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Post by Dr. Nemmers on Jun 27, 2024 19:59:50 GMT
So I tried this last week and it didn't get a response until the very end of the week.... might as well try again!
Just through the first chunk of The Moviegoer and I'm seeing a few interesting similarities between our current protagonist, Binx Bolling, and that from our novel a couple of weeks ago, Mike Lovett.
Same type of guy? Similar situations and backgrounds? Similar trajectories? I do feel like there are some notable differences too, however....
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Post by jarelyrebollar on Jun 28, 2024 14:13:46 GMT
I view Binx Bolling and Mike Lovett as having profound similarities rooted in alienation. Both characters struggle to find meaning in their lives, feeling isolated from the world around them. Binx's search, marked by detached indifference, leads him to question the authenticity of his experiences and relationships, reflecting on the superficiality of social interactions. Similarly, Mike is haunted by his wartime experiences, feels estranged from post-war American society, and struggles to find his place, exhibiting apathy towards conventional ambitions.
Both engage in philosophical reflections on existence and the human condition, highlighting their inner turmoil and the broader societal issues they face. Their relationships are marked by detachment and a lack of deep, meaningful connections, underscoring their existential malaise.
Ultimately, their journeys epitomize the mid-20th-century existentialist themes of disillusionment and the search for authenticity in a rapidly changing world.
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Post by mjunious on Jun 29, 2024 16:09:55 GMT
Something else that I noticed is that Bolling's life is more stable than Lovett's. He has a decent, stable job, as well as a report with those around him, and enjoys leisure pleasures such as watching films at the cinema. Lovett on the other hand has to live within a more disciplined budget, he talked about rationing his meals, for example, and I think at one point he splurged by going out for lunch, if I remember correctly. The interesting thing is that they are both still in search for meaning in their lives although Lovett's search is more focused. Likewise, they are both also rather passive in their respective worlds observing and reacting to those around them. It could be that their backgrounds, both products of newly ended wars (Korea and WWII) could make them feel misplaced in society, while their geography could make them act differently: Brooklyn being more bustling and more expensive, but also more opportunistic, especially for someone who is pursuing a career as a writer, while New Orleans is driven by social southern ideals, where success in that regard dictated, moreso at that time, your economic success.
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