Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Supawit Blog #2
Jack Burden clearly shows that he has great love for history; shown in his experiences working as a journalist, his attempt in receiving a PhD in American History, and the constant flow of memories he shares. However, he hides from his own traumatic experiences altogether, that of which he is the most ashamed of. When talking about the time he quit his job in politics, he says, "It had been like that before, twice before. The time before I quit the University, just a few months before I was supposed to finish my dissertation for the Ph.D in American History. It was almost finished, and they said it was O.K. The sheets of typed-on paper were stacked up on the table by the type writer...Finally, one morning I got up late and went out the door and didn't come back and left them there. And the time before I walked out the apartment and Lois started to get the divorce"(141). Jack has a noticeable pattern of repeating history and running away from the things he loves. It takes him over hundred pages into the book to finally tell the audience about his divorce, and his nearly finished education. Later on, this shame makes him feel unequal to Adam who is, "a success, a bit-shot and you're a failure.." (143). He is insecure about his past, and this is why he was hesitant to bring any of this up before. Another instance of embarrassment for Jack is when Anne tells him that she has seen his father, whom previously left his mother and him alone. He says about his father and mother that he, "could go for the rest of my life and not think about them"(149). Jack chooses to block out the memories that hurt him the most, like most people do who have had a rough experiences in their life. These are all important experiences that stand out the most when he shows us glimpses into his life.
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Not only does Jack have a vast knowledge of history and a past as an ambitious man but he has proved to be extremely thorough and interested in the history of all those that Willie Talos comes across while hopping from town to down giving speech after speech regarding the next state governor elections. "The man was Hugh Miller, Harvard Law School, Lafeyette Escadrille, Croix de Guerre, clean hands, pure heart, and no political past."(136). This shows the control that Jack Burden enjoys to have over every situation, he knows the backgrounds of those he meets and is Willie's right hand man, he is the one to go to for advice. For example; Willie Talos the night before a big speech got much to drunk and the morning hangover left him immobile. Jack gives Willie pitcher after pitcher of coffe and when that doesn’t work he says “According to the old folks, the best way is to put two shots of absinthe on a little cracked ice and float on a shot of rye. But we cant be fancy. Not with Prohibition.”(123). And for the following paragraphs Willie gets dressed and stops every few minutes for a shot more to help settle his stomach. Willie comes to Jack for help, for wisdom and for the knowledge that he knows Jack has.
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