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.
I believe that a big part of the reason marriages and relationships in general are taken so lightly in Hollywood are because of the types of people in Hollywood. Although it may be a very large stereotype, many of the celebrities in Hollywood are self-centered and egotistical. As always, there are exceptions to this stereotype, but in some aspects, it stands true. The Hollywood business thrives on people being in the spot light, and because of this, people are constantly competing for their turn. I would imagine that constantly thinking about how to better yourself and make yourself known at work, you are rarely thinking about other people. As a result of this, it would be possible that this sort of mindset would be carried over to relationships, even outside of Hollywood.
ReplyDeleteFor this reason, Ron may have been in the business long enough to forget that he is not the only person in his life, and he should honor and respect those around him. This could be why it was not a big deal to have an affair with Dee, and why he was baffled when she would't do the same when she was married.
Although this can easily happen outside of Hollywood as well, another stereotype might suggest that outside of Hollywood, people have a more accurate view of themselves and their relationships with the people around them. We can see this idea with Pasquel, and how he respects and cares for everyone around him, the same way, or better, than he does for himself. He would do anything for his mother, Amedea, and now Dee, and would never dare betray them, like Ron would his wife.
I agree with your statement about how relationships seem to be so unimportant in this novel. Not just the idea of marriage, but i also think that relationships are very much put down and also thought of as something that is mundane. For example, if you look at Claire and how she talks about her boyfriend in the beginning of the novel, its very evident that she doesn't really care much about him and that she is just putting up with him for right now.
ReplyDeleteI also think that this is an important theme that Jess Walters wanted to convey to the reader because its brought up right in the beginning of the 2nd chapter where Claire is introduced. The reason i feel that Claire doesn't really respect her relationship with Daryl is because she knows that he comes home late and she is well aware that he goes to strip clubs and gets lap dances which clearly shows that he doesn't really want to have a real relationship. It doesn't seem like there is any chemistry between them either because of the way she talks about him. "And what about Daryl? Does she dump him today, too? Can she? She's tried breaking up with him recently, but it never takes. It's like cutting soup-- nothing to push against. She'll say, Daryl, we need to talk, and he just smiles in that way of his, and they end up having sex." I think that this quote really describes and shows the reader the epitome of their relationship. In fact, not just their relationship but also the relationship that Dee shares with her husband, Alvis. There doesn't seem to be any love in it. She knows that he is an alcoholic and it just seems like she has to take care of him, like he's a little child, all the time.
I think that it's ironic that Dee tells Ron to be "smarter" now that they are older, but her own husband isn't making the smartest decisions with his life. Ron is a father and instead of taking care of Pat, his son, he is out drinking. I think its interesting that you brought up this recurring theme because I think it's a theme that Jess Walters definitely wanted the reader to capture so that they could better capture the essence of the book and how it takes place in Hollywood.
"And what about Daryl? Does she dump him today, too? Can she? She's tried breaking up with him recently, but it never takes. It's like cutting soup-- nothing to push against. She'll say, Daryl, we need to talk, and he just smiles in that way of his, and they end up having sex.(walter, 33)"
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