Is Claire's and Dylan's relationship healthy?

Right from the beginning to the very end of the book, it's very evident that Claire is not happy by being in a relationship with Daryl. She's always complaining about him coming home late and just the way she talked about him, it gave me the impression that she doesn't really know why shes in this relationship. There doesn't seem to be any love between them. It seems like they hardly talk-- it doesn't even seem like he's content with her because he's always going out to strip clubs to get lap dances. Claire is not happy that he gets lap dances but she also never brings it up with him. Why is she staying in this relationship with him? It seems like there are more negatives than there are positives. There must be an important reason as to why she's with him. Do you think she really loves him or do you think that shes just with him because shes scared she wont find anyone else? Does he love her? If he does then why does he go out to strip clubs when he has a girlfriend?

Did Michael Deane have the right to lie to Dee about her having cancer?

Ok, so i get it. Michael Deane didn't want Dee to be in the movie so he sent her off to a remote fishing island. He told the doctor to lie to her and tell her that she had stomach cancer and that she had to go to Switzerland so that she can get cured. It scared Dee so much and although she got to meet Pasquale, it was a complete waste of time for her and caused unnecessary stress that she could have easily avoided. If Michael had just been straight up and told her that he didn't want her to be in the movie, wouldn't you think that this would have been a better option for both of them. For Michael, because he didn't have to feel guilty and for Dee so she could have spent that time doing something that she liked.

What does this say about Michael's character? It seems to me that he really doesn't respect anyone else's opinion except for himself. Was it fair what he did? How would you respond/take this if you were in Dee's position? Or do you support Michael and sympathize with him because you think that this was the best choice?

Thoughts on Dee Moray and Pasquale's relationship

During Dee's stay in Italy with Pasquale, they get to know each other really well. In the beginning, Pasquale was interested in Dee simply because she was an american and she looked beautiful. I knew that because this is a fictitious book, they would end up falling in love. But the fact that this book started out talking about Dee's arrival to Italy, and how Pasquale was attracted to her in the beginning just by her looks gave me the impression that this may work out in the book, but in real life, it doesn't usually happen this way.

As I kept reading, my impressions changed. "The man didn't come that day, either. And as much as he wanted to keep Dee Moray for himself, Pasquale began to get angry. What kind of man sent a sick woman to a remote fishing village and then left her there? He thought of going to La Spezia and using a phone to call the Grand Hotel, but he wanted to look this bastard in his cold eye (Walter 110)" The fact that even though he loved spending time with Dee, it got him really worked up that nobody came to get her so that she could see the doctor. Throughout the book, the love between them started to actually have a healthy basis and this was something that I didn't expect but was happy about because it made it more relatable and less fictitious.

Are Unexpected things Better?

In the book there are beautiful places/thing that are "undiscovered"(not many people know of about them).This includes the pillbox bunker paintings, Lydia's play, and Porto Vergogna. All of these things were found in an unexpected places; the play in a local theater in Sandpoint Idaho, the paintings hidden in the pillbox, and Porto Vergogna a small town in Italy.

"This wasn't what Claire was expecting(comunity theater? in Idaho) when they arrived in Sandpoint, a funky Old West ski town on the shores of this huge mountain lake. With no time to check into their hotel, the investigator took them strait to the Panida Theater, its lovely vertical descending sign marking a quaint store front in the small L-shaped downtown, classic old box opening into a Deco theater-too big for this small, personal play, but an impressive room nonetheless,"(Walter 295)

Claire is enamored by Lydia's play and the venue in Sandpoint. I think part of the reason for this is because she didn't expect much and the surprise also added to her excitement.

"At first, it seemed like the saddest thing to me," she said, "that no one would ever see these paintings. But then I got to thinking: What if you tried to take this wall and put it in a Gallery somewhere? I would simply be five faded paintings in a Gallery. And that's when I realized perhaps they're only remarkable because they are here."(Walter 273)

Dee explains that the paintings were so beautiful because of  the setting that surrounded them. To me there is something so cool about journeying into the woods to find a hiding place with unknown paintings. It reminds me of my  childhood dreams of discovering buried treasure in my backyard.That's why I think people like  unexpected surprises; they are surreal, like dreams.

We Love Who We Love

After watching the Front Man, Claire found herself thinking about her relationship with Daryl. Throughout the entire story she had complained about how he was hopeless and never even attempted to make their relationship work. "Claire, too, finds herself drawn inward by what she's just seen. Earlier, she told Shane that her relationship with Daryl was "hopeless." Now she realizes that throughout the play she was thinking of Daryl, hopeless, irredeemable Daryl, the boyfriend she can't seem to let go of. Maybe all love is hopeless. Maybe Michael Deane's rule is wiser than he knows: We want what we want- we love who we love." (Walter 298). Claire thought about it, and came up with the conclusion that her and Daryl shared something more, and this was different from her past relationships. I believe that the way Pat came home to find Lydia, and how their journey wasn't easy but they made it work, had a strong impact of Claire. You can't change the way you truly feel, and that is what Claire discovered from this play. I think she was also waiting and expecting Daryl to be the "perfect boyfriend", and although that wasn't happening, I think Claire was ignoring all the little gestures he did to show her he loved her. 

This play not only had an effect on Claire, but on Shane as well. After the play he felt the need to reach out and apologize to his x-wife, for acting the way he had and not being there for her. Although it was too late fro him, there was still something in the play that gave him pushed him to do so. What was it about Lydia's play, and essentially Pat's life, that had such a strong impact on both Claire and Shane, to reach out to their loved ones, and change their views on their relationships? 

The odd relationship of Dee and Alvis

I thought it was kind of weird that Dee and Alvis got married. The book paints Alvis as a damaged man who is trying to make sense of all that he has seen in War and later in the book we discover he is an alcoholic. Dee chooses men who are not good for her. First Richard and then Alvis. She should have been a little more careful, especially because Pat was so young and needed stability. I don't think that Alvis treated her as bad as Richard, but he is an emotional mess. The book implies that Dee constantly has to clean up Alvis and his drinking problem.
"It was how she felt now, the sight of Alvis-even Drunk Dr. Alvis, his lecturing alter ego-enough to break her up. She carefully dabbed her eyes,"(Walter 264)

Dee has many problems of her own to deal with and it is too much for her to have to look after another man, especially one she may not love.

"She felt better, but she was still puzzled about why Ron had angered her so much. Was it just because he was a horny prick? Or was there something familiar and cutting in what he's said-the love of your lofe? Maybe not. But it didn't have to be like that did it?"(Walter 268)

Maybe Dee gets swept up by certain men and loses her rationality. I think Dee is a good person, but(at least when she was younger) she didn't value her own long-term happiness enough. Why do you think Dee married Alvis?

Paintings on the Pillbox

On the small, nearly deserted village of Porto Vergogna, there was a pillbox bunker where soldiers would hide out during he war, these may have been very common, but this one was unique. Pasquel discovered this pillbox bunker along with the paintings on the walls inside of it. The paintings inside the pillbox consisted of a seascape of the view around him, two paintings of two different German soldiers, and two identical paintings of a single girl. Pasquel and Dee Moray studied the paintings for quite a while and decided that the soldier who painted these must be in love with the girl. 

Dee seemed to be very concerned that the soldier made it home safely to the girl he loved. Pasquel later found Dee hiding out in the pillbox, and they ended up discussing the relationship of the soldier and the girl again. Why was this so important to Dee? Did she feel like she could relate to the relationship these two people might have had, assuming Pasquel's and Dee's inferences about them were true. 

As we continue to read, we find that the soldier was not longing to come home safely to the girl he was presumably in love with, but instead to his piano instructor. The one man he shared more than a friendship with, who he thought about every night before he fell asleep. "After the first swing, it is done: the painter will not make it home to Germany, to his piano instructor or his sister- killed anyway, a week ago, in a fire at the munitions plant where she worked, his spoiled sister whose photograph he carried to war and whose portrait he painted twice on the wall of a pillbox bunker on the Italian coast." (Walter 328). The girl in the paintings ended up to be his sister, and if Dee knew that I believe she would have felt a much different connection to the painting than she did when she thought it was the woman the painter loved. However, I am still unsure why Dee was so infatuated with the painting and the love story she connected it with. 

Was it destiny for Pasquale and Dee to meet or... was it coincidence?

When Jess Walter describes the place, Porto Vergogna, which is where the story first takes place, it gives the reader the image that its a remote place that's in the middle of nowhere, at least that's how i interpreted it. After Dee arrives to this place in Italy and she tells Pasquale that she has cancer, Pasquale gets very worried because he could see how bad her health was getting. His cousin, Gualfredo, teases Pasquale about how he is crushing on this "American"and is very condescending about how he is going to save her from this illness in a place like Porto Vergogna.

Pasquale feels the need to prove to him that they do have doctors around and so he calls one of the doctors to come and check up on Dee. "'I don't know what she has. Certainly there is a family history of cancer. And maybe American doctors have tests that haven't reached us. Im just telling you that I couldn't determine that someone has cancer based on those symptoms.'(Walter 70). The doctor thinks that Dee is pregnant yet her symptoms, even if they are very similar to pregnancy, are on a much different level and are much more severe than the symptoms of pregnancy.

It couldn't have been by accident that she arrived at Porto Vergogna. Why did she arrive to this remote place? Was it destiny for Pasquale and Dee to meet and fall in love? They even spoke two completely different languages...I mean, Pasquale could barely understand Dee's English! How did they get along so well and then eventually fall in love?

Why does Pasquale really fall in love with Dee?

When I had just started reading the book, one thing that really bothered me was when Dee and Pasquale were talking about the sickness that Dee had. "She touched her belly. 'you know the word cancer?' 'yes.' unfortunately, he did know this word. Cancro in Italian. He stared at his burning cigarette. 'is fine, no? the doctors. they can...' 'i don't think so,' she answered. 'its a very bad kind. they say they can, but i think they're trying to soften the blow for me. I wanted to tell you to explain that i might seem...frank. do know this word, frank?'(walter 56)"

I think its a little ironic and strange that she says she has cancer and she says it's really bad but then she is smoking cigarettes as she is saying this. Normally if one is sick, they stay away from things that could further worsen their health. This passage/conversation between Dee and Pasquale really struck me as important throughout the whole book. It is one of the first real conversations that they have and the reader can foresee that they are going to fall in love because of the way Pasquale looks at her and listens to her as she talks about herself and her illness.

It's interesting that  Dee was first introduced into the book as "the dying actress." As her boat was coming to Porto Vergogna, Pasquale thought that the actress was beautiful and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her but shortly after she got off the boat and was walking to the hotel, he was told that she was very sick. Just as Orenzio, his friend, had told him that she was sick, Pasquale started to notice that she was really skinny and that she didn't look healthy.

Does this have any importance to the reason why he fell in love with her? I mean before this he really didn't even know about her. Is the real/primary reason that Pasquale fell so hard in love with Dee, in the beginning, because he felt bad that she had cancer?

Finishing the Stories- Maria

One aspect of “Beautiful Ruins” that I really enjoyed was how each characters story was left so open ended throughout the book. The way it was not told in chronological order allowed the reader to remain intrigued about how everything would turn out. However, I did feel as though some of the characters mentioned in the book were not completely necessary. Characters such as Ron and Umi, were minor characters to the overall story, even though they may have played major roles in some of the main characters lives.

We really were only given glimpses of their lives and did not get to hear their whole stories. I really liked how Walter chose to give the reader a brief overview of what ended up happening to those characters lives at the end of the book. It gave the reader closure, and a better idea of why he chose to include those characters.

Nevertheless, I still had questions about some of the characters, one being Maria. Maria strongly impacted Alvis, mainly because of the way she comforted him one night during the war. “Alvis began slowly, telling her in Italian how he’d been stationed in Italy during the war, how he’s met her on a deserted road and walked her home one night, how on the day he met her he’d reached a point where he didn’t care of he lived or died, but after meeting her he had cared again.” (Walter 230).  I can understand how Alvis would feel grateful for the way she comforted him and was there for him when he needed someone in the war, but how did their two small encounters change the way he thought about life?

Maria felt it as well, but chose not to say anything, yet she truly cared for Alvis, the way he cared for her. “And in that flash, the two moments they’ve shared are perfect, and she loves him more than any man she’s ever known- which is maybe why she pretended not to know him, to not ruin it, to save him the embarrassment of having cried.” (Walter 326). How could they both gain so much from those two instances, and have it impact their individual lives the way it did?

Significance of title

The title Beautiful Ruins is a paradox. The word ruins has a depressed connotation, while the word beautiful has a more joyful connotation.Throughout the book there are instances that allude to the meaning of title. The art in the pillbox bunker that remained in Porto Verogna is one example. Among all the tragedies of World War II these beautiful paintings were created. The story Alvis wrote could also refer to the title. It was a sad, yet moving story that reveals the mental strain that War puts on soldiers and others involved. Violence, inhumane conditions, and death changes a person. However this beautiful story came out of all this pain and made an big impact on Dee.
"The book...is good yes?" Pasquale's mother had never liked Alvis Bender as much as Pasquale and his father did. If the man was such a brilliant writer, she said, why had he only written one chapter in eight years?
'It's sad,' Dee said, and she put her hand on her chest. Pasquale couldn't look away from those lovely fingers splayed out over the tops of Dee Moray's breasts.
'Oh, no, it's very good,' she said. 'It has a kind hopelessness that made me feel less alone in my own hopelessness,"(Walter 106)
 In these cases art was created from deep pain and emotions. Do you think this beauty is worth it, if  it had to come from so much pain? What do you think Beautiful Ruins refers to?

Cleopatra vs. Hookbook

This novel chronicles the making of a movie during the 1960s and also the production of TV shows and movies in the present day.  The author, Jess Walter, places a huge amount of emphasis on the deviation that has occurred since the 1960s showing how the quality of movie/TV has steadily declined with time.  

""Michael. Tell me. What do you know about Cleopatra?"

Stupid question. Every last person in town knew every last thing about that film.  Mostly how it was eating Fox alive... After sixteen months of production and seven million bucks he had less than six feet of usable films... Not after two years of production and twenty million already down the shitter and God knows how much more while poor tight Skouros rode that goddamn thing all the way down hoping against hope that what showed up on-screen was the greatest goddamned move spectacle ever made" (Walter 241-242). 

This long passage details the many trials and tribulations that occurred during the making of the 1963 film, Cleopatra.  There were so many issues with weather, and illness, and running out of money, yet the film was still made.  Even though it may have not produced a huge profit, it provided viewing pleasure for movie-goers which was what used to be the most important thing.  The people working on the film were very committed to making it, and even though it took a lot of effort, they got it done because they were determined and passionate about it.

"She can still hear the pitch: It's called Hookbook.  It's like a video Facebook for hookups.  Anyone who posts a video on the site is also auditioning for our TV show.  We snatch up the best-looking, horniest people, film their dates, and follow the whole thing: hookups, breakups, weddings.  Best of all, it casts itself.  We don't pay anyone a cent!" (Walter 27).

This passage describes a series made recently by Michael Deane productions.  Hookbook, as this pitch entails is self-cast, and requires very little effort on the production company's part.  All they have to do is record everything and edit it down to TV show length.  The large population of people who enjoy watching mindless TV will surely tune into this show and the production company will earn lots of money from it.  Hookbook is the complete opposite of Cleopatra.  It is not well-thought-out and very minimal time and effort goes into its production.  It is obvious that the production company is only trying to make money.  They are not extremely passionate about the subject of Hookbook, nor are they willing to put forth a lot of effort to make a quality TV show.

I think that Jess Walter is trying to make a statement about the laziness that has encompassed modern-day society by contrasting today's quality of film production with film production 50 years ago.  It says a lot about our culture that such an unimaginative reality show like this can be produced nowadays with so little passion and effort behind it.

What if the only way to save the ones you love . . . is to leave them behind?

As the reader gets a glimpse of the Donner Party, we get to see yet another groups of characters facing challenges and attempting to overcome them. In this particular passage we follow the story of William Eddy, and we soon discover what a selfless, courageous man he was. He had risked his life and done everything possible to save his family and loved ones. Although it wasn’t easy for him to leave his family and try to get help, he knew there was no other way. “What if the only way to save the ones you love … is to leave them behind?” (Walter 126).

William did not want to leave his family in these dangerous conditions, but he knew the only chance they would have to be safe again would be for him to sacrifice his life and search for help. This idea of leaving your loved ones comes into play throughout Pasquel’s life as well. Not only does he leave his son, but he also leave Dee Moray. I understand his reasoning for leaving his son, and although I do not agree with it, I understand where he is coming from. He did not believe that Amedea’s family would approve of him as a father, nor would he be able to take care of her. However, he did make up for his mistake later on in his life.

However, I am unsure why Pasquel left Dee that day in Italy. He knew he was in love with her, and he knew that she felt something too. The way she told him they would talk about what would happen next, gave him hope that there was something more between them, however, he got on the boat and never even looked back to say goodbye. Why did Pasquel do this?

To be big. To matter.

All of Dee Moray’s life it seemed she had wanted to be an actress, and she worked hard to do so as well. Although it wasn’t always the easiest profession, she stuck with it, and faced many struggles and obstacles along the way. I believe it is safe to say that she wouldn’t have continued overcoming these challenges if she didn’t enjoy what she did.

Her son Pat, also had the knack for performing, and again, it was not the most profitable career choice he could’ve made. However, it generally made him happy, and he was willing to forgo a lavish lifestyle, to do what he loved.

His relationship with Dee was very complicated; he had a difficult childhood, and he found that music was something he truly enjoyed and could express himself with. Dee understood that, as she came across one of his songs written about never knowing his father.

Through entertaining, both Dee and Pat sought to make something of themselves, and to be known. “On the train Pat kept thinking about Edinburgh, about all those desperate entertainers giving out handbills in the streets, about the buskers and spires and churches and castles and cliffs, the scramble to get higher, to be seen, the cycle of creation and rebellion, everyone assuming they were saying something new, or doing something new, something profound- when the truth was that it had all been done a million billion times. It was all he’d ever wanted. To be big. To matter.” (Walter 169). However, throughout the book it seemed as though Dee didn’t quite approve of Pat’s lifestyle. Although he had made mistakes along the way, he was ultimately trying to accomplish the same goal his mother was, so why was she rarely supportive of his dream?

The Past

As I was nearing the end of the book I noticed that pretty much all of the characters felt like they were destined for greatness or for some higher purpose. Claire wanted to make a meaningful movie, Pat wanted to be a well-known musician, Shane wanted to be a famous writer, Dee longed to go back to acting days, and Pasquale wants to build his quaint family business into famous and fancy resort for Americans. Many of the characters were not happy with the way their life was turning out. I think it is because they all were stuck in the past( kind of like No Exit). They could not move on and try to do something fulfilling  because they were fixated on what could have been.

" All we have is the story we tell. Everything we do, every decision we make, our strength, weakness motivation, history, and character-what we believe- none of it is real; it part of the story we tell. But here's the thing:it's our goddamned story!" (Walter 266)

Obviously the past is  important and there are things that you can't control(like the actions of others), but people should still make  the best out of their situation. I think life is some kind of combination of destiny and choice. People have a general path, but they chose how to travel it. In other words certain events are fated, but not a person's actions. I believe the interaction between Pasquale and Dee was fated,  but their response to the situation was not.

"I was living in dreams when I met you. And when I met the man you loved I saw my own weakness in him. Such irony how could I be a man worthy of your love when I had walked away from my own child? That is why I went back. And ontwas the best thing I ever did. She understands: she began teaching als a kind of self- sacrafice, subversief her own desires and ambitions for the ambitions of her studentes. But then you find there is more and that it really  does lessen the loneliness,"(Walter 315).

 Dee and Pasquale both took hold their lives  and made the most out of their situations and ended up happier for it.  How important do you think the past is in shaping who a person becomes? 

We Want What We Want

"For me it was when I understood what separated me from other people.  A thing I'd always been able to see but never entirely understood.  Divination of true nature.  Of motivation.  Of desirous hearts. I saw the whole world in a flash and I recognized it at once: 

We want what we want.

Dick wanted Liz. Lick wanted Dick. And we want car wrecks.  We say we don't.  But we love them.  To look is to love.  A thousand people drive past the statue of David.  Two hundred look.  A thousand people drive past a car wreck. A thousand look" (Walter 244-245).

Michael Deane has a grand epiphany when he comes to the conclusion that "We want what we want".  Before deciding if I agreed with him or not, I needed to think about what this simple phrase means.  At first glance it seems very obvious that we do indeed want what we want.  I think Michael Deane means more by saying this however.  He means that even though much of what we want are things that we really should not be wanting (ex: car accidents), we still want them.  

Humans are inherently curious creatures.  There is something very mysterious about the unknown that people are drawn to.  Personally, I would not go as far as saying that I want car wrecks, and I especially do not want anyone getting injured or killed in a car wreck, however I can see where he is coming from by saying this.  There is an element of mystery when you drive by a car wreck and the natural curiosity of human's takes over when everyone turns their head to see what is going on.

Michael uses this newly-discovered idea to help him progress forwarding in the business of making movies.  This concept helps him to realize that he can only change what he has the ability to change, and other things (like two people who love/want each other) he cannot change nor should he try to.

After further analysis, I agree with Michael when he says "We want what we want".  When you break down a human and look at them in their most raw form, it comes down to their innate desires.  There is no way to remove these desires, and the way Michael Deane simplifies this idea is very accurate.

Do you interpret this quote differently? Do you agree or disagree?

Relationships and their Lack of Importance

A common theme that I noticed throughout the novel is the way that marriage is taken so lightly. There are many, many affairs that occur (mostly involving Hollywood actors/actresses), but I think it goes further than that.  I feel that the sacredness that comes to mind when I think of marriage is nonexistent in this novel.

"But now, in an empty theater, she moved his hand.  "Ron. I'm married now."
"So when I'm married it's okay.  But your relationships are, what... sacred?"
"No. We're just... older now.  We should be smarter, right?"" (Walter 259).

This conversation took place between Dee and Ron- a man who is clearly very attracted to Dee, and has a history with her- but Dee is married.  It struck me when I read this that Dee responded "no" when he asked her if marriages were sacred.  In this chapter, Ron continuously flirts excessively with Dee knowing she is married, and I think this dialogue is the quintessence of the diminishing value placed on relationships in this novel and in real life.

In today's world- especially in Hollywood- it seems like divorce/break-up rates are extremely high.  I think literature and other forms of media may contribute to this by taking away the importance of relationships.

Non-Chronological Writing Technique

A key factor that made this novel so unique was the extreme use of writing in a non-chronological order.   Every time a new chapter began, its setting was different from the previous chapter.  In my opinion, this method of writing was extremely effective for this type of book.   Because there were so many characters, and all of their lives were entangled in some way, the non-chronological order kept me continuously interested in finding out more.

"The Biscayne firing into the intersection just as an old black pickup truck- headlights off, gunned at the last minute by another drunk driver trying to make a late-amber light- streaked in from the left, thundered, then crumpled Alvis's car door, T-boned the Biscayne, and then drove it through the intersection, an endless screech of steel and glass" (Walter 269).

After reading this passage, one would automatically assume that this character, Alvis, is out of the story for good due to his death in a car accident.  The non-chronological writing technique however, allows for Alvis to still be in the book after his death.  The very next chapter actually takes place 5 years before Alvis's death while he is alive and well.  In this specific instance, I found the author's writing technique to be especially effective. This type of writing impacts the readers style of reading greatly.  Knowing that he is going to die in 5 years, the reader feels like they have been let in on some sort of secret that only they are aware of.  It also forces the reader to pay close attention to the details of the person's life to see if maybe there is anything that foreshadows their death.  This technique of writing makes Alvis's untimely death even more difficult to bear because you have to read about how he meets his future wife, while knowing that he only has 5 more years to live.  Overall, I believe the author made an excellent choice in piecing his novel together like this, and I do not believe it would have been as successful had it been written in chronological order.

Claire's choice

In the Chapter 2 Claire gets a job offer from a private film museum and is conflicted over whether or not she should take the job or stay at her current job at Deane Productions.

"Claire sits up . Holy shit. They,re going to offer her the job. Or are they? Talk more? They've already interviewed her twice. What can they possibly need her to talk about? Is this it? Is today the day she quits her dream job?"(Walter 16)

Claire would be a curator at the museum, which she believes would be a better use of her time. This should be a pretty easy decision.   The only problem is she wants to hold out hope that she will help make a a life changing story come to the big screen at her current job. She is currently a chief development assistant for the "legendary" film producer Michael Deane, which was initially her dream job. However the job ended up being listening to odd and ridiculous movie pitches; helping produce movies that weren't necessarily meaningful, but were marketable.

" And so she finds herself here at life's big crossroad: stick it out with this crass career and her unlikely dream of one day making a great film or take the quiet job cataloging relics from a time when film actually mattered?"(Walter 17)

Today many kids entering college or the workforce face are faced with choosing between pursuing what they love and pursuing a more stable career.What would you choose in this situation? Why?

Character Similarities- Michael Deane and Pasquale

"Pasquale felt like he might be sick.  He was trying so hard not to hit Michael Deane again- wondering what kind of man abandons a pregnant woman- when a realization came to him, so obvious that it hit him square in the chest, and he gasped.  He'd never had a thought as physical as this one, like a kick to his gut: Here I am, angry at this man for abandoning a pregnant woman... While my own son is raised believing his mother is his sister.  Pasquale flushed.  He remembered crouching on the machine-gun nest and saying to Dee Moray; It is not always that simple.  But it was.  It was entirely simple.  There was one kind of man who ran from such responsibility.  He and Michael Deane were such men.  He could no more hit this man than he could hit himself.  Pasquale felt the sickness of his own hypocrisy and covered his mouth" (Walter 142).

I have not finished the book yet, but I found this passage to be one of the most interesting that I have read so far. Michael Deane and Pasquale from afar seem like completely different men.   Pasquale seems like the perfect gentleman who is extremely selfless and devoted to keeping his family's dreams alive.  Michael Deane appears to be a stuck-up Hollywood director who is selfish and close-minded. When these two men first meet however, some similarities stood out and intrigued me.

The fact that they both impregnated a women, and then distanced themselves from the woman and their child's life leads me to believe that Pasquale may not be as selfless as I had thought.  Although Pasquale did not force his woman away like Michael Deane did, as far as I can tell neither men made an effort to follow-up and see how their child is doing.  A huge flaw that they both share is fear.  And, instead of overcoming this fear of how a child may impact their life, they pushed this "inconvenience" away so the futures they had had planned for themselves would not be impacted.

Another similarity between these two men is their fascination with Dee- the American actress who was impregnated by Michael Deane and is now staying at Pasquale's hotel in Italy.  Both of them have this obsession with protecting her and keeping her happy that they do not show with other women.  Pasquale shows this by staying close to her and holding her hand while she is experiencing morning sickness, and he also goes out of his way to travel to Rome to find this man who she has been waiting for.  Pasquale also defends Dee when his aunt says derogatory things to her, and he looks for her approval over anyone else's.  Even though he sent her away when he found out she was pregnant with his child, Michael Deane similarly wants to ensure that Dee still cares about him.  He has a doctor give her a fake diagnosis of stomach cancer instead of revealing that she is pregnant which would lead her to believe that Michael Deane actually does have her best interest in mind.  He also makes this clear while taking to Pasquale. "But please... tell her that once she's over her anger, if she remains cooperative, I'll get her all the film work she wants when we get back to the States.  Could you tell her that? She could be a star if she wants to be" (Walter 142).  Michael Deane wants to maintain a positive image of himself in Dee's mind because that is something that is very important to him.

As I said, I am not done with the book yet, but I am interested to read more about these two men in the present day, and look for more similarities between them.  Does anyone have any thoughts on this?