stated that he was "making love" to Sarah, making it clear how deep Macon feelings are for her. Although he is trying to move on with Muriel, he just can't seem to get Sarah out of the back of his mind, no matter how hard he tries. She was his first love and most likely his feelings for Sarah will never entirely be forgotten. She will always be a part of Macon's heart, mainly because of the fact that they both share such a strong bond of loving Ethan. Although Muriel is aware that his son was murdered, she will never be able to help him cope with that tragedy or truly understand what he went through, but Sarah would. Although Macon is trying to put Muriel first in his life, she will never be able to compare to Sarah. His subconscious mind can't seem to let him say that he is making love to Muriel because that wouldn't be the truth. He did not love her like he loves Sarah and unfortunately Muriel will never be able to take her place.
Key Passage #10
ReplyDelete"I'm sorry, Sarah...against his shoulder." Pg. 327 lines (24-25)
Within this passage, Macon and Sarah were both in France on a business trip. Macon blew out his back trying to fix the phone in his room, and he couldn't finish the work he had to do. Fortunately for him, Rose set up a plan so Sarah could finish the business for Macon. After a lot of thinking, Macon realized that this whole lifestyle isn't what he wanted. Even though he loved Sarah, he couldn't be with her again. Everything happens for a reason, and her leaving him opened Macon's eyes to a new world. He wanted to be with Muriel and had to find the power to tell Sarah, without making it seem like he was trying to get revenge for when she left him. He just wanted them both to be happy, which meant they couldn't be together. Sarah was right, they were so different and growing more and more apart from one another each day. The fact that Sarah finally rested her head on Macon's shoulder after he broke the news, symbolized her acceptance to the situation. Although she was unhappy that he was evidently leaving her after they had just worked everything out, she knew it was the right thing to do. Macon needed to be free of his old marriage, because it came along with many troubles. At least with Muriel, Macon will be able to start over with a new family and not be constantly reminded of the "old Macon". He is more open to socialization and now had a chance to put his parenting skills to good use because he didn't have a son of his own anymore. He isn't necessarily replacing his old life and family, but making a better life to help the people who truly care for him.
V
ReplyDeleteChapter 5 “Charles and . . . heavy and droopy.”
After Macon broke his leg he is staying with his sister and brothers. In this scene he is alone and working on his guidebook. However, he cannot find the motivation to work. Instead he finds his body calling for sleep. The urge to just pass into a subconscious state and slip away from the days troubles leaves him without a will to write. It troubles him to the point in which his focus is shot and he cannot help but fall into the trap of procrastination. This begins, for Macon, what is very similar to one of the worst stages in depression. Previously, when he was just barely caring on with his existence, he was denying the very source of his grief; Ethan’s death and losing his wife in the process. This stage interrupts his comfortable life, forcing him to except the reality of his situation. With nothing to do Macon is held up in a room with a simple objective he must complete, yet there is an unknown prevention he cannot overcome.
Key Passage #6
ReplyDeleteChapter 10: p. 152-153, “I’ll be honest…stepping on Edward.”
During one of Macon and Muriel’s training sessions with Edward, Muriel opens up about the beginning circumstances of her marriage. It seems like Muriel is always trying to ensure that Macon or others do not judge her. Muriel understands that Macon has a tendency to judge those who are not like himself because he does not understand them. If they are not obsessed with organization and do not aim for order in everything that they do, he simply cannot relate to them. When she is telling Macon about how she married her ex-husband, Norman, because they were having a baby, she makes sure to point out that she did not force him into it. She is sensitive about Macon’s opinion of her and does not want to come across as needy or pathetic. Although, it is surprising that Muriel would so willingly tell Macon about how she married young and had a child, something that she admits her mother and everyone who knew her disapproved of. Perhaps she is trying to gain a little of Macon’s sympathy. Maybe she is trying to crack Macon’s shell and induce some kind of feeling and real emotion in him. Muriel portrays herself to be a strong, independent woman who is answerable to no one, but underneath this pretense, she is probably just as vulnerable and sensitive as Macon. In this way, they are both similar to each other. Macon also hides behind all of his systems and habits, but in reality he is constantly lonely and disheartened. Both of them are missing a fundamental part in their life: a companion who will accept them for who they are and provide them with comfort when needed. It seems like Muriel and Macon are complements to each other and could therefore fill whatever is missing in each other’s lives.
Key Passage #7
ReplyDeleteChapter 10: p. 160-164, “It was having…walked Edward home.”
Despite Muriel’s apparent carefree and cheerful nature, she has had more than her share of difficulty in her life. She opens up to Macon, even though he never encouraged her to do so, about how her son, Alexander, was born prematurely and was an unhealthy baby as a result. Her husband Norman exhibited a complete lack of interest in the child and blamed Muriel for paying more attention to Alexander than him. The way that the baby is described is similar to how Macon and his depression are portrayed. Muriel says that the doctors caring for Alexander “didn’t give him much of a chance and some had even wondered if he wanted a chance.” Macon is pessimistic and frequently wonders if there is a point to life at all, and if he cannot find this elusive purpose, then he feels life is probably not worth living. Alexander shared this same mentality when he was a baby. It is possible that Muriel recognized the same despair in Macon that she had once seen in her son. Muriel admits that she actually misses her time spent in the hospital with Alexander, claiming that “there was something cozy about it.” It seems like Muriel enjoys taking care of other people and fixing them, like she did with her son. Macon is just like Alexander was when he was a newborn; he is vulnerable, broken, and in need of someone to help him to see that there is a point to life after all. Just like Muriel was able to do with her son, she may believe that she can do the same for Macon. Perhaps this is one of the reasons as to why she has taken such an interest in Macon. He is something that she can fix. It seems that Macon and Muriel can both benefit from their relationship. As Macon is listening to Muriel’s rather heartbreaking story about her son and her husband leaving her, he is able to feel something other than unhappiness and despair. He finally acts on his desire for some kind of human connection and this is an indicator of Muriel’s positive influence on him. Macon should not view Muriel as a disturbance to his orderly life, but rather as the force that will allow his life to be reassembled.
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ReplyDeleteKey Passage #8
ReplyDeleteChapter 12: p. 193-195, “Macon suddenly…but orderly.”
Since meeting Muriel, Macon has changed in drastic ways. He is no longer so concerned with his systems and is starting to relinquish the control that he has always maintained in all aspects of his life. His days have been occupied with Muriel and her son Alexander, and his life no longer follows the usual pattern of feeling sorry for himself all day. He even finds himself missing Muriel when he is not with her, but at the same time, he is trying to reason with himself that “There was no room in his life for anyone as unpredictable as Muriel.” It seems like Macon is disconcerted over his major change in lifestyle and wants to find reasons that justify that Muriel is no good for him. This probably stems from his abhorrence to any kind of change and he is therefore reluctant to allow his life to be altered by Muriel. However, at the same time, he is still allowing change to occur which is a monumental achievement for Macon, considering that he thought altering his shower schedule to be radical. Even Rose has noticed this change and claims, “How can I plan when you’re so disorganized?” No one has probably every accused Macon Leary of being disorganized, but with Muriel, he finds himself acting like a completely different person from who he was before. When Macon’s boss, Julian, informs him that he is going to ask Rose to marry him, he observes. “Isn’t it amazing how two separate lives can link up together? I mean two differentnesses?” Although Julian is speaking of himself and Rose, the same observation can be applied to Muriel and Macon. Though they are so different from each other, Macon and Muriel are exactly what the other needs. Even if Macon is uncomfortable with the effect that she is having on him, it does not mean that in some capacity he is grateful for it. She is what is allowing him to experience life again and Macon cannot help but feel that this change is for the better.
VI
ReplyDeleteChapter 6 “Julian led . . . another month —‘“
In this passage Macon runs into his boss, Julian Edge, for the first time in awhile. An incident with his dog, Edward, forced him to come out of the house. Edward had chased Julian all the way to a lower branch of a tree, with Julian yelling “Call your dog off!” Macon came outside and took hold of Edward’s lease, starting the conversation from there. The reader knows that Macon Leary keeps to himself, but this scene shows just how much he keeps from people he comes into contact with. First, Julian asks about his leg, not hearing about it when it happened. In fact, he did not even know Macon was now living with his sister and brothers. He was completely cut off from contact with his employee, not knowing any of Macon’s personal troubles. When questioning about Sarah, he even learns that they split up, an event that occurred very early on in the novel. Macon, it is revealed, does not discuss his problems with anyone, keeping all his emotions bottled up inside.
Key Passage #9
ReplyDeleteChapter 15: p. 237-241, “Macon’s U.S edition…behind him.”
Macon’s siblings all disapprove of his new relationship with Muriel. They do not understand why he would want to be with someone who is so different from himself. In chapter fourteen, Charles claims that “You’re not yourself these days and this Muriel person’s a symptom.” It is surprising that Julian Edge, Macon’s boss and future brother in law, would be so approving of his connection with Muriel. Julian and Macon’s relationship is a complex one. Before meeting Rose, Julian always viewed Macon in a humorous way, finding his strange ways amusing. He would always be amazed when Macon would say something normal or do something that everybody else does. When having conversations, Macon would refer to Julian’s responses often as his “Macon Leary Act,” which was Julian’s way of subtly making fun of him. Although, Julian has always seemed genuinely curious about Macon, and tries to understand him as best he can. He was forever desperate to be invited over for dinner so that he could see for himself where Macon lived and when he drops by Muriel’s house to retrieve Macon’s West coast material, Julian “was filing mental notes on Muriel’s household, no doubt the real purpose of this unannounced, unnecessary visit.” In his way, he does care for Macon and probably wants him to be happy. This may be why he is the only one who believes that Muriel is a positive part of Macon’s life and despite her eccentricity and volatile nature, she is what is changing him in a constructive way. Macon’s family does not understand this because Muriel is completely out of their comfort zone and they do not know what to make of such a headstrong and loud person so unlike themselves. The reason why Julian is so understanding of Muriel could be because, like Macon, he too has experienced a change because of a woman. Julian used to be against commitment and seriousness, preferring to spend all of his time on the Chesapeake, but after meeting Rose, he now wants something different: marriage and a family. Because Julian is experiencing a similar change like Macon, he is able to realize that Muriel “may be exactly what you [Macon] need.”
VII
ReplyDeleteChapter 6 “‘Meow-Bow Animal . . . kills all others.’”
After an increase of Edward’s acting up, Macon decides to get him trained. Muriel, from earlier in the novel, is the first person he looks to for help. She is employed at the Meow-Bow Animal Hospital and also is an experienced dog trainer. Something so out of the ordinary uproots Macon and throws him on what seems like the start of an adventure. Who would guess that his dog starts misbehaving and the owner meets a friendly girl when seeking help. It’s the kind of circumstances so bizarre that they actually happen. Even crazier, Muriel is so eccentric and open about her personality she is almost a complete opposite of Macon. He avoids conversation and is very gloom about most things. Muriel becomes the woman he needs at this moment. He may want to carry on everyday as he already does, but with Muriel in his life it would be a much more exciting one.
VIII
ReplyDeleteChapter 7 “‘When I was . . . turn on me.’”
In this scene Macon and Muriel are going over training Edward. The way their conversation unfolds displays even more so the difference between the two. In fact, Macon does not really speak at all, letting Muriel do all the talking. She easily gets Edward to sit, and even stay for quite some time. And yet she gets completely off topic countless times. While discussing dog training she goes into a rant about her hair. The two subjects are not remotely connected in any way shape or form. It adds to her personalty; that she does not share her focus to one subject at a time. One might consider this an annoyance, but in this situation it may be an answer to a problem. Being capable of dividing her attention is more of a skill, and it allows her to just simply live her life.
Key passage #2
ReplyDeleteAfter his...on him." First line of chapter 2
The description of the house after the divorce symbolizes Macon's feelings towards Sarah's departure. He originally thought the house would seem bigger without Sarah, however, he felt as if everything was pressing in on him. Macon described the windows as smaller than before and the ceiling lower than before. This is physically impossible, but these hallucinations seem to be the manifestation of the effects of divorce. For example, the house seems smaller than before because Sarah was such a big part of his life. Without Sarah, everything has little meaning to it. The fact that Sarah is gone is taking a toll mentally on Macon. Things aren't the same without Sarah and Macon is starting to feel pity for himself, as he knows he can't do anything to save the marriage. He starts finding reminders of Sarah and starts to appreciate them instead of disposing of them. Macon feels like the house can't accommodate him anymore and emphasizes the futility of materialistic things. He realizes Sarah is the one thing he always wanted and having the house to himself doesn't matter anymore.
This despair stems off of the death of Ethan. His death is what ultimately decided the fate of the marriage. Ethan's death is what made Macon look at this world as meaningless. Macon's false ideologies were passed on to Sarah. Sarah was the first one to bring up the idea of life being useless, however, it is Macon's thoughts and words that made Sarah's point of view on life even worse than before. Macon is now viewing the world as counterfeit due to the fact that he lost two things he loved. Macon seems to be spiraling into a depression because of the events Ethan's death triggered. Right away, I'm able to tell that most events that will occur in this novel, will be triggered by Ethan's death. All events that happen in this book are connected to Ethan's death.
Key Passage #3
ReplyDelete"Her enthusiasm...boyfriends, causes."-Chapter 5
In this passage, Macon is describing the habits her mother had. Macon's mother was a very sporadic and spontaneous person who didn't have much care for her kids. Her enthusiasm disturbed Macon and his siblings by always having different hobbies, friends, boyfriends and causes. She has a history of public misbehavior that embarrassed Macon when he was a child. All of these traits, were spawned off of the death of her husband(Macon's father.) Macon's mother was widowed. After her husband's death, she abandoned her ideals and "turned into something else, into something else, into something else." She started to find things to replace the pain of the husband's death. She thrived for unnecessary change. She started to find new boyfriends to replace the pain she felt. In the back of her head, she knew the pain wouldn't stop. Death acted as a force that motivated her to go down the wrong road. The death of a loved one spawned all types of bad events. Same could be said for Ethan's death. Ethan's death caused Sarah and Macon to view the world as futile. This caused their divorce and ultimately caused Macon to go into despair by questioning if he even lives for something. A connection can be made between death and Macon, and death and Macon's mother. Death had a lasting effect on both of them in a bad way.
Death seems to have an impact on the whole family and can be seen as a hereditary curse. An assumption that could be made is the foreshadowing of Macon's downfall. One could notice what death did to the life of Macon's mother, and say it's Macon's fate, that he falls deeper into despair because of death. However, the concept of, "death destroying the lives of members of the Leary family," can become a broken curse. Unlike Macon's mother, Macon didn't abandon his ideals and morals. Macon still has other people to fill the void of death. Macon's mother seemed to have lost control of her ideals after the death of her husband. Death is what caused her to despair. On the other hand, while Macon did view the world as pointless, he didn't give up on this world. If you look at the big picture, death has played a part in the generations of the Leary family. No matter what, death played a crucial part in the life of Macon's mother, and Macon himself.
Key passage #4
ReplyDelete"Paris is...my...wife."- Chapter 6 -Macon
This is a quick and brief dialogue between Macon and Muriel. Muriel is a dog trainer who Macon hired to train Edward. During some downtime, Muriel mentions how she wants to go to Paris. Macon quickly shoots that possibility down by saying how impolite the people in Paris are. Macon shows a slight sign of detest for people and a lack of appreciation for the nice things might be spawned off of the hate he has. Muriel shows another side and says how romantic Paris is. Muriel represents the positive to this conversation as Macon represents the negative in this conversation. This conversation is very minor and doesn't hold much significance in the main story line, but I thought this would be an interesting commentary. Another thing I would like to point out is how Macon is finding other things to do with his life instead of mourning over the loss if his wife who he divorced with. Macon is trying to learn how to train his dog so they can become companions. Macon is showing that he is trying to move on with his life. This shows increasing maturity within this character and shows he has a sense of purpose. Instead of growing hateful feelings for Sarah, he is being productive and showing he won't follow in the footsteps of his mother. How one deals with death seems to be a reflection of the type of person he or she is. Macon's mother gave up and resorted to desperation because of the death of her husband. It might be safe to say she was careless when it came to decision making. On the other hand, Macon still has hope to make changes and be productive.
Key Passage #5
ReplyDeleteMacon's dream- Chapter 9
In this dream, Grandfather Leary visits Macon while he is sleeping. Grandfather Leary was an out of the ordinary person; always coming up with new inventions. He is described as someone who had a wandering mind. Anyways, Grandfather Leary tells Macon that he has lost his center and that center is Sarah. Basically, Grandfather Leary(G.Leary) is telling Macon that he lost the one thing that kept him together. In other words, G.Leary is telling Macon to try to pursue Sarah one more time because he knows Macon needs her. What G.Leary told Macon in this dream can be seen as an obsessive paranoia and not motivation. Another main theme in this book is grieving. After the loss of Sarah, Macon's constant grieving became a problem. His grandfather visiting him in his sleep could of been seen as a symbol of Macon's consistent sorrow. In other words, Macon is dreaming of someone telling him to get Sarah back because that is what he truly wants. Macon is still shocked Sarah left him and his constant grieving is what's giving him this internal struggle. G.Leary appearing in Macon's dream can be seen as a manifestation of Macon's obsession with getting Sarah back. He can't stop thinking about her and it is really getting to his head. This scene proved to be significant due to the fact that Macon is starting to lose control of his inner thoughts. He is now constantly battling with this grief that he faced. We are also starting to see the real effects of the divorce, which is paranoia in regards to how Macon feels about the whole situation.
This passage can be connected to Hamlet, where the queen saw a ghost of King Hamlet but couldn't believe her eyes. She was able to see the ghost, but denied its existence. The ghost was seen as a manifestation of her guilt. This dream Macon is having can be seen as a manifestation of Macon's agony over the divorce of Sarah.
Key Passage #6
ReplyDelete"I'll be...or anything."-Muriel Chapter 10
In this passage, Muriel tells Macon about her past marriage and what went wrong. Muriel had a baby, but she never told her soon to be husband that she was pregnant. Norman(the husband) felt forced into marriage due to the incoming birth of his son, this made the family financially unstable. The baby ended up being born premature and caused the family to spend extra money on medical bills. Norman couldn't take the stress so he left Muriel and his son. Muriel even stated that the baby was the reason for the marriage, and for the divorce of the marriage. Inconveniences in marriages really seem to be the deciding factor in this novel. Ethan's death shook Macon and Sarah mentally and physically. This inconvenience ultimately caused them to split up. With Muriel's marriage, the birth of the son determined the outcome of the marriage. After the conversation, a connection is felt between the two and Macon kisses Muriel. This kiss might indicate that Macon is ready to move on to someone else. However, that is not the case, actually, Macon is surprised by his actions. The fact that Macon is shocked means he knew he didn't want to do it. Which negates the possibility of him trying to pursue Muriel. At the moment, Muriel doesn't seem like a point of interest genuinely in Macon's life, especially since Ethan's death has really dulled Macon's love life, but things can change.
Key Passage #7
ReplyDelete"I lost...you hear?" Macon- Chapter 11
In this heartfelt text, Macon describes the horror that threw him right into despair to Muriel. Macon shows up at Muriel's house and finally confesses that his son passed away and he hasn't been the same since. Macon describes this event in a stuttered fashion. This indicates how disturbed he is to even recall the tragic event. This traumatizing event obviously still haunts him to this day. Macon even states he is too afraid to go out to eat because his son died when he last went out to eat. Ethan's death really left an emotional scar on Macon and still torments him. Macon also tells Muriel how he and Sarah broke up. He really pours his heart out in this conversation and stresses how much he has lost in his life. He indirectly tells Muriel that he doesn't have anyone in his life, this might be a call out to connect with Muriel. His heart is still with Sarah but feels he can take away some of the pain if he still talks to Muriel.
Anne Taylor really stresses the effects of death in this novel by making Macon reminisce death occasionally. Death is presented as a repeating theme in the novel by showing Macon's daily struggle against his son's death. Not only does this passage make the reader notice the effect death had on Macon, but it shows how powerful of a force death is overall.
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ReplyDeleteChapter 7 “‘Maybe you . . . told him.”
This passage offers the first of an event in the novel. Macon’s character development is present and progressing, even if it is coming along slowly. As Muriel is ranting about her hair, she gets Macon to actually join in on the conversation. In an instant Muriel becomes the conversation trainer as well as the dog trainer. Once he would have simply avoided the situation, leaving before any form of talking occurred. Yet, in this instance, he does something out of character. It seems so simple when it occurs, as it is an action of everyday life. Macon converses a little on the matter of Muriel’s hair, suggesting she uses a comb. At the start of the novel the reader would not think he would contribute to such a useless conversation. Doing this completely out of character, Macon shows that he possesses the capability of change.
X
ReplyDeleteChapter 8 “‘Macon,’ she said . . . into a Leary.’”
At this point in the novel Macon and Sarah are having dinner together. It is the first time they have spoken in awhile. She discovers that he had broke his leg and is now living with his brothers and sister, wondering why he never called her first. In an instant, acting on impulse, Macon remembered the girl he fell in love with and asked to get back together. He realizes the simple things he noticed her for, like the way she looks at the menu. Being married twenty years Macon does not want to just throw it all away, coming to know that when seeing Sarah after they were separated so long. However, Sarah’s reaction is negative, leading to her confessing a major reason to her wanting the divorce. After Ethan’s murder, she failed to see the good in people anymore, only seeing the evil in the world. The worst of it was that that is how Macon is, with an incapability of noticing what is good in the world. Sarah feared that she was “turning into a Leary.” She was becoming more like her husband and she could not except that.
Key Passage #10
ReplyDeleteChapter 17: p. 259-263, “I don’t think…was Sarah.”
Although Muriel has always come across as strong and fully capable of taking care of herself and her son, in this chapter she exhibits vulnerability and insecurity. She may seem like she does not need support from anyone, but in reality she is worried that she will not always be able to support herself and ensure that Alexander receives the best life possible all by herself. In chapter five, Muriel exclaims to Macon that, “I’m not scared of a thing in this world!” Part of the reason why Macon is attracted to Muriel is because of her tenacity and “her spiky, pugnacious fierceness.” It seems that Muriel’s insecurities about Macon and his commitment to her and Alexander arose from observing Macon’s encounter with Sarah at Rose’s wedding. Her fears are justified though as it is revealed that Macon has been thinking more about his wife. When he is distractedly listening to Claire talk, he has a “sudden view of his life as rich and full and astonishing,” and “the person he would have liked to show it to was Sarah,” not Muriel. In Macon’s defense, however, Muriel is very pushy and wants to get married when it is clear that he is not ready. On the other hand, one should not fault Muriel for wanting marriage: any single mother should desire that. Underneath all her bravado, Muriel is terrified of being alone and without someone to share her life with. Someone like her needs someone like Macon to serve as a calming and stable presence in her life. Up until Rose’s wedding, Macon has been a constant and predictable part of her life, but now Muriel fears that he is not as committed as she always thought him to be. As the novel progresses, Muriel becomes more and more complex. She was first portrayed as unintelligent and shallow, but now readers understand that she is mercurial, capable of kindness, loves her son, and needs Macon just as much as he needs her.
Kenneth Walsh
ReplyDeleteKey Passage #1
Chapter 1, pg. 4 “Making, I… like moving.”
Macon and Sarah are driving home from a beach vacation. Sarah asks Macon for a divorce. The loss of their child spurred on a sense of loneliness. Their differences are eventuated when Tyler notes Sarah’s tan and Macon’s lack of one. It suggests that they spent much of the vacation apart. The idea of being linked together yet simultaneously alone is pervasive. The rain adds to the sadness. Macon tries to reassure Sarah that the emptiness she feels is normal under these circumstances. His approach is uncharacteristically practical. Sarah, on the other hand, is a slave to her emotions. It’s just another way that they are different. They are unable to relate to one another anymore.
Key Passage #2
Chapter 2, pg. 7 “He started… storage area.”
After Sarah leaves Macon, he finds himself simplifying his life. His eccentric form of organization contrasts with Sarah’s chaotic freedom. The differences between them were expressed in plain English. It was those dissimilarities in character that originally helped them to complete each other. In the end, however, that which used to foster their dynamic relationship put strained it to point of collapse. They chose to cope with the death of their son in different ways, and because of that they grew distant and unloving. Macon founds himself slipping into a psychosis of organization. Is desire to simplify his life is an exaggeration of inability to deal with its unfavorable changes. He’s going crazy. He’s trying to move on in the best way he can.
Key Passage #3
Chapter 5, pg. 60 “In 1950… at once.”
While at his sister’s, Macon recounts his childhood experiences. He reveals that his grandparents raised him. The passage hints at Macon’s mother’s promiscuousness. Her taking on many suitors gave volatility to the children’s lives. She was flighty and uncaring. This is emphasized when the grandparents are immediately received by the children as better caretakers. They saw stability and safety in their grandparents. It is because of this that Macon takes on a very clinical personality. He appreciates order because he grew up without it. And now that his stability is once again compromised, he seeks it out more feverishly then ever.
Key Passage #4
Chapter 5, pg. 68 “Don’t take… your hands.”
Macon’s neighbor Garner engages him in conversation. They begin to discuss his dealing with the death of his son. Macon is isolated. He doesn’t want to share his grief with anyone else. His refusal to have a funeral service in town is emblematic of his lonely struggle. The fact that he feels isolated in is pain could have led to or manifested from the divorce. Either way it evident that Macon is alone. He tries to distance himself from the grief, but manages to distance himself from everyone. He simply can’t cope with the death of his son. He gives away his son’s bike as if he doesn’t welcome the reminder.
Key Passage #5
Chapter 9, pg. 139-140 “He hailed… wither too!”
Macon hails a cab to find a talkative cabby. The driver enquires on how to stop his daughter from piercing her ear. Macon’s responses bring a welcome break in the overall sadness of the novel. This moment brings in an air of refreshing humor. More than that, it provides Macon with the opportunity to give some fatherly advice. He shows progress. Macon is allowing himself to come out of his painful isolation. He is a father again if only by proxy. He’s starting to fill the hole. Macon’s selfishness has been temporary replaced.
Key Passage #6
ReplyDeleteChapter 9, pg. 145 “All of… brain felt.”
Macon goes to a restaurant atop of a skyscraper. While looking out a window he develops an unshakable feeling of loneliness. The emptiness of the sky mirrors his life. He can’t find substance in this world. He can only look on with envy at the way it used to be. The utter despair of being separate from everything is, in a way, part of the human condition. The people we love, however, serve to connect us back to world, saving us from despair. Macon has lost what he loves. He feels apart from the world. He is the last standing tree of what was once a beautiful forest.
Key Passage #7
Chapter 10, pg. 160 “It was… wet-mopping floors.”
Muriel explains to Macon about her first marriage. Complications caused her baby to be hospitalized for months after he was born. A great deal of resentment was put on her by her husband over the trail. Her time is consumed with trying to help her child pull through. Her husband misplaces his frustration on her and eventually leaves her. She remains, however, un-bittered by her circumstance. She accepts her pain without question and with great strength. In a way, she represents what Macon is not. He has trouble accepting and dealing with his pain. His attraction to Muriel is based in the strength she gives him. This relates back to Sarah, showing that she couldn’t supply Macon with strength, nor he with her.
Key Passage #8
Chapter 13, pg. 200 “Would you… to explain.”
Muriel asks if Macon would ever consider moving in with her. Macon doesn’t know what to say. Macon’s response is evident of his obliviousness when it comes to his relationship with Muriel. He is keeping his distance mentally, because he’s unable to move on. Her suggestion to move into his house surprises him, because he has forgotten about it. This plays into the theme of Macon distancing himself from the pain. It is reminiscent of the time he gave away Ethan’s bike. He won’t allow himself to be surrounded by such pain. But in a way that is what causes him the most pain. He’s too busy being alone to be accepted.
Key Passage #9
Chapter 14, pg. 218 “Sometimes Macon… know that.”
Macon is helping alexander with his homework. It is close to step toward normalcy. He could become a father or sorts to Alexander. But instead he refuses to fall into another paternal relationship. He finds a sense of freedom in his lack of obligation to Alexander. He disassociates from the people he meets. He finds the act of forming new bonds painful. And with his old bonds brutally severed he is alone. He would rather forget his pain than hold on to the memories of his son. He chooses loneliness to avoid pain, but suffers in his self-manufactured solitude.
Key Passage #10
Chapter 20, pg. 326-237 “In the… to travel.”
Macon decides to leaves his wife for Muriel. Sarah is displeased. Sarah has reattached herself to Macon’s life. And it might have been interesting to see if they could make it work, but it is an ultimately failed gesture. The two have simply fallen out of love. Macon, however, shows great steps. He realizes that there is love and happiness still in the world. He can make new connections and grow. He decides to be with Muriel, because despite their differences they love each other. They find happiness in one another. It seems strange and unknowable from the outside, but they truly complete each other.
#5- Chapter 5
ReplyDelete“The artist…and suspicious.”
Here, Macon is talking about his childhood with his siblings and his mother, Alicia. In his memory, Alicia was always moving around and changing. She would always meet new men, develop new hobbies, and move to new places.
Anne Tyler wrote, “She believed in change as if it were a religion. Feeling sad? Find a new man! Creditors after you, rent due, children running fevers? Move to a new apartment!” From this, the readers can see why the Leary siblings are so orderly in their life and refuse to change. From the changes, the family is always moving around and the children are always changing school. They never felt steady living where they were. Also, Macon describes Alicia to be “some naughty, gleeful fairy.” She was very enthusiastic about everything and “she was always getting hurt. It may have been because she rushed so.” In the family, the Leary siblings are more like the parent, while Alicia the child. In the story, Tyler wrote, “The faster she talked and the brighter her eyes grew, the more fixedly her children stared at her, as if willing her to follow their example of steadiness and dependability.” The children were the more cautious ones and even as children, they have always worn “guarded and suspicious” expressions. The Leary children have experienced what it means to change and move on in time, but change scared them, just like how they had to constantly look after Alicia.
Also, this passage gives answer as to why Macon is overly protective of Ethan when he was alive. It is mentioned that after Alicia met the engineer, she went traveling with him around the world and left the Leary children in the care of their grandfather in Baltimore. Their grandparents were described to be “two thin, severe, distinguished people in dark clothes,” emitting a depressing sad atmosphere. being neglected by his mother, Macon grew up to be the strict, unchanging person he is. He doesn’t want Ethan to end up like he does; therefore, he has to make sure that Ethan gets all the paretal love he deserves.
#6- Chapter 8
ReplyDelete“Yes, I…and such.”
Julian Edge, Macon’s publisher, is visiting Macon at his grandfather’s house for the second time. Julian asks what the other Leary siblings do for a living and Rose answers that she works at home, caring for her siblings and the elders in the neighborhood. The female role in society is a widely disputed topic in the 1960s and this passage demonstrates one of the positions in this debate. Here, Rose answers that she “works at home”, “keep the house for the boys”, and “take care of a lot of the neighbors.” The neighbors are mostly old people and Rose reads their prescription and repairs their plumbing. Rose isn’t mentioned to have a legit job outside of the house. On the other hand, Muriel holds a legit paying job at the vet clinic while she also cares for her son. Rose represents the female figure in the older society, where women’s main role is in the house. For example, in Pride and Prejudice, none of the female characters have a job and they have to rely on the men for economic support. Similar to Rose, Sarah also doesn’t have a successful life outside of her family. Sarah did work as a teacher before she was married, but after she married Macon, she became more secluded from society. She didn’t enjoy people’s company or going out to parties anymore. Another interesting thing to note is that Rose is satisfied with her domestic life. When she is answering Julian’s question, she is excited to introduce her job taking care of her family and the elders in the community. Anne Tyler doesn’t criticize Rose for her choice, but instead is interested in exploring the nature of this type of women.
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ReplyDeletePage 78 – “It … foreground”
In this scene Macon has a huge epiphany that changes his entire life. Nothing has changed in terms of Macon’s relationship with his siblings and how he functions outside of his family. Examples given in the text when he first meets Sarah during a party in his “poetry days” prove that Macon has always been to himself even when surrounded by a sea of people. He is described to have been in the corner, choosing not to socialize with any of the others, including Sarah. This unsociable characteristic has been constant through the years with Macon as he stills chooses not to venture out of his “comfort zone”. This is shown when he describes Sarah and himself, as she likes to go to social gatherings with neighbors and venture to the mall to converse with complete strangers, while he would rather stay at home and stick his nose in a book. The idea of venturing outside of a comfort zone is a consistent theme within the novel. This is emphasized when Macon decides to stay at his siblings’ house after he recovers from his broken leg. It is also shown when he returns to Sarah, though he tells himself that he has moved on and is perfectly happy with Muriel. It is this desire to stay in a comfort zone that drives Macon away from happiness and Muriel. However, Macon finally let’s go of this desire to remain in a comfort zone when he leaves Sarah to be with Muriel, as he could only be himself when he is with her.
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ReplyDeletePage 339 – “The … bureau.
In the novel, Macon utilizes Miss MacIntosh, My Darling whenever he embarks on a trip for his guidebooks. What’s ironic about using this book is how the book is entirely based on travel. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling is about a young woman searching through time and memories of where her nursemaid might be after a trip at sea. Macon himself detests traveling anywhere and uses his guidebooks to help travelers find themselves at home when they are far away. Based on how he describes himself and what he writes in his books, he should surround himself with things that remind him of home. Anne Tyler uses Miss MacIntosh, My Darling because the heroine of the story symbolizes Macon himself. The heroine thinks she loses someone close much like Macon loses Sarah. As the heroine travels further in her memories to where this nursemaid is located, she finds that her life wasn’t as she imagined it to be. This is much like Macon, how he looks back on his life and finds that he never changed, his marriage with Sarah wasn’t as great as he thought, and he must come to terms of what his life really was before meeting Muriel. The conclusion of Miss MacIntosh, My Darling is the heroine accepting the illusion she thought she had lived. This part is most crucial because it mirrors Macon both figuratively and literally. As the book comes to a close, Macon has an epiphany and finds he is no longer happy with Sarah, and never truly was. As Macon packs to leave Sarah at the hotel, he leaves Miss MacIntosh, My Darling, the heaviest thing he brought. This symbolizes the realization Macon has about Sarah and how much of a burden being with her brought. The reader can notice the difference of conversation between Macon and Sarah and Macon and Muriel. Dialogue between Macon and Sarah seems to lack any emotion or any affection. Macon does not desire to share his opinions or have any physical attachment to Sarah. When with Muriel, Macon doesn’t hide in his shell and blatantly tells Muriel what is on his mind and has physical contact with her, shown when Muriel is on the phone with her mother.
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ReplyDeletePage 3 – “I … words.”
Throughout the novel, Macon realizes that in life things never go exactly the way that you think they will. Macon’s idealistic world is to have the perfect design, avoid random situations, and live life comfortably. However, as hard as Macon tries for perfection, it never really gets there. Although Macon does not realize it, the spontaneity of his life brings out all the monumental occurrences of his life, the first being the murder of his son. Most of the time, people do not plan the early death of a loved one; however, the death of Ethan is the original force that drives Macon to true happiness and the love of Muriel. The scene alone emphasizes the importance of life’s unplanned adventure and how everything happens for a reason.
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ReplyDeletePage 73 – “You … down.”
Since the very beginning of the novel Macon is haunted by the death of his first son Ethan. Never quite overcoming the fact he is really gone, Macon tries to push Ethan out of his mind as much as he can. This alone shows that Macon has yet to accept reality. Unable to grasp Ethan’s death, Macon unintentionally drives Sarah away. Macon deserves much of the blame for the reason his marriage did not work as he was given several hints that Sarah was unhappy. The first major hint is given after Macon is asked for a witness account of his son’s murder. Instead of sharing his feelings with Sarah, Macon shuts her out and causes her to question his feelings. Another example from the text signifying Macon’s ignorance towards his marriage is when he finds a women’s magazine. In the magazine Sarah says she believes that she cares more than Macon cares about her. The final instance is not chasing after Sarah when she leaves. If Macon truly loved Sarah, he would not have let her go so easily. It’s Macon’s inward nature that drives away all things that he could have pursued and done in his life.
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ReplyDeletePage 106 – “He … Muriel.”
Tyler utilizes both Macon and Muriel to be foils to emphasize each other’s characteristics. During this scene, Macon dreams about a woman in the same car as him; at first unable to identify her, it turns out to be Muriel. The dream ends on an awkward note with Muriel sticking her hand down Macon’s pants and waking him abruptly. In psychology, it is said that dreams reveal some of a person’s desires. This dream serves to foreshadow the feelings Macon will soon harbor towards Muriel. When reading about Macon’s experiences living with Muriel, the reader realizes that Macon has no trouble locating her house and street. This illustrates how at home he feels when he is living with Muriel. When living with Sarah and his family, he constantly found himself lost, never finding it easy to return. The reader also finds that Muriel and Macon have several other traits in common with each other. Both Muriel and Macon find themselves enveloped with their family. Both are captivated and do not really see past what actually is going on. Macon sets this image of his family, quite normal, just like he is. It is until he meets Muriel that the illusion is shattered and realizes that they all shared the same unsocial characteristics. Muriel on the other hand has set in her mind that Alexander is allergic to everything in existence, costing him a normal childhood. It is not until Muriel meets Macon that Alexander is exposed to what the world can offer such as casual clothes and normal food. The final similarity is how both are lonely. Scarred with the separation of their spouse, they are exposed. Never truly over Sarah, Macon is constantly drawn to her, shown when he suddenly feels the urge to move back in with her. Muriel is now hurt with the feelings of abandonment as her previous husband leaves her after Alexander’s birth. She clearly makes it known when she lashes out at Macon when he leaves her for Sarah, claiming she isn’t to be used up and thrown away when a man is “fixed”. Their relationship is a great example of how opposites attract as their differences compliment each other as they end up together in the end.
6
ReplyDeletePage 86 – “While … put”
This quote demonstrates the logo and declares there are two types of people in the world: travelers that only want to stay at home and the people that stay at home but wish to see the world. This symbolizes the relationship that Macon and Muriel have with each other as Macon is the armchair traveler and Muriel is the traveling armchair. It’s only natural for the characters to feel this way from how their past has affected them. Macon was faced with a mother constantly on the move, making Macon never feel quite at home. Muriel was always at home, never given a chance after her sister was born. Having been left in the shadows has caused her to seek a new beginning. It is ironic because they both want what the other has, yet cannot get out of the loop. Muriel can’t just leave her child to fend for himself just as Macon can’t leave the only job he has. It’s this characteristic that helps attract Macon and Muriel together. Always desiring the stay at home life, Macon is drawn to Muriel, while Macon has the ability to travel anywhere drawing in Muriel.
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ReplyDeletePage 89 – “At … once."
As Macon calls Muriel to train Edward, it shows his first step into breaking his habits of his unsocial behavior. Usually afraid of inviting any outside person into his lifestyle, it comes as a shock to his family. Unaware, Muriel is not only training Edward out of his previous habits, but Macon as well. This serves to show how Macon and Edward mirror one another as both desperately need a change in their lives. Had it not been for Muriel interrupting his life, Macon would have continued closing himself off from the world. Macon soon discovers that his brothers and sister do not accept Muriel as a part of his lifestyle because of such a drastic change of character. Realizing the potential danger Macon has by acquainting with such a woman, Rose, Porter, and Charles try to intervene, claiming that her class and personality do not measure up with theirs. It shows how much Macon is coming out of his shell as Macon even goes past what his family wishes him to do when he describes how important family is. As a result, this passage signifies the first steps that Macon takes in getting rid of his old habits as he invites Muriel in his life and defies his family.
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ReplyDeletePage 56 – “At … own.”
In the Accidental Tourist, Edward’s character serves to symbolize Macon himself. As the two characters experience new things with each other, their emotions and actions mirror one another. Here, you have Edward hungry, yet afraid of what the outcome might be from pursuing his desire. This is evident in Macon as he is lonely, yet afraid to venture out in fear of getting hurt. Rather than experiencing what life can give, Macon would choose to sit on the sidelines observing, untouched and unharmed. The second instance of shared emotions between Edward and Macon is during Macon’s trip to New York City. While dining at a restaurant recommended by Julian, Macon experiences a mental breakdown of sorts, unable to handle being away from home in such a new place. As Macon calls his family to come and rescue him, it comes to Macon’s attention that at the same time, Edward has gone a mental breakdown as well, enclosing Macon’s brother in the closet in the kitchen. Even hundreds of miles apart, Macon and Edward exhibit the same emotions as both are pushed to their limits, unable to cope with change.
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ReplyDeletePage 8 – “Now … say”
The reader learns very early in the book of Macon’s job of making guidelines for travel. Macon travels to different countries to prune out any unnecessary accommodations and so travelers find themselves at home wherever they are. Macon, however, makes the ‘Accidental Tourist’ a way of life, and he never strays outside of the comfort zone. The precautions placed by Macon highlights his insecurities in people as he trusts none but himself. Macon believes that one should bring as little as they possibly can to avoid lost luggage and own detergents to avoid damaging clothes with foreign soap. This is one of the several actions Macon takes to make life “easier”. In the long run, the travelers will find that the precautions in reality will cause more harm than good for themselves. This backwards flow can also be found when Macon develops several systems to maintain a proper home when Sarah leaves. One is found when Macon tries to avoid constantly feeding Edward. Macon constructs a pulley system that will drop food down for him, but proves to be counterproductive as Edward begins to fear the stairs. In response, Macon must carry Edward down the stairs to make sure he eats, causing more work to be done than what he originally intended to do. Several of his systems are actually negative as he becomes malnourished and breaks his leg.
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ReplyDeletePage 77 – They … it.
Macon and his family can be classified as xenophobes, or people who are afraid of foreign or strange occurrences and people. Macon, his brothers, and sister exhibit all the same unsocial behavior towards the outside world. This unsocial behavior is also common amongst Macon and Rose in their marriage as they both shun away their spouse causing doubt in their love in the first place. The card game Vaccination serves as the symbol to their behavior as Macon and his family play by their own rules and are classified as a different type of people by both their mother and Sarah. The name of the game is important because a vaccination serves to ward away foreign diseases to the body just as the game serves as a ward to people that intrude on the Leary lifestyles. Not only does the game relate to the Leary family, but to the ‘Accidental Tourist’ as well. Macon makes the guidebooks as a “vaccination” to traveling, eliminating as many foreign experiences as possible. This not only shows how much Macon has changed from his original thought-process, but how lost the Leary family is in their own world.
Key Passage #8
ReplyDelete"I never...somebody else."-Muriel beginning of chapter 17
Muriel let's Macon in on her past when she tells him she dated someone. This man(at the time) just went through a rough divorce with an unfaithful girl. This girl cheated on him many times and this man thought he would never be able to trust a girl again. However, Muriel changed his mind set. Muriel described this man as "a whole different man," when he moved in with her. They lived together and were eventually able to come up with enough money to pay for Alexander's medical bills. Muriel told Macon that she "cured," him of his past hardships. In the end, Muriel did all of these good deeds just to find out she got cheated on.
Constantly, we are reminded of how characters in this book give up in relationships. Anne Taylor constructs relationships as failed attempts at companionship. We saw what happened with Sarah and Macon's relationship; they were unable to stick through tough times and stay together. Muriel got cheated on in her last relationship. Failed marriages seem to be common in this novel.
What happened between Muriel and his past boyfriend can be looked at differently. What caught my attention, is how Muriel took this man in and cured him of his past heartbreak. As soon as he moved in, they became happy. This might foreshadow what will happen between Muriel and Macon. Since Macon now lives with Muriel, they might be able to connect more and Muriel might be able to take away Macon's pain. Also, Muriel questioned if Macon would ever do something behind her back. This indicates that Muriel feels a strong connection between her and Macon and would be ashamed if Macon were to, "go back home to his wife." This tells the reader that Muriel has some kind of genuine feelings towards Macon.
However, Muriel saying she "cured," her past boyfriend can be seen as an assumption. They way marriages work in this novel, what Muriel saw, could've been an illusion. Overall, inconveniences and short comings in marriages seem to be the cause of divorce.
Page 4 Chapter 1
ReplyDelete“I’ve got a system, Sarah. You know I drive according to a system.”
Early on in the novel, the reader learns that Macon is overcome by his obsession for routine and order. While Macon and Sarah are driving home early from their vacation, they experience heavy rain. While Sarah wants Macon to pull over, Macon is determined to keep driving according to his “system.” This passage highlights the many differences between Macon and Sarah, introducing the reader to one of the major themes of this novel; which is Macon’s routine. This passage also foreshadows many events that occur later on in the novel, that are related to Macon’s passion for routine and order.
After Sarah leaves Macon, he adopts some peculiar habits, such as his breakfast being eggs all the time, sleeping in a “body bag,” and even attempting to wear sweat suits for multiple days at a time without showering. Macon also speaks of conserving energy by only showering every other day and doing much less laundry. Throughout the novel, Macon is consumed by routine, as he often criticized Muriel’s travel habits toward the end of the novel. He speaks about how if she had read his guide books; she would know not to travel in white. Overall, this single sentence at the beginning of the novel allows the reader to learn more about Macon’s personality and love for routine, and also foreshadows many events that occur later on in the story.
Page 18 Chapter 3
ReplyDelete“She would stop by for the rug and he’d invite her in. He’d offer her a glass of sherry. They would sit on the couch with their sherry and he would say, ‘Sarah, have you missed me?’”
At this point in the novel, Sarah has called Macon to ask if she could pick up the blue rug. Macon cannot stop thinking about Sarah. He often thinks about her throughout the novel, and he often thinks about past memories, or he creates scenarios where Sarah would come back. Overall, this passage shows that Macon is obsessed with over-analyzing every detail of a possible situation. Also, that Macon is preoccupied with his past.
Throughout the novel, Macon experiences many flashbacks. These flashbacks are often about his marriage to Sarah, or his son Ethan. The flashbacks of Sarah are not necessarily because he loves her. Macon is addicted to routine, and without Sarah in his life, he is forced to change his routine, which upsets him. All in all, this thought is nothing out of the ordinary for Macon, as he likes to plan events in his head.
Page 27 Chapter 3
ReplyDelete“Macon stared down at the little machine and wondered if he should buy one. Not for the music, heaven knows – there was far too much noise in the world already – but for insulation.”
At this point in the novel, Macon is on an airplane. He examines his neighbor, and is relieved to find that he has a music player and would not wish to engage in conversation with him. This passage shows that Macon does not really enjoy socialization, and prefers to be alone in silence. Also, this passage shows that Macon does not even wish to let socialization interrupt his routines.
After reading this passage, it can be concluded that Macon possibly suffers from a form of social anxiety and/or OCD. So far, Macon is obsessed over every single aspect of his daily routine. He is also attached to his past, and even though his son has died and his wife has left him, he does not wish to let those aspects of his life change. Also, Macon refrains from any socialization at the beginning of the story. While dropping off Edward, Macon is anxious to leave the vet’s office when Muriel pursues him. This same behavior also occurs when Macon expresses his fear of his neighbor talking to him on the plane. Overall, this passage allows for further insight into Macon’s character traits.
Pages 50-51, Chapter 4
ReplyDelete“In September, he decided to alter his system of dressing. If he wore sweat suits at home – the zipper-free kind, nothing to scratch or bind him – he could go from one shower to the next without changing clothes. The sweat suit would serve as both pajamas and day wear.”
After deciding that he wishes to conserve energy, Macon decides that he will wear sweat suits every day, and only shower every other day. Macon also decides that he will possibly grow a beard. This quote shows that Macon has become lazy and has lost a lot of his will to live. This passage also emphasizes Macon’s obvious obsession with strategy and routine.
Macon’s obsession with strategy is also spoken about at a later point in the novel, where the story talks about Macon’s strategy for picking seats in a movie theater. One of the central themes of this novel is Macon’s obsession with routine; as every event in the story is driven by Macon’s attempt to stick to is routine. This novel is written in a way where the reader is able to understand Macon’s thought process throughout the entire story. Without Sarah, who was not organized, Macon has completely drowned himself in his routine. Therefore, this passage is an essential part to the novel; as it allows the reader to understand Macon’s thought process, and to understand the importance of Sarah in the story.
Page 60 Chapter 5
ReplyDelete“She believed in change as if it were a religion.”
At this point in the novel, Macon has broken his leg and is living with his family. Macon is remembering his childhood, how his mother was obsessed with change. Macon talks about how his mother had many boyfriends and how the children had lived in a nudist colony for some time. Overall, this passage is significant, as it helps the reader to understand a possible reason as to why Macon is obsessed with routine. While living with his family, Macon is out of sorts; as he is not happy about straying from his routine.
Throughout the beginning of the novel, the reader is introduced to Macon’s personality traits. It is at this point in the story that a possible reason for his extreme behavior is exposed. Knowing the possible reasons for Macon’s behavior is important to the progression of the story. Without completely understanding Macon’s behavior and motives, the reader would not understand the events that occur throughout the story. Also, Macon is remembering his past once again. This happens constantly throughout the story, showing that Macon is afraid of change and straying from his routine.
Page 81 Chapter 6
ReplyDelete“’While armchair travelers dream of going places,’ Julian said, ‘travelling armchairs dream of staying put.’”
Here, Macon is speaking with Julian about the cover of his guidebooks. Julien produces an image of an armchair with wings. Macon does not understand the art, and Julien explains to Macon that it is his “logo.” This quote spoken by Julien is a very important quote, as it accurately describes Macon’s personality.
Throughout the novel, Macon is described by is actions as someone who hates to travel. He is also described as consumed by routine, and also by his past. Overall, Macon is a “travelling armchair” who wishes to stay put. Macon focuses on his past because he is afraid of change. He also focuses on his routines and methods for the same reason. Throughout the entire novel, Macon is “travelling,” whether he is actually on a plane or not. The death of his son and the separation from Sarah allows Macon to try and find himself. However, Macon’s mentality keeps him from moving forward, and leaves him trapped in his past. Therefore, this quote spoken by Julien is significant, as it completely and accurately describes Macon.
Page 85 Chapter 6
ReplyDelete“And he’d been Ethan’s.”
At this point in the story, Edward is being trained by Muriel. Macon describes the dog, and at the end of his description he mentions that the dog had been Ethan’s dog. This passage is a significant passage. After examining the passages where Macon speaks about the dog, it is often observed that afterwards, there is almost always a mention of Ethan. This comes to show the reader that Edward is a reminder of Ethan in Macon’s eyes.
Throughout this novel, Macon often has flashbacks and thinks about his past. It is later observed that Edward and Ethan have some of the same qualities. These include testing their luck and their boundaries. After describing Edward, Macon thinks about his son Ethan. For Macon, Edward is a strong reminder of his son. Therefore, he wishes to raise the dog correctly and do the best he can to have the dog trained. This passage is significant, as it explains the significance of Edward in the story.
Page 103 Chapter 7
ReplyDelete“’He’s keeping his rear end about two inches off the ground. Trying to see what he can get away with.’”
Here, Muriel and Macon are walking Edward, teaching him to keep pace and sit. After trying many times to get Edward to sit, Macon finally sees some results. However, Muriel points out to Macon that Edward is testing his boundaries and trying to see what he could get away with. This is a very significant passage. Edward reminds Macon of his son, Ethan. Here, the reason becomes evident.
When Ethan was killed, he was at a camp. Ethan decided one night to test his boundaries and sneak away from camp to grab a bite to eat. This was an example of Ethan seeing just what he could get away with. Edward exhibits similar behavior when he is not sitting all the way. This exposes the connection between Ethan and Edward, and helps to explain who Edward reminds Macon of Ethan. Overall, this passage clarifies the relationship between Edward and Macon.
Page 293 Chapter 19
ReplyDelete“Is this what it comes to? Lift weights and take vitamins and build yourself up and then – nothing?”
At this point in the story, Macon is remembering the death of Ethan. Macon recounts the memory where he needed to identify the body of his son. He states that his son had been lifting weights and taking vitamins, trying to better himself. He is upset that his son died after he had done so much work to have a better life. Overall, this quote is significant, as it explains Macon’s negative outlook on his own life.
After Ethan’s death, Macon had overwhelmed himself with routine and depression. Macon’s outlook on life was nowhere near optimistic. This attitude may have come from the death of his son. Macon explains that everybody dies, and that he should not put in so much effort if all he is going to do is die. This is extremely ironic. Macon states through his goals that he wishes to do as little as possible, and waste as little as possible, and so on. However, Macon is truly exhibiting more energy in order to not exert so much energy. Instead of going with the flow of things, Macon is tiring himself out and overwhelming himself trying to find the easy way out. Macon is not allowing himself to live his life to its potential, as he is so focused on finding simpler ways to do things. Overall, Macon’s negative outlook on life comes from the death of is son, as well as his obsession with finding the easy way out of conflicts.
Page 329 Chapter 20
ReplyDelete“They were so bright and festive, for a moment he thought they were confetti.”
This sentence is the last sentence of the book. Macon has just left Sarah in Paris, and has decided to pursue Muriel. This sentence describes Muriel’s smile as she sees Macon sitting in the cab. This passage stands out in a number of ways, one way being that it is one of the first (and last) examples of positive imagery in the entire novel.
Throughout the entire novel, Macon was seen as depressed and consumed by his routines. Suddenly, at the end, Macon had decided to make a decision and leave Sarah for Muriel. This is significant, as Macon has finally decided to make a change in his life after suffering for so long. While Sarah was giving Macon medications, he stated that he did not like the pills, as they made him fall asleep. These pills given to Macon were a metaphor for the life that Macon was living while he was consumed by his routine. When Macon decided to drop the pill and leave, it became a metaphor for Macon giving up his monotonous habits, and beginning anew with Muriel. Overall, this final sentence of the novel is significant; as it shows that Macon has finally made the decision to change and stop being a “travelling armchair.”
#1
ReplyDelete“They passed a… blades to high.” Chapter 1
Macon and Sarah are returning home from their trip from the beach. So far in the beginning the reader can see that Sarah and Macon are opposites. Sarah so far is uneasy driving in the rain while Macon finds no problem. Later after this part the reader finds out that Macon and Sarah had a son that passed. This grass that is covered up is the relationship with Sarah and Macon. They are covering up how they truly feel about each other and not letting out their feeling. Sarah questioning the way Macon drives shows that she doesn’t trust him. The grass represents the true feelings and the sheet is the cover-up from both parts. The rain hitting the sheets is the clock ticking until one of them rips off the sheets and explains how they truly feels. This ripping of the sheets happens later in the chapter where Sarah wants a divorce.
#2
Delete“After his wife… in on him.” Chapter 2
The chapter begins on how Macon had lost his family and the house feeling smaller is how Macon feels. Sarah and Macon have just lost a son about a year ago. Now Sarah has left her husband and moved out. Macon at this current moment doesn’t feel complete. Everything feels useless since he doesn’t have the support and the love that makes a household itself. With each of his family members leaving each of them took a piece of his house away. Macon felt more crowded since everything was happening all of the sudden within one year. The house felt more like his feelings then more like his actual house. The house represented his feelings and how crowded and how his mind is. It shows how crazy Macon’s life is so far.
#3
Delete“Macon went on…. On a marriage.” Chapter 1
Macon at this point has finally noticed the errors he has made in his life. Macon can’t believe that he has been asked for a divorce. Macon has deprived his feelings from his wife by saying that he has been a wreck since the death of their son. This is an excuse but can also be understandable. Losing any family member is always hard on a family. For Sarah and Macon the hurt is even deeper since they are the parents of Ethan. The pressure of the lack of affection and the loss of her son has left Sarah with no choice but to ask for a divorce. The reason that Macon gives is also an excuse because even though his son has passed he should have left the connection between his wife and his even tighter and ever and not made his wife feel alone. Macon and Sarah should have been there for each other and supporting each other with the loss of their son. The relationship crumbled under pressure and divorce was the only way out.
#4
Delete“At any rate… he said.” Chapter 2
In this passage Macon is talking to his sister. They are talking about Macon and Sarah getting separated and the things that are happening. Macon’s sister gives Macon a chance of hope that Sarah wants him back. Sarah went back to pick up the boiler that she likes. Macon’s sister found this very strange because Sarah could have clearly bought a new one. Sarah may have used that she likes the boiler as an excuse to see how Macon is doing. A woman or a person will usually try to find a way to see how their old relationship is doing. This may be an excuse that Sarah wants to see Macon again. Macon still shows that he cares for he is scared that he may get rejected of Sarah wanting to enter the house. Macon shows that he still doesn’t want to get hurt by her and doesn’t want any more pain in his life.
#5
ReplyDelete“Look… had good reason.” Chapter 3
Macon is dropping off Edward, his dog, at the vet and he finds out that Edward bit someone already and nobody told him. This happened right after the divorce was on the table. Macon defends Edward saying that he may had a reason to bit the man. This can also mean that Macon had a reason of why he is so uptight and has rules for everything. Macon also has a way to cope with his feelings of the death of Ethan. Edward resembles Macon by saying that Edward may have had the reason of why he bit the man. Macon had a reason of why he acted the way he did after Ethan’s death. Macon’s “bite” was the lack of attention to his wife and shutting her out of his life. She bit her off to end the relationship. Edward here may have meant more than one thing instead of defending a dog he may have also been defending himself.
#6
Delete“Shouldn’t I need… your loss alone.” Chapter 1
Macon and Sarah are talking about how Macon doesn’t listen to Sarah anymore on the way home from their trip. Sarah surrounds the conversation about herself and talking about the loss of their child was hard on her too and not only Macon. Macon says here that she had to five him comfort too. He says that Sarah isn’t the only one that goes through the pain of losing a child he also is. Sarah doesn’t try to understand him but yet tries to attack him saying that he has never been there for her. Sarah is blind that Macon needed her too and his way of dealing with the loss of his son was by going back to his old habits. Sarah throughout this conversation is just thinking about herself and how she feels and doesn’t think about Sarah.
#7
Delete“For some reason… far above them.” Chapter 1
In the end of Chapter 1, Sarah told Macon that she wanted to have a divorce with Macon. Macon and Sarah pull over by the storm and are left both to grieve in the rain. The rain leaves a mess which is the relationship that Macon and Sarah have. The rain helps break the elephant in the room and the problem that they have been having for quite a while. The rain helped push the relationship over the bridge since Sarah felt uneasy Macon driving in the rain. Throughout the chapter the reader sees the difference with Macon and Sarah and how they both feel. Macon has a strategy and Sarah is more rational with her decisions. The rain helped emphasize the problem within Macon and how they didn’t quite help each other out. The rain at the end drumming on the rooftop is the final drum roll for Sarah and Macon.
#8
Delete"Ethan went away... Of his feet."
This is the first time that the reader gets to see the pain that Macon has to go through. The death of Ethan is where all the problem that he has with his wife are created from. The death of Ethan has haunted him and clearly this is shown by the flashback that Macon has. Near the end of this passage the blamin game is played at who should be blamed for the death of Macon. This is the first time the reader gets to see the reason on why it's so hard on Macon and Sarah to move on from the death of their son. The thoughts of a parent thinking that they could have had a chance to save their son is clearly running thorough their mind. The haunting of the death of Ethan has definitely impacted the lives of Sarah and Macon differently and clearly here Macon can't forget about it. The death of a child isn't easy and Macon can't help but remember the memory of his son.
#9
Delete"Sarah continued to... On the wheel."
Sarah here feels uncomfortable driving in the rain and feels quite uneasy. The windows fogging up is the way that Sarah feels inside. Sarah doesn't feel safe driving in the pouring rain. The breaking down of the air condition in the car shows how Sarah is slowly feeling in the rain. The reader sees that immediately that Sarah doesn't like to drive around in the rain. The little gap that they get without rain Sarah let's out a little sigh. Once the rain starts again she begins to hold on again. Sarah is beginning to feel unsafe in the car and will later break down from the fear of the rain.
#10
Delete"Macon wore a... Of every day." Chapter 1
In this short passage, the reader sees how the married couple are such opposites. Sarah is coming back the way she would from coming from the beach. Macon is coming back as if he had never gone in the dirt place. This shows the reader that the personalities of the couple are opposite. Sarah, she likes to have fun and likes to enjoy her surroundings. Sarah comes back more free flowing and looks more like she is coming back from the beach. While on the other hand, Macon looks more formal. Macon doesn't look like he is coming back from the beach. They both take different approaches on their life and are unlike each other.
Key Passage 1 Cody Smith
ReplyDelete"I'm beginning... With them"
This passage portrays the theme of love in an inspirational way that shows the reader that Macon is a man to be looked up to. The quote means in a literal sense that loving someone isn't the most important thing, what is important is the person you become around them and how they transform you into a noble man. This hints that the plot of the story will center around not how much someone is determined to do something but how they try and who they become when the object presents itself. That sometimes the road of life takes unexpected turns and what is important is how you act and who you become when you are faced with the decision. Some people will not care how great of a person and how much you care for them, the only thing that matters is how you treat them and the man you become in their presence. Much like in real life and not only the book, in the case of marriage it can largely depend on who you are when around your other half, not what you do to please them behind their back but rather what they see.
Key Passage 2 Cody Smith
ReplyDelete"There is...else's house"
This quote hints at the security and comfort people find when they no longer are worrying about their personal problems. In a way similar to ignorance is bliss, one can be happy and have not a single care In the world when in someone else's house. However when they return the sad truth of what their life has become will hit them again, the feelings they sought to escape have yet again creeped into their life and dragged them down. This accidental tourist persona can be perceived as someone trying to avoid their problems either in an active or passive/accidental manner. It also shows that there is much good to come from being your own accidental tourist and exploiting your options and possibly being a leaf in the wind and just going along with what life and ignoring the scary truth behind how our world works. It shows that there is an extreme sense of enjoyment that can be discovered when one tries to trick them self into living in a world with false hope and disillusions.
Key passage 3 Cody Smith
ReplyDelete"Now that...to life"
This passage is stated by Sarah and portrays the evident theme of death in the novel as shown through Ethan's death which in affect spurs the whole book. Ethan's death puts in motion Sarah leaving Macon as she feels there is nothing left meaning wise to life. She falls into a deep depression as any mother would at the loss of her child but she goes and loses all hope on life and literally abandoned Macon. This all leads to Macon being faced with a major adversity, not only had his son died but his wife whom he so loved left him and fell into a deep pit of depression. This disorder sends Macon into a spiral in which he wants to start a totally new life to forget about his old life however he does not really know what he wants out of his new life.
Pg. 48 “He wondered…his wrist.”
ReplyDeleteSue Carney is Macon’s neighbor and is welcoming and friendly. Although, this passage displays Macon’s feelings about her and everyone not related to him. It is explained that there seems to be an invisible layer as he touches Sue’s skin. This is separation is also mentally. Besides Sue’s skin feeling waxy and unreal, it symbolizes Macon’s lack of connection to outsiders, or people not related to Macon. This passage demonstrates more of Macon’s personal barrier to anything outside his cocoon. The barrier to the world is actually the main reason Sarah divorced him. It is quite sad and pitiful, Macon’s refusal to live out life fully. This passage is important as it gives the reader understanding on why Macon acts the way he does. Without this information, the reader may be lost and confused.
Pg. 198 “Driving through… living here.”
ReplyDeleteMuriel’s neighborhood is described in this passage. It is run-down and poorer than Macon’s and he notices this. The area is eerie and suspicious, as if someone is watching your every move waiting for the right time to pounce. The buildings are explained as no extra room; no generosity. This description could be Macon acquiring admirable traits. It indicates him waking up and changing himself. Also, the realization of what Muriel is going through hits Macon in that he sees just because Muriel is happy could simply mean she is being strong. If Muriel could do it, so can Macon. This gives him hope, a light in his dark cave signifying that there is a way through this. This entire disorderly town could also make Macon feel more defensive about Muriel as if it was his duty to protect her from the harsh world she lives in. The bond between these two is tightening and they are becoming closer.
Pg. 203 “He bought…sticky too.”
ReplyDeleteWhile at first insignificant, this marks a big change in Macon. He is less obsessed with complete order. His greasy fingers got all over the steering wheel as he was driving over to Muriel’s. Instead of becoming upset it does not seem to bother him all that much. He even continues to hum as he drives so Macon is getting better. Even though a bit later he admits that Muriel’s way of getting someone to babysit Alexander is confusing, he doesn’t seem all that bothered by that either. Macon appears to be calming down and slowly start to become happy. Muriel’s presence in his life really made an impact. He is not focusing on his loss of Ethan or the divorce. Things are no longer a giant depressing pit for Macon Leary, he found some happiness.
Pg. 273 “But bit…another woman.”
ReplyDeleteMuriel reveals a bit of her past to Macon after they attend Rose’s wedding. She has gone through a similar situation as hers’ with Macon. Muriel met a guy who recently went through a divorce and they both dated each other for a while. The man got cured from his fear that all women would cheat on him. He was not comfortable with sleeping in the same room as a woman. But slowly, Muriel changed this and he got better. In return for her kindness, he gets with an airline stewardess and leaves her. After all their talk of getting married, he ends up leaving her for someone else as if she was only a pill to take in order to get well. Macon is asked if he would do this to her and this obviously puts some pressure on Macon. Macon is asked if he will return to Sarah, if he would have an affair behind her back and leave Muriel the same way the other guy did. With Macon’s intentions questioned, Muriel seems to be rethinking her decision of accepting Macon. This passage adds some doubt to what will happen which makes the story more interesting.
Pg. 331-332 “Nothing’s the…told her.”
ReplyDeleteMacon just arrived at his hotel in Paris and called Sarah “just to talk”. This is very different from the Macon in the beginning of the story. When first asked if he ever gets the urge to simply talk, he replies with no, he never gets that feeling and uncomfortably goes away. Now he is the one starting the seemingly unnecessary conversation. Macon is in a way becoming Muriel; he is talking like her and thinking like her. Sarah is apparently surprised and does not understand this new Macon; it is different, not expected of him. Not only does he get the urge to just talk, but he offers to compensate. Macon never liked gardening but offers to help Sarah garden. This shows he is feeling compassionate and is even becoming the person Sarah never thought Macon could be. This passage is important because it shows just how dynamic Macon is.
Pg. 355 “A sudden... were confetti.”
ReplyDeleteThese are the ending words of the story and Macon's final thoughts. The passage gives a positive and warm feeling to the reader. Macon just finished reminiscing on his son without sadness. This says that he must have finally gotten over it that he no longer is a wreck from it. He simply wonders if Ethan would have turned out that way in a seemingly positive way. Then he sees Muriel and it almost as if angels were singing and a light from heaven shined upon her. Water spots and stains on the windshield to him looked liked confetti. This is really significant because it symbolizes his new outlook on life. Simple things such as leaves and everyday objects Macon describe as first looking like bright and festive confetti. Macon has proven to be the most dynamic character in the story; he never would have seen joy in these objects. The bright and festivity of it could also signify him seeing a marriage between them as confetti and brightness could be for marriage.
Key Passage #9
ReplyDelete"When he'd... by that."-Chapter 17
This short passage brings up the possibility of Macon moving on. Macon is able to strike up a mature conversation with Sarah. After hearing Sarah's response, he didn't seem bothered at all. This might be because of the time he spent with Muriel. Muriel and Macon were able to connect and understand what they both went through. Since Muriel understood Macon's pain, they were able to become great friends. To Macon, Muriel is someone who can give Macon something Sarah never gave him; a reason to live. Since Ethan's death, Macon viewed the world as irrelevant. However, Muriel never gave up on Macon, and Macon won't give up on Muriel. On the other hand, Sarah recognizes Macon's maturity and responds with "not really." This might be an attempt to get Macon to worry if she is happy with another person. If so, then Sarah hasn't moved on, while Macon is making progress in his life. Sarah realizes that she is mostly responsible for creating these circumstances and wants to see if she can get a reaction out of Macon. In this text, Macon shows maturity and shows he is willing to make progress in his life.
Key Passage #10
ReplyDelete"The taxi...the glass." Chapter 20
In the final moments of this novel, we see Macon in his final pursuit of Muriel. He decides to leave Sarah in the past and go after the person who was with him during the hard times. He saw Muriel frantically wave down cabs and made a desperate attempt at going for her. This attempt not only showed that he is interested in Muriel, but that he wants Muriel to be a part of his life. This text shows Macon finally moving on with his life. The author brings up a life lesson in the end of this novel. With the help of supporters, one can ease the pain in one's heart. In this case, Muriel befriended Macon and took away the pain in his heart. She eased Macon's burden. Also, Macon choosing Muriel over Sarah indicates him moving on with his life. Macon went through all of these hardships, but overcame all of it with the help of Muriel, Sarah was unable to do that. Anne Taylor wants the reader to realize the amount of progression Macon went through as a character. At first, he was a hopeless person who thought life had no meaning. He found new hobbies and connected with people who cared about him. By doing so, he was able to fill the void left by Sarah. In the end, he moved on and started a new chapter in his life. I couldn't help but give a short commentary on the firmness Macon showed in this novel and Anne Taylor presents it perfectly.
Key Passage 4 Cody Smith
ReplyDelete"You ever...think so?"
This passage acts as a little bit of comic relief that literally seems like a joke but on another level it represents the disorder in society present in the novel. Ethan's death has both literally and figuratively thrown a wrench into the life of Macon and his ex-wife. His death causing this disorder is evident from their divorce and the disorder is evident in society as is shown by the pleasure he takes in "organizing a disorganized country". After the death of his son it becomes the only joy he can find in his world as he mindlessly wonders through life. This obsession for being happy after this tragedy escalates to the point that it boils over and culminates with his invention of the Macon Leary body bag which becomes his personal cocoon and allows his to retreat I to his own little world for the night.
Key Passage 5 Cody Smith
ReplyDelete"They were... Above them"
This passage is essentially ponying it the major differences between Macom and his wife Sarah. At the end of this all the reader is left to think that any couple with this many differences will never last long. However, they are proving everyone wrong and against all odds are making what they have work in an incredible display of order. This is ironic in that by later in the novel the disorder is incredible. At the moment it appears that these two opposites are making it work and fining their own bit of paradise in the world. Not only are there moral barriers but there are physical barriers such as Macon's hating of going out. These insurmountable odds finally become too much to handle and push Sarah to divorce Macon and send him into a deep spiral of depression.
Key Passage 6 Cody Smith
ReplyDelete"When Ethan... Had said"
This sad passage stinks of the theme of death and is where the details of Ethan's death are reveled. While this information had to be revealed eventually, to me it was all up to the occasion when the author would reveal it. However the manner in which it did show up was rough, it seems to appear out of no where really and proves that Macon has to be hiding some emotions and wondering about love. We are also left to believe in Macon's bleak outlook on life as he sees life in a harsh way and views his son as dead already. He sees a dead man, as evident by his statement "not much" when asked what he saw when looking at his son.
1) *Page 1* This passage is important because it introduces the two main characters Macon, and his wife Sarah. We are given a character description, yet there is much more to interpret regarding the two of them. The most notable discrepancy has to be clothing, and it seems to foreshadow a later uncovered personality contrast. Sarah is dressed in a mild and casual fashion. Her style seems to be slightly revealing and care free. This is a major contraction to Macon. His clothing tendencies are very uniform and organized. This passage is full of chronological symbolism. First, the divide in the highway portrays the division of the lovers. The rainstorm represents the dark aftermath in Muriel. There is again a contradiction in the characters preferences, Sarah despises the rain, while Macon choses to embrace it. The rain represents Muriel.
ReplyDelete2) *Page 21* This passage is important because we are finally introduced to Macon's profession. He writes guidebooks for tourists. The guide books are intended to make one feel at home in a foreign place. The title of the books consistently start with "An Accidental Tourist In…" In these novels he suggests ways in which a foreigner can accomplish stable living in an unfamiliar land. This is extremely ironic due to the fact that he cannot establish a stable life in a familiar land. He seems to be the one in need of guidance because his house is very far from stable.
ReplyDelete3) *Page 37* This passage is important because it sets the stage for the story's major conflict. In this scene, Muriel and Macon come across each other for the second time at her place of business. Muriel's occupational obligation is to train Macon's dog, yet she shows much more interest towards Macon. She is the complete opposite of him, but in a positive way. Using a very cliche term here, she is his better half. She is vibrant and animated, whereas Macon is boring and bland. When the two are together you see how perfect of a foil Muriel is to Macon.
ReplyDelete4) *Page 42* This passage shows Macon's adjustment to his new life as a bachelor, this adjustment is going quite poorly. All of his pain and sorrow is seemingly self inflicted. He becomes lazy and eliminates all busy work he has, thus creating free time for him to bask in depression. The last thing he should be doing is leaving himself alone with a wondering mind. He trains the cat to go to the bathroom outdoors, and also constructs a feeding apparatus for his dog. He also rarely cooks, leaving all the time in the world for him to realize how pitiful his life has become. This passage portrays his realization of his loneliness. He is aware that instead of guiding other accidental tourists, he should have been guiding himself.
ReplyDeleteKey passage 7 Cody Smith
ReplyDelete"Ever since... Pruning sheers..."
This passage shows the breakdown of order in the novel along with the long standing disorder evident throughout the novel. Ever since Ethan's death disorder and depression have crippled Macon. As he is searching for hope and to start a new family and restore happiness to his life. He brings a very morbid outlook on life. He sees no joy and only seeks salvation from what has become a nightmare of a life. Macon sees the corruptness and evil that hold together and yet tears apart society. He sees such evil and this only adds to the theme of depression and death as it shows how little society cares about the people that make it up.
Key passage 8 Cody Smith
ReplyDelete"I don't...close up"
This passage shows us the bleak outlook that Macon has on life mainly due to the several adversities he is forced to over come such as a divorce and lose of a child. Furthermore, it also shows us that he does not like to go out in public which only adds to the division between him and Sarah. This division only grows throughout the novel until it culminates soon after his sons death. It seems like a never ending cycle of death, depression and abandonment haunt Macon. He tries so desperately to get out of this slump and start a new family to move past his previous adversity and as it comes as no surprise he finds adversity to overcome in that too.
5) *Page 59* This passage is very important because it reveals to us the foundation of Macon's character. We see the details of his childhood. He was raised by a very unstable and irresponsible mother. Her kids did not peak the top of her priority list, not by a long shot. This weak and unstable home life makes perfect sense when analyzing the characters current state. Macon's sister has become a wonderful motherly figure in spite of her upbringing. You can see how her brothers treat her as the mother they were deprived of. Macon relies heavily on a structured schedule due to a lack of structure as a child. The consistent marital failures of Macon and his siblings are directly related to their poor upbringing.
ReplyDeleteKey Passage 9 Cody Smith
ReplyDelete"He was...hugged him"
In this passage we learn the exact details of Ethan's tragic death. We also learn of Macon's insatiable quest to control his own life. We learn that he was shot in cold blood and this leads to his distrust of society and builds upon his never wanting to go out in public. Overall, this turns out to be the final straw in his marriage among other things as his life seriously goes wrong and he never quite achieves his everlasting goal of control and a perfect and happy family restored. This passage is a major turning point it the story as many mysteries are solved by the reader along with possible consoling with Macon as it is now out in the open. The struggle and adversity he had to conquer and never truly did lead to his downfall overall in every aspect of his life.
Megan Bollenbach
ReplyDeleteKey Passage #1
“Macon wore…you and your systems!” (Chap 1 pgs 1-6) In this passage of the novel, Macon and Sarah are driving home from the beach in a rain storm. This passage holds significance because it immediately provides the reader with a sense of the characters’ personalities. Right away, Anne Tyler sets Sarah and Macon apart. Tyler describes that Macon is dressed neatly in a suit as he returns from the beach while Sarah is appropriately dressed for a beach vacation. Macon’s suit is not appropriate for the occasion and emphasizes that Macon is a more reserved character than his partner. Tyler’s physical descriptions of the two characters suggest the type of people they are. Macon was described as pale with thin skin that easily burns. Because of this, Macon always avoids the warmth of the sun while Sarah basked in it and worked on her tan. Through these descriptions, the reader realizes that Sarah is the type of character that takes life as it comes while Macon lives his entire life according to set schedules that he refers to as “systems.” It almost seems that going on with everyday life is a chore for Macon and that is beginning to tire Sarah out. I predict that this behavior reveals something deeper about Macon, that perhaps he is battling with his own thoughts and uses these “systems” as a means of distraction.
Key Passage 10 Cody Smith
ReplyDelete"In the morning... To travel"
This passage is by far the most intriguing to me as it seems that the incredibly indecisive and never in control man Macon has made a decision. Here he decides to go back to try and rekindle with Muriel. Likely, the only reason a decision was made was because he now knows what he wants in life, to be happy and gain control of his life. This passage is almost like a resolution in that Macon has now overcome adversity and determined his new path after tragedy. Overall, this is the most important part of the novel as the main conflict of Macon bring lost in life is finally coming to an end. We see a side of him that is decisive and finally in control. He knows what it is he wants in life and now knows how to attain the goal. He made peace with his horrifying history and now can now end his search for control.
Chapter 2-Page 16
ReplyDelete"He had always disapproved...gone to bed."
At this point in the story Macon is showing how he misses small things about his wife.One of the things he misses is the messes she would leave around. This is a huge thing because Macon is a man that requires organization. He has a specific system so there won't be any form of chaos. His wife, Sarah, was the form of chaos in his life that he was used to picking up after. Now without having to clean up after her he feels a sense of emptiness in the house. This shows that he did care about his wife and misses her deeply. He misses her presence in all of its forms. Even though he would give off a demeanor of annoyance to the messes she created her associated them with her personality. Now that the messes are gone he can truly feel her absence.
Chapter 3-Page 30
Delete"Although he felt...stranger come."
In this section Macon just got off of the phone with Sarah. He sees that his wife isn't the same person he was with before. From the loss of their son she went into a form of hysteria. Instead of being her regular put together self she is now talking of killing the person that shot their son. The way that she's talking tells that she now holds a large amount of anger and is channeling it into these violent thoughts. Macon tries to calm her but it instead backfires and turns into an attack on him. Sarah then explains her hatred for how he needs order. She mocks him and makes it seem like he doesn't even care for the fact that their son is dead. After her angry outburst Macon now wonders who he is letting into his house.
Megan Bollenbach
ReplyDeleteKey Passage #2
“In September…out of practice.” (Chap 4 pgs 55-56) In this passage of the novel, Macon decides to alter his “system.” This passage is significant because it indirectly emphasizes Macon’s internal conflict for the reader. The simple details of this passage show that Macon is unable to accept the changes that he is noticing in himself. He decided to change his routine by dressing differently and immediately blames the absence of his routine for his poor posture and even goes as far as blaming the shoes he is wearing for his resemblance to a patient in a mental hospital. It is evident in this passage that Macon is highly concerned with his self-image. Macon contemplates buying sneakers, but quickly tosses the idea aside because he would hate to be mistaken for a jogger. This is important because Macon is clearly struggling with what he is feeling. I believe he is unable to accept that he is suffering the loss of his wife and would much rather blame the absence of his “system,” which Sarah used to criticize. In a way, Macon’s ego is prohibiting him from coming to terms with his emotions after losing Sarah. It is much easier for him to place the blame elsewhere than to admit he is hurting. It is because of this behavior that I predict he will become desperate to find love much like he described when providing the reader with details of when he met Sarah. Macon also hinted that, with Sarah, he needs to keep a sense of dignity, which leads me to believe that he will begin to search for love elsewhere.
Megan Bollenbach
ReplyDeleteKey Passage #3
“In the portrait…own empty hands.” (Chap 5 pgs 80-81) In this passage of the novel, Macon realizes that him, as well as his siblings, are sitting in the same way that they were in the portrait on the wall. This is significant because this chapter gives the reader a sense of Macon’s childhood through flashback. The portrait that is hanging on the wall showed the Leary children, who appeared stone-cold, all arranged in an arm chair. Macon’s connection between his past and his present causes him to almost panic. Up until this point, Macon has been presented as an emotionless and dry character. The thought that he has remained the same between the time of the portrait and the present scares him. When Macon looks down at his empty hands, this is symbolic of all that he has lost throughout his life. Not only did he lose his cards, but he has lost so much more than that. When Macon was a child, he lost his mother and has now lost his son and wife. His loss in the card game represents that Macon is always left empty-handed, lacking what he desires most. Earlier in the chapter when Tyler is describing the portrait of the Leary children, She described, “Macon had the indrawn tenseness of someone placed in a physically close situation he wasn’t accustomed to.” This holds true for Macon because his injury has placed him back home with his siblings and without his wife. After twenty years of marriage, Macon surely is not used to his current situation and while many people fear change, Macon ironically fears that he will stay the same.
#1 “Macon wore… every day.” – p.1
ReplyDeleteThis passage introduces the characters of Macon and Sarah Leary. They are shown to be very different in this passage. Macon is shown to be a tall pale man who always wears a suit. He is also said to avoid the sun because of his fair skin. Sarah is shown wearing a strapless dress and she has a tan. Although these are merely physical differences, they represent much bigger differences. There are many more that are discussed later in the story. This passage just introduces basic differences that show the reader how much contrast their marriage has. These differences end up tearing their marriage apart. This passage, in a very basic way, sets up the entire plot of the novel.
#2 “I’ve got… a system.” – p.4
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Macon and Sarah are arguing about comfort. Sarah expresses to Macon that she wishes he would comfort her. She uses the example of driving through the heavy rainstorm that makes her nervous. She wishes that Macon would pull over and wait the storm out so that she would feel safer. However, Macon does not want to do this. He is too obsessed with his routines and his specific “system” he has for driving. This once again highlights some of their differences. In fact, this argument leads to Sarah saying she wants a divorce. The passage also highlights Macon’s need for planned out routines and regular habits. This is a recurring theme throughout the novel. Macon always has everything planned out and he does everything by a system.
#3 “While armchair… staying put.” – p.81
ReplyDeleteThis passage is a quote from the character Julian, Macon’s publisher. This is a flashback to when Macon was first getting into travel guide writing. Julian said that his design, a picture of an armchair with wings, would become Macon’s logo as a travel guide writer. Julian says that this logo represents Macon. It shows his view on travelling. Ironically, Macon does not like to travel despite becoming a travel guide writer. The armchair with wings represents Macon because he travels even though he wants to stay in place. Armchair travelers are people who sit at home and dream of seeing the world. Traveling armchairs would be the opposite, someone who travels who doesn’t want to at all. Macon becomes a traveling armchair.
#4 “And he’d been Ethan’s.” – p.85
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, the reader finds out why Macon would not get rid of Edward. Edward serves as a strong reminder to Macon of Ethan. In fact, in Macon’s mind, Edward almost took the place of Ethan. The reader discovers that Ethan and Edward were very similar and they loved each other. Edward is all that Macon has left of Ethan so there is no way he will get rid of him. Also, this may be the reason why Macon was so reluctant to have Edward trained, even when his behavior got bad. He wanted to be the father and raise Edward on his own almost in place of Ethan. At the same time, this could be the reason why Macon has Edward trained. He wants Edward to have the best life possible. Since he couldn’t provide it for Ethan, he is now focused on Edward.
#5 “And when... few seconds.” – p.91
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Muriel is training Edward. Edward has become increasingly rambunctious. It seems like he was becoming crazier as Macon’s life got more and more messed up. It comes to the point where Macon actually ends up calling Muriel to train him. When Muriel comes to train Edward, everything in Macon’s life slowly begins to fall into place. It is as if his life was a jigsaw puzzle and Muriel was the last missing piece. Now his dog will be obedient. Also, Macon is making a new friend that will end up becoming something much more than a friend. Overall, his life begins to calm down when Muriel comes. Muriel ends up bringing Macon’s life back to normal and then improving it.
#6 “We wonder… him behind.” – p.168
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Macon’s niece, Susan, talks about Ethan. This is the first time we really hear about Ethan. He was obviously mentioned before, but he was never thoroughly discussed. In this passage, Susan brings him up and begins to talk about him. She remembers what it was like when he was around and she expresses that she, along with her siblings, miss Ethan a lot. This dialogue is very important for Macon. He can now understand that he is not alone. Earlier in the story, Sarah felt that she was alone in the loss of Ethan, and when she left, so did Macon. However, now that he is hearing this from his niece, Ethan’s cousin, he can finally understand that he isn’t the only one who suffered a loss. This now allows Macon to be even more understanding of his own current life situation.
#7 “I lost… to me.” - p.189
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Macon finally opens up to someone. Seemingly for the first time since his son died, he actually expresses his real feeling for what was happening in his life. Ironically enough, while on his way to decline an invitation from Muriel, he begins to tell her the struggles in his life. He describes how hard Ethan’s death was on his marriage. Also he explains how now that Ethan has been dead for over a year, it all seems real. He expresses that his son’s death is the reason he is the way he is. It is the reason that he shuts everyone out and lost all of his friends. It is also the reason why he wanted to decline Muriel’s invitation to dinner with her and Alexander. This expression of sorrow is the first time Macon has told anyone his grief and he is lucky to be able to explain it to Muriel. She is very understanding of the entire situation and is able to comfort him.
#8 “Look at… the thought.” – p. 197
ReplyDeleteThis passage is the first glimpse we get of Macon in a fatherly role. In this passage, Macon is teaching Alexander how to fix the leaky faucet at Muriel’s house. He helps Alexander out and Alexander fixes it. This makes Macon somewhat proud of him which is similar to his feelings of his son. He always wanted Ethan to be good at what he did and now that he is with Muriel, he is trying to act the same way towards Alexander. This makes Macon into somewhat of a father figure for Alexander. This role gets strengthened later in the story as well. However, this is really the first time we actually see Macon do something fatherly. This shows that Macon has been able to move on a little bit. Now he is able to spend time with Alexander and even act as a father figure to him.
#9 “Just as… of course.” – p. 249
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Alexander is getting teased by some of the other kids on his way to school. Macon just happens to be in the area walking Edward while this is going on. Macon noticed that Alexander was crying and went to him to console him. This shows Macon take on a fatherly-role once again. This is the first connection he has had to a child since his son died. When Alexander takes Macon’s hand shows that Macon once again has a fatherly bond with someone. He originally did not really want to get involved with Alexander because the situation reminded him too much of his son. But when he helps Alexander, he finally feels better about his son. He can now finally live without that burden. He now feels freer because he can finally put his son’s death behind him.
#10 “They were… were confetti.” – p.329
ReplyDeleteThis passage is talking about Muriel’s smile when Macon finds her in Paris after leaving Sarah. This is the last sentence of the entire novel. It is a happy ending for Macon because he is finally living life again. Macon’s decision to go back to Muriel was made when in the hotel with Sarah. When Macon decided to not take his sleeping pill, it marked another big change in his life: leaving Sarah for Muriel. The sleeping pill acts as a medium for foreshadowing. Taking sleeping pill in this passage represents staying with Sarah and continuing his tedious, routine-based life. Not taking the pill represents leaving Sarah and going back to Muriel, which would involve changing his repetitive habits. By not taking the pill, he decides that he no longer wants to be with Sarah and that he wants to be with Muriel. This sets up the ending perfectly for Macon to see Muriel and finally be happy.
Chapter Four-Page 53
ReplyDelete"But the fact...like a snail."
In this passage Macon decides to accept an invitation to Sue Carney's house. Upon visiting Macon immediately felt out of place. The whole experience at her house made him feel uncomfortable and shows that he isn't one for human interaction. He never really found enjoyment in other people's children and would avoid going to social events. Now that he isn't forced to go to social events by Sarah he finds simply having dinner at Sue Carney's to be depressing. From the loss of his wife and son he began to cut off human interaction even more. Macon was never a people person but in this chapter it can be seen that he would rather isolate himself then interact with others.
Chapter Four-Page 56
Delete"Don't you miss...the room."
This quote is something Sarah wrote to Macon in the letters they exchanged during college. From the moment she showed interest in him Macon gained a mysterious persona. He believed that he needed to keep this type of personality to keep Sarah's attention. He believed that once he shows complete interest in her their relationship would fall apart. On the other side of this Sarah is hurting because she actually wants Macon to show her his true self. She wants him to drop the mysterious act and say how he really feels about her. So instead of Macon preventing issues he was building future ones in the relationship. This quote shows Macon's insecurity and Sarah's vague wants.
Megan Bollenbach
ReplyDeleteKey Passage #4
“He would have to…someone to help him.” (Chap 8 pgs 143-144) In this passage, Macon is leaving the restaurant after Sarah walked out on him. This passage is significant because here, the reader gets a sense of Macon’s confusion. In a way, by the end of this chapter, Macon has ultimately surrendered. While talking with Sarah, Macon continuously adds sarcastic remarks to the conversation that proved Sarah’s point, but he never realized it until he had already said it and it was too late. One example of this is when Sarah said, “He’s an attorney” and Macon replied, “I guess you must mean a lawyer.” Despite the amount of time in between Sarah’s remark and Macon’s response, Macon still could not stop himself from correcting Sarah. When the waitress finally brought Macon his crutches, he could not help but feel like everyone in the restaurant was staring at him as if his foolishness was radiating off of him like an aura. He was so distracted by this thought that he did not even realize that the crutches were too small for him and belonged to someone else. Macon’s reaction when this was brought to his attention is significant because he, surprisingly, hung his head and waited for help. This surrender from Macon is significant because we are seeing a drastic change in him as a character. Macon even realizes the change in himself because he realizes he normally would have caused a huge scene after such a mistake has been made. Macon had prided himself on the fact that he was alright and especially tried to prove so to Sarah. At the end of this passage, he is finally admitting defeat for the first time.